Halloween leftovers

Oh, Halloween. The pumpkins, crisp leaves, crisp air and the chance to be someone else for a day. It’s my favorite fake holiday.

But after Halloween, it’s the day after Halloween. Just like the day after Christmas, the built-up excitement evaporates, and apparently, all that’s left is a lot of trash.

Orange boa in River North. Slutty pumpkin, perhaps?

Harry Potter or a witch left his or her broomstick in a cab.

Miss America lost her gloves.

The Devil went down to Wicker Park. And forgot his pitchfork.

Plan ahead for next year and snag this fairy costume at Damen and Division.

The day the music died

I just returned from the sun and sand.

But before I left, I couldn’t help but think there has been a strange sense of normalcy in the air lately. I’ve been confused by the lack of creepy pandas, 80s mannequins, naked mannequins or dueling Elvi around the neighborhood lately.

But.

The sight of this stopped me in my tracks a few weeks ago:

Is this your CD collection spilled on the sidewalk of Chicago and Franklin?

Let’s make up some hypotheses about how these CDs got there, shall we?

1. A jilted lover seeks revenge on her music-loving boyfriend by tossing his music collection to the street.
2. A belly dancer loses her performance set, running late for a show (the only legible CD said “Belly Dance Songs,” after all)
3. A teenager, desperate for a new CD collection, tosses his current rotation on the street, claiming it was “stolen.”

Cast your vote. While none of these hypotheses are exciting, I still am curious as to how they got there.

Rut, interrupted.

It’s hard to believe that, in a city where there as many things to do as people to do them, you can fall in a rut.

Even though it’s not winter, it feels possible.

Work. Mindless tasks. Sleep. Repeat.

I’m not sure if this is the case with you or not, but I’m not good at juggling. I’m the kind of person who throws all three balls in the air at once, focuses intently on one and lets the other two fall on the ground. I can only do one thing well at a time. Plus, the weather has been so gloomy lately, it makes me want to curl up on the couch and deplete my Netflix queue.

But.

It’s great to be reminded that everyday is not the same. This little strip of landscaping  between work and the gym helps me keep things in check.

Last spring, it was filled with tulips (I heart). The one renegade red tulip among its yellow counterparts kills me. Also, notice how sunny it is?

Petunias in the summer...still sunny.

Imagine the pleasant surprise when I was snapped out of repetitiveness a few days ago with:

Fall mums (I love).

The fall colors I crave so much: a splash of crimson and marigold to dilute the gray.

Also, I will be here on Sunday. That helps.

There you have it: rut, interrupted.

Circle the wagons

Just because I haven’t posted in more than two weeks (inexcusable) doesn’t mean I haven’t seen anything odd around my neighborhood.

Like this wagon hanging out by the Division Blue Line station a few days ago.  From its rusty wheels and paint-chipped, wooden exterior, you might think  someone left it here circa 1940.

Did the wagon run away from home and lose its courage once it saw the stairs?

Was the wagon a getaway vehicle for a renegade mother and her child on the run from the law?

The wagon certainly has a story, but it wouldn’t tell me. The wagon’s proximity to the stairs actually reminds me of a mischievous story my husband told me about himself and his brothers when they were kids. Apparently, Joe and his older brother talked his younger brother into being the guinea pig for riding down the stairs in a laundry basket.

I don’t recommend doing the same thing with the wagon. I can’t imagine it would end well.

Viva la summer!

Dear Chicago friends,

I’ve heard a lot of folks talking smack about summer lately.

As in, we really didn’t have one. I know…we’re all disoriented because we’re not sweltering in heat or suffocating in humidity. (In the famous words of that drugged-up kid from the dentist, “Is this real life?”)

However, you know, and I know, what is right around the corner. As a result, I am clinging on to summer for dear life. Here is how I know: A band was playing outside on the roofdeck right below my bedroom window last night. I wasn’t even mad. I was actually happy that summer made this possible.

Said band. Though only a two person band, I believe.

Since summer doesn’t officially end until September 21, I propose that we squeeze in more of this:

Because we’re just around the corner from:

Megan Boley dressed like an Eskimo.

Snow boots becoming a semi-permanent part of the wardrobe

Our favorite things blanketed in snow. Or make that just everything blanketed in snow...

...that eventually create potholes large enough to render you a missing person.

(Apologies for all the blurry iPhone photos)

Yard sale jackpot

Living in Lakeview, I had forgotten about the concept of yard sales. Because most people on the northside live in large apartment buildings, there is a lack of yards and garages. Hence, very few yard or garage sales. My unwanted items during this chapter either went to Salvation Army or to my mom’s for yard sale-ing. Thanks, Mom.

On the westside, most people live in three flats or tiny houses with yards, therefore, making yard sales possible. My friend Andrea and I actually hosted one a few months back. I managed to get rid of some stuff and make $50. Success! Since I failed to take photos that day, I stole these from Casey:

Hi. This is Andrea. Isn't she stylishly holding down the fort?

