One Way Ticket Please

I booked my ticket to Melbourne today for July 2 - yes I know that it will be the middle of winter; but in my defense I may not have read the fine print on the visa that said I need to leave within 2 months from the time it is granted AND who would have thought that you can get a visa same day??!! THEY REALLY SHOULD TELL YOU THAT IN BIG BOLD PRINT SO YOU CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY. But either way I'm excited to go and looking forward to moving and trying something different.

I called my mom this morning after I received confirmation of the flight and she just about fell off her chair and may have even of been suffering from a bit of hyperventilation; but other than that it went over pretty well. I spoke with her around 430 this afternoon and she was enjoying 80 cent Miller's at one of the local bars near our house - And let me tell you she was much more on board with the plan at that time! (Yes you did read that right 80 CENT beers - you don't even want to know what kinds of crowds come in for that! People whose necks tend to sway a color of red I would think) Just kidding! I love that bar!

Below is a picture of the flowers that my mom sent me today to congratulate me on graduation. (Unfortunately I received them right after I gave her a heart attack with my moving news so I really did feel terrible about that!) Here she was being really sweet and telling me she loved me and was looking forward to celebrating with me and I'm calling her telling her I'm moving half way around the world for a year. Doesn't bode well for daughter of the year award I wouldn't think.

Blurb.com

Still tossing around the idea of possibly starting a new blog and leaving this one behind with college, but while deciding if that is the route that I want to take or just get a blog face lift I have been looking at different places to get blogs published into a real book. Does anyone know of any good places that will do it for a reasonable price?

I did stumbled across Blurb that will do it for under $50 and will publish all the posted pictures, postings and artwork that you have. I think it was up to 400 pages worth. Anyways any suggestions?

Pig Flu

My mom and I are still planning to go through with our Mexico vacation in two weeks despite all the news stories and warnings to stay in the country. She sent me all of the links from the CDC, chief tourism someone or other from MN and of course the letter from the president of her company stating his concerns. Now clearly I am not a doctor of any sort and don't know the first thing about pigs, but SERIOUSLY! Don't you think it is a bit of an overreaction to say that we shouldn't leave the country because 60 some odd people have contracted a strain of the flu in the US? I realize they are saying that the death toll is upward of 150 people in Mexico City, but to be clear out of those 150 deaths only 26 have been confirmed as pig flu related. Isn't there like hundreds of thousands of people who die each year from flu related illnesses? What the heck is so special about the pig version? Take a few NyQUil's, sip some sprite, and have a few saltines - you'll be feeling better in no time!

Call me crazy or stupid, but I am still going to lie on the beach and sip tequila all week long. Heck just to be on the safe side I will bring a pocket full of wet wipe hand sanitizers and use those after every cocktail.

(Watch my sorry @$$ is going to be the one curled up in a one room hospital in two weeks dying from a pig flu - all because my spoiled behind wouldn't reschedule and had to rant about the warnings on her low rated blog.)

I'll take my chances.

Change of Scenery

After a few weeks of trying to figure out what I should do after graduation I've decided that I want to go abroad for a year or so and travel. I know I said that I hate those people who say they need to take a year off to 'find themselves' and travel or save the world, but here I am putting off the inevitable by flying off to another country. I had planned on going to Sydney in college to study for a semester and ended up bailing out on it last minute and now I regret not going. I applied for my work visa this past weekend and within ten minutes had an email saying that I was all good to go.

So I've been talking with a few other blogger girls who have done the same thing and are living in Australia now - which has been nice in trying to decide where to live and what to do. I'm sure there will be plenty more to report in the coming weeks as the big day approaches (thinking July 1) but for now I am going to enjoy the weather and go out for a cocktail with the girls!

NY Times Article

Promise this is my last post today. (trying to catch up since I've been so MIA for three months - blame it on LL326. Which by the way was a lesson that I will only have to learn once in my life so to all of you concerned ladies emailing me with horror stories - it is all over and sorted out.)

Anyway, I started a subscription to the New York Times last week (thought since I'm no longer going to school I should try to keep up with some form of intelligent reading on a somewhat regular schedule) and found this article in the Op-Ed section and I thought it was a really interesting read about women's rights in the Middle East. Even after reading and re-reading the article I just can't seem to wrap my head around a culture that calls women 'whores' for protesting and fighting for their rights.

Chain Emails

Dear Blog Girlfriends and Real Life Girlfriends, (ELLIE I'M LOOKING DIRECTLY AT YOU SO PLEASE READ ON AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION)

I love you all and each one of you are so sweet to comment and read my ridiculous posts and listen to my generally uneventful life each day; but I swear to god Ellie anyone of you sends me another chain email asking me to forward some crap on to 15 of my closest friends in order to find my true crush or have good luck for the next 300 years, I will get a new email address and never speak to you again.

Thank you.

Maggie

Have to share this picture of my goddaughter Maggie who I can't believe is so big already!


