Winter Classic Update

So I now have my ticket in hand.... and the game is only days away!! Who's excited!?!?

Uh huh.. thought so. SO even after all the crazy warm weather this past weekend, the ice is taking shape and being monitored to be ready for game day. I know the blackhawks are coming in off of a franchise record winning streak, and the wings are kind of struggling, but I'm hoping for a good match-up!

NHL.com has a live webcam of wrigley with a countown until the game, here.

WINTER CLASSIC HERE I COME!

That's right, I splurged! Combining my football winnings and my christmas bonus from Segal I found a ticket on Craigslist for $325. So nothing came out of my budget! Can't beat that!! I'm super excited and can't wait to bundle up and be part of this once in a lifetime Hockey at Wrigley, my team in my new city. It will be fabulous!

Check out this story on the prep going on at Wrigley! Below is an artists rendering of what it will look like... my seat is going to be in Sec 115 which is between 3rd and home on the baseball field.

My first season as a Bears Fan

So when I moved here, my NFL fandom was up for grabs... the Lions never won my heart, so alas I now root for da bears! And once this decision was made, it became a quest. A quest to fit in amongst the Chicagoans, and the guys at work. There is no way I could just claim to be a Bears fan, I had to show it: learn, watch, play.

So I've learned - players and history, and even watched the superbowl shuffle on youtube. And next year, I might even go to the Football 101 class to get a first hand and behind the scenes look at the team and Soldier Field.

I've watched all the games I could and even developed a new routine with my halftime nap time after church on sundays :)

And I've played - in the Bears squares pool for $5 bucks a week and even managed my own fantasy team with the guys at work for fun.

All in all, it's been a fun first season as a fan. The Bears are 8-6 thus far, my fantasy team made it to the playoffs at 9-5, and I cashed in big tonight with winning the squares pool of $250. Not bad, huh? So I'm going to take my winnings to invest in some bears gear, and make it official. I am a fan of DA BEARS!

:)

"The Professor" is Inducted into the Hall of Fame

TORONTO (11/10/08)-- Igor Larionov, the great Soviet star who led the exodus of Russian players to the NHL in 1989 and won 3 Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, was a small man, but he played and speaks with great courage. He was a superior athlete, but he looks like the team bookkeeper.He was allowed to jump to North America in 1989 "because players over 30 weren't welcome in the (Russian) system," Larionov said. "They wanted younger players they could control."The Soviets forced a deal in which NHL teams would send part of the player's salary to the Russian Hockey Federation as compensation. Larionov was so outraged by his former bosses skimming money from players they no longer wanted that he played out his 3-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks and then went to play in Switzerland to stop the money flow. The upside of that? "It allowed me to learn Italian," he said.To get an idea of Larionov's calm and business-like ways, he was at a gym preparing for his daily workout when he got the call informing him of his Hockey Hall of Fame induction. Larionov then swam laps for 45 minutes, drove home and told his wife. Oh, by the way ...

Full story here: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=391667

And prepare for the Red Wings to take on the Penguins tonight as Hossa meets his former 'mates for the first time as a Red Wing. And I'll actually get to watch it since it's on VS.

Vote However You Like

Seventh graders from Ron Clark Academy perform their “Whatever You Like” by T.I. parody at the Coca-Cola Leadership Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.

Lyrics from politicalmusic.wordpress.com:

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

(McCain supporters)
McCain’s the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They’ll fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might

(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama’s new, he’s younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He’ll bring a change, he’s got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq’s a shame
Four more years would be insane

Lower your Taxes - you know Obama Won’t
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS - You know McCain won’t!
Have enough experience - you know that they don’t
STOP GLOBAL WARMING - you know that you won’t

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you’re going to have some drama
We need it
HE’LL BRING IT
He’ll be it
YOU’LL SEE IT
We’ll do it
GET TO IT
Let’s move it
DO IT!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I’m talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice

But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gone have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN’T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

The Realm of Redheads

I found a new website that its kind of funny. Its all fun stuff for red heads...

I stumbled upon this as I pondered what some people have against redheads, and what generalizations are out there about us... (I was searching match.com and found 2 guys I would have considered contacting except for the fact they have made the conscious decision they do not want a red head b/c in the hair color box instead of clicking any, they click all by redhead/auburn!!!) Well they don't know what their missing out on!

Here's a funny quote I read on one of the redhead shirts available on the site:

"Carrot tops are green, Einstein!"

I don't know if I laughed out loud b/c it was late or b/c I found it logically funny, but yes, I did laugh out loud!

Misty May Injured!!!

During last night's episode of Dancing with the Stars, Misty May confirmed that she is badly injured and had to withdraw from the competition. The show played footage of her Achilles tendon popping/tearing during rehearsal of the Jive.

This will not sideline this olympic athlete, she has recovered from other serious injuries. She and husband, Matt Treanor, were planning to take this time after the Olympics to spend time together and start a family. Misty is undergoing surgery today to have that repaired and will be on the mend. She joked that her and Maksim would be back to dance that jive when she recovered. I expect nothing but a better Misty May to return to the sand after this and as a mom!

Family Portraits

I finally got to pick up my framed family portraits today :) I think they turned out great, and I've already put them on the wall!

Math Nerds work hard for the money

So... what would you do for a chance at $100,000? Math nerds at UCLA have been slaving away with their computers trying to find the next Mersenne prime number, and it seems they may have found one making them eligible for this prize. You can find the TIME story here.

Tigers might return to Chicago

So I had tickets for the September 13 Tigers @ White Sox game, and that just happened to be the weekend that it poured and poured for 3 days straight and the games were canceled. Well, they did play a double header on Sunday to make one game up, but the other game is still outstanding. And as it turns out, might need to be played still.

I went to the Box Office Friday to exchange my tickets from the 13th game to one game for this weekend since these are the final home games of the season. But I found out that the Tigers might have to come back into town and play that game if the Sox cannot clinch the AL central division.

Be Proud...

I've been busy studying alright?! lol I will post this weekend about tonight's Chicago Fire win over the LA Galaxy and the David Beckham pics I could snag...

Here's something I found today though...

Last night's SNL

Matt Damon knows what an Actuary is?!

First and foremost, I'm feeling a little better this morning. Drugged and armed with OJ and Vicks, I'm taking a slow approach to the day... It's going to be a lot of reading, so I expected I'll be in an out as I read my study manual and work on my equations. I'm already feeling a nap coming on after being awake for 3 hours...

