ready for what’s ahead.

Morning, chickadees!

After a long, relaxing weekend in MI, it’s back to the hustle and bustle of the city.

Also, April has decided to show its face, and although I am brutally aware of the fact that it is only 22 degrees out today, I have the utmost confidence that this is the month in which it will decide to be spring.

You guys are with me, right?

In other news, this weekend I decided to start my giving campaign to Cory Booker’s Senate race, because I think he’s a guy who’s doing great things, and also, I’m maybe a tiny bit obsessed with him.

Maybe a little more than a tiny bit.

In any case, after donating, I threw a tweet in his direction, and two minutes later, my phone beeped with a notification.

 

How’s that for a beautiful end to an Easter weekend?

Other than that little one word gem (that I will treasure until the end of time, or at least until Cory and I become best friends in real life, which will probably be soon), I’m ready for one big week in front of me, opening day of baseball (I’m giving myself at least one whole month before I fall into a Cubs’ despair), and the promise of above freezing.

We’re pretty sure we’re gonna get there at some point, right chickens?

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it today!

spring in my step

Hey there chickadees!

Sorry I’m a little late this morning, but we’ve got the day off over here, so I slept in before packing it up and getting ready to go to MI for a few days.

Sometimes it’s best to leave the concrete jungle behind you for just a few hours.

I’m a firm believer in switching up your scenery for a change in perspective.

In other news: thanks for all the information about being gluten free yesterday, chicks. I received a whole slew of texts and messages about the pros and cons of all of this, and I’m taking it under consideration.

It seems my people know a lot more about this than I do, which honestly, is a relief.

It’s nice to have resources, you guys.

My bossy little sister has already set up a Pinterest Board for me around acceptable foods for my RA.

Check it out here.

And now, I’m off to finish packing, supervise JW’s idea of acceptable weekend wear, and hit the road for a weekend of blue skies, fresh air, and visiting family.

Not much to complain about from this angle, my friends.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it (and we’ve got it, today).

 

 

every moment is an experience.

Hey there, chickadees.

This weekend, I rode in a tow truck.

For the first time!

It was actually a fairly nice experience.

Should I back up?

You got it.

******

Saturday morning, bright and early, JD and CC picked up JW and I to get an early start on our weekend getaway to Michigan.

7:38, that’s our official start time, said CC as we pulled out of the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot.

JD and I stretched out in the back seat with iced coffees and magazines.

The road trip had commenced.

*****

About two-and-a-half hours into the four hour trip, we made a quick stop for snacks and water, and cruised back to the highway in under ten minutes.

Paw Paw! JD and I shouted, making fun of the cute little place we’d landed in for our break.

If only we knew how quickly we’d be back in town.

*****

About fifteen minutes later,  we suddenly slowed down for no apparent reason.

I have to pull over, Chris said.

We parked on the side of the road, alternating between attempting to turn the car back on (nothing) and feeling the vibration of  semi-trucks whizzing by the narrow shoulder we were planted onto at the moment.

At least we have snacks, JW said.

I knew there was a reason I loved that man.

*****

After a half hour or so, a nice man named Warren peered into our car, and frowned at us.

Let me call another truck, he said.

It turns out tow trucks are not spacious vehicles.

We required two.

*****

Eventually, we all piled into two (spacious! clean!) tow trucks, and headed to Tapper Ford in our just-visited Paw Paw, which was a dealership where we were sure we could fix our problems (whatever they might be. We’re city people. We don’t actually, at this juncture, have any idea what might be wrong with the car).

 

******

When we arrived at our destination, I lumbered down from the giant truck, and watched Warren unhook the car, wave, and drive off.

It was at this point that we noticed the car repair portion of Tapper Ford was actually closed.

Until Monday.

We walked into the dealership and explained our dilemma.

I could get you a new car in an hour, if you wanted to buy one, the salesman said.

At this point, that seemed like a viable option.

*****

I asked to use the bathroom and was taken through a hallway that reminded me vaguely of 1960.

This is what I found hanging outside the restrooms.

 

 

When I got back, none of my friends seemed to be in the lobby.

They left you here, one of the salesmen chuckled.

You can just work here, he laughed.

I smiled and hightailed it outside.

*****

Several phone calls later, we had secured a rental car at the Kalamazoo airport, which was about a half hour away.

Unfortunately, we had no way to get there.

Is there a cab we can take, someone asked.

We’re city kids, through and through.

*****

Eventually, a nice salesman offered to take us to our destination, so we piled in his car and chatted about new Ford features as we made our way toward Kalamazoo.

Sir, what’s the mascot of Paw Paw, JW asked.

The Redskins, he answered.

I thought it’d be something with paws, I whispered to JD.

