The Out of Control Visitors

When you read the title of this blog, you could assume a lot of things... crazy college friends, party animals, my sisters... but I bet you didn't assume the out of control visitors would in fact, be my mother and her best friend Amy.

Amy and mom decided to drive out to Chicago to enjoy Christmas in the city, and it was an adventure right from the start. I worked Friday and they were suppose to get into Chicago right around the time I was getting off of work... three hours later, they arrived. It begins with a frantic phone call.. "KATIE! We're out of gas and we can't find a gas station!" I ask where they were and they were about three blocks from a BP station. I direct them to the station, and they get lost. "Did you turn right" I ask. They yell "WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF GAS, OH MY GOSH!" Great. Apparently, my instruction to "Turn right" wasn't clear in their crazy states of mind.

Driving in Chicago on a Friday is bad enough, but being nervous, and afraid of running out of gas doesn't help. Mom kept repeating, "I've never had my gas light on, I've never had my gas light on" and Amy kept saying "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh". They must have seen the entire city in the time it took them to find a gas station (and they passed 3 gas stations on their way to the one they finally stopped at). From the north side to the south loop they saw it all.. Michigan Avenue, the loop, Mil. Park, Cellular Field, Willis Tower, you name it, they passed it. They were literally two blocks from the gas station when they "accidentally" got on the freeway. Luckily, they got off and found a station (that I was trying to originally get them to).

When they finally got to their hotel (around 9:30PM) I met them and we went to dinner. As I walked into the hotel I asked the bellman if he had seen two crazy blonde's, and he replied "Oh I have, about twenty minutes ago" without a doubt in my mind, he was talking about Mom and Amy. When we walked out he said, "so you found the crazy blonde's, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.." and he was probably right.

Riding in a cab with Amy and Mom was probably my favorite part. They would ask so many questions and kept saying "we saw that, we saw that", after all, they probably did on their 3 hours they were lost in the city trying to get to my apartment (did I mention I live about 5 minutes from the freeway?). They would also tip the drivers WAY too much.. I couldn't understand their logic to give the cab driver a $10 tip for our $5 cab ride. Every time Mom saw a semi she would compare it to the U-haul we drove to Chicago earlier in the summer when I was moving in... although I didn't see the similarity between an 18 wheeler and our U-haul she swears they were the same size.

On Saturday Night Amy and Mom said "Take us out! We're ready for a party on the town!" and that's an understatement. We started our night at The Signature Room. It was a beautiful view between the lights and Christmas decorations. We started the night off right with Martinis.. and little did I know at that point we would finish the night with those as well. Mom and Amy aren't drinkers, especially not martini drinkers, which made for an interesting night and lots of great stories...

I decided we could use a walk from the Signature Room to our restaurant, so we strolled a brisk 8 blocks to dinner. It was not only cold, but they were feeling their drinks from The Signature Room. At one point Amy's heel got stuck in the sidewalk and the two of them just laughed as Amy almost wiped out... "It's okay, leave me here, I'll be fine, I'll make friends with the bums". They also tried to set me up with the 4'11" foreign waiter...

Snow.. Snow.. Snow

Today was the first snow fall in Chicago. Some may get excited that snow is here, personally, it makes me sick to my stomach. I hate snow.. I hate, hate, hate snow.

In honor of this discusting white stuff on the ground, all the reasons I hate snow (in no particular order):

Reasons why I hate snow:
-How gross it looks on the side of the road when its all black and brown and dirty.

-The way people drive when they see snow

-How it messes up your hair just enough to throw it off the rest of the day

-The fact you have to shovel it

-The fact most people dont shovel it and then you are walking through piles of snow

-The salt that people lay on the ground that stains boots, jeans, and pant legs

-The ice that hides under the snow (I hate ice MORE than snow)

-The fact I fall at least three times every winter

-The bruises I get from falling

-The embarassment I 'laugh' off from falling

-Two words... black ice.

-Scraping ice off your car

-Being cold from snow

-Travel plans being canceled because of snow

-Frost bite

-Cars getting stuck in snow piles (happened to me last year)

-The way the ground looks destroyed after the snow goes away (mud)

I think it's safe to say.. I hate snow.

Holiday Shopping

So I had the weekend off and decided to do a little holiday shopping. I decide the mile would be the best place to do this considering the variety of stores. I started at some of the boutiques north but they didn't have what I was looking for. Let me tell you.. Michigan Avenue, on a Saturday, a week before Thanksgiving, IS A NIGHTMARE! I couldn't even get around. I literally ran into people. It was like we were at a concert and everyone was trying to get to the front of the stage. Shoving and pushing, babies crying, annoying bells ringing. I think the most annoying thing about tourists is they walk so slow. Everything is "remarkable" and they take pictures of EVERYTHING. We will be walking.. walking.. walking.. run into the back of someones jacket because they stopped IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK on a busy day to take a picture of a building. Besides their speed, they are also very ignorant. They have their large maps out (some holding them backwards) and looking at it "well Chicago ends at the Drake so we have no where else to go". Um, excuse me... no. Tourist Chicago ends at the Drake, real Chicago is much bigger. Its hilarious.

It's a small world...

So I know Chicago is large and everything, but it's AMAZING how many people you run into.

Just yesterday I was driving and almost hit (literally, in my car) a friend from High School walking in the street.

And I was walking home last week when my favorite sales associate at Macy's (on State Street) walked right past me.

Later that night I was taking a walk with a "Mount" sweatshirt on. Someone screamed, "Mount? Mount Union?!" and I answered "Yes"! They shouted back "GO RAIDERS".

Last month I was in the grocery store when I ran into two people I met earlier in the day at the boutique I work at.

I have ran into countless people at bars and restaurants as well! : )

So regardless of the size of Chicago, it's still a small world : )

Swine... achuuu. I mean.. flu.

So it is after many days that I publish this post.. Right after my 23rd birthday I began coming down with a cold.. or what I thought was a cold. I wont go into all of the disgusting details of what I have been through this week, because I do not believe anyone wants to read that.. but I have never been so sick in my entire life and during this time have experienced a new side of Chicago...

Long story short, by the third day of feeling sick I admitted myself into the hospital. I crawled out of my infected apartment down the elevator and asked my doorman to get me a cab. He must have thought I was a total Hot Mess. First, I was wearing sweat pants (I never wear sweat pants in public, I). I looked like a real, real disaster. I had my black raider sweat pants on, pink tennis shoes, a baseball cap with my glasses and was as pale as a ghost. I fell into the cab and told the driver Northwestern Hospital, ER. The cab driver immediately shut the window from the front of the cab to the back of the cab. Apparently, I looked contagious and he didn't want to catch this (I don't blame him).