Joe discovered the liberating feeling afforded by a "yarn bra." And mostly napped.

There are yard sales over here EVERY weekend. I am intrigued by the range of advertising strategies:

Some employ modest, straightforward approaches.

Others use elaborate, artistically spray paint techniques. There were many versions of this flyer, each more colorful than the next.

Mannequins work for a select few. Yes, this neighborhood has a thing for mannequins.

I usually don’t hang out at the yard sales. I have the same aversion to them as I do stores like TJ Maxx or Loehmann’s. Love the concept, but lack the patience to dig to find what I want. However, I stumbled upon two today and hit the jackpot. All discovered items were actually things I needed or was in the market for.

A set of espresso cups and saucers. Aren't these adorable? I was informed by their former owner that they're actually intended for Turkish coffee. Same idea. I made some espresso immediately upon returning home. And washing.

These are better quality than the Forever 21 version they're replacing. Let's not lose these, too.

I've been eying these exact pair of gray Levi's at the Levi's store for a few months. These fit perfectly (such an anomaly) and were $67 cheaper! Deal of the century.

Since I failed to purchase clothing such as tank tops and summer dresses this season, I'm in quite the predicament for my upcoming trip to Cabo. Suddenly, not so bad.

The grand total for these treasures? $9! I might be a convert.

Just please have an intervention with me if I become a fan of “Yard Sales” on Facebook.

Friends do let friends drink and shop

I love grocery shopping.

This seems surprising considering that since I spent countless high school days and college vacations in a grocery store as your friendly, local check-out girl. As it turned out, I actually liked that job. The combination of food and shooting the shit suited me. Go figure.

So, you can imagine my elation when I discovered that the new Whole Foods in Lincoln Park combines three of my loves: food, shooting the shit and drinking wine. Yes, wine! I could honestly spend hours in this place. And my whole paycheck. Wait, I think I’ve done both.

Is this a wine bar, you ask? Why yes...I indulged in a flight of wine while doing this...

Grocery shopping. Featuring Joe's art direction and my blurry photographic style.

Did I mention you can pair a cheese flight with your wine flight at this wine bar within a supermarket?

I should mention that there’s also a coffee bar, a bar that serves beer and an incredible food court. Speaking of the food court…

Beyond the four salad bars, there's a sandwich shop, carving station, taqueria, drive-in type diner, Italian bistro and sushi bar. Just try to make a quick decision about dinner.

Now do you see why it’s easy to spend hours in this place? If I had the time and the cash, I’d spend every weekend in this organic mecca. It’s like dying and going to food and beverage heaven.

How grown-ups make friends

My little sister left for college yesterday.

I am jealous of her for many reasons. Partially because college was the time in life where I experienced incomparable fun and major growth (yeah, I know…not literally). My sister is going to IU, my alma mater, so I have a good idea of all the parties, nights at the library, nights out, delicious food (read: not dorm food) and sporting events that lie ahead of her.

I am mostly excited for all the friends she will meet. There’s no easier place to meet friends than in college.

“Want to grab food at the dining hall?” Friends.

“We’re going to a party tonight. Wanna come?” Friends.

“Do you know how to set up your phone?” Best friends.

Why is it so easy to make friends in college? Most likely because everyone is going through the same new-kid-finding- yourself-missing-home experience at the same time. It’s an unspoken empathy and connection with thousands of people you don’t even know.

Somehow, I assumed that meeting friends in the city would be as easy as it would be in college, and it would happen while you’re riding the subway or even while you’re eating in the sandwich shop, Subway. This is not necessarily the case. When you’re in the real world, everyone is in a different place in life and may not necessarily require new friends as they once did in college.

Don’t get me wrong, I have been lucky enough to meet some fantastic friends since I’ve been out of college. I’m lucky to have a core group, but it didn’t come as easy as I’d hoped. Many friendships have actually sprouted from college-like activities and situations…you know, ones that revolve around making chitchat and drinking.

From what I’ve seen and experienced, people meet a majority of friends through work. Or through friends from work. So it’s no surprise 4 out of 5 of my post-college pals are art directors/design kids. We live on the same floor in this metaphor.

The best part of having art friends is that there's never a dull moment, or at least a moment that can't be created through the magic of Photoshop. Name the work pals in this oldie, but goodie.

Besides being Photoshop geniuses and fitness fanatics, art friends are pretty much the biggest bad asses I know.

I’ve also met friends through the often-asked-about, seldom-discussed wine club. It’s certainly a classier version of the college keg party. I’d love to tell you more, but of course, the first rule of wine club is don’t talk about wine club. So I’ll let pictures do the talking.

There's much eating involved...

...and, um, a little wine drinking...

...chitchatting...

And as a result of aforementioned wine drinking, shoulder dancing, Hennessy drinking and red wine spilling on white carpet have been known to occur. And certainly, friendships have emerged and are becoming more refined with age.