I woke up around 930 and started to move around. I migrated to the couch around 10 where I happily found John McCain and Cindy on the View. During which time, I found out that he has a daughter, Meghan, was also recently on the view. Meghan happens to have written a children's book about her dad that just debuted the Tuesday of the RNC. She also happens to have a blog. I found said blog, and have enjoyed bits and pieces of it. You can find the link on the right side of my blog...

After showering, re-vicks-ing, and eating some oatmeal, I'm back on the couch reading about Meghan McCain's book, and decided to check in on Rush Limbaugh's webpage (which I usually do every couple days b/c my dad is a listener) where I come to find this article/transcript with Matt Damon:

DAMON: You do the actuary tables, you know, there's a one-out-of-three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn't survive his first term, and it will be President Palin, and it's like a really bad Disney movie.

I'm not at work today, so I cannot verify his 1/3 chance of McCain not surviving 2009-2013, but we (actuaries) do have such tables, because our work is based on when people die. Seriously. I was just excited to see the word actuary, haha.

You can go on and read the rest of the transcript with who Rush refers to as celebutard, Matt Damon. From now on, I think I'll just think of him as Jason Bourne. And all this probability talk might just inspire me to open my books!

From the sickbed...

It's settled, in my head that is... A cold has found its way into my system. I have been pretty worn down since my birthday, and my body officially told me STOP. You need to stay home- study and sleep, sleep and study...

I pushed through today at work, feeling like I had to sneeze at all times. I barely made it home at 5, I took off my pants and face planted on my pillow. I did come-to till I heard my roommate in the kitchen...

I got up, I ate, called my sister... I was about to head right back to bed, but knew if I didn't take action that I'd feel just as lousy in the morning. So I put pants back on, and trucked my way to walgreens where I then stocked up with Tylenol Cold Day/Night, Coldeze lozenges, and a 12 pack of 7-Up. So I'm back home, lathered in Vick's and once again hunkered down in my bed, hoping that I can fall back asleep and feel better in the morning.

Oh yeah, plus Friday is my study day, so I need to make the most of it. Wishing I stayed home today to sleep it off...

Week 1

On my quest to be a Chicago Bears fan:

So things have been a little busy, but I had set time aside (rather my friends were hosting a party) to watch the first regular season Bears game! So far, so good! We came away with a win against the Colts. The final score being 29-13.

I think my idea to invest in my interest is working because I was trying to pay attention (or at least my friends were telling me when the Bears' defense made a good play) because I have the Bears Defense on my fantasy team. Apparently they did really well! They allowed 13 points, and scored a TD. I hope to pick up more through out the season and become more able to recognize this on my own! I had to tweak my roster a bit today so I have a strong team going into this weekend. I won my first fantasy match up, but not by much and my total was pretty low compared to some of the others in the office league, so I hope that I'm a little more competitive now and can get another win!!

Also, no one had the 9-3 square in our office pool, so the squares double and the prize money rolls over to next week. I guess I'll find out my new squares on Friday for this weeks game against Carolina on Sunday.

Let the Countdown Begin

With last night's history making speech and the closing of the GOP national convention this evening, the countdown to Election day has begun. I've already decided where my vote is going. Though I do have more liberal views on things like abortion and stem cell research, conservatives just make more sense when it comes to the budget, taxes, and energy policies - maybe because I've been immersed in those thoughts all my life, thanks Dad (and Rush Limbaugh!)

I crave "change" as much as the next guy/gal, I just hope that people listen to McCain and Palin and realize they are change, they are good speakers, they are experienced, and up to the task of not only putting "country first" with sensible policies (like developing reasonable energy resources on our own turf) but also redefining the image of a republican that has been so tarnished by the last 8 years.

I'm intrigued and want to follow the next 2 months as close as I can to see how the announcement of Palin for the VP nomination affects how the Dems campaign. I have a feeling its gonna get dirty. Hopefully, amusingly so, just like this.

So as Palin prepares for her debates against Biden with some crash courses on national security, foreign policy, etc., I'll be cramming for my SOA exam and hoping for the best outcomes possible on November 4, 2008!

I've joined the cult

of Fantasy Football. It's my rookie season, so we'll see how it goes. My reasoning behind all this is to develop the knowledge (slowly) of the NFL and the Bears. But it also helps me relate and develop some similar interests since I assume my field will remain male dominated for a while.

Here's my team - MegsMustangs:
QB's -Tony Romo, Matt Hasselbeck, Jeff Garcia
WR's - Torry Holt, Clavin Johnson, Lee Evans, Kevin Curtis
RB's - Ryan Grant, Willis McGahee, DeAngelo Williams, Clinton Portis
TE's - Jeremy Shockey, Heath Miller
Kicker - Nate Kaeding
Defense - Chicago Bears

I'm just feeling it out this year, not really sure what to expect. I got a few draft tips from friends back home and I hope I did well!

It's about time

for Kwame to resign. Who knows what's in store for Detroit next, but I'm glad he's out of office.

What a Wednesday

It's a short week, and I seem to have a short fuse. Not exactly sure what my deal is, but things haven't been quite working out for me lately, today was another perfect example:

Overslept- woke up at 830, at work by 9 so I could make it to training (that was pushed back to 3 at the last minute).
Got last minute work at 450 so I couldn't make it home in time for my training session with Mario, so I had to cancel last minute and still get charged.
Back at work- 630 to 815, finishing up those reports.

Nothing really better to end my day but a Nonna's Calzone, a few beers from my fridge, and listening to part of Giuliani's speech and specifically Sarah Palin's. Impressive. I quite enjoyed it, very intrigued how this strategic play of choosing her amidst the fact that her daughter is pregnant, her youngest has Down Syndrome, her old son is deploying for Iraq this month is going to help McCain's run for the white house. One thing is for sure, she sure brings a fresh face to the GOP and hopefully reminds America that republicans, too, can relate to middle class americans and all are not goofy sounding Texans.

Any how, its late, and I don't want tomorrow to be anything like today... night.

Happy Birthday To Me

I celebrated my 26th birthday on Saturday. It was what it was.

I had guests staying with me this weekend. Shortly after their arrival late Friday night, I began to open presents that mom sent (and said I couldn't open till Saturday, and it technically was Saturday).

Inside this box o' popcorn was another box! One very carefully packed with lots of wrapped presents - very mom. Everything in those packages - very me. Loved each little post-it note describing each gift and why I would love it! Seriously. Again, very mom. The highlight of the box was my new camera!! No more 3.2 megapixels for this girl! I've been upgraded to 10 with my new Canon PowerShot.











Well after all that fun, we went to bed. Saturday brought more fun in the form of college football. What's better than celebrating a birthday with beer and a bunch of wolverine fans at Duffy's? Well not much...though a win would have been icing on the cake!