When I got to the hospital it was filled of pathetic looking people like myself. I went to the front desk and some perky front desk attendant asked "HI! How Can I help you!". I responded "drugs". I gave her my information and sat in the filled waiting room. I heard my name called and it was this cute man nurse.. of course I get the cute man.. and I am going to have to tell him all of the disgusting things I have been feeling the last three days. How do you make mucus and vomiting not sound gross. I try to skim the details of my sickness but he asked too many questions. Once we finished he handed me a yellow mask and asked me to wear it over my face. I told him, "oh.. great, I am going to look like Michael Jackson". He didn't find this funny. No sense of humor... bummer. I am guessing my 103 temp and hacking didn't help..

I sit back down for what feels like forever. I kept myself busy by watching the steam fill my glasses every time I exhaled, thanks to my MJ mask. Its the little things.. It was actually quite funny, here we are, in the ER, and still I get judged. Every time I cough every single eye turns to me and they give me the death stare, like I was getting them sick and they were there for fun.A family sitting across from me completely amazed me. The father was sick, and they brought SEVEN people with them to the ER, including three children. The kids had no sense of boundaries or manners. During the time I sat in the waiting room the children managed to step on every scale, sit in EVERY chair, purchase multiple bags of chips, drop them on the floor, and smash them in the carpet. Then walk away. Someone would go meet with the nurses, and the kids would walk in the room like it was their closest relative (and yet, no relation). The nurses kept sending them back to their parents, who didn't even acknowledge the kids awful behavior.

When they finally called me to my room they didn't just call my name but five others.. and made us all walk to our rooms together. This amazed me. I was pretty weak and could have passed out at any minute and they asked us to walk through a hospital. The hospital was PACKED. When we got to the room they just read your last name and said your room. It was unreal.I stayed in the ER most of the evening.

Thankfully my mom and Megan came out and took care of me the rest of the week. There were so many cases of swine flu in Chicago they werent even testing for it, they just treated everyone as if they had it. So I will never know, but I am convinced I had it considering how sick I was.For those of you who havent gotten your flu shots, take it from me, you should.

Rotary Run for Wellness House

I started working at Wellness House in July and on October 18th had my first event.. the Rotary Run for Wellness House. We had over 2,000 runners and raised over $200,000 for Rotary sponsored events and people affected by cancer. It was a great first event! : ) We had a 5K and 3K run, a 5K walk and a 10 step walk!

The Chicago Marathon

I love a lot of things about Chicago, but now I have something I really HATE about Chicago... and that would be the Chicago Marathon. I should warn you before you read this, I am not exactly laughing about this yet so maybe I should hold off before I blog... oh well.

I had to work at the boutique this weekend. I work 11 - 7 on Saturday and 11 - 5 on Sunday. On Saturday I left my apartment at 10:50 and got to work before 11. This gives you a pretty good idea how long it usually takes me to get to work. I knew the Chicago Marathon was going on this morning, so I left for work at 10:15 to give me extra time. Since I am the only one in the boutique on the weekends if I am not there the shop isnt open.

Anyways, I leave for work and I notice that the streets near me arent closed. At first I think I should stop at a starbucks and get a drink before work since I left SO early, but I decide I will get it closer to the boutique. Traffic was really light down LaSalle, more than ever. I think this is bizarre being a Sunday but keep on driving. I turn down Madison (where the boutique is on) and make it over 90 when I see about a million runners and a closed road. I had to do a U-turn on the bridge and turn around. Shit. This was fun... if I only knew at this time that the U-turn would be the easiest part of my drive...

I turn around and decide I will go a few blocks south and enter from the south opposed to the east. I drive around and every where I go the street is closed at some point. I literally could not find a way to get to work. At this point it was 10:45. I had been trying to get to work for 30 minutes, it was unreal. It was like driving in a maze because the streets were closed all over and you would literally go in circles.

Closer to eleven I go to call my boss to tell her I wasnt going to be on time because I couldnt get to work. While calling her I look in my rear view mirror and noticed cop lights. Shit. I pull over in front of a fire station. Two cops approach my car (real jerks) and tell me I was pulled over for making a right hand turn on red while talking on my cell phone. Apparently, there was a sign, I didnt even notice the light was red but I wasnt going to tell them that. I hand them my licences and tell them when they are done writing me a ticket I would like them to help me find a way to work.

They laugh at me when I tell them the address and told me there was no way I was getting there anytime soon, it was basically impossible. I snarl. They go back to their cop car and I am thinking of all those news reports of poor children in South Chicago and all these important things these cops could be doing to make Chicago a better place. Surely, pulling me over for trying to get to work was not making the cut.

The cops took my licences. They handed me a $135 ticket and a pile of papers. They took my brand new Illinois licences that I struggled to get in the first place (I should REALLY blog about that nightmare). So at this point I am stuck in a huge line of traffic, late for work, and in the ghetto. Wonderful. I was stuck infront of a Catholic church for at least an hour because I was in the same place when the 11:00 bells rang and when the 12:00 bells rang. During this time, I saw two cross dressers, two fender benders and a man beat his son with the sons belt (they were in the car in front of me). I believe I found an area in Chicago I do NOT want to move to next June..

At 12:30 I make it through the second intersection in an hour and a half, and I get stopped in the middle of the intersection because of the line of traffic. Of course, I sat there for 3 light changes. At one point a cop turned his lights on behind me. Wonderful. What was this cop going to do to me, I was literally stuck (and I DIDNT have a license thanks to his partners). He ended up leaving and didn't give me my second ticket for the day.

After more wrong turns and a few hundred U-turns I made it to work.. at 12:45. Almost two hours late, quarter tank of gas, one traffic ticket and a splitting head ache.

I think its official, I hate the logistics of the Chicago Marathon.

Starting now on, packing LIGHT

So I went last weekend for Mount Union's homecoming : ) It was lots of fun, but as usual, I packed a lot of stuff. I had my largest suit case, my lap top, my shoe bag, some necessary bags from shopping at Crocker Park, and a few other things. I pulled into my building and parked on the top level of the parking garage. This usually isnt a problem because I can take the elevator to my floor. I decide being late I want to take EVERYTHING in one trip. So I figure this out. Put the coat on, pull the suit case and put 4 bags in one arm, 5 in the other. You would think I had just gotten back from a month in Europe, not a weekend in Alliance. I could hardly get through the door with so many bags on both sides of me while pulling a 75 pound suit case. I finally get to the elevator (which felt like FOREVER) when I realize its not working that evening. Of course its not. From there I had two options, to put some stuff back in my car or to carry all this stuff down three flights of stairs to get to the regular elevators. I was debating leaving some stuff in the stair case and come back for it but because of my hysteric fear of mice and other rodents I decided against it. Oh, my, gosh, I pray to God my building doesn't watch the videos of the staircases, because you should have seen me trying to get down three flights of stairs with all these bags. At one point I missed a step and landed in front of the door with half my bags under me and half on top of me. By the time I got to my apt. I was so irritated I left my bags on the floor and I have yet to do anything with them a week later, for now on I am packing light or waiting to see if the elevator works before I make that mistake again!

