you’re in all my best stories.

Happy Thursday, chickadees!

We’re almost to the end of this long week, and I’ve got more plans for hitting the yoga mat.

It makes things almost tolerable.

This isn’t a day to talk about me, though.

Today, you guys, is my bff’s birthday.

J(D)C and I have been friends since we were 18, and I was annoying and needy in a college dorm, and she came to my rescue.

I had no Halloween costume, and no friends, really, and she was nice enough to help me with both of those problems.

She’s been coming to my rescue ever since, chickens.

JC and I have been roommates, travel companions, partners in crime, and generally soul sisters for over a decade.

She’s in every story I have that’s even worth telling.

 

This is maybe one of my all time favorite photos of us.

It looks like maybe I’m helping her for once.

So on this beautiful day, I’m planning on celebrating the universe for throwing us together. JC, thanks for making me laugh, letting me stick to you like glue, and keeping me out of traffic all these years.

There’s no one better than you, bestie.

Here’s to so many more decades of questionable decisions and exciting adventures.

Enjoy this one, chickens!

 

 

there is much progress to report

Morning, chickens!

I’m so happy to report that the sun is shining brightly on this February morning.

The sun makes everything a little easier, I think.

Yesterday was a lovely, lovely day. I went out for some Thai food with my work pals, had dinner with JW at Paris Club, where I had gimlets, oysters, duck, and pot de creme, all of which make up one of the most delicious meals I’ve had in a long time, and finished off the night relaxing and watching the State of the Union and drinking tea.

I like to end a day of celebration with a little political rhetoric.

Perhaps because of my advancing age (or my pair of vodka drinks), I fell asleep in the middle of it, but woke up to the sound of Obama calling for a fair deal for Americans by way of a higher minimum wage.

It was all very reminiscent of T. Roosevelt’s square deal concept, which of course means I approved.

Up today: hitting the commute, finally starting Gone Girl, trying to figure out what to do with the contents of my fridge that doesn’t include throwing it all out and ordering out, and returning to kettlebells after a two-week hiatus.

That last part could potentially end badly.

But then, I always like a challenge.

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

 

 

oh darling, let’s be adventurers.

Hi there chickens!

And welcome to another full day of this particular trip around the sun.

The first day of my 29th year.

Well, that happened fast.

It seems like just yesterday I was spending time doing things like this:

 

Please note the turkey leg in one hand, and the pen in the other.

I was born a multi-tasker.

This year has been another beautiful one: 28 brought me so many chances to laugh, cry, and move in new directions, and I hope that 29 shows up with the same adventuring spirit.

So here’s to one last year of my 20s: I’ll be filling it up with everything I can, because I’d like to head into my 30s with a full agenda and a satisfied decade at my back.

My pal CJ posted a few pictures from our feels-so-long-ago trip to beautiful Montana to see our friend JK get married, and one in particular has re-become my favorite. CJ and I had been hiking Glacier State with no water and ridiculous backpacks, because we’re city mice, but that didn’t make it one iota less breathtaking.

 

I’m looking at this next year as a mountain to climb- I’ve got places to see, chickadees, and the view will be amazing the whole way up.

Enjoy this one, chicks!

five good things: kiss me like you want to be loved edition

You guys, this weekend was exactly what I  needed.

And since I have been in a sort-of-grouchy funk prior to this fun little weekend, I’m starting this week by laying it out there.

Five.Good.Things: the almost-to-the-next-thing edition.

This one will be easy.

1. Friday night, before calling it an early night, I headed out for drinks with friends.

You guys, I’m so lucky to have plenty of things in my life: JW, a family, a roof over my head, the use of my arms and legs.

My friends, chickadee, are right in the top tier of this gratefulness party.

2. Saturday, I got to celebrate KD’s birthday for a hot second, before heading home to a pizza party full of laughing, eating, and wine.

So much fun that I maybe didn’t get a chance to take a picture of all the beautiful people who hugged me and spent the night being all together.

But chickens, a room full of pals singing happy birthday is a sure way to feel loved all over.

3. In between too many glasses of wine, JD and I went to yoga.

Twice. In 48 hours.

I think I’m hung over, she whispered to me as I fell on my mat.

I nodded.

The ever-so-bendy in between us made a face and lectured us on detoxifying for the rest of the class.

I think it’s all about balance, chicks.