And because you can’t have enough friends, I went to Craigslist searching for a book club. Yes, you’ve counted correctly, that’s two clubs. You would think I’m running for homecoming queen sometimes. This is my second book club, actually. I’ve met some nice ladies I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Not so much a picture of book club as a picture of books at book club.

I’m curious…how else do grown-ups make friends?

This is also a long-winded way to say that I’m grateful to have such great friends. Thanks :/

Urban cowboy

You can’t make things like this up.

Well maybe you can, if you are adept at Photoshop, which I’m not.

I saw this car on my street a few days ago. Of course. I dare you to find a weirder street in Chicago.

Go Longhorns?

What was most striking was not that there was a skull of something that used be living in someone’s car. It was the fact that it was a skull of something that used to be living in someone’s Saab. If I had a Saab, there’s no way I’d put any sort of skull in there. There’s no way I’d put any sort of skull in my car, even if it was a Ford Pinto. That’s just me.

Mannequins in cars, longhorn skulls in cars…what’s next?

The 5 people you meet at a Cubs game

Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. Or so I’ve heard.

I don’t consider myself a big sports fan. My level of fandemonium looks more like humoring, a.k.a. hanging out with the man I married—who is the ultimate sports fan. Actually ultimate is an understatement. He’s the guy who knows which colleges every professional cricket player attended. He’s also the guy who will arrive to a game four hours early to get a free bobblehead.

The latter part may or may not have happened yesterday. I’m too embarrassed to confirm or deny.

In other words, Joe and I went to a Cubs game last night. And because he arrived so embarrassingly early to fight over baseballs with kids during batting practice, we got pretty fantastic seats in the bleachers.

Is that the second row of the bleacher section, you ask? Why, yes. Yes it is.

Sitting quite cozy with the scoreboard

Now because of this aforementioned ultimate sports fan, I’ve attended countless sporting events over the years. Which I honestly do enjoy, especially the Cubs games. Wrigley Field is the perfect venue for sitting outside on a warm summer day, drinking a frosty beer and making Joe fake jealous by spouting off inappropriate things about Derrek Lee. These are things I can get behind.

Wrigley has a charm that is lacking from, say U.S. Cellular Field. It has everything to do with the quaint ivy, manual scoreboard and nearly a century’s worth of home runs, players and fans canonized in its concrete walls. And then there are the fans, the most dedicated cast of characters I’ve ever seen. When I say characters, I mean it. They’re boisterous, fun, and more often times than not, drunk. I enjoy them.

I’ve been to many many Cubs games, and the cast remains the same. Here are the five people most commonly encountered at a Cubs game:

1) The Frat Boy/Wooooo! Girl

I’ll try not to stereotype here, but it’s hard. I’ll just say it: Wrigley Field can sometimes feel like it’s setting a Guinness world record for biggest frat party. The Frat Boy is one of the many attendees. He’s betting his buddy a beer that they can name all the Cubs hall-of-famers. He may or may not be wearing a backwards hat and khaki cargo shorts. His friends can be seen striking up conversation with some pretty young things in the next row.

If the Frat Boy brings a girlfriend to the game, it’s usually Wooooooo! Girl. She doesn’t know what she’s cheering for, but “woooo”ing and “Go Cubs”ing all nine innings. Sometimes, she’s had too much to drink. “Woooooo!”

2) The Heckler

The Heckler is usually a fan of the opposing team. He wants to start a fight, which is quite obvious once he tells everyone how much the Cubs suck and reminds the crowd how long it’s been since the Cubs have won a world series. Yes, we’re all aware. The part of The Heckler was played by this Jack Black twin in the Phillies jersey last night:

Phillies won the world series last year. Everyone gets it.

3) Family Guy

Family Guy is the busiest person in the stands. He’s making trips to and from the concession stand and the bathroom, earmuffing his young children from The Frat Boy and The Heckler’s expletives, and in between it all, trying to eat his hot dog and catch a pitch or two. Family Guy has spent $200 and only seen 10 minutes of the game. I am rooting for this guy the whole time.

4) The Motor Mouth

There’s always that one person who talks too much during the game. He or she may be muttering under the breath or talking loudly to all of his or her new best friends in the stands. Last night’s Motor Mouth was the mother of seven children. I know this because she said it 30 times. She told everyone 50 times that she was saving a seat for a friend who was only four blocks away, even at 8:30. She was passing around every type of food, trying to set people up on dates and talking incessantly about her firefighter husband. Yet, she made best friends with guys below us who bought her another iced down white wine.

5) The Nerdy Sports Guy

There’s always a guy tracking the game on a scorecard, often listening to headphones “Bartman” style. The Nerdy Sports Guy might also be seen rocking Cubs gear from his hat to his shoes. You might also spot this guy with his jersey tucked in.

I’d like to add a caveat is that these all are generalizations. I know this. The cast of characters at Cubs game is much more diverse and expansive. These are simply the fans who stand out the most.

Which role do I play, you may ask? Most likely the girl who asks too many stupid questions and plays with her iPhone too much. I hate that I’m that girl.

Which Cubs fan are you?