short week to a good time.

Morning, chickadees.

Waking up this morning, it seemed crazy that it could already be Monday morning again, but then, here we are.

I spent most of the weekend finally kicking a cold that I’ve been hanging onto since Thanksgiving, and then also, celebrating birthdays and watching football and cooking things and leading a semi-normal, less crowded life.

And now I’m ready for another over-scheduled, slightly-hectic week in which I have several exciting lunch dates, too many meetings, and one day less than usual.

Because when I hit Friday this week, my pal JD and I are taking off to New York City for the weekend, with no particular plan in place.

Which is, I think, the best way to arrive in the big city during the holiday season.

My family and I used to head there every Christmas to watch the Rockettes, see the tree, and just generally walk around enjoying the lights, but it’s been years now, as my cousin Lillian reminded me this summer.

We were looking at a picture of us all at Rockefeller Center, and I pointed out all the 10+ years ago photos to Lily.

“Where am I?” she asked, deadly serious.

I chuckled, and explained to her that she wasn’t born yet.

“Well I wish I had been there. Someone should have invited me,” she scolded me.

I admit, it would have been more fun if she was there.

In any case, I’m looking forward to the East Coast during Christmas, and so with that in mind, I’ll be keeping my eye on the prize this week.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it, chickens (because we certainly do not here).

 

early mornings and big days.

Chickens, I confess that yesterday was a really lazy day in my household.

As in, I didn’t leave my apartment.

Things I did instead:

Watched the Bears’ game, which, guys, I’m really glad we won, but oh man we did not deserve it one bit.

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Thanks again, Robbie, for saving the game (AGAIN).

In honor of playing the Carolina Panthers (who almost won the game, let us all remember), we made pulled pork, fried chicken, and mashed potatoes that we may or may not have added an entire block of cheddar cheese to before serving.

This was much more satisfying than the 60 minutes of football I watched.

Post-football, I spent the afternoon lounging around, thumbing through cookbooks and old Bon Appetit magazines, and watching this Halloween classic:

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Hocus Pocus is hands down the best holiday movie to come out of the 90s.

I can’t get enough of a movie that includes a talking cat, Bette Midler, and ridiculous 1990s slang such as “tubular.”

How can you resist that?

I can’t either.

In other news, this morning I have already been more productive than the entirety of yesterday, running 3 miles in the cold (but not cold enough for all the layers I had on, I realized as I sweated profusely through the last mile), making breakfast, and getting ready to head to work.

Tonight: eating the last of the Farmers’ Market vegetable haul with Ky, who turns 28 today! Ky’s been my pal since I was 11, which means she’s the real deal. I hope this is the most fun year yet, and the witchiest. Thanks for being my partner in crime!

reading up and bearing down.

Morning, chicks!

And Happy Bears Day!

Or whatever team it is you cheer for.

Last night we went out, sans costumes, to celebrate Ky’s birthday.

It was serious fun.

 

Our plan was to feed the jukebox all our money and listen to our playlist for as long as we liked.

Except that some country music-loving patrons managed to step ahead of us and commandeer most of our awesome choices.

Luckily, Nicky Minaj still managed to make an appearance.

Otherwise, what kind of birthday party would it have been, really?

*****

Up this morning: a pledge to take.it.easy for awhile, pulled pork bbq & fried chicken (in honor of the Bears’ opponent, the Carolina Panthers), and reading newspaper endorsements of President Obama.

Here’s the one that’s obviously closest to my heart (and my apartment, too), but I did enjoy The New York Times’ article just as well. My baby sister’s city also likes Obama for President.

And of course, an endorsement from my home state always makes me proud.

Listen, the election’s almost here, and I need sensible words from major newspapers to make me feel better about people who think that that pregnancy resulting from rape is a gift from God and also insist on making life miserable for new parents, just because they happen to be gay.

Hang with me chickadees, the end is in sight.

Until then, I have some more reading to do.

 

 

 

 

not up for debate.

Ok, chickadees, I admit that I haven’t watched the debate yet, so I’ll hold my comments on that.