That and headstands.
4. This weekend, finally, after six months of using a phone that doesn’t receive text messages and moves at a snail’s pace, I went out and bought myself a shiny new iPhone for my birthday.

My dad let me out at the corner so I could run in and get started, and in my haste, I dropped my old phone in the middle of North Avenue, where it broke into two pieces but still managed to stay on.

This new phone is life changing you guys.

And now I’m gonna know if you’re ignoring me.
5. Last night, I spent the evening at my family’s house in the burbs, eating macaroni & meatballs, homemade lemon-chocolate beignets, and watching the Grammy’s.

It’s been a beautiful couple of day, chickadees.

And now, I’m off to hurry out of here before I start the work late.

Enjoy this one, everyone.

 

hey soul sister, I don’t wanna miss a single thing

Oh hi there, chickadees!

Aren’t we glad we’ve safely glided into the weekend?

Me too.

This morning, JD and I hit up hot yoga, bagels, and Costco, where I purchased everything I need for tonight’s pizza party.

In bulk.

Because why wouldn’t we spend our morning hanging out at a grocery store warehouse?

Luckily, JD and I have always been able to have a good time, no matter where we happen to be.

Aside from having 30 of my closest pals over tonight, today is also an excellent day because it’s this (not-so) little girl’s birthday:

KD turns fourteen whole years old today, which means that I’ve officially known her for more than half of her life. She’s basically all the things at fourteen that I wish I had been, which includes being smart, determined, friendly, athletic, sensitive, and still willing to be my pal, even though she’s a teenager.

Even though once when she was six, I was maybe watching her when she fell off the monkey bars and broke her arm.

I’m still sorry about that one, bambina.

KD’s my role model.

I know that I can’t sing the praises of my teenage buddies and their little brother enough, but chickens, when you’re lucky enough to have people like this in your life, you’ve gotta talk about it whenever you can.

So Happy Birthday little lady, I’m so glad I’ve been in your life so long- you’ve kept me smiling every step of the way. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Enjoy that sunshine, chickadees, today’s gonna be a good one.

 

 

winds rolled right in.

Welcome aboard, chickens.

I hope everyone on the blessed East Coast stayed dry and safe last night.

I spent most of the evening looking at pictures of subways flooding and lights out in New York City, and it was surely an eerie, frightening scene in one of my favorite cities.

Luckily, it looks like all of my favorite New Englanders did okay in the storm, and I hope that all of you and your loved ones fared the same.

Here in the Second City, Sandy’s affect is huge winds and a big fat advisory to stay off the Lakeshore Path until this all settles down.

source

If this crazy, gigantic storm doesn’t convince you that climate change is a thing, then I’m out of arguments for you.

Also, I think you’re crazy in this scenario.

In addition to focusing on storm coverage last night, Ky came over to celebrate her birthday. Since we had already spent basically the entirety of the weekend celebrating, we decided to go the all-vegetable route.

Ky had a bunch of vegetables from the market that had just about had it, so we sauteed mushrooms, onions, green beans, spinach, onions, garlic and tofu and ate that until we felt like almost normally functioning people.

Sometimes you can’t eat any more tater tots, chickadees.

Especially when it turns out they don’t play nice with your arthritis.

Don’t worry joints, I’ll be serving up roughage all week to make up for it.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it (does anybody have it, today), chickens!

reggae and overcelebration.

Good morning, chickens.

And Happy MLK Jr. day!

Unfortunately, I’ll be spending much of the day in a cubicle, since my company insists on keeping us hostage from January to Memorial Day without any holidays in between.

Nothing like driving home the point that winter is really a bummer.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a lovely Monday, regardless of where you’re headed.

This weekend we celebrated my brother’s birthday on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

By Sunday, it was nap time. Keeping up with a 21-year-old when you can barely remember 21 is tough work.

We ended the night on Saturday dancing at a seemingly-Irish bar which turned out to be having reggae night.

However, I cannot complain, as our party tore up the dance floor until far past my normal bed time.

Yesterday I literally took two naps, which I believe is more than the past five years combined.

Like I said, hard work.

Also yesterday, I spent some time with my godson, watched the Giants win (take that, Packers!), and played a late night soccer game.

I think I would have preferred another nap.

And now, here it is, Monday again.

It’s also my mom’s birthday (lots of winter time celebrations in this family), so we’ll be hitting the suburbs to celebrate tonight.

