In a seven days everything can change

Seven days ago it was 2008. Now it's 2009. (I know major epiphany.)

On Monday my friend had a beautiful baby girl. I can't wait to meet her. She looks just perfect.

Tuesday was very nice.

On Wednesday I moved into my new apartment in downtown Chicago.

At 11:30 p.m. (same day) Amanda (my new roomie) flew into town. I accidently assumed she was flying into the O'Hare airport, which is 10 minutes (with no traffic) from our new place. I forgot a little detail that Chicago is a big place and has two airports. I received a phone call from her at 11:32 p.m. announcing she was at the other one (30 minutes from our place with no traffic).

So, needless to say my new year's was spent on the interstates of Chicago driving like a crazy woman. Luckily, I had a good friend with me who volunteered to miss the Wicked (broadway musical hit) after party (he has a friend, who has a brother who is in it). I still have no idea why he chose to spend New Year's Eve 2008 with a girl who can't confirm locations, versus a Wicked party, but I am forever grateful. That was my Thursday.

We love our new place it's so cute and for the most part extremely safe. We have a police department and fire department five minutes from us and such nice neighbors, they even brought us wine as a house warming gift (Amanda was like, "Wow, we aren't in Rexburg anymore are we?).

On Friday, we were walking around our new hood. We went to the train station and were staring at a map figuring out the various lines and such when a man with the appearance of a bum and chewing a paper bag, walked up to us and said, "Can I help you ladies?" We said, "No thank you," very politely and walked away. FYI, don't go there at night without a bodyguard.

Saturday was great.

And today is Sunday.

Pretty much life has completely changed. New routes, new faces, new directions. I am loving 2009.

Good movie.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Very interesting. Saw it last night and have been thinking about it all day. 

Slightly sad. I cried. And I never cry in movies. Couldn't hold it in. 

Makes me went to read the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. 

And totally unrelated. I am so depressed that Christmas is over. I adore Christmas, everything about it. I will probably still listen to Christmas music way into January, just because. 

This is my new boyfriend

Psyche! But, this is Chuck Wicks, the country singer who is dating the very, very adorable, Dancing with the Stars, Julianne Hough. 

Somehow I  become friends with fabulous people who have fabulous connections and get fabulous back stages passes. Thanks Darrell and Kristen!

And while I'm on the subject. 

Did I ever mention I touched the PJs of the lead singer of the Plain White T's? Probably not. I was walking into Target to return something right before a Dashboard Confessionals concert at Allstate Arena in Chicago, when he was walking out. He's not the most attractive man on the planet, so I didn't turn my head as two semi-rockers passed me. The sales associate at the counter said to me, "Do you know who you just passed by?" I said, "No." And he said, "The lead singer and bass guitarist of the Plain White T's. The lead singer just returned this." And he holds up a pair of PJs. So, naturally I said, "Can I touch them?" And he said, "Yes." So I did.

Thanks Wally and Jim for the great tickets to Dashboard and Plain White T's.

Love fame.  

Love connections. 

(P.S. Not the most attractive picture of either me or Chuck. Please forgive us. )

My new and first non-mission/college apartment

So this is my new apartment. Would you like a tour? We (Amanda, BF from college, and Ruth, BF from high school) haven't moved in yet. December 31/January 1 is our move in date. But, we are way excited look how cute is.  The above picture is a view of our kitchen from the living room. The back door leads to a deck on the third floor that over looks part of the city. It's pretty. We're planning on having a BBQ sometime in the next few months (preferably when the blasted cold stops). You're totally invited. 

This is our living room. I love how many windows there are. And the wood floor.  

This is the master bedroom with a beautiful, large closet. The room is pretty big, but I could only get a partial picture of it. (That's how huge it is). Amanda and I will be sharing. Ruth has her own room which is slightly smaller.  

And this is the bathroom. It's one of the larger ones I've seen in the city. 

We found the place on Craig's List, which can be sketchy. But, we fell in love with it. (It has a washer and dryer and dishwasher.) And it was a good deal. The people we're renting from are the least sketchiest landlords I've met during my last month and a half of Chicago apartment hunting. They are just a nice little family that live in the suburbs and bought the place when they were young and first married. 

