Tubs Unite!

I have eaten SO much lately. EW.

That, however, is not what I will be blogging about tonight.  This is for the recap of yet another amazing weekend+ with Gary Spice :) (March 19-23)

I was so beyond happy that Gary could stay for more than a weekend.  It was nice to have him around and live our lives together for a couple more days :) (I know, super cheesy and ridic. I don't care.) It meant a lot to the both of us and our relationship could not be better.  Here are some pictures of our awesome adventures:

RAINBOW CUPCAKES were the BEST idea ever.

The most awesomest picture ever :)

Heels over Head

I miss marty's.

Marty's is the only place in the entire universe where I can write a paper of epic proportions.

Somehow sitting in my tiny apartment, in my freezing bedroom, wrapped in my 3 quilts and in a sweatshirt simply won't cut it.

My goal for today: write 9 pages of my senior paper. I will report later on the progress :)


PROGRESS REPORT -- DAY 1
3:33pm = 5 pages down. Saaaaweet. Time for a break til 4:45p....
5:48pm = 7 pages down.  I'm still chuggin along. Choo Choo... (right, Gary) ;)
6:22pm = 7.3 pages down.  I'm not giving up but I may be done for the night.  I'm at a good stopping point and will hit the big kahunas tomorrow. Now perhaps I'll do some laundry....

-30-

It's a new day!  My goal for Sunday = FINISH!  My life depends on it.  No, Gary's does :) (Thanks for the motivation); another good note, I'm starting a whole 3 hours earlier today.  That should mean something...

PROGRESS REPORT -- DAY 2
8:33am = still 7.3 pages down. Let's see how much damage I can do now
9:49am = 10 pages down!  woot.  Time for a break :)
2:25pm = 12.5 pages down.  this last component is HARD!  I had to sort and sort again and THEN start writing.  My goal is to have at least 15 pages by 4:30pm.  I WILL SUCCEED! and then perhaps I'll hit 17 by the time I got to bed...
3:46pm = 15 pages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm hungry.  (early dinner? Yes please)
7:57pm = 16.25 pages (I should have made my goal 9 pages for today ;))

The wonderfuly awkward "L"

Public transportation is amazing.  I LOVE IT to be quite honest.  I don't have to worry about having a car or bike or walking everywhere in crappy weather.  And being a student allows me to get it SUPER cheap.  $90 for unlimited rides every single day until May 9.  How sweet is that?

However, the "L" is creepy and awkward.  Very much so.  I take the red line to work every day and because it's only 3 stops away, I never sit down.  But this creates an especially awkward situation when it is completely crammed with people.  Because of my height, I often find myself staring at someone unknowingly... Oopsies.  I am the type of person, though, that will look everyone in the eye and say hi or smile and I find it very difficult not to do that on the train.  People on the train, however go out of their way to look at anything but and when you do lock eyes with someone, it's incredibly awkward.  You don't want to make it seem like you were staring but most times that's just simply how it appears.  And I am short enough where it can be quite difficult for me to focus my attention on something other than on a person.  That's just where my eyes rest.  It's sometimes really hard to have to strain my head up or down, especially after a long day.  I'm too tired to have to stare at the floor or the silly ads on the ceilings.

Despite how awkward public transportation tends to be, I do love it and would hate to have to travel around Chicago without it.

One less lonely girl....

GARY IS ON HIS WAY HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am one very happy girl today, but for sooo many reasons.

1 - I had to wake up super early so I could babysit for the cutest baby in the entire world.  I had my alarm set for 4:45a so I could take my time and not be late.  Of course, there have been several occasions where I set my alarm and sleep through it or fail to turn it off silent so I am always terrified that I will miss it.  So despite waking up every hour in anticipation, I woke up BEFORE my alarm thus being able to turn it off before it woke up my Tabitha and her boyfriend.  Who cares if that meant me getting my rear out of bed at 4:30a...

2 - I truly despise my shower but today, for once, it was actually pretty decent.  It was the perfect degree of hotness for me and only spiked me with searing hot water once for a split second.  It was delightful.

3 - I was so quiet while getting ready, no one even stirred in their sleep :)  I'm so proud of myself for being so quiet.

4 - Like I mentioned before, I got to babysit for my boss's 6 month old baby girl.  She is the cutest, sweetest, adorablest little peanut I have ever seen.  She was a bit fussy this morning so no outside stroll but I don't care.  She's that cute. Even when she cries.

5 - It is sunny with a high of 64 degrees. sweeeet.

That's about it until Gary arrives. I've been a complete pile because I'm too lazy to do anything else.  :)

I wish I was Irish.

So what have I been thinking about lately?  My lack of control to simply let go. 

I am so uptight about knowing exactly what I'm doing at every moment, especially what I'll be doing tomorrow, or next week, ooooorrrr next semester.  I cannot stop thinking about this summer once I am a college graduate.  Luckily I have two jobs already lined up.  But these jobs have an end.  When the summer is over, so are these jobs.  What will I be doing after?  NO CLUE!  This is the very first time in my entire life where I have absolutely no flippin idea.  This is terribly frightening.