*****

The Kalamazoo airport, it turns out, is a very nice place.

It’s lovely here, I told JD, as we huddled on a bench and waited to find out where our rental was.

Actual passengers looked at us like we had two heads.

Two hours from the side of the road incident, we couldn’t care less.

*****

20 minutes and one Chevy Malibu later, we were back on the road, with the promise of a return trip (to pick up the car OR a shiny new model) next week.

In my head, I’m already getting a new car, JD said.

I want it to say Paw Paw on it. The people of Paw Paw are so nice, she said reflectively.

You learn something new every day, chickadees.

 

i can see clearly now.

Morning chickadees.

Early morning.

On a Saturday.

But I don’t mind. I’ve got my bag packed for a quick, relaxing trip to MI and the lake.

That’s something I can rise early for.

I’ll be floating in the water for the next 24 hours.

In other news, last night JW was kind enough to snag my new glasses on his way home from work last night.

Did you look at them already, I asked.

He nodded.

Are they too hipster, I said, eyeing the case with suspicion.

I’m worried I’m not cool enough for my spectacles.

He told me I should probably just put them on my face so he could get a better look.

This is the lowdown.

 

What do you guys think?

Aside from the fact that I’ve had no coffee this morning and I’m not really sure how to use Photo booth properly.

Ignore those items, please.

I think they maybe say part hipster, part aspiring urban.lady.author.

A girl’s got to dream, right?

In any case, I can see, and that seems to be the most important thing here, I think.

I feel more creative already.

Also, less apt to run into things.

It’s a wonderful world when you can kill two birds with one stone, I think.

Enjoy your weekend, chickens- we have arrived!

 

taking it right back down.

Oh chickens, it’s Friday again.

Which means this long week is about to come to an end.

For which I am very thankful.

We’re not headed to Michigan until tomorrow morning, which means that I have a unique opportunity to both hit the gym and have a low key Friday night in my own home.

What’s that like, again?

Last night I was at another happy hour (the second of the week, and my third “school night” event in four days- what is that?), and after several nights of drinks and appetizers, nothing sounds better to me than my own kitchen table.

So that’s where I’ll be hanging out tonight.

In other semi-exciting news, after several months of cruising around in stretched-out, scratched-up, beat-to-hell glasses, my new pair have hit the eye doctor’s office.

After only two days of waiting.

I love it.

Next up, hipster-y (I prefer, ahem, aspiring author) spectacles and the ability to see without five years of scratches obstructing my vision.

It’s almost like I’m taking an actual step toward adulthood, chickadees.

And scratch-resistant lenses.

Imagine that?

Yeah, I’m having a hard time too.

And with that, I’m ready to tackle my commute, and the end of the working week.

Enjoy that weekend, chicks. We all need it.

 

Good morning, chickens.

And welcome to the nearing of the end of the week.

The weekend is in sight.

And that, I think, is a good thing.

Which means it’s the kind of day to reflect on five.good.things.

So without delay, here we go.

1. This little guy.

 

Logan Michael was born last week, and I feel like I haven’t given him enough screen time.

He’s adorable, obviously. And the sixth of my first cousins, once removed (which by the way, sounds silly. He doesn’t feel removed. So I won’t call him that again). Welcome to the world, dude. We’re so glad to have you!

2. After many unsuccessful attempts this week, I finally pulled myself out of bed early and hit up the treadmill before work, getting in a little over 4 miles.

Was it pretty?

Not really.

An accomplishment?

I’d say so.

3. This week, I will have been treated to a total of three lunches.

Take that, writers of the adage “There’s no such thing as free lunch.”

I beg to differ.

4. JW and I have been watching The Hatfields and the McCoys this week, which means approximately six hours of watching backwoods West Virginian and Kentucky residents of the 19th century take each other out over seemingly trivial matters.

I think, if brought back to life and forced to watch the series, these families would feel a little silly.

It still makes fairly good historical fiction fare for a weeknight of lounging.

5. This weekend, we’re headed to Michigan to get in some sun, lake, and relaxation prior to the business that September’s about to bring to the world.

September is a month of getting things started.

August looks more like this.

 

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it, chickadees.

home is wherever i’m with you.

And finally, some relief from the heat.

Things were getting a bit crazy out there.

As in, people were shooting each other all over the city.

And decks were catching on fire.

And I was sweating to death.

In any case, our windows are actually open this morning, and despite being sunburned (I got a little bit bold and went without sunscreen yesterday. You can get sunburned through clouds, I can hear my sister scolding me), I’m feeling much cooler than I’ve felt in days.

Weeks, maybe.

This weekend was a lovely combination of swimming, boating, wedding-going, new friend-making picnic-table sitting, and relaxing.