"Please drive safely"

Near the intersection where I work there are two lanes and a turning lane for each of the four way stops. Sometimes there are 12 cars stopped at once trying to figure out who is suppose to go next. Needless to say, its a nightmare to drive through. Today, on my way to work a woman was literally STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION wearing a shirt that says "please drive safely" while dodging cars. I swear, in the 4 minutes near the stop I think that I saw her jump out of 4 cars ways. My question, why put yourself in that situation?! She was literally causing accidents, not preventing them. It makes NO sense!

Maybe if my building was ORANGE

So not many things surprise me anymore. But this did...

As many people know visiting cities (or living in them) cab drivers don't have the best record as being careful or cautious drivers. Just the other day I was walking outside my building when I saw a cab swerve, and go FULL speed into my apartment building. People inside the building compared it to an earthquake. From the outside it looked liked something out of a movie. All I know, based on the drivers I have had in the city I am pretty sure I probably had this driver at one point this summer and I was just more lucky.

Note to drivers, if you see large, 24 story buildings, they dont move easily and shouldnt be ignored.

Space is moneyyy

So, being in this city with a car has taught me a lot about where money is. If I ever have kids, I am not going to encourage them to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a successful CEO, I am going to encourage them to build tall cement garages. Space is money people. Parking is a rarity and when you do park, you spend big bucks for that 2 hour spot in the low maintance garage. I think the most rediculous parking fee I have seen so far is $53 for 6 hours, and thats one spot, in one BIG garage. So learn from my empty wallet and find some space, and build a garage : ).

GET ME A BOWL!

A few weeks ago I was working a two day wedding, the first night was the Indian part and the second part was the Jewish part. The couple were ridiculously unorganized and forgot half the materials for the Indian ceremony. Being one of the wedding planners, they came to me and said "we need a bowl". The only instructions I was given.

They needed this bowl fast, because the ceremony was to begin in about 15 minutes. So I run into the kitchen and tell the kitchen staff I need a bowl, quickly. They give me a small glass bowl. I take it to the officiant, and he screams "NO! BIGGER!". So I go back into the kitchen and get another bowl. I bring it back to them and they yell louder, "NO! This is for A CEREMONY! PRETTIER!" I wanted to tell them beggars shouldnt be choosers, but I bit my lip. I still dont know what this bowl is for, I even asked and they didnt tell me. So I find a nice size black bowl. I bring it back to them and a friend of the bride tells me it will work. So I leave it on the ceremony stage and walk away, as I turn my back I hear the mother of the bride scream at me NO BLACK! NO BLACK! NO BLACK! So I turn to her and shes holding the bowl almost shaking she is so angry. From her anger, I guess black isnt a good sign in the Indian traditions.

Long story short, and 7 trips into the kitchen later, we had to wrap a chaffing dish in foil. Classy, I know. The bowl was used to wash everyones feet in the ceremony. I just hope they didnt use the dish later that night at dinner...

Beeeep Beeeeeeeeep

Okay, week 16 and I broke down and got a car... But I have justifications. Being an event planner, your hours are crazyy. reason one. Working in the suburbs. reason two. Two hour commute each way to work. reason three. Obviously there were more reasons to get a car than not... I got a 2001 Black Volkswagon New Beetle. Its a cute little car and my mom put a big sunflower in its bud vase : ) Its missing somethings... like A/C (which is fun in August) and a cd player, but it gets me from point A to point B so I am thrilled.



The best part, just when my life was starting to fall into routine and I didnt have much to write about I get a car... fulllll of blog worthy life stories.



Lets begin when I bought the car. I make this decision with my parents in Cleveland. So we get on autotrader and find this car in Brunswick. Monday morning my mom, Chelsea and I drive out to the lot they are holding it at. So, we pull up and I yell at Chels that she is pulling into a junk yard, this couldnt be a legit company, ohh, but it was. This place was a complete mess. No parking spots, no sales people, just a sleezy middle old man who did every job under the sun from his desk in the front window.



I wish I could explain this man with justice but I dont think I will be able to. He was that bizarre. Later he told me he use to live in the ghetto area off Alliance, and loved it, if that gives you any understanding of what kind of man this was. Anyways, they sold me the car telling me it was in mint condition. 5 minutes off the lot, lights started coming on. It was a long drive back from Cleveland that night, but I am SO thankful to have my new car!

Driving in the city is interesting, Cars literally switch lanes every second, its like driving I have never seen before. They weave like a braid in and out of each other. Cabs, honk at EVERYTHING, and I have pulled into on coming one way traffic lanes, twice.. talk about life flashing before your eyes.

Needless to say, if I wasnt a defensive driver before, I AM NOW!! : )

Vaccum

I was vacuuming at work today.. my boss warned me that the vacuum was an industrial brand but I figured.. its a vacuum, whats the difference. Boy, was I wrong.



I lugged the vacuum out of the closet and began vacuuming near the front. The vacuum was literally pulling up the rug. Not thinking of just shutting it off I began to pull up getting the rug off of the end of the hose. It was like trying to pull a car with a chain. I finally get it off the rug and the hose automatically moves to another thing to suction.. the bottom of my dress. In a panic I was trying to get the hose off my dress... As it pulled up and suctioned my dress into the tube a woman walking by with a HUGE dog stops.. and watches. I was practically spinning myself around in a circle trying to get this hose off of my dress.. I ended up realizing if I just shut it off it would work a lot easier.

You would think I had never used a vaccum before, and for those of you who are about to say I havent, you're wrong! I am just thankful I didnt lose my dress in the vaccum!

Blue Line - Jackson Stop

When two of my lovely visitors, Brooke and Kristin were visiting we were on our way to the Blue Line Stop at Jackson St. As we get closer to the stop we hear this beat.. and of course, days after the King of Pop's death it was... Michael Jackson.

We walk up to the subway and see a one of a kind impersonation. This man.. was spray painted (very poorly) in silver paint from head to hole-y shoes. He was wearing one of those McDonald head pieces as a microphone. His stage.. an egg crate that he used to jump on and off of.

This was a modest MJ.. because whenever someone tried to take a picture he would get out his green umbrella (with a few holes in it) and block the camera from pictures. Apparently there was no filming of this performance. The man danced all around the stop like he was at Madison Freaking Square Gardens.

RIP MJ and beware of Jackson Street Subway Stops, they bring all the crazies out.

Google: how dangerous is it to email from a cab in Chicago.. I bet my driver doesnt know.

My cab driver last night was checking his email from his computer while driving. He literally had a computer on his lap while driving through the streets of Chicago. He had one of those verizon cards where you get internet literally everywhere.