I might need another nap today, chicks.

Wish me luck.

kb march.

Yesterday I was on the lookout for a new kettlebell for my brother.

It was his birthday this week, and I thought that since he’s on a fitness kick, it would be a great gift.

I dreamt of a world in which all Palluzzis loved bells at much as I did.

My initial plan was to go to Target after work to procure said gift, but I was in Marshall’s on my lunch break and spotted a beautiful 20 lb. bell.

So I hauled it up to the cash register and bought it.

And then I lugged it a couple blocks back to my office.

My arms hurt by the time I got it to my cubicle, and I shared my purchase with my pal JK, who asked me how I thought I was going to get it home.

Good question.

At quitting time, I put it in a reusable grocery bag and tested the straps. It didn’t seem to be in any danger of breaking, so I walked out of the building with it, struggling only slightly.

By the time I got to the red line, I was huffing and puffing, and my biceps were cringing.

But I had made it, I thought triumphantly.

It was then that I noted that there were about, oh, ten emergency vehicles surrounding the el stop.

Great.

Being a true Chicagoan, I did not let this deter me, but instead marched down the stairs, where I figured I’d get some information.

The station was smoky, and there were a million firefighters loitering around.

Not a CTA employee to be found, but that was no surprise.

What I finally got from some obvious eavesdropping was that there had been an electrical fire on the el tracks. The fire was out (not to worry) but it could be awhile until the trains were moving.

I looked around at the tunnel full of angry commuters, and sighed.

Then I took up my bell in my arms like it was a child, and marched back up the stairs.

And trekked close to two-thirds of a mile to the Brown line.

It was icy and dark, and I was moving pretty slowly, which is my number one walking pet peeve.

But the kettlebell felt increasingly heavy in my arms, and I couldn’t schlep much faster.

Plus, it was throwing me off balance.

A good reminder that an extra 20 lbs. would render me immobile.

I finally made it to the Merchandise Mart stop right as I was considering just laying down in the snow and succumbing to hypothermia.

Yes, I was feeling dramatic.

Then I mounted the three flights of steps and wondered what would happen if I tripped. I sensed that the weight of the bell would propel me backwards to my certain death.

I climbed even slower.

By the time I got home, it felt like I had been to an hour long kettlebell class that focused solely on my damn biceps.

Youch.

The things I do for a good birthday gift.

Bells this morning was, understandably, rough, and even Gene looked at me with alarm when I told him my story.

Next time, I’m sticking to Target chickens.

And that’s all there is to it.

winter wonderland.

Good morning chickens!

And happy first (real) snow of the year.

Or unhappy, I suspect, if it’s affecting your commute.

Last night I headed out to River Forest, where we hung out at Molly Malone’s, eating pub food, drinking to celebrate my brother’s birthday, and listening to really cool Irish music.

Also, there’s a fireplace.

So it might be my new favorite spot in the suburbs.

Anyway, after walking (a mere two to three blocks, but still, it was cold and snowing in my face) back to my parents’ house, I realized:

a) my brother driving me back seemed like a poor solution. Everyone drives like an idiot during the first snow, and also, he had two birthday drinks, and no needs a DUI on their 21st birthday (or really, ever. Take a cab. That is all).

b) I was not about to embark upon an hour long, two-el-line encompassing ride home.

I will do a lot of things in the name of being an urbanite, but that is not one of them.

So I stayed in the suburbs for the night, and will now trek into the city for work, suburbanite-style.

Wish me luck (although to be clear, I’m not even in the type of suburb that requires a Metra train, so I’m not sure this even counts as real suburban commuting).

Also, I was treated to a lovely site as I woke to the snow this morning outside of the city limits:

Have a lovely Friday, chickens, and don’t forget your snow boots- so glad that the weekend’s heading our way!

happy birthday to you

Ok, so I haven’t been outside yet, but it looks like, due to the storm, the weather maybe sort of broke.

I hope when I walk outside it’s not 1000 degrees, is all.

Today is a big day in our house, since JW has decided to finally join me at the age of 27.

So far he doesn’t really look any older, but I’ll be watching closely.

Welcome to it, JW. Let me know if I can make it more comfortable here in your late 20s.

Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we pack, and Friday we’re off to CT, so big things happening around here this week.

I’m ready to take this birthday train all the way to the East Coast.

Happy birthday, I love you!