We live 20 minutes from the heart of downtown, and two train stops from O'Hare. So, if you ever have a layover in Chicago, call me, we'll do lunch. 

such a problem. cry me a river.

CNN reported this morning that NASA reported that icebergs are melting up in Anatarica and that the entire world should be concerned and worried about global warming. Blah, blah, blah. I'll show you global warming CNN. A whole six inches of it the evening of December 15th. The night of the Celine Dion concert that my sister and I have been dying to go to since 1995 when I got the cd Falling Into You for my birthday. Oh and did I mention, NASA, that because of the six inches of snow fallling in Chicago, it turned my 30 minute drive home from the office into a three hour miserable experience of 5 miles/hour when I wasn't in a parking lot of traffic, causing me and my sister to miss the afore mentioned Celine Dion concert. Oh, and one more thing, CNN and NASA. Have you looked at the weather reports during the past week and on to the next here in the U.S? Oh yes, that's right, it snowed in Houston, and other areas of the nation that never receive it. And did you know that because of global warming tomorrow we're supposed to have a huge ice storm in Chicago with snow continuing everyday until Christmas and that this might be the worst winter in decades. But, yes, global warming. Such a huge problem.

The working girl

I recently found this blog on a friend of a friends blog: http://work-girl.blogspot.com/

I'm a fan. What hooked me was:

1) the title Working-girl (that's what I am)
2) i love how all names are in code (reminded me of Nanny Diaries, great book/movie)
3) the second and third post currently up right now are about on Working Girl 2 moving to Chicago (hence I'm immediatley a fan, I even left her a post to congratulate her and give her a few tips)
4) It's filled with pop culture, discusses celebrities and clothes. What's not to love.

Why I paid $27 to see Four Christmases

Um...so tonight I saw Four Christmases (love Reese) with my friend, Gretch for $27. Each. Yes that's right.

About five minutes from where I work they opened this posh, upscale, completely pretentious (Gretch's word) movie theater, Gold Class Cinemas. There's only handful of them worldwide in locations like Greece, Singapore and Australia. And now one smack dab in good 'ole Chicago.

'Kay, so here's the drill for why it is so outrageously priced to see a movie: You walk in and a very refined, upscale movie ticketer person is waiting for you behind a marble counter. To the right of you is a roaring fire with lot's of comfortable looking, soft chairs. To the left of you is a huge, fancy looking bar with lot's of expensive looking drinks.

The movie ticketer person pulls out a seating chart of the specific theater for the movie that you are seeing. She says pointing to a specific location on the chart, "The computer suggests that this seat would be the best area for you in the theater." So, you take it. The computer says it's the best. Who are you to argue with the computer?

Then the movie ticketer person says, "That will be $27." You gasp internally, because you didn't expect it to be so much, but, you don't want to look cheap in such a pretentious environment, so you pull out your Visa card.

The movie ticketer person takes your card and says, "Because you are using your Visa card you will be receiving champagne and chocolates on the house." You (I) quickly ask, "Can we exchange the champagne for two diet cokes. She suppresses a smile and says, "I will check with the bartender. I'm sure it will be fine." She then escorts you to your theater and to your exact seat that the computer picked just for you.

Your chair (not seat, chair) is an oversized, velvet, Lazy Boy recliner with a table right next to you. Immediately a waiter comes with your diet cokes and a piece of chocolate that is wrapped in a little gold box. He hands you a menu that is complete with a list of wines and extraordinarily priced food. He then asks if you would like a blanket. He brings you a nice soft, cozy one.

After he leaves you and your friend turn to each other and say, "Let's split something."

Then you recline back in your oh-so-soft seat, sip your diet coke, nibble at your chocolate and completely enjoy your movie, because you know you won't be doing this again in quite a while, if ever.

And if you were Gretch and I, as soon as you leave the theater, still a little hungry, you turn to each other once again and ask, "You up for McDonald's?"