I told him the new stat I heard how texting while driving is 3 times more dangerous than drinking and driving. He said "mmmhhhmm" while pulling up a youtube video from his computer... so I asked him what was so important in his email that he had to check it while driving me home. He ignored me and put the computer down..

Then we got to talking about why Old town is called old town and why Lincoln Park is called Lincoln Park.. since we didnt know he went to his computer, while driving, and googled it. Almost hit a crosswalk full of people. Thats when I decided it was a nice night and I would walk the rest of the way home...

mmm mmm dog biscuits!

Besides working at the nonprofit as their events coordinator I am also working at a Wedding Boutique assisting with weddings and helping out at the shop. At work today we had a sidewalk sale. Being the new girl, my job was to sit outside with the sale and make sure no one walked away with anything. It was a beautiful day and lots of people came by. You see three things in the West loop on a Saturday.. couples, babies and dogs. I would say 97% of the people I saw had at least one of these. Chicago is a very, very dog friendly city. People take their dogs to restaurants, into stores, they are everywhere. We set out a dog bowl and jar of dog biscuits for the puppies to stop on their walk. One woman walked by and got two biscuits out. Her dog was a puppy and couldnt bite into an entire biscuit by herself. So the owner bit the biscuit, with her own mouth. Not only did she split the biscuit with her mouth, she ate half and gave her dog the other half! It was so unexpected my jaw dropped. She continued to do the same with the other biscuit. Now, I have grown up with dogs my entire life, and never, NEVER, would I consider sharing food with my dogs. The best part... she came back again and got another biscuit to split with her dog! BAH!!!

Moped?!

I am seriously considering a moped.

Seriously.

Here are the thoughts behind my decision..
-I could get around the city in a jiffy.
-They make really cute pink ones and I could wear a white helmet with it.
-Its a moped (how cool).
-I wouldnt have to pay for parking because the people I see with mopeds just park them on the sidewalk (perk!).
-I don't think mopeds take gas.. double perk. : )
-I could park my moped in the burbs and then I wouldnt have to walk 15 minutes to work.
-Less blisters on my toes... less needed pedicures... saving instant money.
-I cant afford a car.. but could maybe swing a moped.
-Think of the stories that would come out of having a moped.

Thoughts?!

Wedding Planner

After work one day I was on my way home for the weekend. I was dressed in a black dress with a strand of pearls and a big white flower (my favorite). Running into the store to pick up a new book the woman at the sales counter looked at me and asked why I was dressed so nice (for the airport, I assume). I explained I was at work and came straight to the airport. She looked at me and said "You look like you would be a wedding planner" and I squealed "I am!!". It made me very happy that someone guessed my profession : ) Looks like its meant to be!

Dry Cleaning!

I am not all that familiar with dry cleaning prices because I have gone to the same one in Westlake for forever. So it was to my surprise when I went to pick up my 6 articles of clothing this afternoon and the bill was over $100! The woman did not speak very good English. I asked her, three times, what she was trying to say, she finally pronounced, in broke english, "$120"! The best part.. my sorority pin was on one of the pieces and she charged me for it back! I am livid! Maybe this is a normal price but I think its crazy to charge that much for dry cleaning. In my opinion, I was scammed. I will now export dry cleaning to a reasonable location.. even if it's WESTLAKE!

Appropriate Changing Tables & Violent Muscle Spasms

Back from Cleveland and the people watching continues. It isn't even like I look for these hilarious things that I see on a daily basis, they just happen to me. Today two funny things happened and I thought, well I guess I am writing an entry tonight!

First of all, it is very hard to find a public bathroom in downtown Chicago. Every public place has signs that say "NO PUBLIC RESTROOM" and they seriously enforce it. Some restaurants have keys but you have to make a purchase to get the key. Anyways, this can be a slight inconvenience if you are out in the city and need to use a restroom. My point was proven today as I walked near a Corner Bakery. I decided to stop to get a diet coke on my way home from work and as I turn the corner I notice a baby lying on a table outside. This mother decides that instead of finding a bathroom with a changing station she could change her daughters diaper on the tables outside the corner bakery. She had the baby lying (naked) on the table placed outside the restaurant for guests to eat. I begin to feel ill as I witness this. I have sat at tables outside thousands of times and never thought that I could be placing my food or purse where a baby's bottom and dirty diapers sat moments earlier. This is seriously disturbing. What was more disturbing was when I left the restaurant someone was sitting at the same table eating their dinner. BAH!

The second story was just bizarre. I was on the bus on my way home (right after the corner bakery). This man sat down next to me, I was sitting in the row with three seats and there was a woman in the far seat. The man who sat down was doing some kind of muscle strengthening or had some weird spasms because every 30 seconds or go he would push his legs out and then squeeze them together. Because the seats were tight the pushing would force the other girl and I into the walls of the bus. It was weird.

Ribs Anyone?

Quick story..

Today. On the bus. This man comes and sits down next to this very put together business woman. They were on the other side of the isle from me. He is a little grungy. but hey, I don't judge. Anyways, He starts moving around and I watch him from the corner of my eye. I see him pull this plastic zip lock bag from his pocket. Something absolutely disgusting was in the bag, God knows what at this point. It was brown and took some kind of sticky liquid texture, it filled the bag.

I turn to watch a little more... (mind you the woman he was sitting next to looked like she was about to gag and completely lose it) The man is trying to get the bag open while feeling for something in the brown liquid. Sick. All of a sudden I notice him pull out some ribs! He was trying to eat his lunch. Mind you, no napkins, no drinks, just a bag, his fingers and some ribs. He separates the one rib from the rest and drops them in the bag as he starts to munch on the rib. Disgusting. The woman got up and left the bus (I don't think it was her stop). He continues to eat this rib.. and when hes done with it places the bone in his lap. His fingers are completely drenched in rib sauce. He attempts to open the bag again, with his teeth. As he does this sauce lands all over his lap. He pulls the ribs out, grabs onto one with his teeth, separates it and drops the rest in the bag. Continues enjoying his lunch... When I finally got off the bus he was on rib 4. My recommendation, if you are going to have left overs from the 4th enjoy them at a kitchen table.. or anywhere but the bus.

The Difference between the big screen and the real world

A lot of movies taken place in Chicago have been on the tv lately.. but I have noticed that there is a major difference between real world Chicago and the fictional city that they display.

1.. The Media has two versions of Chicago: La La Land or Crime Chicago. There is no happy medium. Some versions show Chicago as the most pleasant, safest place ever, others show it as if you step out your door you will be raped, murdered or framed. Both of these versions happen to be false.

2.. The weather! It is always so pleasant when filmed. Even when its winter, the weather is bearable.. this happens to be FALSE.

3.. City Traffic: I think its pretty funny that whenever someone wants a cab they are always directly there for them at their disposal and when they want to take part in a high speed chase there is never traffic.

4.. Have you ever noticed that the only people on the streets in Chicago are pretty people that look like moviestars? Not many homeless' are featured on the big screen streets.

