Hello Chicago (tomorrow...).

So, I'm headed back to Chicago tomorrow. I think I might pack soon...

my momma has been so fabulous as to help me pay for a hotel room this weekend... I would love to stay with kg but I think this will be better for everyone involved.

Tonight after cycle class I confessed to my friends that I had a thing for Mr. Arms ... I guess they'll probably manage to get the word out to him. there are things that could be worse... like having your skirt tucked up in your underwear.

oh yes! my haircut was a hit. I received many compliments on it - I am a beautiful human being.

maybe I should think about going to bed sometime soon...

New Favorite Artist...

This is my friend Chris Lin's work.. It's made out of cardboard etc... there's also background music that goes with it.

He sent me some more pictures - I'll post them later because it takes a long time in dial up world.

Okay, now for Chicago. I had a really good time and I miss my friends a lot. Not enough to make me want to move back but you know...

I got to see most of the people I wanted to, I bought some art (Deb Sokolow's zines), some of my favorite coffee... some new clothes... what more could a girl ask for???

Also, when I was waiting in the airport in Chicago I realized I was sitting across from Jason, the guy I had coffee with over the summer... on the plane I anonymously bought him one of my favorite beers (Alaskan Amber)... He caught up with me at baggage claim to say thank you...

I've decided that I like doing nice things for people... at O'hare I gave some guy my CTA pass which was good through Thursday... I gave some guy on the street four dollars... (I do not like to give my money away...).. it feels good to do nice things for people

Okay, it's time for me to get ready for work... talk to you all later.

I am not ready.

I have to leave in a little less than four hours and I'm not really ready.

I can't find the card reader for my digital camera... I can't find the cord either for that manner...

I stayed late last night to get some filing done... I had sent out an email to the secretaries I work for to let them know and one of them said something regarding how I hadn't gotten to hers for a while. It's not like I'm slacking - there's just too much to do sometimes. I felt bad so I stayed...

It's supposed to be 74 degrees in Chicago today so I'm psyched. Yay.

Maybe the Windy city will inspire me... maybe I'll sit next to my future husband on the plane... maybe I'll get lucky... we can only hope.

I'll try to update you all from Chicago but I can't guarantee anything.

See you all later.

Is it over yet?

I have survived my birthday.... I met some of my friends after work for happy hour at Palomino. It was fun but no boys showed up.... I've got to get me some single boy type friends.

I did take pictures but I can't track down the cord for my camera to get them off my camera... I promise some day I will get it all put together.

I did have a good time seeing all my friends.

Today I have to get my filing into shape before I leave so people can find things while I'm gone. I am being taken out to lunch to Oceanaire for my birthday today... Tomorrow it's off to Chicago.

I think it might be strange to actually be in Chicago and have money while I'm there. The first time I went to visit the school I had money but I didn't know anyplace to go or how to get there... I didn't even ride the el the first time I went. How lame is that?

Do you know what they do have in Chicago??? H&M - my favorite cheap store. It's like the Ikea of clothing... I hope I don't run out of time before I run out of things I want to do.

Good things about Saturday.

I could sleep in if I wanted to.

I get to see my friends at WW.

I get to wash dishes.

Tonight if I can stay up past 9pm I may try to do something - what exactly that is I don't know.

Yesterday I got a paycheck. I mean a real paycheck... it's strange having money. I looked at a lot of shoes yesterday, but didn't purchase any. I need to save.

I saw on the news last night that the credit card debt is almost at a trillion dollars (or was it a billion?). I only have 1500.00 so I consider myself lucky.... I think I'm doing alright.

PJ called last night. He's happy that I'm coming to visit. I'm happy too. I think I might act like a tourist while I'm there (Chicago). He conferred with a few people and we are going to have a party while I'm there. Now I have something more to look forward to.

I have to weigh in this morning... I don't think the news is going to be any different. Maybe I should pay for the meeting then I will get back on track.

Okay, now I'm just rambling... did you hear that jlo named her babies Max and Emme? That's kind of cute... just like me!

Brrr....

It's 40 degrees outside and I'm not looking forward to bundling up to go outside. I don't have my wool coat yet. Luckily I have my under armour cold gear that I can wear (and my boots that are warm on the inside)..

I got word that I will be able to have a show in Chicago in September. That should give me enough time to get things in order (money, work etc...).

I did go to see Dan in Real Life yesterday - I liked it better than Wristcutters because it was straightforward. Not that wristcutters was bad mind you. But who doesn't like a romantic comedy?

I've said it before and I'll say it again...

my body is killing me. That slip and slide wrecked me. As usual it's the left hip and right shoulder... it's gotten to the point where it's waking me up at night. I also made a mistake and my chiropractic appointment isn't until tomorrow.

Sooo... on the dating front, I responded to some of my emails on the new site. I seem to attract very old men.. which is not necessarily a bad thing but... these are creepy old men. There was an average sort of fella who works on transmissions in Bellevue... maybe I should email him back. The problem is I don't know how to date... I'm pathetic in that sense.

Last night as I was channel surfing I came across the show on TLC called Big Medicine - it's about weight loss surgery. They were talking about a patient of theirs who looked terrific but still thought of herself as a buddy with guys because that's what she had always been. Now, when she was rejected she didn't have the weight to blame it on anymore and dating was becoming an issue. I hope that made sense as I explained it... to get to my point (and I do have one) I can totally relate to her thinking... I was large for so long it was a buffer... I still think of myself as the fat girl even though physically I'm not. I definitely think better of myself but it's been slow going even to get to this point.



Here is a picture of Julie and me (myself??) taken the night before I left Chicago (for those of you underage readers - yes, I was a little bit tipsy but I walked home and didn't drink irresponsibly)... that was one of my best nights in recent memory... I'm working on making other good memories it's just taking a bit....

Well, I better be off. I'm going to exercise with my friend Melinda today... the official weight when I got on the scale this morning was 147.5 (yikes)... I've just got to do what I need to do to get back down to where I need to be. I've been doing the emotional eating hard core for the last few weeks and it's time to stop.

Things I miss about Chicago..

I miss my friends of course. Karolina sent me this picture yesterday. She was at the Field Museum and they had this model of the Space Needle. All of my other friends you know who you are... I miss you too.

I also miss Argo Tea and Intelligentsia Coffee. I've got a pot of Intelligentsia Black Cat Blend right here beside me.... I should plunge the pot and start caffeinating myself.

I'm a bit stiff this morning... not too bad. I just wish it was better... I suppose if I didn't eat like there was no tomorrow it might be better... I worked out with weights the other day... I think that's another reason I'm stiff.

Today I have my interview at another temp agengy.. then I might have lunch with Matt and Bryan again. I will try to stay on track...

This time, will be the last time....

that we will blog like this. That is sitting on the futon in front of my television set with a cup of coffee.

The movers come today and then it's cleaning, checking out of the old apartment and into the hotel. Tonight we are going to Friar Tuck's down the street for karaoke and beer. Hopefully people will be able to come out. I'd like to say goodbye.

Let me take this moment to reflect on my time in Chicago.... it's been intense but fun. I've met some great people who will be my friends for life (you know who you are) and I've come to appreciate my family even more that I did before I left. I'm feeling exhausted but good. I've also learned that dogs are the best pets ever.

Along the ww / body image front... I think I'm more confident that I was when I left. I'm not too bad looking for a 40 year old broad. I have actually learned to throw away food - I can outwalk anyone and I generally feel good about myself.

Well, I guess that's it from the futon.. I wonder what Ann Curry is wearing today... she has an interview with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie coming up!