Well we came home, I passed out. Then we got ready for round two. I assembled some friends, and coworkers at the Purple Otter for drinks and some inappropriate fun. As I said earlier, it was what it was... and now I'm older and 'wiser.' I hope the wiser kicks in by November 4.

Thank you to Amanda for the Godiva, Grandma and Grandpa for the giftcards and singing to me on Saturday, and Mom and Dad for the box of presents. Erin, Kristina, Christina, and Halbert for the phone calls. Jeff, Jess, and Conrad for the texts. Kelly and Chris for being with me all weekend. Maya, Marissa, and Clint for being at the Purple Otter. And Fubar for keeping the drinks tropically tasty - after I showed you my ID to prove it was my birthday!

My Distraction

Comes in the form of books - that are not written by Actex or BPP, but by Stephenie Meyer.

Two weeks ago today I cracked the first book, Twilight, right before my rollerblading escapade with Ambar. Well since I was on the mend, and the Olympics ended and left me with a whacked out sleeping schedule. I have since then cranked through the other 3 books in the series (ranging from 600 t0 750 pages each). New Moon. Eclipse. Breaking Dawn.

I really enjoyed this distraction. Thank You to Jess, Ambar, and Tina for sharing these books with me. Yes, I had to put my blogging and studying aside, but I'm done. And I'm back, and getting back on track... I have 2 months.

Dalhausser = MVP

The man is incredible. 'nuf said.

Mens Gold Medal Match - LIVE

Here we go again.... Dalhausser/Rogers v. Marcio/Fabio from Brazil. These are not the defending gold medalists, but they are still strong and talented.

MM/KW are in the stands cheering them on, wanting to share the gold medal love :) MM is donning a traditional Chinese "teepee" hat - not really sure what its really called, but you know what I mean...She's been having an awesome time in Beijing!

I'm getting nervous - we are down 9-4 in the first set. Net violation on the brazilians! 9-5!
Killer block for my Phil.... we're getting into the game! Our hits and blocks are starting to connect..

10-7, Brazil. Make that 10-8. Awesome dig by Rogers!

Phil had a solid block to bring it within 1. 10-9, and Brazil called a Time Out.

Dalhausser with a "roof," his third block of the game, and tied up the game...and he did it again. We take the lead, and switch sides...

Just learned that Todd Rogers is from Solvang, CA - a small town "he who shall not be named" and i went on our wine tasting day! Well apparently, the Rogers' have a full out beach court in their back yard :)

Game tied at 12.

I also just learned that Brazil's Fabio has the nickname of Jaws- in reference to the James Bond villain. Take a look at his teeth (and his celebratory roar!) you'll understand! haha

Game tied at 16. Make that 17-16, Brazil. We need the lead here!!!

And a kill by Phil, gives us the lead!!! 18-17, US

20-19, US. Set point, but we can't clinch it :(
21-20, US. 2nd Set point GRRRR, tip by the Brazilians..
22-21, US. 3rd set point, and WE WIN the first set!!! The Brazilians fouled up, and couldn't return it back over the net!

Ok, back to the game -2nd set. We are at 4-3, Brazil.

5-5. Brazil serves, but on Roger's set got counted as a double contact. (non-simultaneous contact of the hands, seems to be happening with sweaty hands!)

8-6, Brazil. Rogers' kill can't be tamed by Brazil, 8-7. And now we have our first lead of the second set! 9-8!

Too much power on Phil's Serve, 9-9. But with a kill by Rogers we're back in the lead!

Phil just blocked a hit by Brazil- with his ELBOW! Extremely, amazing!
Well then, he just got one in the face... boo! Let's get those glasses fixed :)

We are back with a vengence. 13-10!

Oh no... 2 consecutive aces by Brazil, and a good play, gives them the lead 14-13.

Well here's a saying - "when in a fiddle, hit the middle!" Good to know! lol

15-15. Shit! We're down by 3. 18-15. We need to tie it up and win!! (DUH!)

There's one. Well crap. Brazil reached set point...denied by Rogers.
20-17, Brazil. Phil missed his serve...2nd set goes to Brazil.

We're on to set 3. This one only goes to 15 points.

We are starting out 2-0 :)

With a major dig by Phil, set by Rogers, and the kill - the Brazilians can't get it back over the net. We're up 4-1.

OOOOH. Double contact call on Brazil. 5-1. We've got to make we keep those balls dry!

2 amazing blocks by my Phil. Totally dominating the net. We're up 8-1.
Make that 3 blocks! He's pumped - we're almost there!!!

11-2, US. We are only 4 points away. We need to keep our cool and waltz in to the win! With a finesse tap by Rogers, we're one point closer 12-3.

2 errors by Brazil, we are 1 point away!

With another roof by Phil, we WON THE GOLD!!!

Gold Medal Match LIVE

So my two favorite teams (May/Walsh, and Dalhausser/Rogers) made it to the gold medal matches in their respective tournaments.

The women's just started - it's pouring in Beijing - and right now MM/KW are trailing 5-3. Make that 5-4.... so yeah, I'm writing this while I'm watching. They are playing the "#1" seeded team of Tian/Wang. The home country gets favored and so even though MM/KW are #1 in the world, they fell to the 2 seed.

So figure me this.. it's a rain storm and MM/KW decided to wear their white suits?!?! hmmm.

They're tied at 9. The points are just going back and forth...

Time out - 11-10, USA And Walsh with a major kill! Now they are up by 2!

Not much happening, back and forth.... 17-16, US.

And we're up by 2 at 19-17! It's still raining and apparently so overcast that they have play under the lights.

We're at set point! 20-17 US. YES! China called a time out. Well we missed out on that set point, and Misty kills it to close the 1st game 21-18!

Here we go with the 2nd set... and we're off with a 3-0 start! Between sets, they discussed how MM brought her mom's ashes to Athens to spread on the sand after they won their first gold. If they win today (and become the first team to win back to back golds) she will do the same.

6-4 US.

Yesterday during the men's semis (Dalhausser/Rogers v. Geor/Gia) MM and KW were there, cheering them on, and MM was wearing a beautiful Red, White, Blue 'fro. It just makes me laugh how they dominate the sand, but can be out and having fun, being loose before their big game.

Speaking of that big game- We're tied at 9. China just served us 2 aces, but we are back with a lead now 10-9. I think it's getting aggrevating because the balls are so wet and getting heavy - they aren't moving like usual. Also, arms are slippery and not getting that grip.

We're tied at 12 now...and i think we're playing pretty well. MM/KW don't seem rattled, but they've just got to get a couple of points going and I think we'll be in the clear.