5.. The El isn't a scary place dispite what you may see in While You Were Sleeping (he was robbed and pushed onto the tracks) and if it was the EL attendants sure as hell would not jump out to save anyone..

6.. and for those who love the television show ER.. the hospital its meant to take place at is way out in the west loop but they always show it in the middle of the city. Hate to burst your bubble.

Regardless.. its a great city and everyone should visit it for themselves instead of watching it in the movies.. I have a couch you may sleep on.. :)

Here are some movies that take place in Chicago:
My Best Friend's Wedding
The Break Up
Chicago (Go Figure)
Ferris Buellers Day Off
The Blue's Brothers
While You Were Sleeping
Ground Hog Day
Home Alone (1 and 2)
etc..etc..etc..

Kids Say The Darndest Thing

When flying back to Chicago the last time I was waiting to board the plane. Unfortunately I was one of the last people on the plane so I didn't have my choice of many seats (southwest does open seating) and had to wait a while to get on the plane. When I was sitting in the airport the woman next to me was stalking out little kids like no one I have ever seen.

Dont get me wrong, when I see a cute kid I will smile at the child or tell their mother their baby is cute. But, this woman took it too the next level. She was an older woman around 45 or so. When the family was sitting around a kids table she said to the father "Your son is so sweet, he is such an adorable child!" The father said thank you and then she continued "He is such a sweet heart, I am so in love with your boy. What a heart breaker! What a gorgeous face. How old is he. He is just too cute! I love his face, hes such a heart breaker" The father smiled kind of awkwardly. He then had to "go to the bathroom" with all of his children.

The next victim to sit down was a father and his daughter. She must had been around 5 or so and she was a cute kid. The woman began again "Oh my gosh, your daughter is so beautiful" The father said thank you and then she began drilling them with questions "She is just gorgeous, so pretty, how old is she, is her mother around, what a gorgeous child, so well built. So pretty, just gorgeous" The father wasnt sure how to respond. She was treating the child like a cross between a cute puppy and a man talking about a Baywatch lifeguard. I am pretty sure this lady wasnt aloud to be within 50 feet of children and she was pretty obnoxious and very creepy.

When they called our seating zone we all went up to the poles telling us where to line up. Fortunately the woman was the last on the plane. I always hate this part of Southwest. Its nerve racking, looking for a seat, and people get so mad when you decide to sit in their middle seat. I always look for the most successful people on the plane and sit by them. I figure if they look successful maybe they are a CEO and are looking to hire an event planner. I will do just about anything to network these days. Well anyways, the seats were pretty picked over so I went to the back of the plane and took a row to myself. The father and the daughter followed. The creeper woman found another set of children to stalk for the 42 minute plane ride. I felt bad for their parents and even more for the children. They didnt know what they were getting themselves into.

The little girl began talking to me and her father was sleeping against the window. She started off pretty harmless but then got personal with questions. She asked where I was going, why I had an umbrella, the kind of questions kids ask. As we were getting off the plane she turns to the old man (he was like 65) in front of me and said "ma'am ma'am is that man your husband!!" this was insulting. First off, he was 3 times my age. Second, no. Third, she had just made things very awkward between the man and me. I quietly said no. Then she looked at the book I was holding. It was Chelsea Handlers "Hello Vodka, are you there, its me Chelsea". The girl starts spelling "V-O-D-K-A.. Vodka! thats what my mommy drinks. Right daddy, mommy loves vodka!" This little brat didnt know when to shut up and she was basically screaming. It was entertainment for the entire back of the plane.

We proceeded to baggage claim and the old grandpa comes up to me and goes "it's pretty funny that girl thought we were married" I responded with a "ha ha hilarious". Then he goes "Hi, I'm Paul." First thing that crossed my mind was I needed to start dressing younger. How did this man (THREE TIMES MY AGE) think I wanted to be hit on. Thank god as he was starting conversation my very noticeable bag came out onto the line and I could get to my train.

On the train this man was clearly not "with it". First his shirt looked like a child's bib. He was sleeping and particles were coming out of his mouth and nose. It was disgusting. A group of children board the train and automatically begin making comments about the man. One of them got their camera phone out and took a picture. The man never woke up but the kids were saying all kinds of things... Kids say the darnedest things...

Paradise by the Dashboard Light

In honor of my fathers birthday yesterday and the fact he told this story totally wrong to everyone, I will reminisce on a story that still haunts me from last summer.

Every Monday my friends and I met up at a restaurant/ bar called Duffies for "Chicago Idol". A friend of our was participating in the singing contest so we would go and cheer her on and then vote for her to make it on to the competition next week. Since I worked later hours than my friends many times I would get off work around 7 pm and meet them out at the restaurant.

One particular Monday I was heading to Duffies and the weather didn't look so great. The storm clouds were rolling in and I wanted to get to the place in time to hear Lindsay sing. Once I got off the brown line I walked a very steady pace to get to the restaurant. It was about 8 blocks from the line so I knew it was a long walk. I was on the phone with someone to make the time pass quicker. I walked quite a distance, maybe 10 blocks or so before I realized that this wasn't the right place. (I was walking the opposite direction I needed to to get to Duffies.) Since I was on the phone I wasn't paying attention to the streets or the landmarks I would usually look for (since I had done this trip many times). I began to turn around and walk back when the rain started.

First, it started off as a light sprinkle. My white shirt couldn't last more than a sprinkle before it was going to be see through so I hoped to get to a place of cover quickly. Of course, this was the one day I forgot my umbrella. My short black skirt began to blow as the rain and wind picked up. The rain kept getting harder and harder. I couldn't find any place to retreat to and I was getting soaked. Pretty soon the sprinkle turned into a near hurricane and I was 18 blocks from my location. Of all times I couldn't find a taxi either!

I continued to walk, rain falling so hard it felt like it was piercing my skin. I witnessed two trees fall and saw so much lightening I thought I would get hit for sure by one of its strikes. The rain was not letting up. This is like one of those storms that you think, omg I have never seen rain like that before, and I was in the middle of it. After about 6 or 7 blocks (which felt like 16 or 17 blocks) I finally got a cab. I only had 5 dollars on me so I told the driver to take me as far as 5 dollars could get me. At this point I couldn't just turn around and go home because I did not want to be on an elevated train with as much lightening as their was and 5 dollars was not getting me home.

The driver took me to the location and when I got out of the cab he told me to be careful because he had heard on the radio that they were comparing this storm to a hurricane. Wonderful. Just what I wanted to get caught in. It wasn't letting up either. When I entered the restaurant the man at the door laughed at me. In my face. Literally, laughed at me. He said it looked like I jumped in a pool before I walked in the door. I wasn't as amused as he was. Another waitress handed me a bus towel and said, maybe this would help. I met up with my friends and they were all shocked. I don't think they expected to see me with mascara to my chin, a see through shirt, drenched hair and a pretty sour attitude. I grabbed one of my friends and made her follow me to the bathroom where I attempted to dry off. Not happening. From there, we went to the table and I dealt with a lot of awkward glances, dumb comments and a few too many drinks. Turns out some people found my wet mess of a self amusing and bought me a drink or two.

