Getting Crafty

Usually I leave my craft making for the month of October solely for Halloween costumes. But I’ve found a project that I simply must try: cross-stitching a heart sweater.

Maggie recently started cross-stitching again, so I defaulted to her to see the reality of whether or not I could actually do this. She thinks I can (such a supportive roommate), so I’m gonna.

Game plan is a day trip to Michael’s on Saturday and then spending Sunday sitting around watching season 1 of The Newsroom (we finally got HBO) and creating my Valentine’s Day attire.

Photos to come based on the outcome…

*Note: I blame this total interest in crafting due to the fact it’s so cold outside you can barely breathe, your face is about to fall off and the Lake looks like the iceberg that took down Titanic.*

Photo and Template from Über Chic for Cheap

So Long Winter Blues, Hello Blue Man

It’s no secret that life in Chicago during the winter months is well, bleak. And even though this winter hasn’t been all that terrible, the fact that it’s winter and dark when you walk out of the office is depressing as hell. And that Lake Effect wind I just love in the spring, summer and fall is just brutal during this time of year. It’s why I always escape with a trip for a while. And why I’m ever so thankful Mom makes the voyage up here for a little trip. It feels like I’m getting away, without really going anywhere.

This time, Grandpa Norm made the trip up with Mom. We had ourselves a fantastic time and shared many laughs during their 3-day visit. Grandpa got to see where I work (Mom: “It’s like the kids are running the zoo”), see where I live, hang out with Maggie (Maggie: “I asked if I could hug him”) and enjoy all this city has to offer under bleak skies. We celebrated the city’s 175th birthday, caught a Blue Man Group show and saw The Artist in the only way you should, in a theatre.

At the end of the trip, Grandpa Norm turns to me and says, “I can see why you love it so much here.” Seal of approval that I’m doing a-okay in life.

Hanging with a Blue Man

Greetings from…

… the 23rd floor of the Prudential Building. Winter’s arrived.

There He Is

Old Man Winter has been MIA here in the Windy City over the past few months. I mean, in Winter 2010, the Puffy Coat came out Dec. 9 and didn’t leave until March. Winter 2011, the coat made its first appearance at the Holiday Party night (Dec. 11), but that’s only because I knew my date would wear a long, black, wool coat and I didn’t want us to match. But since that night, the coat’s hung in the closet waiting for its permanent rotation.

Well look who’s coming off the bench now as Old Man Winter brutally slaps us across the fact with wind and cold temps. Mild winter, it was nice while it lasted. The “feels like 7” bit down there makes me loathe our wind tunnel we’ve got going on between our buildings and the lake. There’s only a few times in the year I despise living by the lake. And those times happen from January-March.

 

We Have Survived

After getting out of work yesterday at 3, I began the adventure to get home. Waited on Columbus for a bit…no 134s…waited on Michigan for a bit…no 151s or 143s. So Lindsay and I made our way to the train, where we smashed in and fought not only for space on the pole to hang on to, but also just space to allow our lungs to breathe. When we finally arrived at Diversey (nearly 30 minutes later), we fell out of the train, on to the platform and looked that blizzard right in the eye as we walked down Diversey to home.

 

Had I hopped on a bus after work, would have had to abandon it on Lake Shore Drive

 

 

Seeing as it was a snow day, we decided to grab Maggie and head to the neighborhood watering hole as we anticipated being locked up for a while. Mags had grilled cheese awaiting us as we pulled our coats, boots, gloves, hats, scarves and socks off. Had we been 10 years younger, we would have been coming home from a sledding day instead of a work day.

 

We just walked through that tundra.

 

 

The storm wasn’t that bad when we walked into Duffy’s. But upon leaving, we walked into something none of us had ever imagined. You couldn’t see anything in front of you and the wind was just throwing us around as we climbed through snow banks to get home.

I should mention the distance from Duffy’s to our apartment building is literally 30 feet. Yet it took 20 minutes and some strategizing as we climbed/crawled across Sheridan.

We got a snow day today from work (woo!), yet this storm hadn’t appeared to lose any of its luster until about 10 minutes ago. I mean, the winds opened our windows twice last night. And our windows have those old school handles that you have to turn to “unlock”, then pull the window down.

Chicago, I love you, but man did you test that love.

 

An abandon bus this morning on Lake Shore

Navy Pier this morning. See that ferris wheel? Exactly.

 

 

RT: Just lie

When it looks like this, just lie.

RT #2

No matter how attractive you might be, if you’re running around the streets of Chicago in the dead of winter without a coat on, I will judge you and think you are quite the goon. No matter how piercingly blue your eyes might be.