Tied at 15, our serve. MM has gotten us 2 points, and we're up 17-15 while one of the chinese gals take a "medical time out." This won't rattle us...

Crap! The chinese are now back tied with us at 18. We just got 2 more points, and we're at Match Point....
Kerri puts it away, we did it!!!! (insert yelp and arm shaking here!!)


Out comes the flags, the victory laps begin... this is their 108th consecutive win! They have to be the best duo of all time... they didn't drop a SET at all in the olympics, and haven't lost a match in over a year!!

WOW! I guess it's time for these ladies to celebrate, go home, get it on (with their husbands) and make wonderfully awesome volleyball babies! Don't worry, they plan to be back, but they are at the top of their worlds and deserve all the best!

Ouchie

Well this ouchie is from Ambar's crazy mission for the evening. Nothing like being bumped, bruised and scabbed up in your 20's and looking like a 7 year old :P

Although, I did warn her I was not good on my rollerblades! This is my shoulder... obviously, but it did save my face :) Right out the door I got my bum and my elbow. Thank goodness for my wrist guards. But on the way back a dark shadow hid an evil uneven spot and I spilled, and almost had Ambar right on top of me. My knee hit first, then the shoulder. I didn't cry b/c it hurt, but I was so embarrassed and laughing so hard, I could hardly get back up! I told them next time I'd bring my bike instead, but I don't know if I'll get off that easily. It was a fun night out as we ventured through Grant Park and down, around the Shedd. Ahh the times :) At least it started feeling a bit better with a dose of pizza while watching Jon & Kate plus 8 and The Hills!

8-8-8

Well believe it, Phelps set the record.

He won 8 gold medals in his 8 races and set 8 records in the pool (7 world, 1 olympic). I guess 8 is a lucky number in China ;)

Phelps' Photo Phinish and a PHEW!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah... Phelps joins Spitz with the most gold medals by an Olympian in a single game with seven - but he's done it with flair. He just won the 200m Butterfly by 1/100th of a second. I need to find a video, it was a crazy photo finish. It's inexplicable. Who cares what number gold this is for him, the skill in catching and out-touching someone by 1/100 second....Speechless.

Here is a link to his first 6 races: http://www.nbcolympics.com/racefortherecord/

In other news - my sandy hunk & co. beat Switzerland. It wasn't easy. The first set was good, the Swiss battled back and won the second 23-21. And tied at 9 in the 3rd set (that only goes to 15) they cut to a swimming final (luckily a short race - women's 200 back) and back to the courts just in time for me to see match point. It was so quick, I hardly realized it was match point until the celebration! Phew!!

An a-MAY-zing Match UPDATED

Well, Happy Birthday Kerri Walsh! 105th victory is in the books... (and so you know, I wrote my blog before I pulled up the related article that also opened with Happy Birthday wishes!)

Kerri and Misty battled through the first set of their match against Belgium, they trailed through most of it and after 5 set points, their experience and excellence finally muscled through and they won 24-22. The second match, no contest 21-10.

To watch and see their experience and strength pull them through was amazing, and it's great to see them get one step closer to their dreams!


Michael Phelps has been 5 for 5 for 5 so far in Beijing - Five Races, Five Gold Medals, and Five world records. Tonight he is in contest number six...we'll see how it goes.
UPDATE: He did it in the 200IM, so another gold, WR.

Oh, Detroit....

I miss being home and close to my friends and family, but Detroit is getting more and more depressed and I am glad to be out.

The housing market is awful. Forclosure is an everday occurance especially in Wayne Co. (Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, and Redford - where I grew up) and a lot of people are getting despearate. But you could get a "deal" if you're looking for a fixer upper!

Everyone is losing their jobs because the car manufacturing plants are closing and so many of the companies in Metro Detroit always relied on the auto contracts. The jobless rate is 8.5%, compared to the national average of 5.7%


Michigan's biggest export?! College graduates. I think it will be a while before the state rebounds economically.


Oh and the Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick... Don't get me started, what an embarassment.

Proud to be a Daddy's Girl

Happy Birthday Daddy! I hope you had a great day with Mom and Erin at the Tigers game... wish I could have been there!

Here's to you - Lover of the "tall labatt" (with hand motion), possessor of guessing your gift with a shake talent, best egg sandwich maker in the world and hot dog/burger grill master, Mr. 'I can doze off anytime, anywhere' (glad to have inherited that skill!), fan of Meet the Press, and the McLaughin group on Sundays and FoxNews every other day of the week, king of porch sitting in the summer with the one arm curl, sarcastic trickster and occasional fixer, Auto Show, curling, Tigers and Red Wings buddy, and best daddy a girl could ask for! I miss you!

Love, Your Big Red :)

Sad News on Sedgwick

So every Monday, the RedEye reports the flurry of crime in Chicago from over the weekend. Today was no different - although amongst the killings on the south side a 29 year old was killed on Grand and Wolcott (the Ukranian Village neighborhood a little south west from me). Turns out this man, Jason Mueller, was the owner of Nonna's. The little pizza place right below me. :*(

I didn't find this out till Jess told me she saw it on the news while I was at the gym. The street has since been scattered with news vans and the pizza makers. The pizza was voted best at Pizza Fest 2008, and they seem to be a big hit around here since opening in December 2007.

We are in shock. Our condolences to the staff at Nonna's and hope they are able to stay open!

Dominating Duo Returns

I didn't get to watch the match this morning since I had to return to work - but nbcolympics.com reports that Dalhausser/Rogers won the match in 2 sets.

And again, the amazing race from last night.

An Amazing Race

The Men's 4x100 relay pulled out some real amazing tricks from their speedo's tonight to win Gold. (And upset the smash-talking French!)

I was working out while watching the race tonight, and let me tell you I would have jumped and screamed on the treadmill if I didn't think I would have severely injured and embarrassed myself. I can't really describe it, but it was just the most amazing race I've ever seen.

Oh, and that also means that Phelps has 2 golds now...

Tomorrow morning Dalhausser/Rogers will be playing Switzerland in their second game of pool play. Let's hope they've learned from their mistakes from Saturday and play like the top team that they are! They still have a chance in their pool seeing as the Latvians fell to Argentina, and Argentina fell to Switzerland....

A different hunt for Gold... Kerri Walsh lost her wedding band during their opening game versus Japan. But, no worries, it was found after the day's matches were complete. I guess this is the best 17,000 tons of sand to lose something in!

Vicotries, Tragic Loss, and a Bump in the road - UPDATED (again)

Today's been full of volleyball- one of my favorite sports to play and watch. This morning I watched the US Women beat Japan in the indoor (6-person) competition 3 sets to 1. Despite tragedy striking US Volleyball.

