Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are well aware of the Polar Vortex that hit the United States this week. It has been colder—way colder—for almost everybody, even those who live in the south. In Chicago? This week’s weather could only be described as “cray cray”, truly. On Monday we broke our old record when the thermometer basically hit -17 (and then jumped in its car to drive to Key West). The horrors of this kind of weather are, well, horrible. Here are some really awesome pictures of “Chicago Under Ice”, but as I wrote when I shared it on Facebook, it’s way cooler to look at than…
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I Do My Best Thinking In The Shower…
…which is why a post full of random thoughts I’ve had while waiting to board a plane in San Diego is bound to disappoint. Sorry. We had a great trip overall, with the exception of our luggage being MIA from the time we arrived in San Diego until 11:30 that night (1:30 a.m Chicago time, oy!) and after we dropped a couple hundred bucks on replacement toiletries and clothing, just in case. We returned that stuff when our luggage was delivered to us, except the toothbrushes, toothpaste, and Jim’s new jeans from the Gap because wowzers! A woman sitting across from me is hacking up a lung. She probably shouldn’t…
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Be Careful What You Wish For
I have a reputation for being organized (or at least making it look like I am!). I have a reputation for going above and beyond, and I have a reputation for being overly busy. I have a reputation for getting things done. Bear in mind I’m not typing those words with any bit of ego: if you know me, you get it. Every now and then someone will say to me (either verbally or via internet) something along the lines of “I wish I could be like you.” It happened again today, thanks to my dear, sweet friend from north of the border (The Illinois/Wisconsin border, that is). She typed…
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Or I Could Just Keep Buying Bread Like I’ve Done My Entire Life.
We own what I consider to be an average amount of small kitchen appliances. Wait. Better make that a slightly-above-average amount of small kitchen appliances, partly due to the following: 1. We were given one of those Cocomotion hot chocolate makers/mixers a few years ago (we don’t use it anymore but it’s cool so I keep it, you know, just in case). 2. When I purchased a large slow cooker a couple of years ago, I refused to get rid of the small one we already had (Great for entertaining!). 3. We have an electric fondue pot, which (I think) is probably uncommon in the average household, but very common…
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How To Survive (And Thrive!) During NaBloPoMo
Once again, National Blog Posting Month (also known as NaBloPoMo or, in my brain, NaBloPoMoFo) is upon us. Although you can technically participate in NaBloPoMo in any given month, November is traditionally the month during which “everybody does it”. (You can sign up on the BlogHer website and possibly win something, plus you’ll find lots of like-minded individuals and maybe some new bloggy buddies!) How does one participate in NaBloPoMo? One blogs every single day. For thirty days in November. That’s it. Sounds easy, right? Yes and no, depending on what else one has going on in one’s life and how badly one might be suffering from writer’s block at…
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What Goes Up Must Come Down. That’s What Scares Me.
I have a confession to make. I am terrified of skiing. I have been afraid of it for as long as I remember. In fact, I vaguely remember being invited by my uncle and cousins (avid skiers) to go along with them when I was a youngster, and the thought of it paralyzed me so I stayed home. It’s a weird fear to have, I admit it. It doesn’t seem anything like “I’m afraid of spiders” (I’m not) or “I’m afraid of zombies” (Uh, yep!): those are commonly expressed fears. NORMAL fears. I’ve always been afraid of heights, and even though I conquer that fear for about an hour each…
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Perhaps I Should’ve Bought Fewer Treats And More Tricks
Though I wouldn’t say my boys are total opposites because they share lots of the same fundamental characteristics, they do have many differences. Take, for example, the way they both reacted as college freshmen to receiving packages from me. D, who is now a senior (finishing up this December, one semester early…HOLLA!), did not like packages from home. If you can believe it, he actually found it embarrassing. I have never heard of such a thing. Here I was, sending all kinds of goodies–in quantities that he could share with his friends, too–and after being at school for less than a semester he asked me to stop sending packages. After…
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DIY Brain
I have a confession to make. Inappropriate thoughts have been taking over my brain and making it hard for me to focus. You see, I’m thinking about DIY home renovations again. IT WASN’T MY FAULT. I blame Jim. He took me to Home Depot over the weekend so we could procure the supplies we need to re-roof and re-paint our shed, which we built about ten years ago. It’s in dire need of repair. Unfortunately, in order to get to the roof shingles at Home Depot, you have to walk through pretty much every single other department. I started drooling. It’s been nearly a year since we spent any time…
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We’ll Be Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Blog Posts…Soon.
Probably tomorrow, in fact. Today though, I feel the need to bump the Skydeck Chicago post down since it was a lead-in to a giveaway that is now over (Congrats, Shannon!), yet I don’t feel like writing much of anything. I am in the middle of my pre-empty nester mini-crisis which involves quite possibly the most manic behavior I’ve ever personally experienced. Full disclosure: I’ve been on the verge of tears since last Wednesday or so and did the ugly cry off and on all day Thursday and Friday. Yesterday and today were better. While I’m emotional (understatement), I can totally function in public like usual because that’s how I…
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After The Conference That Shall Not Be Named
I couldn’t believe it this morning when I checked the date on my last post and realized it’s been nine days since I’ve blogged. I’ve never been “away” that long. (Remember when I used to post almost daily? hahahaha!) I plan to write a recap, like so many others, of my experience at “the conference that shall not be named”, but I need a little more time to gather thoughts and pictures for that. Right now I’m in the thick of my work–though you would think I would be back at normal levels of work because the conference is over, I’m actually just getting started. A big part of my…