Eating My Way Thru Chicago or I Might Need A Bigger Seat

By the time you are reading this post I am probably on my way to the airport. Today is my Chicago trip! I'm praying that the flight is not delayed or canceled. The weather here wasn't too bad last night, but the roads were really slick and my guess is around the airport it's also bad. Hopefully by the morning things will be better. I don't have a lot of time there, so getting in late would really bum me out.

I have several fun and exciting things planned including:

• Going out for tapas with my Mo
• Visiting the aquarium
• Meeting Melisa w/ 1 S
• Eating deep dish pizza while in Chicago...at the famous Lou Malnati's (Yes, we're getting the cheddar cubes!!)
  
• Sneaking past a hostess on the 95th floor to see the view
• Taking a photo in front of Wrigley Field (maybe w/ my RED Sox hat on?!)
• Other fun stuff TBD by Melisa
• Meeting another blogger, Lou & receiving the gift his Grannie made for me (stay tuned!)
• EATING CHICAGO DOGS!!! (Seriously, I've waited my whole life for this! LOL)
• Meeting a bunch of Chicagoians (how does Firefox not tell me that's misspelled?) for drinks and
• Going to a comedy show whose cast includes a very interesting and funny blogger who I've been (mostly) secretly stalking for a few years. (I'll explain how I found him when I get back-it involves his fiance. It's really less creepy than it sounds.) I'm very excited about getting to see Whirled News Tonight. And yes. I do feel a little creepy and stalkerific. But whatever. He's just funny so if he ever reads this, he can tell his friends that he's the reason people go to the show. :)
• Possibly more drinks with the same Chicagoians
• Italian beef sandwiches from Al's #1 Beef
  

And then...back home to Boston.

Which I still love. But I wish I had more time in Chicago. Because even though I've never been there, I already love it.

Even though it's supposed to feel like -4 tomorrow.

I decided not to bring my laptop with me on this trip. Mainly because it's such a short trip and I don't want to be pulled away from all of the fun. So come back to read some old posts or browse some recipes, but I won't be here until Sunday night. Chow for now!

Vacation!

I don't really care. I'll admit it: I love watching Sponge Bob and often DO. Like now, for instance. I've pulled my laptop into the living room and am sitting here in my warm fuzzy robe and big sox eating rye toast and drinking a huge cuppa cinnamon coffee. Watching Sponge Bob.

I took an extra vacation day today to get ready for my trip tomorrow. So far, it's been blissful.

I feel badly about taking a vacation day today. I feel this way because I had 10 months off and I am fairly amazed that I still want a few extra days here and there. But a good friend recently reminded me that 10 months of unemployment is not a vacation. Which I know is true. It was stressful. But, you know...I still feel that way.

Anyway, I'm going to use today to relax a little and then clean up my apartment so I come home to a nice neat home. Of course I'm going to pack too, since I'm leaving tomorrow around 7am. Oh, and a nap. I think I'll fit a nap in there before I go to cook tonight. It's gonna be a great day!

Update @ 9:55am: I just looked at the weather for tomorrow in Chicago:

Friday: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 18. Wind chill values as low as -4. North northwest wind around 10 mph.

Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 12. North northeast wind around 5 mph.

Randomivity

The trend of singers singing their names at the beginning of a song is weird. Who thought of that? Do you think Jason Derulo was just so inspired that he just busted out with is own name? I've been inspired to sing before but never have I felt the need to sing a few bars of my name.

I am excited to see my friend Mo on Friday and to meet Melisa (and possibly Lou) on Saturday. I've got a very full itinerary for this trip. Tapas w/ Mo then the aquarium Saturday, then a full day of sight seeing with Melisa (including deep dish pizza and Chicago dogs!) and possibly dinner w/ Lou. Chicago here I come!

The weather is supposed to be really cold. The low is going to be 11.

Monday afternoon I was gasping for air after telling a story. Realizing that things were getting worse fast I called the doctor. She actually did some lung tests and prescribed me an additional inhaler. This is a steroid inhaler that I puff twice a day in addition to the normal one. Hopefully I'll feel the difference in a day or two. I'd hate to be puffing and wheezing in Chicago.

The George Lopez show (the sitcom) is hysterical.

Bella likes it too.

I had lunch with the cousin I grew up with last weekend. It's amazing how the years pass but we're still the same even though we're different. Does that make sense? In any case, it's great to have her back in my life.

I seem to be attracting men who work nights lately.

My boss looked at my boobs the other day. Man I felt dirty after that.

Not only do my neighbors downstairs screw each other and make stupid noises, he sign "You Are My Sunshine" to her at 11:30 at night. I'm sure they heard my "SERIOUSLY?!!?" and then my footsteps getting out of bed. Are they stupid? Do they not realize we can hear them!?!

I have taken on 2 award ceremony projects at work. I finally feel like people will really get to know me now.

"I also been struck by your ability to look so good even when it would be easy not to." Wow. That's quite the compliment.

Have you ever decided you wanted Chinese food for dinner but then you thought you wanted pizza instead so you get the pizza and it is not really good and you realize you should have had the Chinese? I hate that.

Ordered vs. Got

Remember the cool hat I ordered last week on Etsy for my trip to Chicago (Friday!)?  Well, talk about being hugely disappointed!!  Take a look at what I ordered versus what I got...I'm not sure which collage will post first, but I think it's fairly obvious which is which.

Needless to say, I'm returning it.  The seller was sort of bitchy about it too.  She was nice at first when she though maybe I'd take her up on her offer to send me a new one.  I declined because of three things:

1. She told me that she was going to send me a photo of the hat for my approval PRIOR to shipping the hat.  She did not do this.  Had she sent the photo as promised, I would have told her to re-make it or refund my money.

2. We discussed (somewhat) at length the yarn she would use.  I wanted a darker charcoal colored yarn which was not shown on her site.  She told me she had this yarn and that it would look great.  She never mentioned that it was "curly" yarn and that it would not work with the pattern well.

3.  It was specifically ordered for my trip to Chicago.  I leave Friday morning and she won't be able to get me a new one by then. 

And so, I told her these things.  She told me that she couldn't please everyone and that she didn't send pictures because she had a bad storm and couldn't photograph the hat in natural light.  Um...OK.  I'm assuming she has at least one lamp in her house though and she could have sent me that.  And let's not forget that I didn't ASK for the picture in the first place.  She offered it out as if it's her standard practice.

This is frustrating.  I know Etsy is a very personal site and that when someone doesn't like an item you made with your own hands it can be hurtful.  But c'mon!  This is clearly not the same hat and I suspect she knows that and THAT is why she did not send a photo.  In any case, I now have to wait until she gets the hat back in her possession and hope that she actually refunds the money.  I really hope so because I don't want to have to go through the dispute process in paypal...

Anyway, guess what I'm doing on my lunch break...

Holiday Party

Sometimes it's really easy to see that my dad is very cool. This weekend was one of those times.