Winter Came, It Snowed, I’m Out!
I don’t care about the weather in Chicago because in a few short hours I’ll be enjoying Louisiana temperatures – which could get up to 80 on Friday! Talk about something to be thankful for.
What else? Lots else. I mean, I’m a pretty lucky girl. My job is pretty solid, my friends are stellar and my family is (for the most part) pretty awesome. I have a fiance who loves me and treats me well and this time next year we’ll be married (holy crap). I’m healthy and so are my friends and family. We could all use a little more money and a little less stress but there’s nothing novel about that, so really I have little to complain about. Oh, and I’ll be stuffing my face for the next week so I’m thankful for good food, too!
Truth? Maybe.
Except dealing with O’Hare airport this afternoon, but that’s what they made airport bars for.
I hope everyone out there has a great holiday and you can spend some downtime with the people you love most!
The White Stuff
It’s supposed to snow here in Chicago tonight, for the first time this season. With the way everyone is carrying on, you would think that this city has never seen snow before. They’re calling for 6-8 inches and that means we’ll probably get closer to 1-2 because the media and weather guys can’t help but use scare tactics to get us to tune in. So basically the whole city is prepared for the worst and I’m sitting here wishing I had booked my ticket to Louisiana for today instead of Monday.
Screw that, I’m taking the el.
Also, I’ll be out in the thick of it tomorrow. I have training for a new exhibit at The Field Museum from 9am – 4pm, which means I need to leave my apartment at the buttcrack of dawn in order to make it there in time. Technically, I could drive but I’m not so much a fan of driving in inclement weather so public transit it is. Also also, most of the other docents are older and they drive in from the suburbs so there’s a decent chance a lot of them will be staying home and so I definitely need to be there. Because obviously, if you don’t attend the training then you can’t work the exhibit!
I don’t think I’ll mind walking in the weather too much anyway because the first snowfall of the year is always pretty and a little magical. My tune will change in a couple of months when I’ve been staring at slushy, gray white stuff for what seems like an eternity but for now, I’ll enjoy the novelty. My thermos of coffee and I can get through anything!
Even a Chicago winter.
Good News
After a weekend full of horrifying news out of Paris, I thought I would post a piece of good news out of Beirut. It involves a suicide bomber and even yet another death but also goes to show that there can be brief bits of light even in the depths of darkness.
Click here for the story, which tells of a man who selflessly threw himself on a suicide bomber and wound up saving countless lives. His family is dealing with an unimaginable loss right now but hopefully stories like this will prove to those propagating terror that terror will not always win.
Truth
I stand with France, I stand with Lebanon, I stand with anyone and everyone who chooses love over hate. There’s more of us than there are of them and in the end that’s what matters most.
Ode to Daylight Savings Time
While an extra hour of sleep was a nice little gift
and the sun now greets me as I awake,
I sure could use an extra boost or lift
because now the days seem a little fake.
The sun almost starts to set while I’m out on lunch
and the dying light blinds me by mid-afternoon,
it’s not normal for humans to feel this, and according to my hunch
we’ll all be dealing with SAD very, very soon.
It’s completely dark by the time I leave work
and feels like midnight when I head home from the gym,
everywhere I look the night continues to lurk
it’s completely black outside – not even dim.
It zaps all of my energy and makes me want to sleep
I guess this is what hibernation is all about,
Laying down quietly and not making a peep
Using all your energy to cry and to pout.
Eventually the sun will come back and provide sunshine at the end of the day
While everything will brighten in my life,
And every year, this is all we can say:
the spring will make it worth dealing with all of this winter strife.
Maybe.
Potter’s Party
After four years of begging, Scott finally agreed to dress as Ron to my Hermione for Halloween this year. I had to watch two months’ worth of horror movies in order to seal this deal but it was worth it, especially considering how our natural hair color made this costume super easy and all the more legit. We weren’t really sure what we were going to do for the big night since the party I had been planning on attending didn’t wind up taking place but luckily the stars aligned the week before the holiday. We had a friend of mine over for dinner and she told us about how she was invited to a Harry Potter-themed party but she didn’t really know anyone other than the host and didn’t want to go alone. The party also happened to be a ten minute walk from our apartment and since our costumes were so spookily in-tune with the theme, how could we not go? It was magic!
The party was magic, too. There were two apartments in the building hosting it and one was completely set up for Quidditch Beer Pong while the other had snacks, treats and all sorts of drinks that were entirely Harry Potter related. There was actual butterbeer in bottles appropriately labeled, snitch-shaped truffles and an entire bar dedicated to potions, brews and other mysterious beverages. Professor Slughorn served the booze and had a cooler full of dry ice at his side to ensure all drinks had an appropriate amount of smoke streaming from them. Seriously – this set up was legit and made me wish I knew how to throw such a spectacular shin-dig.
Our costumes were also a hit, especially among the children we passed en route to the party. Also, in a super-random turn of events, the host that our friend knew actually used to play softball with my sister when we were kids – she grew up in the town next door to mine and now lives down the street from me in Chicago. It really is a small world, even when you try to introduce the wizarding world to the mix!
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