On the way home the rain was still going on but the trains began running again. I was mad because all of my friends parents called them to see if they were okay. Apparently, Chicago's weather had been all over the news. Well, they were fine! They were dry and weren't the butt of every joke for the last 3 hours. I, on the other hand, was. My parents (who didn't call) needed to know I was okay so I decided to call them and let them know. Unfortunately, I was not in the best state of mind when I called and my 8 minute and 43 second phone call with my dad at 1:30 a.m. consisted of me singing "paradise by the dashboard light" to him and ended with "I'm singing in the rain".

This was not one of my prouder moments, but it is one of my dads favorite stories. Among others, he finds this an appropriate story to repeat to family, friends and coworkers and inappropriate times. I am not to happy that this is the story my dad likes to tell people but it was one I will always remember... the day I was stuck in a hurricane!

waiting for the train on the way home from duffies (sick of the rain)

Conversation Starters

As I get to know people in the city its really funny how you meet someone and they always resort back to the same conversation topics. For example, each of my doormen all have a conversation of choice. Between the weather, Cleveland sports and if I have any packages its nearly impossible to break the conversation cycle.

I will say things such as "How are you today?" or "Whats new" and the response is always in the ballpark of their conversation of choice. "Whats new with you today" I ask. "Just trying to enjoy this weather as much as I can!" Great. More weather conversations to get me absolutely no where.

I ask again, "What are your plans for the weekend?". "Just going to watch the CUBS, you know those Indians aren't doing so great". Wonderful.

Its not just in the building. The deli man, the CVS salesperson, the welcome desk at my gym, they all have their own personal conversation spiel. Its like when your at Texas Roadhouse and your sitting a little too close to the hostess stand and you hear every single person who walks to their table be asked the question "Do you come here often" and you know that the person asking has absolutely no interest if you have ever been there or not. In fact, your kind of insulted because they have been asking you the same question for the last three years once a week. I cant talk to one more person about the weather, its just too boring and rather depressing considering Chicago has had the worse summer weather ever this year.

Next person I speak to because of good manners I am just going to pull out a fold up chair from my purse (I carry a rather large purse) and sit down next to them and tell them to tell me their life story. If they mention weather, sports or the headlines of the Chicago tribune I will taser them and say, try again. I am sure this new tactic will be a good way to make friends in a jiffy!

Throw a BROWNIE in with that ten dollars too!

The city is full of all kinds, but lately, the poor camped out at corners have drawn my attention...

Last week a man asked for some "suga"..

Another man asked for some money and when I replied I didnt have any he began yelling at me with some very vulgar language.

On Sunday a duo of a man and woman were sitting near the train performing music such as (I kid you not) The Thong Song and Take Me Home Tonight. The man had been there for a while. the woman walked up to him (requesting the thong song) and they began singing together. They were strangers, in fact, I saw the woman try to get his information to contact him later that night.

The requests aren't the same as they use to be. Last summer I use to walk down the street and be asked for some change. A reasonable request considering they are interested in a cup of coffee or some food. But lately, the requests have changed. For example, a woman tonight asked for $10 and as I walked by the corner bakery she continued to see if I would "throw in a brownie as well". This is a lot to ask of a stranger in my opinion.

As I walked on kind of surprised by how aggressive this woman was trying to get me to go into the corner bakery to buy her a brownie a man walking near me mentioned that earlier in the day he was approached for a $10 bill as well. Apparently the donation request has raised to like 1000 percent.

My favorite story, however, was from my sister Megan when she was in Cleveland. A man held a sign that said "I'll be honest, I just want to buy some beer". I give him credit for his honesty and I assume he was more friendly than the woman hounding us for ten dollars and a brownie!

Rain Rain Go Away...

So sometimes I wonder why I am posting all of my embarrassing stories for all my friends and family to see.. but then I guess its better than laughing at myself all the time.

Yesterday was one for the books. Of course it has to do with transportation.. or kind of.. because public transportation may be the worse thing to ever happen to me, let me explain...

It was raining all day yesterday. All day. I get up and decide I am going to run errands, etc. So I get dressed and head out umbrella in hand. First stop, Target. I should had known that this was a bad idea because Target and Chicago dont mix. I head down to the red line stop (underground) and notice that the steps look wet. So I hold on to the banister and still manage to fall down the filthy subway steps.. luckily, I was holding onto the banister so I stopped after about 4 steps. I pull myself up, look around to see if anyone saw this embarrassing fall and step down... fall, AGAIN. Two steps this time. landed on my wrist and left side. Ew. Dirt. Everywhere. Stand Up again and immediately fall again to the bottom of the first flight of steps (on the landing). At this point I was sitting in a puddle of filthy city water and fearing another fall climbed back up to the street and walked home. The rest of the day was devoted to icing my entire left side and doing what I could do online opposed to going out in the city. It doesnt help I was wearing flip flops. mark June 11th as the last time I EVER wear flip flops in the city ever again. bah.

The Steps I fell Down... BAH!

The Metra...

I had my second interview with the non profit that is looking for an event planner.. they asked me back for a third interview so I am really hopeful this is the job!! : ) I dont think I have mentioned that this job is in the suburbs, so I take the train to a bus to the metra (the Illinois version of the Amtrak) out to the suburbs then walk to the location about 15 minutes from the train stop. The town is the most adorable place you have ever seen.. it is like the birth place of the land rovers. I swear, wisteria lane may just have popped right out of this adorable town. However, it isnt as adorable when your running late for a train and in a full out suit...

I had just finished my second interview with the executive director, I looked down at my watch and it was 5:45.. the next train into the city came in 10 minutes, and it was a 12 - 15 minute walk in a suit and heels.. So I began to speed walk in my suit and hustle through the suburbia streets trying to make the train (if I missed it I would have to wait another hour). As I jogged in my suit I looked down to see the back of my foot bleeding all over my new shoes, looks like new shoes for my mini marathon wasn't a good idea.. but I kept "speed walking"... As the train tracks came in sight I saw the RxR lights go on and the little stick that comes down to stop traffic lower and I was a good 5 minutes away... shit.

At this point I was hot and I was going to have to sit in the sun for an hour and wait for the next train.. So I ended up sprinting for this train, running. I kept getting funny looks from people but I didnt care. I didnt want to wait for the next train if I could make this one... running.. tripping.. running.. the train passes me. There are a few people sitting on benches laughing at me and I hear them snickering. I was so upset that I was just about to hit them. But then I looked around, no one got on that train. Everyone was sitting there reading their papers, listening to their iPods.. the train was a freight train. Ha. I was so concerned about getting on a train I didnt realize it wasnt the right train. Turns out, I made it to the stop with 5 minutes to spare and got on the train I wanted to, and only made a fool out of myself in front of about, 30 people.

