Psyched & Ready!

I cannot wait to wake-up early 

and watch the royal "I Do's" on DVR
  

Wooohoooo!

HAPPY FRIDAY FRIENDS :)
   

Dress, Check! Koozies...Check Check!

Yep. It's official, 

I'm overly excited for Stephen & Kendra's wedding

and my koozie design is in production as I type :)

(those funny lines won't be on the real deal, obvs)

Now I just need to secure a boat load of tactful party favors, cowboy hats, shrimp boil bibs, sunscreen, and figure out
where I'm staying upon arrival to the P-cola...
Clearly my priorities are in order, as always ;)

      

Made me giggle...

Meet My New "Alarm"

Without fail, 

this little funny bird 

bangs it beek on my window at 7am, 

like clockwork!

   

"Lowbrow / Brilliant"

I know I've confessed of my gushing love
for the New York magazine many o' times before,
but this week my feelings have reached new heights!

My most favorite page is right at the end where the journalists rate the best and worst of the week in the Approval Matrix

Repeat: LOVE

So you can imagine the shit eating grin that appeared on my face when I came across the following points: 

#1) New York magazine reports
(under LOWBROW / BRILLIANT)

I say to the New York magazine,
"You're just now reporting on this?
Where the hell have you been?!?"
   
Sure, call me lowbrow,
but my brilliant friends and I
have been drinking pickle-back shots
(Jame-O with a chaser of pickle juice)
for years!

I mean seriously, even my gnome's been doing 'em!

#2)  While I was sitting on my couch Friday night, waiting for Stephen & Kendra to pick me up for dinner,
I came across this bullet of awesomeness

and just when I immediately popped up
to Google this phenomenon, 

they honked the horn out front :(

   

So we're sitting at dinner and I was all sorts of distracted and announced to the table, "I'm sorry to waive my nerd flag again, but right before we came here I read a teaser that said there was an article published about "How Dino's Had Sex" and I didn't get a chance to look it up so my mind's all racing!" 

And my brother subtly said,
"Well Ace, I can assure you they weren't giving blow jobs -
so at least you've got the oral part figured out."

Bahahaha!

It's now Tuesday

and I'm still laughing about it :)

  

PS BTW:
Here's the article for your reading pleasure

  

Bits o' Truth

   

Grandma Stella's 93rd Easter Sunday

Every holiday we get to spend with our Grandma 
feels luckier than the last :)  

Was so nice to see the sun yesterday and head over to church for my "Cheaster" appearance (admittedly, I only go twice a year -- which makes me your stereotypical Christmas & Easter Christian. Working to improve my stats this year though)

My mom and dad made an unreal lunch/dinner

and afterwards, I snuggled into my most favorite fuzzy blanket, and reveled in an evening of cards with Stella.

 LOVE

Thanks to Ben Smith, 

the night ended with a Blackhawks victory...

WHAT.A.GAME!!!

All in all, a pretty perfect Easter if ya ask me :) 

      

"Hoppy" Easter Wknd!

  

All the best to you and yours :)

  

Thoughts on "Check-In Check-Out"

Tonight at dinner I couldn't help but to overhear the table of girls next to us as one proudly exclaimed to her friends, "I'm officially the Mayor of Southport Grocer! I've checked-in over 200 times!" 

After I puked in my mouth a little, 

I secretly thought to myself for a moment about how sad our obsession with technology has become
(me, very much included in the aforementioned "our")

An "app" is no longer a starter before lunch or dinner, but 
merely a $.99 download to one of our various smartphones. 

And when we say that we've "talked" to someone, that could very well just mean that we've connected via text or email -- 
never actually communicating live or by phone call. 

Foursquare and Facebook have redefined what it is to "check-in".
And after dinner, when the kind cashier asked me if I was ready to "check-out" as the convenient store was closing, I got to thinking about all the above while hoofing it home. 

There was once a time when "check-in" and "check-out" were moves I'd only ever used on the soccer field. As a left wing, my role as a forward was ultimately to score goals. So when the midfielder went to throw in the ball, my mission was to quickly "check-in" so not to be off-sides, and immediately once the ball was in play, to even more quickly "check-out" so to beat the defender, break away with the ball, and help win games for the team. 

But life changes. And we grow up. And we learn sooner than later, that with time this too shall pass. And we check-in and out of relationships, schools, jobs, hobbies, flights, hotel rooms, the list goes on. But I gotta admit, for a fleeting moment on the walk back to my apartment tonight, I oh-so-vividly remembered the feeling of not having all these adult experiences, and how simple my life once was when soccer was practically my religion, which in turn, made Mia Hamm my God ;) 

When I was eleven years old, I used to have this Nike ad framed next to my bed. I had the poem memorized by heart and recited it to myself before every soccer game I ever played thereafter...

