because quietphoenix always writes such good posts

Okay so you want a real update do you. *

So I am home back in Indiana, I took the south shore home last night with Char. We had a pleasant meal at Chipotle before boarding the train and spent time talking about jobs and relationships and living with people. Then we were picked up by my parents and they looked so lovely. At home Jonathan and I chatted** and we all had tea. Then it was up in the morning for turkish coffee made by Jonathan before he headed off to work on his huge mid-term thing that is taking all his time.

Char and I did various errands around town which included buying groceries, visiting Mom at the Villages, where I redeemed my birthday present and got a beautiful dark red with gold and tan accents tablecloth which I plan on using as a curtain in front of our closet. After lunch with Char and Mom I headed home and started frying tofu, during which I learned how restaurants get tofu to be so yummy and crispy on the outside. The key is high heat, no oil, because when I did the first bit with oil it just absorbed it all up, because tofu really isn’t any better than a big sponge.

After an amazing pad thai birthday feast, we trucked off to the barn dance. There I spun, promenaded, do-ce-doed and learned the salty dog with Becca. Lovely times, although I would have to say I miss the barn dance times from high school where there was always 10 people my age…..sigh good ole MYF.

Sunday morning, Zeb came over to have blueberry baked oatmeal and to tell me more details about the amazing trip this summer! Seriously folks I need to let you all in on that itinerary. Then Char, Becca and I took Char and Tim’s new (a relative term) 1994 Geo Prism back up to Chicago. I then spent most of the rest of the day taking a walk, relaxing, cleaning, and even reading for a bit.

That gets us all the way up to Monday, which was a monday and not really much more than that. (oh except we had amazing crepes last night!)

*I am fully aware that no reader did actually request such a thing, but still I am sure you wall really wanted one.

**Actually more like hugged and punched each other.

okay in my attempt to write every day

Actually I don’t technically know which day this will post in because according to Chicago time it is still Friday, but here in Indiana at my parents house it is past midnight.

Anywho, life yeah that thing I have been involved with for 23 plus years, its cool, we are getting each other right now.  Communication could be better, temperatures have cooled, but remain livable and fairly warm.  The other day we had some good moments, me and life, but basically we are still getting used to this whole city thing, its a first for our relationship.  Sometimes life gets dull and starts surfing the internet all evening, but usually I can talk her out of it.  Today I completed another week of work which completed 2 months of weeks and life was a big help with that.  Life wishes I would get out more and maybe meet some hot guys, and I agree but figure fate/god have some work to do in that area as well.  But yeah, life and I are cool right now.

chicago botanic garden

reason #243 I love my housemates

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feeling just a little bit stuffed

It’s official I think I love my apartment mates.  Hands down they are some of the coolest girls ever.  You know how most humans function with a filter in front of their brain that takes care of those random impulses and verbal farts?  Yeah for the past 2 hours I have pretty much removed mine completely and been doing and saying all kind of random and dorky things.  This mainly includes grunting in a totally non-sexy manner, speaking in a british accent (which is pretty horrible in and of itself), calling the kitty names and poking people.  I love when I can feel free to be a complete and total dork……….sigh this whole apartment thing is beginning to feel like home.

trying out a new stomping ground

So this is my first new post on this wordpress blog, the rest of these posts come from my blogspot blog, which until last week I had been using for over 2 years.  The main reason I wanted to try out this new option was to see if I could edit more details of the blog.  However I am not entirely sure if the options I have control over will be enough.  But then again I don’t really want to have to pay 10 dollars a month to have my own site and complete control.  I guess we’ll just have to see if it is worth it.

Oh and of course this all means that this blog may change radically from time to time, at least until I get more kinks worked out.

things I am grateful

The radiators have kicked on these past few days, which means that autumn is for real now.
We had three visitors sleeping in our apartment last night.
I got to see Tara.
Trips to Le Peep for very filling brunches, and finding a dail (spelling?) rod for my Chinese wall hanging
The fact that it is only Saturday night
the Chicago Botanic Garden
leaves
cameras
water and sun
good friends
emails from brothers
a job that pays me well and doesn’t ask for a whole lot in return
hugs
oh and kittens and kites and brown paper packages tied up with string

PS. My adobe CS2 software should get here next weekend with Steph!

one reason I love Chicago

It snowed today! Granted in three months, I will probably be so sick of snow flurries in Chicago, that this glee will be long faded. Still it snowed today, yes the 12th of October, and real snow. Not just a few flakes, but actual dusting cover and I got to walk in it. Flipping between blue sky with softly turning leaves, to grey-white pelting flakes, the weather today was unexpected, shifting and glorious. How many times does one get to look up into brilliant blue sky, see one’s breath, and watch snow coat orange red leaves!

cat torture

Jess and I trimmed the kitty’s claws tonight. Or should I say I held a 10 lb squirming hissing ball of fur wrapped up in a blanket for 5 minutes while Jess plucked a paw out of the mass and trimmed an eensy tensy bit of each nail off. Oh and of course Becca captured this whole scene with her camera. But I do believe the cat has forgive me, seeing as she was curled up next to me just a few short minutes ago.

being inspired

I just got back from Stephanie Klein’s reading for her new book Straight Up and Dirty. I have been reading her blog for almost a year now and I really like her style. And I mean that in the whole life she presents to the world. It obviously isn’t an entirely wonderful one, but she makes the single life in the city sound appealing, but also realistic. But most of all I like it that she is so honest, from sharing her mishaps with dating, to her issues with weight, to her beautiful photography, Stephanie seems to be a very genuine person. Plus it was a lot of fun to meet in person and to hear the voice of someone who I feel like I know so well already.

Hearing about the work and energy she puts into writing both her blog and her book (she is working on a second one about going to fat camps as a child), is definitely inspiring to me. I think I really want to take this blog more seriously and use it not only as a way of updating people on my life, but letting out a little creativity now and then. Plus I am hoping that I soon will be able to a real overhaul of the design and change a lot of the parts of it that have been frustrating me for a while.

The other good part of the night was wearing my new grey blazer, red shoes, matching purse and feeling quite cityified. But I do indeed need to go to work tomorrow, so I think I shall say goodnight.