Halloween in the city...

Halloween in the city is unlike Halloween any where I have ever experienced. I have lived here for 3 years and I can not recall being in the city on the weekend of Halloween before. Tonight was a perfect spooky night...overcast...windy...a chill in the air. The kind of Halloween in horror movies. As I headed out tonight, it was around 9 pm...as I walked down the stairs and out the front gate I am suddenly self conscience of the kitty whiskers painted on my face, ears and tail. But its Halloween right...its okay, people understand right? As I continue to give myself a pep talk, the address to the party I was going to blew out of my hands...nearly disappearing...very creepy. After finally finding it and head down the sidewalk to hail a cab, my self conscience fades. To my surprise, there are more people with costumes on then in regular street clothes....I am not the minority here. In fact, it was more costumes I had seen in years. Unlike the normal suburbian Halloween where it's all about the kids, people were out and about, having fun...laughing...spilling out of bars and apartments, overflowing cabs, drunk dialing their friends as they walk down the street (yes we witnessed this) and it was such a fun feeling, to be apart of it. Even as we headed down Halsted tonight, the spirit of Halloween spilled into the streets...costumes not quite as polished as they were 6 hours ago, still didn't stop the fun...after all we got an extra hour tonight anyway.
Someone told me tonight there are just as many, if not more, Halloween parties in Chicago as there are New Years Eve parties. I'm not sure I would have believed him before tonight...but after being out I think it is absolutely true.

***Best Costume of the night***
I would say it was a pretty close. So in the category of best costume I would have to give it to a guy who dressed as Mr. Incredible ...it was dead on. But in the category of most creative, I have to give it to my friend Jonathan Wilcox. He dressed as Babe Ruth's ghost with a sign around his neck that said "Moving to Chicago" ...I thought it was hilarious.

Get a Life....

So I did it...i had my first blind date...after almost 3 weeks of anticipation the day had come. We originally scheduled a 'lunch' date during the week...quick and easy...but because of some 'circumstances' that popped up on Friday when we were originally suppose to go, we postponed it to Saturday. It made me a bit uneasy not having an excuse to have to leave after an hour...but instead of my original attitude of 'this is never going to work out' ...I decided to just go with it. We started by going to lunch at 12:30 at a little place called Toast and from there headed to the zoo, walked around, talked and basically just enjoyed each others company the whole afternoon. I think in the spectrum of blind dates it went really well and I think there is a very good possibility we will go out again.
There is a reason this post is titled 'Get a Life' however...during my little date today my phone rang...and rang...and rang...not to mention those on the call list of those who I needed to update after the date...and although I appreciate, more then anyone could know, the thought of so many people loving and caring about me...I have a strange feeling that there are a good handful of people living their lives vicariously through me....and although I have no problem sharing my stories...I have to say...get a life people!

I couldn't have put it better if I would have wrote it myself....

Blind Date

Wendy Jones has told me numerous times that she would love for me to sign up for the show Blind Date. For those who have never seen the show 'Blind Date', it basically sets up 2 individuals that is doomed for a tragically hilarious all day date. Most of the time its between 2 people that would never ever go out with each other for the enjoyment of the masses to witness...all the while, inserting amusing, sometimes embarrassing, pop up boxes commenting on the situation. On occasion, against the odds, the couple hits it off...but most often it ends in what I'm guessing is a one night stand. The reasons for her wanting me to go on this show, I have never quite understood, other then the fact that she thinks it would be hilarious...I'm guessing she is right, yet I really don't think I want, what would probably be my the most embarrassing day of my life, broadcasted on national television.
Friday afternoon I am going on my first real blind date, and I have very mixed feelings about it all. Two weeks ago I came home from work and had a message from a friend that I hadn't heard from in about 6 months. About a year ago, when I just started dating he who shall remain nameless, this friend came to me and randomly asked me to write down my contact info along with what I do both professionally and for fun...I thought this was strange so I asked her why I was doing this. She said she likes to set people up...and although she didn't have anyone in mind, if she ever came across someone that thought I would be a good match with she would let me know...I was hesitant, but she was a new friends so I kindly told her I just started dating someone but she could keep it for future reference. When I heard the message a couple weeks ago, I knew exactly why she was calling...and it happened to be on a day in which I was just complaining about relationships/or lack there of in general. How could I say no on a day that I was just complaining about this? I have no right to complain if I don't put myself out there....so here I am, 2 weeks later, awaiting my first blind date. I don't think that it has fully sunk in that I am going to actually do this. I have talked to my blind date to be, and he seems like a really nice guy, but the unknown is a scary thing. 'Lunch dates' are the new thing...the way to go, and since we work by one another that's the plan. Easy out...if its a train wreck. So, Wendy Jones, although it won't be an all day date, TV cameras, or pop up boxes...this is about as close as it will ever get to 'Blind Date' for me...but if you would like to come sit in the next booth over at the small diner we plan on feasting at Friday, you are cordially invited.

