January 31

So this morning, Mike and I are walking to the El, and I'm singing the "Bear down, Chicago Bears" song (as per usual - that song is harder to get rid of than a bad cold), and I got to the part about the T-formation when Mike says, and I quote, "Do you even know what a T-formation is?" Well, generally I am a football idiot... But seriously. I responded with "I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing the guys line up in the shape of a T." He was all surprised too, that I knew it. I bet it would blow his hair back to know that I know what a Hail Mary is, or a bubble pass. HELLO? I am around him and the guys watching football and playing playstation football (when there isn't a game on) roughly 6 months of the year, I would have to be a total MORAN to not absorb something.

Then again, I've been in Chicago for 4 full years and thought this looked like a monkey: I was recently told it is, in fact, a lion. Tou·ché, Choater, tou·ché. (Insert the "You're right, I'm wrong" line from Billy Madison)

And with no further ado, the picture of the day! One of the things re: Project 365 was to take a pic of yourself every once in a while so that you can see how you change over the year (let's hope there is less of me as the year goes on!). And what better day than when I am sporting my new IU game-watching shirt all business-casual style:
Wow, really yellow. Need to mind that white balance. Allright kids, if you need me later, I'll be up in the gym just workin' on my fitness.

January 30

This is our Cleaner. Figo owns the place, and Alex works there most of the time. They are both great. They make the big city seem far more like a small town.
Figo, the owner, tells me that Mike should pay for the cleaning because I am so beautiful and Mike is ugly! I love that guy. He tells everyone something like that. On New Year's Eve, he has a party, and it's so funny and random to stand around having a cocktail in between rows of hanging clothes.

January 29

Look, it's a cow cab! HAHAHAHA. Yeah, it struck me as downright hilarious.

January 28

Back in Chicago, where it it 9 degrees. BRRRRR!!!

January 27

This weekend we went to our friends' wedding in Orlando. It was so much time, and I am so glad we went! Plus, it was like 70 degrees in Orlando - a welcome respite from Chicago for sure.

Mike and I

The post-wedding scene

January 26

Me, with the Blues Brothers at Midway!

January 25

A new brand of Orbit... it rocks. It tastes just like a Mojito, but I can have 5 at my cube and not get fired for it!

New format - Like it?

January 24

What you say? My posts the days that I work are boring? You would be hard-up for pictures too, if you spent only 20-30 minutes of daylight hours outside, with most of those minutes being spent either waiting for the bus or on the El platform. Maybe I will start taking pictures of the CTA transgression of the day. That would be interesting.Anyways, this here thing is what we at work call "The Vessel" - Is it a vase? OR is it two faces, facing each other? It is supposed to mean something I know, but I forget. Maybe I will remember. But I doubt it. If anyone wants one for their house, I can buy one off the work giftshop website for you!

January 23

State of the Union, with fun captions

Everybody, gettin' their schmooze on.

Everyone, even Dubbya himself, made a big deal about the first "Madame Speaker," which I thought was pretty cool

This is Hillary, right after Bush announced he was going to release a plan to balance the budget within five years. I can see what she's thinking: "Men are such a pain. I had that done six years ago, but nooooo....." Sort of how I feel after I empty the dishwasher and realize Mike has filled the sink with dishes already.

Cheney's thought bubble: "I wonder if I can get some late-night pizza after this? I hope he isn't long. Is that Obama jerk looking at me funny? Why I oughta...." This guy seriously has the best facial expressions EVER. I had one of him giving someone a super-dirty look, but it was blurry. BOO!
Random fact from Tom Brokaw: 2002 Bush approval rating = 84% Today=35%. Wow.

OK, that's all the random political comments of the night! Happy State of the Union!

January 22

Sick day. Not very creative with the picture today, must go take my Zicam.

January 21

Bear down, Chicago Bears
I spent the day at the bar watching the Bears game. So much fun! And the Bears are going to the Superbowl! I am so in love with Chicago. It's the best city, and I love living here and cheering for the local teams.

AND.... Bears win! Bears win! Bears win!

January 20

No better way to spend a Saturday... with my gals, in IU gear.

IN-DI-ANA!

Who who who, Hoosiers!!!

January 19

Mike and Carl scam on a cougar!

He knows what I like

That's so hot.

January 18

Do you ever look around you and realize that you have a problem?
In fact, I think that if I didn't a) live with a boy and b) have a love for all things polka-dot-on-a-green-background, my life would have a whole lot more pink in it. I think I'm at my pink quota as it is.

January 17

A very blurry view of the River from the Adams bridge.

The crazy fountain at Melting Pot.

January 16

Some pics out my window this morning. Snow looks pretty, but I'm glad we only got about half an inch (if that).

Kind of random, but one unexpected benefit from taking pics every day is that I am learning how to get more out of my Canon SD20. I can hardly believe that it can take pictures like this. I like how these pictures have a faint grid on them if you look closely - that's because the window I took the picture through has a screen on it ;c)

January 15

The view from Alonti on Jackson

I like the view of rain and fog on the Sears Tower.

January 14 - Bear down, Chicago Bears!

