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!!!!

Zoom zoom....

Well today was my first day of work. Work itself was fine....it's a MUCH different operation than I'm used to but it shouldn't take me long to learn what I need to learn.

More importantly...this morning's commute took just over an hour which wasn't bad. This afternoon however took a bit longer. I left at 5:05 & at the advice of my new manager, tried to take some back roads based on a map she drew me...had the map been accurate things might have worked out better. I think that not including the bad map time, the drive home took an hour & 1/2...I didn't get home until 7:00 pm.

My transportation research continues...

Last day of leisure

Morning folks...
Today is my last day of leisure before starting work. I don't know if unpacking, spending tons of money on STUFF, finding your way around the city, etc... is considered leisure time, but now that I'm coming 'round to the end of the week, I kind of wish I had a few more days off.
I finished setting up house last night...let me hear a big YIPPEE from the peanut gang!!!
I have a couple of purchases to make like rugs, plants, etc... but the way I've been hemorrhaging money out, those things are going to have to wait. I don't care how economical you are...moving is never cheap.
The weather was gorgeous yesterday & should be the same today. I spent 2 hours at the beach. It was awesome. Didn't go in the water other than to test it and it was FREEZING cold. I'll probably wait another few weeks for that. Just the fact that I could lay on the sand & listen to the waves was enough for me. This is the life.
Another debate I'm having is whether or not to pay for laundry service or sit at the wash-a-teria. It's again a matter of $$$$ vs. time. I dropped off what I had yesterday just to see the cost & how good they do. It's .90 per lb. & I had 23 lbs. That was about a weeks worth of clothes for $20. Hmmmm....I'm starting to think this freeloader of a dog needs to get a j-o-b if he wants to keep us in bones for very long :)
Speaking of the dog....something has affected his system. I'm not sure if it's the stress of the move, the water, the air, old age or what...but for the first time in his 10+ years, he is a GASSY dog...I never thought I'd smell the day....

Here are a few photos of life in Chicago...

1)The view from inside my apt.

2)The front of my building

3)The beach 3 blocks from my house

4)Downtown!!!

5)The "bean" sculpture at Millennium Park

I went downtown today to get out of the house and NOT unpack, decorate, or clean. I figure I've been doing nothing but revolving life around this move so it's time for a break. I didn't do much but wandered around Millennium Park & checked out the two Metra stations (commuter trains) that I would have to use if I decide to use the train...the verdict is still out on the car vs. train option. It's all about $$$'s vs. time.

Anyway, it's back to work on Monday so I'm hoping to wrap some things up this weekend.

Keep checking back as I'm hoping to finish decorating & setting everything up...will post more pics later.

Radar checks out the surf...

I took Radar out for a walk this evening & decided to walk us down to the beach. He's never been before so it was a first. He went right up to the water but seemed unamused & uninterested. He's becoming more urban by the minute.

Holy $$$$!!!!

I drove out to Naperville yesterday which is where I'll be working. With no traffic, it took me an hour & 5 minutes and about $3.50 in tolls. Did I mention that gas here is $3.67 right by my house? The closer you get to downtown it's about $3.99. Near Naperville I saw it as "low" as $3.48...note to self, buy gas near work.
I've been researching the train which is WAAAAY more economical but it turns my work day into about a 12-13 hour day. I need to see if the commute by car is the same or not...I think with traffic it will run about an hour 1/2 to 2 hours...therefore the train still may be the way to go.
My home is starting to look like a home finally. I've opened all boxes except the one marked WORK & now just have some knick-knacks lying around waiting for a home.
I'm hoping once I get completed & the place is cleaned (as much as an 80+ yr. old building can be cleaned) to get motivated enough to take some pics to post by this weekend....one thing at a time folks...one thing at a time.

Day 2 and counting...

Well I'm probably about 75%-80% unpacked. Most of what I have left is all decor. Doesn't sound like much, however I think I've quickly come to a screeching halt out of pure exhaustion. My progression has dwindeled down from 10 or so boxes a day to 2-3. I only have about 6-8 left but they are all decor & involve thinking.
Did the grocery shopping and what I hope is a final trip to Bed Bath & Beyond tonight. I have decided that I can't STAND spending any more money...I wish I could crap out a money tree.
I also took a walk down to the beach today. I know, I know...those of you who don't know Lake Michigan are thinking, "what kind of beach can a lake have?"...but the lake is like a small ocean. There was tons of sand, pretty good sized waves, gulls, and a homeless guy sleeping on the beach. It was amazing to me nevertheless. It's not salt water but it sure had a beach smell to me.
Oh by the way, did I mention that it was only like 55-60 for the high today??? Not quite sure about this weather...
My eyelids feel like manhole covers so I'm going to bed.
Nighty night everyone

Culture Shock

Well after 3 full days here the reality of this move is setting in. Glenn & I spent the last few days working our tails off to get as much of this place in order as possible. I can't believe how much he got done for me in such a short time. He's quite the handyman which I know every inch of his body is feeling today...I personally feel like someone has beaten me up.

Here are a few observations I've already taken in...
1) Traffic here sucks...no bones about it. I took Glenn to the airport this morning in the rain, big fun.
2) Diversity is putting it mildly...I live close to little Mexico, a few blocks away is little Israel, the a few blocks more is little India. I can get a taco, a kosher pastry, or a Bollywood feature film all within a few miles of home.
3) It's kind of nice having window A/C units. Much easier to control than central air in my opinion. Actually, all of my windows open which is a major change from my Dallas home. Quite shocking since I'm sure this building is at least 80-90 years old and my old place was only 50 years old and all of those windows had been painted shut. Right now I have a few open windows & no A/C going. I'm listening to the rain.
4) Moving a 10+ year old dog 3 times in a matter of weeks AND driving 17 hours across the country isn't such a good idea. I'm not really sure who's in more shock at this point about what we've done...myself or Radar. He just ate a bite of my PBJ so I at least know he's feeling a little better.

Signed,
Scattered in Chicago

The longest drive

Well we finally arrived about 17 hours after our departure yesterday. What a long, freaking trip. I have to say that I feel more sorry for Radar than anyone else. That poor little dog has moved 3 times in the last couple of weeks. He could barely keep his eyes open during the trip, yet had to sit in my lap to try to see everything.
My new place has 5 keys...it's like Fort Knox. I have a key for the front/back gates, then you pass through a common door, need key #2 for the door that goes up the stairs, key #3 for my front/back door, key #4 for mail & key #5 for storage/laundry rooms. I now officially look like Schneider with my janitor keys.

Stuff is intact! Whew!