Once I got on the train I distanced myself from the people at the stop because I think that my scurry to the train stop made a couple of their stomachs hurt they were laughing so hard. There was one booth left open on the car I got on, soon after I learned why that seat was the one left free.. the man sitting behind me had a bad case of some kind of cold/ flu. He was sneezing into his hands snot, for a good 10 minutes straight, cursing in between. He didnt stop, I swear to god.. Achoow... Shit... Achhow.. damn it... SFJSEJFSdfsefAChoooooow.. #$#@% .. you get the picture.... I couldnt help but laugh. He saw me rocking back and forth laughing, but it wasnt as much at him but at my life.

The B***H at the Bar

For the CAVS Magic game 6 Jessie and Meghan (Hughes) were in town and very excited to watch the Cavs hopefully beat the Magic (we wont talk about that game). We went down the street from my apartment at a very nice bar/ restaurant and got a great table in front of the television. Well if you know my family.. they love the Cavs.. so Jessie was screaming at the television and making all kinds of a scene.. shocking I know.. Well, as you can imagine, this cheering drew some attention to our table and people began coming over to talk to us about the game and just making conversation.

One individual, was not very friendly, and when she found out I was going to be an event planner snapped. We were sitting there after the game when she came over and said "you are going to fail as an event planner, you're never going to make it". Shocked, that someone would be so blunt (and SO WRONG) I turned to her and said.. "excuse me?" and she repeated "You are going to be the worst event planner, your never going to make it. You suck" (Mind you, I have NEVER spoken to this girl before, she over heard my conversation with someone else talking about being an event planner). So I replied something like "excuse me? Who are you and why would you say that"... to make a long story short.. We had a heated conversation for about 10 minutes where it ended with me screaming at her to "WALK AWAY MA"AM, and when I make my first MILLION I will dedicate it to you, the bitch in the bar". She had nothing to say.. so she walked to the bar and sat on a bar stool talking about me until we left.... I usually wouldnt be so rude to someone (or straight up mean) but she attacked me, with no reason, and wouldnt go away..

Some people! It was a very funny story at the time and I may not had been able to give it the humor it deserved in this blog.. but since that encounter, I have seen her on the street, at my fitness center, at the grocery store.. basically everywhere you could imagine. Shes like a bad nightmare that wont go away. This may not be the last story about the wonderful woman that tried to tell me I was going to be a failure without knowing me AT ALL!

There are a lot of nice people in Chicago too so dont judge that this one CRAZY woman is the representation of the citizens of Chicago. Theres a clown in every group. haha.

The First Time Cooking in the Apartment

The stove in my new apartment is much nicer than the first apartment.. (see pictures below and that should be enough). But of course we still had issues the first time we used it. Living the frugal life of a recent college graduate when Kelly visited we wanted to cook to save money...

We decided to have a Fiesta and make Sangria and Soft Tacos.. but we forgot to buy chips. So we decided to make chips out of the tortillas for the tacos and bake them in the oven... We turned on broil and stuck them in for ten minutes.

When the buzzard rang we took our "chips" out of the oven along with a huge cloud of smoke. The chips were burnt like charcol and the result made the fire alarm go off. The problem... I couldnt figure out how to get the windows open and we couldnt get the alarm off... Please, picture this: Kelly running around with a tray of ash, me running around trying to make air to turn the alarm off, the entire apartment smokey and both of us completely afraid that the entire building was going to evacuate. We ended up sticking the cookie sheet in the bathroom and turned on water.. and it worked, but we will never make chips ever again, thats for sure! : )

Target Trips

Everyone knows I love chicago, but some things are just much more difficult living in the city then in Ohio.. for example, Target shopping trips. My love for Target hasn't changed and especially moving into a new place Target stops are essential. The closest Target is about 8 stops down the red line.. so after my furniture finally arrived I realized I needed somethings like a rug.. lamp.. hangers for pictures, etc.

Getting to Target isn't difficult, jump on the red line, walk a quarter of a mile up a hill and your there. The issue is the trip home.. with bags. On my first trip to the store since my move I went there with the idea I needed to only get the essentials. That turned into a rug and three large bags full of "essentials". The red line is underground so I knew that I would not be able to get down to the train easily, so for some god unknown reason I decided it wouldnt be that long of a walk to a train stop with an escalator (about 15 blocks down the street). I began walking (in a dress, of course) down Clark Street to State Street to get to a more convenient train stop. Well this was easier said then done. The wind was blowing so I was trying to hold my dress down, the rug was awkward so I kept having to adjust it in my arms and the bags were breaking as I walked. I was a sight for sore eyes and realized my essentials were not worth it but it isnt like I could do anything about it now. I couldnt stop for a cab either because I was walking against traffic so I would have had to cross the street and by then my items would have probably spilled all over an intersection.

Well to make a long story short.. I walked to a busy intersection, hailed a cab (against my will because I am trying to be frugal) and got back to my apartment. Wellllll, once I got into my apartment I laid the rug out and it was too small. It looked ridiculous. absurd actually. So I rolled it back up and took it back to the store. As if it wasnt bad enough with the smaller rug I repeated this torture of walking down Clark Street with a larger rug (thinking it would be easier because I didnt have the bags). This time I didnt mind getting in a cab right away because I knew how awful it was the first time back from Target.

The rug looks nice but next time I may wait till someone is in town with a car before I go to Target again...

Public Transportation

As some of you know, I sold my car after graduation to a friend... so I am relying on public transportation to get around the city. Although this is a good move for gas, parking and insurance with public transportation comes stories... soooo many stories...

First off, I was a little rusty getting back into the swing of riding the El and buses.. I did it all last summer but over the past year forgot some things. And there is no one better to tell you this then my poor friend Kelly. She came out to Chicago over Memorial day to visit and not only did I not have any furniture but she also had to deal with me constantly taking us to the wrong place or getting detoured because of traffic. We would get off on the stop I swore was the right one.. then we would walk 12 blocks and get to where I thought we origninally were... but she was a sport and put up with me. Even when I was frustrated. It was def. an adventure. When she was out here we were all over the city.. we were in river north, gold coast, lincoln park, lakeview, west loop, south loop, wicker park, buck town, greek town.. everywhere.