Dancer

by Mia Hamm

When you were a child your mother thought,
As mothers sometimes do,
That you were strong enough
And sure enough
To someday be a dancer.

But when you were five
Or was it six or was it nine
You didn't want to dance,
You couldn't bear to dance
Unless you were dancing in the grass,
And dancing in the mud
As children often do
As children often do.

And then your father kicked you a ball.
And the ball was the shape of the whole wide world to you. And now if you see green you can only think of one thing to do. And the world slips away from your feet. And the sky slips down into your arms.

And you are free you are free 

you are absolutely free
To be who you want.
To go where you can.

To be wild to be loud 

to fly in the mud 

and run in the rain.

Strong enough 

Sure enough 

Like a dancer.

I haven't thought about Mia Hamm in ages. 

But it was a pretty awesome feeling tonight

to recall the days when I absolutely worshiped her

and every single blade of grass

she kicked ass on :) 

    

Why I'm Not a Carpenter

Last night I took on a "project"

8 zinc cams, 8 rapid rods, 8 confirmit screws,
8 plastic dowels, 8 screw cap covers, 4 iron hooks, 2 gables,
2 Sex and the City re-runs, 1 power drill & hammer, 1.2 hours,
and a glass of wine later... 
It was a masterpiece ;)

Now if I can just convince by brother
to come over to hang it with me,
I'll be one happy carpenter camper :)

      

Comment of the Week

I felt badly laughing when I read this, but I've sooo 
been there when distracted and missed my train stop :(
Multi-tasking + Me = On again off again lovers

It's funny 'cause you don't ever really know who reads your blog, but Erin has always been so kind to take the time and let me know. Thanks, Chik! Much appreciated 
(but again, so sorry about the "detour")

***
 

This made me think of a post from 2009

so I thought I'd re-share

HAPPY NO LONGER MONDAY PEEPS!!

Woooohooooo

    

Glenview House 2.0?

Last night was so nice to head to "The House"
to celebrate Gina's 30th :) 


Jeff & G were so generous to treat us all to dinner -- 
yes, dinner is now served at the Glenview House... WO!
 
Who can believe the first bar
that not-so-legally (over)served 
just about every single friend I have from home,
is now a new and improved gastro-pub?!?!
 
You've come a long way, baby... 

                                         HAPPY BIRTHDAY "G" :)                                        

  xoxoxo

    

Happy Birthday, Mr. Nicky-Nicky-Nicky!

I was cracking up making the Nickster a collage for his 30th.
Grade school and Jr. High year books, old notes I still somehow have saved, pictures from every Summer at Valley Lo camp, pumpkin fests, school dances, sports games, you name it...

Was so fun to sort through old memories, 

but even more so to toast to new ones!

HAPPY 30th NICK

Cheers to a million more great years ahead of us :)

  

Why I Love Picture Texts

Regardless, I would have eeeeked at the news that Joanna
went to SNL last wknd -- but seeing the pic of the ticket
made it all the better :) 

And as much as I would have loved just hearing that adorable Soren visited his Aunty at the office, seeing the pic in real-time was pretty damn priceless :) 

And it'd be one thing to just tell me that your scrumptious pup named Tilly also has a thing for garden gnomes, but the digital evidence is simply too great for any amount of words :)  

      

Christmas in April :)

My seeester gave me a gift yesterday for no reason whatsoever!
 
I would have loved it no matter what was inside, 
but the fact that it included an eye patch, 
treasure map, pirate shot glass & wrist band to boot -- 
well, let's just say I could harrrrrrrrdly contain my excitement :)

They go perfectly with my treasure chest!
  

"Priorities"

My mom took my sister and I shopping yesterday with the kind offer to buy us each a dress for our brother's wedding. 

So riddle me this:

a free dress was on the table, yet all I came home with 
is this colorful pillow I purchased myself...

But isn't it just so super cute?!?

LOVE :)

   

"Happy" Tax Day

Just got back from the post office 

in order to mail away my life savings

to the tax capital of the world
{insert barf noise here}

Lemme tell ya, 
for the first time in months

I sure don't miss Manhattan this morning ;)

   

Good Wine. Great Food. Best Friends.

A major advantage Chicago has over New York

is the ability for one to have a dining room, 

and actually be able to afford it ;)

Not to sound entirely creepy, but I would go over to Cody's apartment even if she wasn't home -- it's so damn cute! 

So when she offered to grill and host last night, 

I was there in a heartbeat :) 

Maybe it was the wine that made me nostalgic, but it is pretty darn special to still share and enjoy the company of three amazing individuals who I have literally known my entire life!  

Lizzard, Bren, Codes & Me

2011

1985

Jamie's birthday party at Pirate's Cove