Is anybody enjoying these posts? Maybe I should have just done one master list and called it a day. LOL
On the fifth day of Diva’s birthday, her favorite thing to share was…..
more…
Archive for the Category »Windy City Chronicles «
I have learned quite a few things since moving here a little over a year ago. I was thinking about a few of these lessons when I was in the car today. Actually….I was thinking about Bella being a new transplant to the city like I was this time last year and that caused me to flashback to some things.
Category: Windy City Chronicles
3 Comments
I have adopted a new philosophy.
Change is the result of patience and faith.
I am remembering that in all that I do these days. Yes it’s hard….but it’s necessary for realizing dreams. We talk about having faith and believing. We talk about “the secret” and being in peace. Let’s be real…it’s hard. Not only is it hard but it takes TIME (therefore you have to have patience too). Not many people come up with their dream and instantly realize it. At least not many that I know. I was thinking today about “putting it in writing” but I’m not comfortable enough sharing my dreams on my blog like that. I reserve them for my personal supporters. LOL
Last week I drew out the floorplan for my office on a grocery list. I only showed it to 2 people. I want to show it to someone else but the truth is…..I don’t have the faith in my dream yet to be confident enough to show it to more people. Perhaps because I want it so bad that any speckle of doubt or disbelief may crumble my little bit of faith.
Here’s a question……..what do you do to increase your faith or belief in your dreams coming true? What keeps you motivated?
Right now I’m motivated by the fact that when the doors of my office open…..it won’t be until 10am on Mondays. 
I’m sleeping in after the weekend doggonit.
And in the biggest news of the season…….Original Diva is having a shoe purge. That’s right. I discarded half of my collection when I moved to Oregon, arriving with close to 200. When preparing for Chicago, I narrowed the collection down to a little more than 70. The weekend of June 20th, the collection will get cleansed and purged.
Why? See, what had happened was, I have shoes that have seen better days. I realized that FOR REAL when I put on some black pumps last week and the tassle on one looked like I had been running track in them. Then there are the absolutely adorable canary and baby blue stilettos in the backseat of my truck….because I can’t drive in them. You see, although I’m always talking about tightening my belt (especially now that I’m saving up for business expenses) I currently live in a city that can be considered a shoe heaven. So why settle for the cute ones I have that are super uncomfortable when I can begin a new mission…..to update the shoe collection with comfort and STYLE. And as I sit here and think about it…….I’m going to purge the handbag collection too. Yep…I sure am. I think I’ll start with the black and gold glittery Betsy Johnson bag in the back of my truck. I’m pretty sure it still has the tags on it. EBAY HERE I COME! It’s time for change.
Last year I saw Queen Latifah in concert……next month I’m going to see Chaka AND Stevie at the Taste…..later this summer I’ll be singing along with Jilly from Philly…but last night I saw a legend. I attended my very first Chicago festival and besides the AWESOME food and too many damn people, it was great. Closing out the Blues Festival was B.B. King! His performance was cool and relaxing and jamming at the same time.
still too many damn people though….
Category: The Movement, Windy City Chronicles
5 Comments
Ever since I arrived in Chicago my co-workers have bragged about how delicious the sandwiches at Potbelly’s are. I even caught a glimpse of one that someone had one day and I’ll admit that the toasted bread DID look mighty tasty. According to her…..Potbelly’s ruined her for all other sandwiches.
Today I tried it and I was sorely disappointed with my sandwich! I had a sandwich called a wreck and it truly was. I can’t tell you exactly what in the sandwich was bitter but something definitely was. The first and last bites were equally bad and I’m glad that it’s over. The only redeeming quality was the cup of loaded baked potato soup.
Although five years older than Quizno’s (who in my opinion PERFECTED the toasted sub), the sandwich and experience I had at Potbelly’s was severly lacking in comparison. I’m willing to give them one more chance…a different sandwich of course, but this time my expectations aren’t NEARLY as high.
Category: Foods & Wines, Windy City Chronicles
4 Comments
Commute Scenario A: The alarm goes off at 4:30am. It pisses Brown Blogger off that I hit snooze and get back in the bed with him……thereby not getting up until 4:39. I get dressed, comb hair, etc…and hit the door at 5:15am. I arrive at the train station at 5:21am. I gather my stuff in the car, pulling out my CTA pass and $2 for parking before I get out of the car and head inside. I pay all my fees and as I start up the escalator I hear the announcement that an INBOUND train TOWARDS the loop will be arriving in approximately one minute. That’s my train….the 5:25am one. I get to my stop downtown at 5:55am and I walk down the street for 2 blocks (grabbing a Red Eye paper on the way) and inside the Metra station where I wait patiently to board my NW bound commuter train. They eventually open the doors and we board. I put my 10 ride pass on the top of the seat like everyone else and I get comfortable with my book. We pull out at 6:35am and exactly 30 minutes later I’m in the suburban city where I work. I hop off the train quickly as to not get stuck on board. Then I trot my happy lil behind down another block to where the company shuttle waits to carry folks from the station to the job. The schedule says he departs at 7am which would be great for me…..but the morning driver doesn’t like to leave that early……so he waits until about 7:15am……which gets me to work at 7:25am’ish’.
Now for the journey home. I “get off” at 4pm but the afternoon shuttle to the train station leaaves at 3:50pm. So I take an abbreviated lunch and depart my desk at 3:45pm so that I don’t miss the shuttle. We get to the station at 4pm and I patiently (sometimes) wait for my 4:20pm train back to the city…..downtown Chicago to be exact. We get there at 4:55pm and I take the side exit closest to my CTA station. I can easily take my time because the first train going in my direction doesn’t get there until 5:15pm. I board and bounce around with professionals, students, and crazy ass people for about 10 stops……..
QUESTION: How do the crazy ass people manage to walk up and down the car begging for money and preaching very questionable messages all while keeping their balance???? I can’t even sit in the chair and not have to hold on.
Anyway….I get to my stop, jump in the car and I’m pulling up at the house around 5:45ish…..2 hours later from the time I left work.
So to summarize Scenario A….I get up at 4:39, leave my house at 5:15, and get to work more than 2 hours later. I leave work at 3:45, take a 4:20 train, and get home at 5:45….2 hours later.
A 4 hour commute daily.
Commute Scenario B: This time the alarm goes off at 5am and I actually get up. I take my time getting ready and kissing on my yobo if he’s home. I even leave the house wearing 4 inch heels that will be the death of me by afternoon. I head out of the house at 6am and point my car in the direction of the expressway….taking the Dan Ryan to the Kennedy to the Eden’s (which is under serious construction and is down from 3 lanes to 1 lane and a shoulder). I exit near the Panera and resist the urge to stop in for a spinach and bacon baked egg souffle. I travel WEST on the same road through 2 towns and after the expressway to O’Hare, I turn into my company’s parking lot. The time is 7am.
Quitting time at 4pm and I jump in the car and head to the highway. An hour and some change (yesterday it was an hour on the dot) I’m home.
Summary for Scenario B: I get up later and my commute is approximately an hour each way. A two hour commute.
AND $50 IN GAS EVERY WEEK!
I can’t win for losing sometimes
LOL
Category: Windy City Chronicles
7 Comments
They said...