Chicago weather...

Yesterday we experienced one of our coldest days in Chicago this fall...The wind was whipping, the sky's were cloudy, the sun, no where in sight...I had to kick the heat on...strange when it was in the 70's once this week. I'm sad to see the Chicago summer go, its one of the best things about this city...baseball, open front/side walk restaurants, summer dance, the lake front...sometimes its the only thing to keep you going on those long cold winter days...today however, as I sit on the couch, watching football, drinking some coffee...I think to myself that I'm okay with it turning cold...after all, there's not much that I need to do today and I don't feel guilty for sitting here indoors and not being outside, as I often do on beautiful summer days. I realize that this is just the beginning and by March I'll be longing for one of those beautiful summer days, and that I need to savor those nice days when I get them in the month of October...but I think I'm ready to embrace those lazy days of winter, it has been a busy summer.

After the debate tonight....this is all I have to say...

Click Here

For the record...

sdj...Lincoln received the injury prior to coming to see me....

Adventures In Babysitting

So I watched my favorite toddlers, Kobe and Lincoln Jones, all day on Saturday...and although I was looking forward to it i was a bit nervous that all day would be a very long time. In the end it was a great day. The boys were very good and made it easy for me which I was very happy about. We played at the park, chased pigeons, went to the zoo, and even took a nap. I have lots of great stories from the day but I think my favorite happened at the end of the day. After coming home from pizza last night and being in and out all day, we were all piling in my place one more time to get all of their stuff...Kobe was behind me leading the rest of the pack...and as everyone waited for him at the door, I turn around to see what the hold up was...I see Kobe taking his shoes off...LOL...monkey see, monkey do...as we all watched him...Wendy goes, "Your mom would be so proud"...she's not the only one.

Kobe had a good nap in my bed w/ some friends...

I'm 25 but the sight of a short bus still makes me laugh....

vice presidential debate

A lot of bickering tonight (okay so it took me a while to finish this post) on the vice president debate...so much so I didn't even really want to hear it but one thing did give Edwards a big points in my book....outsourcing...the big bad word of the 21st century. Which is kinda funny since i'm in the 'Business Transition Outsourcing' area of my favorite blue company..the outsourcing i'm concerned about is the 'off shore' outsourcing.... where a lot of the technical jobs are going. Edwards said they are against it and all for taxing the companies that do it and had some good stuff to say about the job market in general and I didn't fell Cheney had much to say about it. Other then that...pretty uneventful...

Bus Tours

So my parents, who are relatively young and hip, decided to go on a Bus Tour to Cape Cod. They left Sunday morning and were in the bus for about 13 hours the first day, stopping ever 2 hours for a bathroom break in between 1940's music and Abbott and Castello sketches , and 8 the next day. The first words out of my moms mouth were that she has never seen that many 'gray hairs' in one place at one time ever in her life...a man at a shop they went to asked my parents friend how they got there...and she told them she was on a bus tour...the man replied...'You're to young to be on a bus tour...never do that again!'
Here is an e-mail from my dad...
Subject: Helpppppppppp
Howdy Girls, Get me out of here. The old people were roaming the halls at 4:30 this morning and their luggage was down it the lobby and 1 1/2 hours before the bus was ready to leave. Not sure I can take another day of Hardy's, McDonolds' Arby's Burger King, with the long lines waiting to eat, and they can't make up their mind. Well there is always the Abbot and Costello comedy hour to look forward to on the bus, or the old 40's music piping in. On to Monday and Cape Code. Love, DAD XOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXO

Overall they are having a good time...it has been an experience if nothing else.