I really need to stop picturing her to look like this or every time I go home I will have another heart attack.

Update # 2 Airplane Guy

Airplane Guy called today (more than 5 days after our original date BTW) and left a message apologizing for not calling me since Monday (busy with partners at work, friends in town, court ran late all week...blah blah blah) and wondering if he could make it up to me by taking me to the Cubs Game on Thursday. Generally speaking if anyone offered to take me to Wrigley for a game when the weather is supposed to be 65 and sunny I would already be trying on my cubs apparel and clearing my schedule. But for some reason I'm just not dying to go with him. Perfectly nice guy and all, but I think if I say yes and go with him he might try to kiss me or want to hold my hand or something, and then it will just ruin the whole experience for me.

I guess I could just be honest and say that I'm not interested in him, but I am interested in taking the cubs tickets!

Quick Update - Airplane Guy

Haven't heard from him since our dinner on Monday so turns out maybe my company was just as average and uninteresting to him as well.... Even though I did look really cute, was funny and extremely charming the whole evening - I don't know what there wasn't to enjoy! (just kidding)

Mexico

Today is my last day of college! Finished my classes this evening and am ready for the big graduation day to be here. My family is coming to Chicago in just under two weeks for the weekend and for the graduation ceremonies. The day after the ceremony my mom and I are flying into Cancun and are going to relax on the beach for entire week.

My plan is to lay on the beach with a margarita in hand, my beach hat on, a stack of books and magazines under my chair and I do not plan to move until the flight takes off for Chicago Friday evening. I want to have a little Mexican cabana man to stay within 15 feet of my chair at all times to refill my drink, deliver fresh towels and offer me mini tacos and guacamole at my constant beck and call. (high maitenance B!@#& - I know)

Brief look into my suitcase....


I bought a new suit from Victoria's Secret that mixes and matches with a few other suits I have so very versatile.(Be sure to go on fat wallet or coupon mountain to get free shipping and a $10 off coupon before you purchase anything online from them!) I got this suit for under $40!


Mindless non-academic read #1


Beach Essentials

Mexico by Nicole Roberto featuring American Eagle Outfitters sandals

Pictures of the beach we're going to be staying at.

Date Recap

Airplane guy picked me up around 8 last night and we ended up going to Osteria Via Stato for dinner and not Spiaggia as originally planned because it had started to rain pretty hard and neither of us had been to this place before. It's an Italian restaurant (my favorite!) that I've passed by a million times on my way home and never actually been in. Well I'm glad I got to try it last night because it could easily become my favorite place to go for a good glass of red, amazing desserts or a delicious pasta.

Anyway the food and atmosphere were amazing, but the company was nothing that really blew my skirt up (bad choice of words possibly for first date talk.) I mean he was a perfect gentleman all night, opening doors...taking my coat...umbrellas on the way out of the cab...yada yadaa, but that should just be a given in my mind so not overly impressed by all of that. Good conversation for most of the evening, no weird comments or uncomfortable silences, but nothing about him really stood out to me. Although I do have to give him credit for the restaurant choice - When we were on the plane I was talking about all the Italian places that I liked to go to in the city and apparently made him nervous that he was going to choose a bad one for our date. So he actually had gone and had lunch the past few days at three different restaurants that he was thinking of taking me to, just to make sure that the place was good choice for a first date. So I will give credit for doing his homework before we went out! It was funny though when the hostess recognized him from lunch the day before after he told me that he had never been to this restaurant.

All and all a nice night and a delicious dinner but nothing else too exciting.

30 Minutes

It's thirty minutes before I'm supposed to go out on this date and I'd give my left arm to put on my track pants, take off my heels, toss my hair up in a pony tail, order pizza and open a bottle of wine on the couch and watch Desperate Housewives reruns.

Guy in Seat 5B Turns Into Monday Night Dinner

I was on the plane last week flying back to Chicago and was seated next to a guy who I found out happens to live down the street from me in one of the buildings next door to mine. He is originally from MN and at first glance seems to fall into the fairly normal, non-stalker, possibly even good looking category. So far so good. We chatted for the majority of the flight, learned that he is an attorney, likes to travel and moved to Chicago last year from Texas. We shared a cab back downtown together, had a few awkward silent moments but other than that a pleasant first meet. We exchanged numbers and went our separate ways.

I didn't hear from him until late last week when he invited me to dinner over the weekend, but because I thought I was going to be working on my paper for school I declined. (Ended up shopping on Saturday since it was the first warm day of spring in Chicago and spent majority of today hung over on my couch eating Chinese delivery and watching chick flicks.)

He called this afternoon to see how everything was coming with school and are now going to go out for dinner tomorrow evening to a steak house down the street from my place (Cheesy story behind him choosing this restaurant that I'll have to remember to post tomorrow - to the point that I actually almost said I was busy again cause he invited me to go here.)

I'm half excited to go, half not at all interested. We'll see. I'll be sure to post details tomorrow.

A Few Pictures From the Weekend....