Probably not for long, though.

Nothing like listening to a debate from your desk- it makes me feel like I’m living in the 1940s, and I kind of like that.

You know, except for the ear buds and the computer the sound’s coming out of, I guess.

I’m not ruining this for myself yet.

In tandem with this election cycle, I’ve been reading a book about Winston Churchill and his lifetime relations with America.

We’re just getting to the good part (where the Allies win the war), and I must say, it’s giving me an extra shot of patriotism/political thirst during these last two weeks before things go down.

I know I’m a strange on chickens, but hang with me, if you can.

I do appreciate it.

In other news of things I did watch: the Bears, despite nearly losing Jay Cutler to a kung fu move by Suh (who for the record, is my nemesis. That guy wants one thing, and it’s to hurt other guys. Shudder), taking it home against Detroit.

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Legal, maybe.

That doesn’t get him off my nemesis list.

Stay dry out there, chickens, and enjoy this one.

bear down and chin up.

Ok, chickadees, we’ve hit the start of another week, and I will admit, I am in a very upbeat mood for a Monday morning.

This could be because I started the day with a run through the sun-is-not-quite-up neighborhood.

Somehow dodging garbage trucks and hitting the pavement really does it for me.

I won’t try to explain myself.

I’m a city girl- what can I say?

However, just because I prefer sidewalks and public transportation does not mean I can’t appreciate the beauty of this time of the year on the outside.

And thus, I present you with my hipster-y-est pictures from the weekend past.

 

It was, as you can see, another lovely weekend in the Second City, which included hay stacks, long walks, bike rides, cooking, and all my pals.

Up tonight to round things out: the last presidential debate, which I’ll be watching late this night/early this morning, because although my love of politics and sports is neck-and-neck, it seems more prudent to take in the Bears game live.

Also, I’ve been promised chili, cornbread, and good company.

Mr. President, I promise all my cheers to win the game include you right in there.

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Enjoy this one, chickens. I know I will.

 

could have been worse.

Good morning, chickadees.

It’s a gray, cold-ish morning over here in the Second City (I guess we have it coming, what with it nearly being mid-October), and unfortunately, I have to pick my cold-medicated self up and drag it downtown to my cube.

I’m planning on running exclusively off of grapefruit juice, green tea, and vitamin C supplements today.

That should do it, right?

Last night, after finishing up some work, eating dinner with JW (and deciding that against all my instincts, I’m just not sure about spaghetti squash- I don’t love it, chickens), and sniffling for about an hour, I decided to head to hot yoga.

I thought maybe the heat would kill my cold, and maybe the poses would stretch out my under used limbs.

It sounded like a good idea at the time.

And I still maintain that it wasn’t my worst- but alas, Vinyasa with a cold after skipping class for a month?

I’ve never been so happy for Shavasana pose to come so I could hang out flat on my back for an extended period of time.

Better luck next time, is what I have to say to that. I came home to the end of a football game and the end of a bottle of Nyquil, which put me right to sleep, but managed to dry out my throat to the point of nearly losing it.

You win some, you lose some, pals.

It’s too early for me to call this one yet, so I won’t.

Enjoy the sunshine if you’ve got it, chicks, and send it my way if you don’t mind.

 

 

five good things: shake it out edition

Morning, chickens. After a fairly successful Monday, I’m feeling ready to head into the rest of the week, and I’m feeling like I should outline it with five.good.things.

Check it, chicks:

1. The Bears won last night on Monday Night Football. I was at book-club-turned-football-watching, and I managed to restrain myself to one couch leaping situation.

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I want to know how you expect me to restrain myself in a game where our defense managed five interceptions and Jay Cutler did.not.even.throw.one.

Bear down, Chicago.

2. This is a short week for me. Which makes the fact that it’s Tuesday very easy to swallow. Take that, five day work week.

3. My grandparents are headed into town on Wednesday, which means a five day visit from my East Coast contingent. They haven’t been out to the Windy City in awhile, so I’ve got some touristy things on my list.