Also, there were kilts.

JW looks pretty handsome in a kilt, right?

Kilts in abundance. JW’s favorite part is the sporren, which is, in effect, a man purse.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he busts it out for everyday use on occasion.

And there, my friends, is the group. We did Scottish dancing, ate delicious food, and hung out in the basement when things got a little hot (150 people + 105 degree weather = one busted AC).

As previously mentioned, it was a lovely, lovely weekend.

And now, it’s back to the reality of commuter trains and laptops and cubicles.

To soften the blow, tonight I’m planning on having dinner with some pals to see how everyone survived the crazy weather.

My guess is high electric bills and lots of cold water.

Enjoy it out there, chickadees.

 

so put on your best boys.

And what a lovely Easter weekend that was.

I woke up Sugarloaf lake-side Saturday and Sunday, ran loops around a park in the sunshine (running without dodging cars hiding in alleys- ingenious), finally took care of my frightening-looking feet (too many miles, not enough pedicures), watched Ghostbusters (which is still pretty awesome, in case you were wondering), drank wine and lounged on couches, sat by bonfires, and celebrated the holiday by eating a delicious brunch and then playing a combination of soccer, frisbee, and football.

Don’t ask. It got kind of hard to keep up with, but I’m pretty sure everyone got hit with at least one object one time.

After a pleasant morning and early afternoon of eating, playing , and relaxing, we packed up the car, met up with my baby brother, and headed back to Chicago.

We made it back in record time, and then joined my parents and Ky  in the neighborhood to hand off my brother and enjoy a couple of Easter drinks.

Maybe also french fries.

Holiday french fries are important, in my expert estimation.

Spring’s edges are blurring into the coming summer, and I am 100% on board with that, chickadees.

And now I’m relaxed and ready to start a week that involves four thousand meetings, running 9 miles in one sitting, and getting back in my kitchen.

Enjoy the beginning of your week, chickens!

and the sun keeps shining down.

Chickens, it’s a day off for me over here.

I’ve already run five miles, practiced some yoga, and eaten an egg & cheese sandwich.

Things are looking up.

And since it’s a holiday weekend, I’m headed out to MI with JW for the next couple of days.

Since I wouldn’t be with my mom and dad this weekend, I headed over there on Tuesday to get to one of our Italian Easter traditions.

Guess what?

It has to do with food.

It’s called pizzagaina, which is actually pronounced pizza-gain.

And it’s amazing.

The recipe I linked you to is not exactly how we did it, because honestly, no two Italian cooks do anything the same way, but it gives you the delicious gist of it.

The first thing to do, when making this, is cut up pretty much 18 kinds of meats and cheese.

And throw them all into a large bowl.

After that, you mix in about a dozen eggs, and nestle it into already waiting pie crusts.

The pie crusts are pretty standard as far as recipes go, but the difference is that you grind pepper into the crust.

Don’t skip this step if you do it.

Next, you realize you’ve cut up far more meat and cheese than you need, so you hustle to make another pie crust.

Once you’ve finally found a home for all the filling, you tuck the pies into the oven at 350 degrees for about 1.5 hours.

After that, you let it cool, and then you dig in.

It’s a breakfast, lunch, or dinner approved food.

We made four with that giant bowl of meat & cheese, and my husband’s already taken down the first one by himself.

He’s proud of it.

Luckily for me, my mom gave me an extra to take to Michigan, so I’ll be enjoying it all Easter weekend.

There’s no holiday that can’t be made better with food, chickens.

And now I’m off to run errands, say Happy Easter to the teens, and get to the country. Have a wonderful Easter, chickadees!

crackerjack.

Morning, chickens.

And welcome to opening day, one of the best days of the year in sports.

Especially when you live less than a mile down the street from this:

While I accept that this might be yet another “rebuilding” year (i.e. I will pay good money to drink bad beer and watch my beloved team bite it), opening day is still an exciting and hopeful day in the life of a baseball team.

Everyone’s got a shot on opening day, chickadees.

Plus it means the party’s about to start in my neighborhood and last until September.

I’ll be sick of this by June, but for the moment, I’m ready to get to it.

Go Cubs!

Also up today, I’ve got some cross training on my plate. This week got thrown off a little bit by my sojourn to the suburbs and then the weekend trip I’m taking to Michigan, so I’ve got to get at least another two workouts in before I hop in the car and speed off to the country for the weekend.

I’m not looking forward to going back to an indoor workout this evening, but I see no other way.

Stairmaster, I’m coming for you.

You’ll probably take me down.

I’m cool with that.

It’s all in the name of progress.

And with that, I’m headed into work early to continue with the week’s catch up. Enjoy the sunshine, chickens!