Before I left to study this afternoon, I caught Nicole Branaugh and Elaine Youngs win their first match of the olympics. They are the US #2 team behind May/Walsh.

Speaking of Misty May and Kerri Walsh- they just started playing Kusuhara/Saiki of Japan so I don't expect anything less than spectacular from them as well. They are defending olympic gold medalists after all! President Bush even came to visit them yesterday and wish them luck...oh what an honor to make the commander in chief sweat!
UPDATE- They won in a dominating 2 sets to none. 21-12, and 21-15.

The sad news of the day - Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser lost in the first round to Latvia :*( There is a long way to go in competition for the #1 ranked US team, but this upset early on, doesn't really allow for any mistakes in the future.

Sidenote: US also scored a trifecta in women's fencing taking Gold, Silver, and Bronze in the individual sabre.

Michael Phelps won his first of what I (and the US as a whole) presume of many Gold Medals in Beijing by setting a World Record in the 400m individual medley.

Non-Olympic tragic news: Comedian, Bernie Mac dies at 50.

Puppy Games 2008

This will just melt your heart...

Yes, we all know that the Olympic games started today, 8-8-08, in Beijing. And I did see tidbits of the opening ceremonies while working out at the gym. The lighting of the torch was pretty darn cool, IMO. (Mom- that means in my opinion) But did you know that 8-8-08 also was the start of Puppy Games 2008?! I did not, just found it myself, but after a long day of studying tomorrow, be assured that I will be just as interested in them as I will be in the human games!

Check them out on Animal Planet!

Long road ahead

So the week has been long and busy - after recovering from my thunderstorm trauma. I have decided to get back on track, I need to be super-de-duper disciplined over the next 3+ months. I'm working for 2 pretty big things - first being my exam. I want to do well on my first try, I just have to get immersed in the material, the only way to do that is to work on it EVERYDAY. Ugh! I know... Since that's a pretty big commitment and I can't really afford to have social distractions the next big thing really takes care of 3 things I want to get back on track.... Diet. Exercise. Budget.

So here's the plan- I study 3 nights a week at work . This keeps material in my head, and they feed me so I'm saving food $$. After studying I need to destress and relax - I can do that at the gym - which I'm already paying for every month so instead of going out elsewhere and spending $. So my diet will be restricted by dinner at work with a decent portion, I'll save some time and cash. Then I will go to the gym and work off the dinner, and then some. So I hope by the holidays I'm much firmer and comfortable in my own skin. And by staying on this course, I hope to save $$ and help pay down my debt and building savings.

Believe it or not, when I'm done with this exam, it will be my one year anniversary at Segal! I can't believe how much has happened so quickly. So, now's the time to get on track and set myself up for many more successful and healthy years!

This is why I hate thunderstorms

Chicago was hit pretty bad last night by two big thunderstorms with constant lightening and high winds. Initially, I was out to eat (all you can eat) sushi with Megan, Ashley and Tom. Sushi Para II is garden level, and I felt safe there despite seeing all the lightening reflect off of the mirrored pillars. Well when I got a text from a friend in the 'burbs asking about a possible tornado, I got a little spooked. Now to get home safe... all my mom ever asks of me.

Well we made our escape, and were going to run for our respective bus stops. They were all headed north, and I was headed south (to North Ave.) Lucky for me, there was a 36 that was approaching me, and I waved him down, and he kindly stopped for me. On our way south on Clark, we weaved around downed trees and Redeye and Onion bins that had blown into the street. I got to North, and there was a bus there too, THANK GOD! I got home to an ever calm roommate who is apparently immune to bad weather due to living through hurricanes in Miami growing up...

Called mom once I was dry and safe in my dark room free of the scary lightening. I was just about asleep when at 11:15 another violent attack of thunder awoke me and scared me out of bed for another hour. Jon and Kate plus 8 kept me distracted enough until the doppler said the storms were gone, phew.

Actuaries Give Advice

So you want to save social security huh? Here's what we think...

And when I say we, I mean those of my colleagues that are Members of the American Academy of Actuaries. A credential I hope to have in the next 5 years...

Batman Tech

Nerd Alert! Yay Science!!

Ok, so I've figured out why I'm so attracted to Batman. He may be a superhero, but he doesn't have any super powers - he relies on SCIENCE!

"Batman Tech" explores batman's tricks and tools (as seen in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight), how they were developed through Batman's existence. What used to be mere science fiction, is now merging very quickly with science reality. Maybe not in everyday life, but definitely with military and government sectors.

I highly recommend you check it out: TiVo it!!
The HISTORY Channel - Here is some of the upcoming dates:

Monday, August 11 08:00 AM

Monday, August 11 02:00 PM

Ok, now time to watch Modern Marvels - The Mackinac Bridge.... yay Michigan!

Morning Chuckle

I found a funny post on the CTA Tattler this morning...


"Name already exists"
Great story from my friend Tovi:
I was on the Red Line heading south to see the Sox beat the Indians earlier this month and was sitting behind two girls. These girls were not older than 15.
One of them was fiddling with her cell phone the whole ride. Around Addison I glanced over and noticed she was saving someone's number on her phone's memory.
I watched her input the person's name and laughed when she typed: "My baby daddy."
When she's done typing, she hit the save button only to see a message pop up that said: "Name already exists"!

Detroit makes a move

Not the city, their problems are so big there's nowhere it can hide... but the Tigers. Traded Pudge. Believe it. I remember when he came to Detroit. Yes I was a fan before they made their run to the World Series, we were the worst in the league, yet the games were the most fun to go to! In fact, I celebrated my 21st birthday at Comerica Park, in a suite. It was Fantastic 4 years and 11 months ago... I digress.

Looks like more time for Brandon Inge to be behind home plate, and a new pitcher to our bullpen. The tigers have been hovering at 5 games behind in the AL Central, not quite to the point where we need to bring in a therapist because they aren't performing, but a place where we can strengthen the team and have a strong 2 months before October.

The Tigers have come a long way since then: I got to see them make it to the world series, and I can no longer get seats at a moments notice, but the Ilitch's never gave up. And I hope that we remain contenders for years to come!

Tears and Time for Bed

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

That hardly feels as good as letting out the real thing.

Do I? Don't I? Hell if I know - Damn bright pink and green elephant the size of Texas is involved, and I finally address it and I'm not getting any feedback from the other side of this equation except "put it aside, you're quite worked up about this" and "we'll return to this later, goodnight."