One thing I do know is that I will be with Gary.  No matter what happens, he will be right by my side.  Going through this experience has shown me I am no good at long distance and I will never ever ever ever ever do it again.  That being said, what if I get offered a job or find a job outside of Decorah sooner than we expected?  I'd be crazy not to take it right? The current state of the economy doesn't really allow me that flexibility anymore.

I am trying my very hardest to let it all go.  I know deep down that everything will be fine.

On a happier note, here is a list of 10 things I want to accomplish when I am here in Chicago:

1. Go to an Irish bar
2. Run in a 5k
3. See a Cubbies game
4. Consider grad schools in Chicago
5. Go to a bar or restaurant alone or with a new friend
6. Run outside!  (I have this subconscious fear of it…)
7. Go to the Lincoln Park Zoo
8. Enjoy a festival of some sort
9. Bring friends to *Second City* because it’s just that amazing
10. Discover a park and spend an afternoon there

Blah Blah Blah

Someone was Ms. Productive ALL day today!  Yes, that would be me :)  I somehow managed to read all of my left over senior paper readage so now I can finally move on to writing it!  My goal is to have it completed by March 26 and I WILL be successful.  (it helps that I have 23 pages of typed notes...)

This past week went by so fast!  I had a lot of work left to do with Summer Housing (14 interviews in 2 days) so that kept me fairly busy.  There are so many good candidates that it was really hard to choose between them.  Once I get the go ahead and we finally hire people, I Know it will be a great summer.  I am so pumped!  NO MORE OVERBOOKING! Not on my watch :P

Tabitha and I did end up going back to McFadden's on Wednesday.  Why?  $2 cans and $.25 wings HELLOOOOO!  We had the same bartender too and he's so awesome!  I got a free can and yes...another shot.  But I swear no more poor choices were made.  The shot was actually pretty good this time too.  Something with orange juice in it...

I also got a slight cold on Wednesday morning but somehow, by Saturday it was G.O.N.E.!  sweet.  Speaking of Saturday, I went to McFadden's yet again for the keg and egg's.  Never again will I do that.  Who needs to be drunk at 9a?  Not me.

I've also been using Elaine's wii Fit plus.  I'm losing weight!!!! Not that I really need to but who doesn't like to be skinnier? I'm now at 120 :)  My goal is to be somewhere between 110 and 115.  That'd be nice.  Also, to become better prepared for my 5k at the end of April, I will be starting a new running work out starting tomorrow morning. I am so excited!  By the date of the race, I will be able to run 30 minutes no problem.  Sounds like a great plan to me :)

making bad, bad, very bad decisions is no fun

I vow NEVER to watch Grey's drunk ever again.


Last night was a bit of an adventure.  One that I had not expected and one that I wish I could take back.  I like simple nights, no spinning and going to bed early.  It was but any of those things :)

I got home from work at about 6:15p and made a quick tortilla pizza for dinner before heading out for the art event at 7p.  My roommate had a beer so I thought, "I want to pop a bottle too!" So I had one.  It all went down from there... Soon after the conversation about our weekend began.  My roommates wanted to go out but I knew that I didn't want to nor did I want to spend the money to do so.  However, it soon went to going downstairs to McFadden's for one drink before greys.  That I could handle.  Thus, we headed to the bar.  I fully intended to buy a beer but somehow allowed myself to become seduced by the $5 martini menu. NEVER AGAIN!  I don't do vodka.  ew.  I am a beer girl through and through.  After another beer and a free shot from the bartender, I was more than okay.

We made it back upstairs at about 8:20 but no worries. We had DVRed (?) the show.  I tried to watch the show but at that point I was getting the spins.  I really hate the spins.  I was fine but couldn't lay down which is what I really wanted to do.  I'd at least go to bed early ;-)

I did manage to go to bed early but whenever I drink what I did, I wake up early at the crack of dawn.  5:15 this time.  Damn.

Now I am rewatching grey's and OMG! It's back!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Everyone is funny again!  I can't believe I almost missed that...

Two valuable lessons:
1. Spontenaity is not for me.
2. Don't drink martinis. or free shots.

zumba!

I had the most semi-productive weekend.  yes, I said semi-productive. I got a lot done but I also pooped around a lot which left me procrastinating on the things that actually needed to get done. story of my life...

On Friday i did my first batch of laundry since ive been here.  Two loads!  that's it!  Niiiiiiiiiiice.  I then thought I lost a book that I borrowed from Chicago Semester so I spent a good part of my day trying to find what was in my backpack the entire time. I then proceeded to read the book all day Saturday.  I also went swimming for the first time in years.  Let's just say I was a little rusty but it was a good workout.  Then on Sunday i went to a ZUMBA class!  It was soooooooooo much fun!  I would do that everyday if i could.

Lastly, I have committed to running in the Race to Wrigley 5k.  I am soooooooooo beyond excited. I'm not much for running but I have wanted to run in a 5k for so long.  Now's my chance.  It's on April 24th so hopefully it will be nice out. I have also started a fundraising page for the race and I am so surprised by the response already.  it's such a huge motivation push as I don't want to disappoint.  Thanks to everyone!!!!!!!!!!!