Riding CTA also comes with an interesting variety of people. I have learned to give a good mean mug when appropriate and how to use my attitude to get "creepers" to back off. One of my favorite stories is from last summer, week 7 of being in the city. I had fallen off the bus earlier that week while talking the phone on my way to work (not an easy fall either because the bus almost ran over my leg as it drove off and left me on the curb). I had this older gentleman trying to start a conversation with me multiple times, I did not want to talk. He continued.. I repeated that I was not interested in talking.. so on, so on. Anyways.. He got off at the same stop I did and as I stepped off grabbed my hips.. wrong... wrong wrong wrong. I turned around and yelled at him. He said it was because he didnt want me to fall in my heals (which was funny because I had fallen earlier that week) but I told him I would rather fall then have him hold on to me. He finally got the hint and left me alone. At the time it wasnt funny but I can laugh about it now.. thank goodness.

Well that was 2008, and things havent changed in 2009. Just yesterday I was on the bus and it was a long day because I had to take the Metra into the suburbs. As I sat down another man sat down across from me with a cranyon and a pad of paper. He mumbled something to me and I asked what, and he said something about drawing me.. Once I realized he was using his cranyon to draw my face I politely told him I didnt want to be drawn. He continued. So I told him again, "Sir. I do not want you to draw my face on your piece of paper". (I swear this stuff always happens to me) So he gave me horns and continued to draw me on his paper. So I called my sister Jessie to block my face with my phone. He was still drawing.. so obnoxious... so I said for a THIRD time.. "SIR STOP DRAWING ME". and got off at the next stop and then walked home.. I am not sure how that picture turned out but the last time I looked at it he had a maroon version of what was suppose to me on a piece of paper with horns. Gotta love public transportation...

I think that the major reason I did not want this interesting man to draw me was I was afraid once he did he would try to charge me for it. Some people will do anything in the city to get money out of you and I was afraid that when he was mumbling something to me that it would come out that I owed him 20 dollars or something. It reminded me of one time last summer on the El. My friends and I were on the train after a day at the beach. This man came up to us and was trying to be all charming calling us beautiful and wanting to play a game with a piece of paper and three cups. He had a magazine on his lap and put the paper under a cup and then moved them around. He asked us to show him a dollar, which my friend did. Then when she guessed the right cup he gave her a dollar back. They repeated this game two or three times the dollar amount getting higher every time.. $1, $2, $5 and she was making some money. So the last time he said $20 and she pulled $20 out. He held it as he moved the cups. Although we knew which cup the paper was under he slid it out as he collected the $20. Pocketed her money and jumped off the train. She was so mad he tricked her. We should had known when he pulled out a huge bundle of cash from his pocket that he won this game more than lost.. which explains why I didnt want to be drawn..

The stories could go on but I want to save something for later.

Regardless, I rest my case that public transit is always an adventure.

Interviews and Job Applications

I think I have applied for every job in this city.. twice. I have had a few interview and am hopeful I found a job soon! : ) Second interview is next week (cross your fingers!!) I am enjoying being here but really want to start working... I will keep everyone updated!!

Sleeping on the floor... but the wonderful furniture is here now : )

So the move, as I said below has been an adventure.. and my apartment is starting to really feel like my own. That doesnt mean that it was easy. Mom, Jessie, Megan and I went furniture shopping at this great store down State Street.. and I got some beautiful furniture.. but it didnt come for 10 days after I ordered it... so for my first ten days in my apartment I was sleeping on the floor!!! Ah! I even had my best friend Kelly come to visit and she slept on an air mattress while I slept on the floor. It got old pretty quick, but its all worth it because my beautiful furniture is here now!! : )

The BIG move.. twice!

So I have been in the city for a little over two weeks.. I graduated on Saturday, May 9th and by Monday I had moved my stuff to Chicago with my mom. In April Jessie and I flew to Chicago to find an apartment. We used an apartment agency and found this place in Lincoln park/ Lakeview.

The apartment I liked was rented below me and I took another one in the building. When my mom and I drove my stuff out to the apartment the Monday after graduation the apartment was less than what we expected. The trip in general was hell. We rented a U-haul and drove from Westlake to Chicago. The trip out to Chicago was fine because we were on 90 the entire way but when we got here it was awful driving the truck in the city. We would be going down a road and got 20 inches from the el track and realize that we were higher than the bridge and had to back up (on a Chicago street) and turn around. After about an hour of trying to find a track we could get under we parked the car, got the key and went to the apartment building. The apartment was awful. The smell in the hall way smelled like sewage and vomit with a touch of a nursing home. The door to the apartment was kicked in and two of the three keys didn’t work. The carpet was filthy and the so was the rest of the apartment. You could hardly see out of the windows. The bed room had these HUGE closets but when I opened the door it fell on top of me (it was like a heavy 10 foot door). Inside the closet was an air conditioner and a hole in the ceiling like 3 feet wide. Gross. The bathroom may had been the worse. There was mold growing around the bath tub and the cabinet door fell off when I opened the vanity. The worst part was the mouse trap I found under the sink. I DON’T DO MICE. They are one of the top 5 things that bother me the most. I see a rodent and my skin creeps. I hate mice. Ew. Ew. It makes me sick just thinking about it. As you can imagine the kitchen wasn’t much to brag about. The stove looked unusable and Gas was definitely leaking from the apartment. I could go on but I don’t think its necessary. Its pretty understandable that the apartment was less than livable.

Pictures of the First Apartment on Cambridge.. But they dont give justice to the grossness that existed:

I was trying to make the best of the apartment (because I was going to be there the next year) but my mom was not going to let me stay there. When Jessie and I looked at the building the realtor who took us in there was making a big deal of the little things and played off of our emotions “This is such a great location, you aren’t going to find better for your price range, look at these HUGE closets, oh my gosh, this is a steal” she made us believe that we couldn’t find a better place so we might as well like that one. And it worked. When we went in the other people hadn’t moved out either so it was hard to notice the hole in the closet or the traps under the sink because we weren’t going to go through their stuff.

Anyways, we broke that lease (thank god my dad took care of that) and my mom and I went apartment hunting once again. This time using a different agency. We had a much better experience and settled for a studio opposed to a one bedroom. I am in a much more beautiful place that is livable. We wanted security, a high rise, clean and a good location. The realtor (Steve) took us to 6 or 7 apartments. I fell in love with an apartment in a building on Lincoln Park West (I really wanted to be in Lincoln park) But once again it was rented beneath me (you have to be very quick in Chicago with apartments). So I settled for my second pick which was very nice.

My current apartment is on the gold coast. It is actually a better pick than the Lincoln park apartment. I love the location but wish there were more young people in the area (although there are a lot).

So it was quite an adventure getting out here.. the closet space is tight.. very tight.. but the second apartment is much more nicer and I am very happppy : ) Special shout out to my family for helping me get out of the awful mess I was in... : )

The idea behind the blog..

So I began this blog for two reasons.. One, because my good friend Stephanie Morris begged me to after many text messages and calls with hilarious stories about my times in Chicago. The second is so I remember my stories out of college.. and share them with loved ones : ) Some of the information may be boring but others will be hilarious.. and, well, thats my life. So anyways, I will post some new information on here every once and a while and I hope people enjoy!!

xoxo
Kate