Well this coming from the world's most intense person, Ha! He took something away that I felt very strongly for and he had to bring it back. After two casual meetings - as much as I hate it, those feelings are back and I can't just step back and 'return to it later?' No, sir.

Why wouldn't I be worked up about this? Pretty big decision to let someone back in your life. Someone you know your mom would rather you not... or you best friend, or your roommate, because of what he did back in April.

I can't just be friends with him. I can't. And he says that I'm to let him know what I decide. I can't decide. Two people are involved here - and excuse me for going all "10 things I hate about you" about it - but is it too much to want him to want me? I guess with the friend thing out of the picture - its all or nothing. And even though its late, and I'm being emotional, I might just be the most rational - and its looking like nothing. Nada. Zilch. Can't do it. (yeah, i know you like to read that mom)

I hate this, more than anything in this world. I don't hate many things - being in this position, and feeling like this. I HATE IT! HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE IT!

Choas - The absense of rules

Yeah for me, I finally got to see The Dark Knight! It was fabulous, and I will most likely see it again in the theater, preferably the IMAX, when it stops being sold out... anyways - like everyone else I truly loved how Heath Ledger portrayed the Joker. He was dark, sarcastic, humorous, and twisted - and an "agent of chaos," taking others' ideas and turning them on themselves.

Well mere minutes after leaving the theater last night with Ambar and fam, we experienced a little chaos of our own. It was like being in The Dark Knight and Speed - with no batman or Keanu Reeves to save us!

We were waiting for the 29 Bus at Grand and Columbus to head down to the South Loop - well after 4 66's arrive (in a row!) a packed 29 shows up. Well the four of us get on and are ready to head home. Keep in mind - the 29 goes to the south loop and proceeds to the south side, so there is quite the mix of people on the bus. Well as we are going along Grand, the bus driver fails to stop at a stop. People want off. So the yelling begins, and he stops at the next corner to let these loud people off. And we get going again, and he fails to stop again. And more people want off - and there's yelling and people up front telling this guy that people want off. Well, some young girl (17-20 y.o.) has had enough - she pulled the emergency ball by the back door so she can get off where she wants.

So pulling this ball - triggers an emergency alarm that sounds like an old school telephone that doesn't stop ringing. And mind you we are only at Grand and Rush or Grand and Wabash, and we need to get to state and take it all the way down to Polk. Well apparently pulling this ball also temporarily stalls the bus. So unless someone can release the alarm (push the ball back in?!) we can be on our way - this would have been fine if we weren't blocking the entire intersection!!! Seriously, our bus was across all 3 lanes of Rush/Wabash with cars trying to get around us, and we can't get this alarm to stop. Well finally the bus is able to move, with the alarm still going. We continue this way down into the loop, where our bus driver is running lights, not stopping some more, and finally stops at Congress and gets off the bus.

Well, needless to say, we were close enough as far as we were concerned so we got off and walked the rest of the way home, with the ringing in our ears.... Craziness. Gotta love the CTA, (and ambar holding her tongue as we pass the bus driver).

This hit a soft spot

I love turtles, and hearing this story on CNN yesterday made me love them even more.

Here is a news broadcast of the story too.

Gary Bettman makes me cringe

and now I have to deal with his shenanigans in the offseason? sheesh!

"We certainly expect that the NHL Winter Classic will be a home run for hockey in this ballpark." - Gary Bettman at Wrigley Field yesterday.

Gag, puke, retch ... god, what an awful corporate sound-byte. And coming out of Gary Bettman's mouth, it has all the squirm-inducing anti-charm of a car salesman's humor as he tries to keep you from leaving the dealership.

Octopus free zone?

Heck no! I may live in Cook County - but I pay my 10.25% tax like the rest of them, and if I should want to pay that on an octopus - I shall. Maybe I need to start stocking up now and sell them to those who want to smuggle them in to Wrigley!

I am proud to say that I have the best of both worlds - Yes, I no longer have to live in Detroit, but at least I have a good hockey team to cheer for!

Detroit Haterade?
We're all getting over our excitement for the upcoming NHL Winter Classic on New Years Day. Blackhawks versus Red Wings at Wrigley? Hell yes, we say. But some of us are teeny bit more excited than others. For example, Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley. Quigley put together a resolution declaring January 1, 2009 as "Chicago Blackhawks Day" and designating Wrigleyville as an "Octopus-Free Zone." But our favorite part of the resolution? The clever Quigley tossed in a slam on the rival Red Wings by using red capital letters in the last line of the resolution that, when written out together, spell "DETROIT SUCKS." Buuuuurrrrrrn! Your move, Detroit.

Are you ready for some

Hockey?

Apparently, Chicago is. :) I can't wait!

The rollercoaster ride continues

Things went up, up, up and up some more for about 10 months and without warning things went down - real steep, real fast. I've done the best I could to enjoy the level-ness in my life over the past 3 months and have truly enjoyed everything that has come at me and everyone who has come into my life. And being on the heels of a pretty strict study season through Nov. 4, an opportunity has presented itself for me to stop and consider if I want to try this one more time.

Not only do I have to figure out if I can handle this, I need to figure out if I want to take on the challenge of being objective and giving it a fair shot.

I have to look back - weigh the good times and great times with the not so great moments. I have to consider what I have done for myself since April without the emotional distraction and time commitment. I have to realize how important it is to be disciplined and determined to pass MLC.

BUT, truth be told, I miss him. Not just the idea of someone, but him. That tells me something. Another thing I know is that there was never anything wrong with us we didn't fight, we didn't have drama, we communicated well, we could share a small place and had fun traveling. However, I learned when the going gets tough on his side of the fence, he gets going - alone. And although I picked up the pieces this time, could I do it again? Is it worth the risk?

I want to be with someone that I can trust will trust me to be a support system and visa versa. That's the catch. It happened once, and I'm afraid it could happen again. And if we give this another shot, am I always going to be waiting for it to happened again? Or am I going to slowly lower my guard as we start fresh and tell myself he'd never do that again, and let things get too serious, with my own pride on the line?

Neither is a great option in my opinion. And that sucks.

It's Offical

The NHL winter classic 2009 was announced this week. I couldn't be more excited: not only are the 2008 Stanley Cup Champions - my favorite team - the Detroit Red Wings going to be participating, but the game is going to take place against the Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field!!! I'm totally there - Jan 1, 2009.

Once again - I will be hosting a NYE get together and expect some of my fellow wing nuts from home to come out and enjoy this once in a lifetime event with me :)

Blog from the Beach

I love mobile internet! I'm at North Ave. Beach just relaxing and enjoying the breeze :) And watching all the puppies in the park!

