Yesterday I drove to the north side of the city for a lunch meeting with my “City Half”, Margaret. I am always energized after I meet Margaret for lunch, and I don’t think that’s the Gino’s East deep dish pizza that has become our lunch of choice doing the talking. In fact, the effect that so much fat and carbs in one meal would have on the average person technically means that I should be feeling extremely sluggish and lazy after indulging, so the fact that I feel ready to set the world on fire really speaks to the power of our not-often-enough ninety-minute meet-ups. Anyway. I call our lunches…
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The Power Of Positive Thinking
Yesterday I drove to the Dailey Method studio to take class and as I got out of the car I put my gloves on and secured my hat and scarf to make sure I was protected from the sub-zero temperatures. I squeezed my keys in my right hand a couple of times—a habit that has kept me from locking myself out of my car for as long as I can remember—and then quickly shoved them into the pocket of my jacket as I walked. I heard something fall to the sidewalk and realized that the keyring that has an easy release, the one that makes it easy for me to…
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I Found THE Dress.
I am a little giddy right now because yesterday I found the dress that—I am 99% sure—I will be wearing on Sunday, May 4 to Chicago’s third annual LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show*. That’s more than three months ahead, folks. Shouldn’t I get some kind of award for that?? Let me acknowledge, for those who are new here, that I have a storied history when it comes to finding outfits for specific occasions. Now let me acknowledge something else: that’s a giant understatement. I have a couple of things working against me, right out of the gate: 1. I don’t much like shopping, which means that if I’m on a…
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“Young Frankenstein” At Drury Lane: Herr Doktor Is In!
I received two complimentary tickets to Drury Lane’s production of “Young Frankenstein” and although I wasn’t required to write about it, I know the folks there appreciate that I did! Pictures furnished by Drury Lane; all words and opinions are mine. It’s very hard for me to believe that “Young Frankenstein”, the movie written by (and starring) Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks, is forty years old this year. The movie is a classic, and still just as relevant and funny now in the 21st century as it was back in the day. I remember seeing the movie for the first time as a teenager back in the 80’s when my…
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Grade School Actress
Here’s something you likely didn’t know about me: I was once an actress. That’s right, from first grade through third grade, I spent a lot of time on the stage at Dogwood School* in Park Forest, Illinois. Well, it wasn’t actually a stage. The school didn’t have a stage. Instead, we used one end of the gym. Anyway, I played parts like one of the Native Americans in a Thanksgiving play, Betsy Ross, and my favorite, Earth. As in, the entire planet. I was the whole world. The play, produced when I was in first grade, was called “A Family in Space”. I found the actual script last night when…
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Hakuna Matata Means “No Worries As Long As You Get Those Old VHS Tapes Transferred To Digital Files”.
Jim and I have hours and hours (and hours) (and hours) of VHS tape recordings of the boys from the time D was born until J was about four. That’s about when our old video camera, which was about the size of the ones they use for reporters in the field these days, conked out. We never replaced it. The first two or three tapes are full of coverage that consists only of newborn D just laying there while I talk to him: really exciting stuff. The last time we had a VCR and I was able to watch, about five years ago, I found it extremely obnoxious and annoying…
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And, Exhale.
It’s amazing how, sometimes, things just fall into place. The last couple of months have been extremely stressful for D as he has worried about finding a job or two—any job—right out of college so he could continue living in the Wisconsin house with his friends until their lease ends on May 31. Things hit a fever pitch after Christmas because the time clock was ticking down to zero on his ability to stay in the house: we paid his rent through the end of January and he needed to either fish or cut bait. The uncertainty was troublesome, to say the least. He was applying for jobs both in…
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Eat Clean, Eat Simple With Good Food Made Simple!
This is a sponsored post about the “Eat Clean, Eat Simple” campaign from Good Food Made Simple and in conjunction with The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. I have written a few times over the past couple of years about how, although I adore food and it’s much easier to just eat whatever I want without thinking about it, it’s becoming more and more important that I pay attention, not only for me, but for Jim and the boys. It’s not that I don’t have good intentions, but it’s difficult to take the time—and it does take time—to think about maintaining proper eating habits. One thing I have going…
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Just A Moment.
Do you ever wonder why some childhood moments stick with us forever? One that keeps randomly popping up in my head is from way, way back, when we looked like this. (The picture could be a year off, but you get the idea.) We had just brought our first puppy home, a black and silver dappled miniature dachshund named, well, Dapple. She could fit in the palm of my Dad’s hand, which added to her cuteness factor and our excitement over her arrival. I might be wrong on this (and if I am I’m sure my mom will correct me in comments), but I think that my parents put a…
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Blue Man Groupie
Let me just get this out of the way: I have seen Blue Man Group Chicago more times than any other show in my life. Jim and I have been in the audience so many times that I honestly cannot remember how many times that has been anymore. To say that we love the show would be a vast understatement. Now that you know that little bit of trivia, it should be no surprise to you that when the Marketing Manager for Blue Man Group Chicago contacted me to ask whether I would be interested in some free tickets in exchange for a blog post about the show, I wasted…