Today we hit the Schoolyard for the Bears game. I love the Schoolyard - they have decent food, and it's within walking distance. But check out what I found on their menu:
That would be in the category of "Things that make you go hmmmmm...." Yeah, I did it, I pulled out the C&C Music Factory reference.

A great end to an afternoon at the Schoolyard - a Chicago win. Go Bears!

January 13

Busy day today already! First we took the car to the State Farm, so they could take pictures and verify that it was fixed. Look, just like new!
Then we took advantage of having the car again and hit the Jewel for groceries, ending up at Great American Bagel down the street for a little brunch action. This is a pic of the boy trying to ignore me taking five hundred pictures of him. Don't you love his new haircut? I do! He's not sure about it yet, because he tried a new barber (his name was Sal, which Mike says is great, since to be a good barber you are supposed to have a one-syllable name).

We may hit Bed Bath and Beyond later... don't know if we'll have time! No, actually, football is on the schedule (surprise).

January 12

Here's a pic of some me and some work people hitting happy hour on Friday evening. I have to say, the people I work with are pretty darn cool - I had a lot of fun.

January 11

These are flowers that my auto-body shop gave me when I picked up the Corolla today.
Crappy flowers that fall apart when you touch them never looked so good.

An aside

It can get slower?

Yay, I can't wait.

Also, the people look absolutely thrilled.

January 10

This is the lobby of the building where I work. I swear, a security guard almost snatched the camera from me, like I was taking pictures in an airport or something. The lobby is huge and very impressive-looking. And the wreath on the far side? Is bigger than my first apartment, I am not even joking. Of course, since my first apartment was 10 feet by 12 feet (at only $625 a month! ), that's not saying much.

January 9

That's a little piece of my childhood right there. We used to go to the corner store and buy the mini Charleston Chews for a nickel each at the tiny store on Main Street in Moores Hill.

January 8, 2007

Chad and Rogus - a couple of the boys in my urban family!

(They're making tacos for a family dinner night!!)

Happy Birthday to Mancky!

My pledge sister Amy's birthday is today! Here is a picture of Amy and her husband Tom, who live in Coldwater, Michigan. Happy Birthday, Amy! (This was taken by Tom's sister)

And while I'm digging through old pictures looking for one of Amy and Tom, I found this one that I could not resist posting:


Nice blue tongue there, Dixon.

(Brought to you courtesy of Skanky-Mancky-goes-to-Grad-School productions).

Anyways, back to our regularly-scheduled programming. Happy Birthday, Amy!!!!

January 7 - Happy Birthday, Emily!

EmilyLou's birthday is today! Happy B-day, chica!!!

Just got back from having brunch with the gals for Em's birthday at Bin Wine Cafe. It was really good, and check out the awesome Mimosa flights (the bartender was generous to the birthday girl, they're not usually that big!!) The flight includes (from left to right) Apple, Peach, Pomegranete and Pineapple mimosas.

YAY for birthday mimosas!

January 6, 2007

Productive Day!


I went to the gym and did some of the Core Performance exercises (owie, thighs, lunges shouldn't hurt that much. Out of shape). Here is a pic of me looking like doo-doo after the gym to prove it!

And then I baked the Emily Birthday Cupcakes (this is getting to be quite the little tradition... I love baking cupcakes and putting the b-day person's initial on the top!) Oh, and I also made banana bread. I'm like Betty Freaking Crocker today!

Boyfriend/Fiance notes

Boyfriend really likes this picture, as it captures me in full pouting mode (how he gets to deal with me a great percent of the time!)
As a completely random note, sometimes when I say something smart, he'll go "Hey! Check out the big brain on that girl!" It totally cracks me up every single time.

January 5, 2007

Tonight, we went to see a friend (Bradford Shaw, aka The Silent Partner) play at Uncommon Ground. It was great! Here are some random pics of the event:

Tracy and her boyfriend, Tojy. (SO. CUTE.)

This pic is a bit blurry, but fully captures Brad's rockstar persona.

This pic is a bit better, even though I am hating the built-in flash on the D50. This better shows Brad rocking my socks. Because he does. Rock my socks, that is.

Pictures of the ceiling and cool lights in natural lighting (candlelight and twinkle lights).

Randomness: Hawaii pics

These are some of my favorite pics, and I can't exclude them just because they didn't happen in 2007!!!

Click here to see my Hawaii pics on Flickr

This is one of my favorite Hawaii pics - I loved loved visiting Pearl Harbor. I love the contrast between the gorgeous blue sky and the big fluffy storm clouds, plus all the people peering out the side of the memorial. It was impossible to take a bad picture at the memorial.

January 4, 2007

As a sad fact of life, the pictures during the week will mostly be on my Canon Digital Elph SD20, instead of my beloved Nikon D50. The Nikon, it is cool, but it is cumbersome. And the Canon- not so much designed to take great-quality pictures, but is meant to be cute and fit in small purses. Just wanted to get that out there.

With that said, this picture is of a quote in a building where I work sometimes, and is by Voltaire. I got almost all of it, except for the whole word "say" in the top line (oops, missed the 'y'). I like the quote, and see it every morning when I am getting on the elevator at this place.