Today was the women's final of the Chicago AVP Crocs tour, I didn't make it (due to my not going to sleep until 4am) but I got to watch history happen on TV. May/Walsh were playing Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs - and by winning today's match they beat their own record of 89 straight tournament wins. Their last loss was last August against Branagh and Youngs.

May/Walsh will be defending their Gold in Beijing and Branagh and Youngs are our #2. It should be great! I can't wait!

Here are some pics of Misty and Kerri from yesterday's qualifying rounds and semi-final. And my pic with Misty. (It was in the orange Banana Boat tent - hence the bad coloring)

What goes up must come down

I don't usually have high highs and low lows in the same day - but today was one of those days. I was so elated after getting back from the AVP tournament that I just wanted to shower and get ready for the nights plans. That is, until the plan maker of the evening decided he wasn't ready/capable to follow through with it. I was dumbfounded, angry, and beyond frustrated. I simmered for a while - I even watched a Disney movie on TV and my blood was still boiling.

Thank god for my lil pony. I had to run a quick errand anyways - but then I hopped on the highway and drove out to O'Hare and back. In silence. At 85 mpg. I wish I could have gone faster, but I don't really have a death wish nor the $$ for a ticket. It was helping, and if gas weren't 4.50/gallon out here, I would have gone further, but alas 45 min was the most I could afford.

On my return trip, I got off at Fullerton - well as I come to a stop on the ramp, there was a homeless man who stood up from where he was sitting on the curb. I always get hesitant when I'm driving alone and someone wanders so close to my car with their sign about being a Veteran or needed money for food or a place to stay. Well imagine my surprise when all this guy's sign said was "SMILE :-) " of all things.He obviously could see me, because I glanced his way (while still in this mood) and didn't react at first, well he tilted his head and looked back and when I smiled he gave me a thumbs up.

I mean I don't know what I really believe in - but the person behind all this frustration has caused more than enough. But that little sign helped me smile and get over it, just like that. I'm done. I don't need his ups and downs to cause any more ups and downs in my life. And with that, I drove home and went to my place around the block. I was still in my own little mood - but being at McGinny's helped me drown out everything else. I had a few beers and was just enjoying the good people watching and as the night began to wind down - I got the really laughter I needed. Jeremiah, Shersha, and Tim have quite the moves and put on quite a show. It was the perfect solution to bring the day back into equilibrium.

Now, its time for sleep. Sunday's a new day. I'd like to go back to experience more AVP - but I might just use it for good alone time too. Depends on when I want to wake up I suppose!

Sweat and Sand

Saturday (daytime) was a wonderful day. I met up with Megan, Kyle, Tom and Ashley at Oak Street Beach to experience the AVP tour and all its glory. Man was it great! The sun was out, the sand was smooth, and the players were unbelievable. I got to meet Misty May-Treanor and have my picture taken with her and have her sign my ball. I just missed out on the same with Kerri Walsh - and even though my interests don't swing that way, I couldn't help but admire their bodies! (and their athleticism of course!)

I also got to admire my favorite male player too - Phil Dalhausser - all 6'9" of him. liked them tall, and combine that with a rock hard body and his wicked serve - oooh.I've always So hott! Want to touch the hiney! hehe

Ok, enough cyber drooling. But seriously - I think the AVP tournament was one of the best events I've ever been to. Everyone is there to have fun - and the competition never stops. There is always a game to watch or something to do. I honestly don't think I'll ever miss AVP when they come back to Chicago - It was a great day! And I can't wait to watch 'em all in Beijing next month! I'm cheering for May/Walsh and Dalhausser/Rogers! GO USA!

Beyond Bitter

So the big news in Detroit this week was the fact that Marian Hossa (top scorer for Pittsburgh in the '08 Stanley Cup playoffs) signed to the Red Wings for a 1-year deal. (Which I think we expect to extend when we can offer more when the capped payroll is shuffled around.)

I'm definitely excited. He's a great player, and I think that Detroit will embrace him. He recognizes the talent we have, and that it's the best chance he has to win the cup. And that is what should be most important to NHL players. He knows he probably could have tripled or quadrupled his money someplace else and be the "superstar" - but he turned those offers down to come to Detroit and help us repeat in 2009!

Oh yeah- the point of this post:

The Penguins fans are a bit beyond bitter. Still.

A walk in the park

I definitely took it easy this weekend. Stayed in on the 4th and enjoyed my movies. I really liked Transformers - I'm going to make sure I watch it again before it has to go back. When...not sure, but I'm gonna watch it again.

I knew at some point Conrad would be in town this weekend, but I had no details on his trip so just did my thing Saturday morning till I heard from him. Jess and I went out to brunch at Feast (Damen and North). Loved it. I swear I could eat brunch at every meal - I can never decide what I want, I love it all. Since I can do the whole eggs/cheese/bacon thing on my own I usually opt for something more unique to the restaurant (like the Pecan French Toast at Heaven on Seven, the pancakes with chocolate and strawberries at Yolk, or making my own at FlatTop) I opted for the oatmeal pancakes topped with cinnamon apples, walnut brittle, and honey/vanilla butter. Three words: Mmm Mmm Mmm.

After such a delectable brunch, and walking it off between shops on North Ave, I made my way back home to relax/watch beach volleyball/nap until I wanted to get up and ready to go to the 'burbs for the evening. My plan was to see Conrad & co. eat, drink, and bring his puppy dog home :) Jess and I made it out there to see the fireworks and enjoy a different kind of an evening. I convinced Conrad that I would care for Herky and then bring him to the tournament on Sunday. So I got to bring my puppy home for the night and snuggle him to my hearts content. He's my pal!

Sunday I got to walk Herk to the park in the morning, and then we chilled and watched Wimbledon until the rain delay. We then headed to the south side to watch the 'green street hooligans' take 2nd in the Chicago Street Soccer Cup. It was a gorgeous day, I loved being outside and watching such a different breed of soccer. There was a lot of good talent, some skinned knees and elbows, and lots and lots of sweat! We kept cool and watched Wimbledon inside the complex between games. No worries- I wore my sunscreen, no sunburn here :)

Busy week ahead!

Miss Independent

Happy 4th of July everyone! It's time to celebrate with BBQ, beer and booms (for most). I'm on my own this year for the 4th - my roommate is on at date at the taste and with no grill or desire to battle the crowds alone, I'm staying at home with another 'b' that represents independence - bills. How fun! But I have a case of beer in my fridge too :)

I'm enjoying my day - I took a bike ride, went to Blockbuster and Walgreens, and worked out for a bit. Taking time for myself is the best thing I can do today. I've been on the go so much lately enjoying the wonderful things to do in the summer, and have a lot in the books over the next few weeks, with friends and family coming to town, enjoying my independence and relaxing is perfect IMO.