Also, my grandmother has informed me that her new drink is the cosmopolitan.

I’ve got my marching orders.

4. I tried not to like this song, but as K pointed out last night at book club as someone ridiculed me, “Have you listened to it three times in a row? Try not liking it then.” Good point.

5. Speaking of book club, last night, instead of talking about the book we were supposed to read, we talked about the following items: books we want to read, Rex Ryan and his response to his foot fetish, whether or not you should find out the sex of your child before it’s born, which world religion is the weirdest, boys, running, the Marathon, and brunch.

These girls are my jam (+Ky, who I think Cait and Jen are yelling at in this one):

And with that chickadees, I’m out the door on this one- enjoy your day!

You’re the pride and joy of Illinois

Happy Sunday, chickens!

Yesterday was an extraordinarily productive day, and I’m just about ready to place my belongings in a suitcase and take off for sunny California for a few days and then head to Orlando on Wednesday.

I may have a spreadsheet detailing my outfit options.

This is a long trip, pals. I can’t trust myself to pull together an undocumented ensemble.

In any case, I’m one nail appointment from being socially presentable, and then I can focus on what’s really important about today.

Which is that it’s the Bears’ opening game of the season.

 

There is nothing more beautiful about the fall (in my opinion, anyway), then the fresh start to a long season of football.

I have been known to get a little overly enthusiastic about a football game- generally I spend the duration of it jumping up and down, yelling things like “Run, you beautiful man!” and “Hester Hester HESTER!” while making wild arm movements.

Sometimes I black out due to excitement and find myself on top of the couch without really remembering how I managed to get up there.

I’m dedicated to the spirit of the game, chickadees.

And I’ll certainly be one happy lady today starting at around noon.

Bear down, Chicago- it’s almost kickoff time.

The question is: what do we believe?

Ok, chickadees.

So I know not everyone likes when I take a political tilt here.

I get it- I’m more in demand when I’m making you laugh.

But over the next couple of months, it just might creep in here now and again.

Can’t help it.

Don’t want to, actually.

In any case, in my political mini-segment of the day, I’d like to tell you that among the many highlights of my DNC watching, Deval Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts, was my absolute favorite.

He’s smart, well-spoken, and he made me clap in my living room.

While JW just shook his head at me silently.

I love clapping.

So, in case you missed it, or in case you’re interested, check it out. This guy is gonna be someone, chickens.

You heard it here first.

In other news, aside from my obsessive Twitter-following of the convention over the next few days, I’m gearing up for football season.

There is nothing I love more than football.

Except maybe my family.

Probably some other stuff too.

But I like it a lot, chicks.

And I’m ready to gear up and bear down.

I love you, Hester (and the rest of you guys, too).

Who needs summer anyway? I’m thinking.

Remind me I said that in December.

Enjoy this one, everyone.

 

starting the week on high.

Ok, chickens, it’s Monday again.

But it’s also a pretty good Monday, since I watched the Giants win it last night in the Superbowl.

I love sports. And if the Bears can’t be there (why, Bears, why can’t you pull it together?), my second choice are the G-men.

It was an East Coaster’s delight to watch NE and NY go head to head last night, and it was a good game, so I’m content to start the week on that note.

Also, I made burrito bowls for the second year in a row, and there is nothing wrong with a giant bowl of meat, cheese, and salsa for dinner.

Except that I forgot to take a picture of it, because I was too busy digging right in.

Sorry about that one.

In terms of the halftime show, I was at points both impressed and horrified (i.e. the former when Madonna sang “Like a Prayer” and the latter when Madonna did a cartwheel), and I laughed at several commercials (I love Doritos commercials. Can’t help it. Also love Elton John and Pepsi).

Post game, I sent everyone home, burrowed into my couch, and watched Downton Abbey.

There’s nothing like living in central time, my friends.

And with that, I’m off to spend the day in my cubicle and the evening working on my training plan- it officially started yesterday.

With a rest day.

Think what you will about that one.