I can't believe that the weekend is already over and that I'm back in Chicago so soon! I had such a great time visiting all of my friends and getting a chance to catch up with my family!

On Saturday I went over to my dad's house for my brother's birthday and was so fun to see him with all of his little buddies. We ended up getting him the big moonwalk and it took up the entire front yard - such an obnoxious toy for a five year old party, but they all loved it. I was over there for most of the afternoon and I think I saw the little tater tots maybe twice (gift opening and cake cutting) otherwise they were glued to the inside of castle.

BIRTHDAY BOY!! 5 YEARS OLD!


Ryan and one of his cute little pals.


Saturday night a bunch of us went out for a night of karaoke at Grumpys. (For you Chicago readers- Yes, I did go to a bar called Grumpy's and it is just as red neck as you are picturing.) Anyway red neck or not we had a really great time. I graced the bar with my own rendition of 'the pina colada song' (aka "Escape" by Rupert Holmes) as well as a group performance of the Carly Simon classic 'You're So Vain.'










Have a lot of other great pictures and stories to share from the weekend, but I really need to stop procrastinating on schoolwork and get something productive finished this evening. I'll try and post the rest tomorrow.

Don't Talk To Me With Your Fingers In My Mouth

Went to the dentist this morning for an hour long appointment to have a few cavities filled and get them cleaned. So I was laying there all numbed up, with my lips all puffy and novocaine seeping into my eyelids - getting a little irritated with the obnoxious music playing in the room, but getting along OK.

The dentist walks back in with his overly friendly, down-home hygienist who is eager to ask me all about my life, friends, work, school, dreams etc. Immediately, I go from mildly irritated to fairly pissed off. Why do dentists try to hold conversations with you while you are drooling all over your face and numb from your chin to your forehead? It's like every time you ask me a question I have to try and mumble some corny, half-made up answer because I am not interested in sharing anymore of my life with you outside of the health of my teeth; all the while I have to try not to spit all over you with my lips now being three times the size they were when I arrived.

SO I continue to appease her with my "oh yah I'm graduating in a couple weeks....just moved to a new place...living in Chicago...working full-time" crap and every time I try to talk they STOP WORKING take the tools outta my mouth to listen to me. I'm now teetering on the edge of rage thinking I have other stuff to do today and having a therapy session along with fillings is not what I signed on for. I was told this would all take no longer than two hours at most. At this point we are at what I think was half way finished and creeping on the 2 hour time limit. Finally I decided I would just lay there close my eyes and pretend I was sleeping just to give her a hint that I was no longer interested in hearing about her day trips to Chicago to go Christmas shopping and try the deep dish pizza that she claims is no where near as good as the Red Hen Inn down the street from her cabin.

Finally after a two and half hour appointment I was free to stumble out of the office and try to drive my drooling, spit covered self home.

Catch and Release

I watched this movie the other night and it is now my favorite chick flick that I've seen in A LONG time. I haven't laughed so hard I cried in forever and was such a good movie to watch while shnoogled up in bed with a glass of wine! Definitely need to add this to the Friday night movie list soon if you haven't already seen it.

Minnesota Bound

Headed home today to MN to visit my family over the Easter weekend, take in shopping with no sales tax with my mom, enjoy some well needed cocktails with my girls and most likely end with some dancing and karaoke bars if I had to guess.

On Saturday I am also celebrating my little brother's 5th birthday! Which I still can't believe since I feel like he was just learning to walk the last time I was home for Christmas! Anyway it's two days before the big day and I still haven't decided what to get him. He is so spoiled that the kid seriously has one of every item out of the Toys R Us magazine. Last year I bought him a Nerf gun, the year before that Legos and most likely hundreds of dollars worth of video games that he has no idea how to play.

This year I am leaning towards renting this for a few hours and let him and his little preschool buddies jump around all afternoon and let the rest of us enjoy a few Heinekens in peace. Thoughts?? Too young for this??

Good Morning Turned X Rated

I woke up this morning to the sun shining in my room and feeling very well rested and ready for the day. I got up a few minutes before the alarm and my Keurig coffee maker was already brewing a cup for me when I walked into the kitchen. (My new favorite purchase and am still wondering how I ever survived without one. And to everyone reading this back in MN who I know are thinking that I am clearly turning into a very spoiled and lazy individual who should just brew the instant Folgers like the rest of the middle America - I will not do it! Coffee that requires the grounds to be stirred into hot water is NOT coffee.)

Anyway, I hopped in the shower, got ready for work and headed out the door ten minutes early. Everything was going great until I walked out my front lobby to see two dogs going at it while their walkers or whoever, were just watching them and laughing. Why is that funny first thing in the morning? Why is that ever funny for that matter? It was one of the most bizarre sites I have ever seen and even the biggest caffeine buzz in the world could not have made that experience amusing to me. My wonderful morning and perfect tasting coffee were now ruined and filled with images and sounds that should not be taken in before noon on a workday.