Cheers!

A final look back at 2007 - October, November

October 9, 2007 - Flip! Life is good, just like that.

Two Months? Seriously, it’s been that long?

These past two months have been a whirlwind of stress and uncertainties. There are plenty of cliche sayings that I’ve been trying to convince myself of up until today such as: “Life doesn’t present you with anything you can’t handle” “Things always work out in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” “What is meant to be, will be.” “When one door closes...” Yada Yada Yada

But we all know that when life is not being kind, as hard as we try to be strong on the outside, we are crumbling and filling with doubt on the inside. Well at least I am, and I know that when that kind of stuff festers inside for too long I get sick. And last week I got sick.

Six weeks of uncertainty is apparently my breaking point. No one could say anything to convince me that things were eventually going to work out, and that I could make it as an actuary. At this point I felt I had drained all my networking resources, applied to every consulting firm and insurance company with offices in Chicago, and wasn’t getting a lot of positive responses. I had one interview, after 5 weeks of this and I just put so much pressure on myself that this was it or I was going to have to run away and work retail or something till I could pass another exam or just bypass being an actuary all together. (Remember what I said, I was sick - and along with it panicked and irrational! Inside I knew I couldn’t give up on this goal as an actuary, but I was going to have to seriously consider other things just to get myself out there but I have no clue what!!)

Well, this interview... On September, 27 I met with 4 actuaries at Segal in Chicago. I had applied online for a position as a retirement actuary - it was vague because they were hiring at ALL levels due to increases in work load. I applied twice, in fact. And I got a call b/c I mentioned I was going to be in Chicago this week, and HR wanted to take advantage of that and bring me in. In my mind I’m thinking “What?! Holy Cow!! Yeah, I have to rock this!!” No Pressure. This is the first nibble I’ve got other than 30 min phone screens... I had to make this happen.

I went, I saw, I conquered. (or so I thought) I sent my ‘Thank Yous’, and then started the wait.

And then I got sick. Wednesday night and Thursday I passed it off at nerves, stress does strange things to my body. I could handle this... or so I thought. Thursday at 9am I’m a 25 year old putting my face out in professional world, Friday at 9am I hurt all over, have a meeting to go to at Deloitte and only want to be home in my bed and have mom take care of me. When I got home to MI Friday night mom was at the train station waiting for me with ice water and a thermometer and I had a 102.5 temp! This wasn’t nerves. So after being all pumped up, I deflate like a balloon. The previous weeks were full of emotional peaks and valleys, and I was in a hot hot hot desert crevice.

Ideally, when we are waiting for something, we like to stay busy so time flies and we don’t dwell. Well being sick and in bed for a few days didn’t really give me that opportunity. I was hoping to hear about the job soon so I could rebound and do a little dance on top of the next peak in my life.

NOTHING. By Friday, nothing still. Oh my, Oh my...

By Monday afternoon, I had a great job offer and started planning the big move. (and listened to hours of “I told you so” from friends and family). I signed my offer and here I go. To Chicago and Beyond!!
M.

October 15, 2007 - What a wonderful weekend

It’s like I’m a tourist in my hometown...and I’m loving it! The days are flying by as I get ready to move to Chicago. On top of the logistics of moving, I want to see my friends, have some good times and enjoy the area that has always been my home. I don’t know when or if I’ll ever be back...

Last Wednesday I lucked out as C invited me to go to the Red Wings game with her. The game she was bragging to me about less that 24 earlier that her man invited her to, but he wasn’t feeling well and we were able to share a great time together. I knew she really wanted to be with him, but it meant so much that she invited me to go along and I got to see one last game at the Joe. I don’t know the fate of the building so it may have been my last chance before my next Red Wings game in Detroit.

Well then C celebrated her birthday over the weekend and a night out was in order. Dave and Busters was on the agenda, sounded like fun and a great place to hang out because for the first time C, Miranda, and myself were all gonna have dates. No one had met C’s guy or mine so it was a great place where we could mingle, but do our own thing and have fun. It was a great night (except for when Miranda’s phone went missing) and we were all happy to see eachother so happy.

Ato was in Michigan this weekend to hang out with me and see why I’m gonna miss it so much! The weekend was very relaxing, we got to have fun, shop, and laugh. He got to experience White Castles, Olga’s, LOTS of Michigan left turns, and Greenfield Village! We had a great date weekend and I truly felt like I was a tourist in my own town. And as I just mentioned he got to meet some of my friends and they really liked him. Really, really liked him. They are happy to see me with some one so kind and funny, and know that he will be there as I get settled in Chicago. He even got bonus points when he picked out a cuddly bear with a rugby jersey to purchase with our game tickets!

Well it’s one week closer to moving and I’ve got housing on my agenda. I’m going out to Chicago Thursday to start meeting people and finding the perfect place! Wish me Luck!

M.

October 27, 2007 - Moving to the Windy City

That’s my new apartment!!! The second level over what is soon going to be a pizza place. Yay! I’m super excited about this. I’m moving tomorrow, its going to be a lot of work without an elevator, but I have my parents to help and a lot of excitement to get me through! More pics when I move in and get settled!!

I found my roommate on Craigslist, she's a grad student at DePaul and a little older than me, but we chatted like we have known each other for years... I hope it works out for the best!

M.

November 27, 2007 - Where has the time gone?
I cannot believe it has been only a month since I moved into my apartment. You know what they say, time flies....

It hasn’t all been fun and games, but there has been more fun and more games in my life over the past few weeks than there has been in the proceeding year. Let’s start with the fun: getting settled into my new apartment, hanging out with the coolest guy in Chicago, getting back in the gym and working out with a personal trainer.... just to name a few things The games? Well those who know me (or who have helped me move) know that I LOVE games (think Milton Bradley!) Well not only do I love the people I work directly with, but there are some more awesome people I eat lunch with and we play games after we eat. We’ve been playing home-made Boggle sporadically over the past two weeks, and today we broke out the Scattegories our HR bought for us! I was the winner, not that it matters, but its fun to have a group of like-minded folk that can have fun mid-day. I’m working on catching up with some of the girls in the city and go out on the town. All the guys I work with in retirement take the Metra and live at home with the ‘rents.

Overall, things are great. Can’t believe it has been a month. I’m gonna work on painting my bedroom real soon (it has an orange wall right now!), and revamping my webpage. So keep your eye out for some improvements and me becoming more consistent with my blogging as there is so much more to see and experience in the heart of the city!

M.