So this is what 22 looks like: You're home by 9:30 on your birthday. (I know that can mostly be attributed to my birthday being on a Thursday/Most people were up early this morning for work and also have to work early tomorrow morning, but it still felt weird.) Speaking of work... Tomorrow I am meeting my head teacher at 1:30, and then I officially start my job as an assistant Kindergarten teacher on Tuesday! I feel like a lot has happened since I last wrote. I'm just going to start with yesterday (the 27th).
I came into the city around 6:30PM for Charlie's Birthday. Charlie and Grace met me at the train stop, which was really sweet. That night Jessika met us for sushi at a place called Blue Fin Sushi Bar. It was the first time I had seen Jess since Charlie's graduation party, and I hadn't talked to her since I'd been back from Europe. I think it was one of the first times (besides my birthday tonight) that I had an "I'm a grownup" moment. We're all working full-time jobs in the city, in our own apartments, and Jess and Homie will be getting married this spring. I ordered a seaweed salad and Vege Tempura Maki: "a teardrop-shaped maki brimming with asparagus tempura, sweet potato tempura, shitake mushrrom, pickled yamagobo, pickled dykon, spinah and inari. It was very tasty, and it definitely filled me up. That wasn't all though. Grace ordered Charlie, (Karen) and I a cake from I believe Alliance Bakery. It was a hazelnut cake filled with fresh blueberries and strawberries, iced with chocolate fudge, and the birthday wish was written in hot pink. It was so cute, and it tasted even better! Jess wasn't feeling well, so she headed home. After a second piece of cake, Grace, Charlie and I watched What Happens in Vegas until they both went to bed. I finished it up and headed to bed myself. Since I hadn't slept well the night before, I silenced my phone.
I slept in this morning and woke up to a good number of text messages and a few voicemails, in addition to a card from Charlie. (Grace gave me mine last night.) They kept singing praises of Letizia's Natural Bakery, so I went there to get an Odwalla and a muffin before I headed over to my new apartment. The carrot raisin muffin I got was very good. It was actually the only option I had. (I guess that's what happens when you want a breakfast food around noon.) Oops! Then, I bought my monthly cta pass and headed over to what I now call home. :) I only have a suitcase's worth of things in my room right now, but I can't wait to fill it with all of my things. I don't really have much to say regarding the afternoon. I didn't have a key to go anywhere quite yet. Then, tonight I met Anique, Ashley and Lindsay at Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant. It was so delicious and different. I had only had Ethiopian once before. It was an interesting dynamic because Anique loves Ethiopian, and Lindsay and Ash had never had it. Unless they were being polite, I think it was an all around success. The honey wine was so delicious as were the sambusa appetizers and the vegetarian platter that I ate. I love being able to get a variety of tastes all at once.
I'm actually getting tired, so I think I'm going to go to bed. Thanks to everyone who helped make my birthday special! xoxo
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Downs and Ups
If I were to have written last night, the tone of this blog would have been completely different.
I stayed at my grandparents' house Monday night to enable me to catch a 7:35AM Metra train into Chicago. This means I woke up around 6 and left the house at 6:30. At 7:40 I received a phone call and learned that my 10AM interview was cancelled due to a family emergency. As a result I hung out at Corner Bakery and used their free wifi until I met up with Lauren (my potential roommate) around 2. We met at a cute cafe owned by one of her friends: Noble Tree Cafe. I got a honey plum tea with steamed soy, and it was very good; it didn't need any added sweetener! Even though we are different in some aspects, Lauren and I hit it off right away. (She thought we would because we're both virgos.) After we talked for awhile, we decided to go to Apartment People to look for an apartment together. We were only shown two apartments in out price range: both garden apartments that neither of us wanted to even consider. The bedrooms were so small that you couldn't fit much more than a bed in either room, and they kind of smelled like basements. After our first two showings, we decided it might be beneficial to to have another roommate our two. So then I got in touch with Rachel. Lauren and I parted ways for the night and planned to get together again Wednesday.
She called me around 10:45 Thursday morning to let me know that she had an appointment for us to see a place around 1:30. The place was a money location as it was five minutes or so from my job, but the rooms were terribly different in size. Lauren really liked it, but I did not feel like home to me. We decided to spend the rest of the day walking around the neighborhoods we like(d), searching for "For Rent" signs. I would guess we called 8 or so places but were only able to see one 3 bedroom at 6:30. The apartment was beautiful; the appliances hadn't even been installed yet. Saying that... It was also out of our price range. Lauren had to go, but Rachel and I went to Starbucks to get to know one another. After talking with her I thought the three of us might live really well together. When I went home I went on my good friend Craig's List and searched for 3 bedroom apt listings. I sent an e-mail to both girls and then tried to fall asleep. I had some of my worst nights of sleep these past few nights.
Yesterday morning Lauren and I had an appointment with the Apartment Finders. Mark made me feel optimistic. He didn't think it was practical for the two of us to look for three bedrooms (Rachel had to work til 5), but we started with 6 options. He couldn't get a hold of one; two were leased once we started, and we were not happy with the other ones we saw. At the end of our appointment we decided that we needed to change one of our search criteria: price, location or requirements. As Lauren and I grabbed a late lunch she encouraged me to search out other options. (I don't think she was too into the 3 bedroom idea.) By this time I was getting pretty down, but I was excited to be spending my night working with kids at McCormick Place. I was in the room with the 4-12 year-olds, and it really took everything else off of my mind. On my way over there I returned a call from Rupa. [Rupa signed a lease with three others but has decided to leave Chicago.] I found out about this situation via Craig's List but felt bad calling her back once Lauren and I started searching. Rupa and I set up an appointment for me to see the place today at 12:30.
After work I went over to Anique's to crash for the night. I hadn't seen her since graduation, so it was really nice to catch up. On the way over I learned that my Mom got tickets for the Cubs game on Wednesday night! Anique and I talked until we fell asleep and then slept in until about 10:30 this morning. The two of us grabbed lunch at a place called Orange: with a peel. (I think the name is so cute!) I took a break from the vegan life and did some brunch splitting with Anique: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (cinnamon-infused pancakes served with maple-pecan paste, served with vanilla glaze and powdered sugar) and Omelet #6 (a three egg omelet sauteed with garlic, forest mushrooms, asparagus, and dry aged jack cheese topped with with toasted almonds, then drizzled with balsamic reduction). I guess I was hungry because I ate my entire half! Anique was impressed. :)
I felt bad because I was running late to see the place, but Rupa and Tessa were incredibly understanding. I walked in the house and had a great feeling! Someone had created little mailboxes to sort the mail; there was a trash can and a recycling can; the kitchen table had fresh flowers on it, etc. It had everything I wanted and more: a dishwasher, a washer and dryer in the unit, close proximity to the Belmont el stop and Southport Corridor, a Whole Foods and gym close by, a back deck, a grassy area in back to lounge in... So while it's a little more than I wanted to spend, I fell in love and didn't want to look any more! <3 class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Evanston with Rupa, who had a writing workshop, and decided to head home and help Monica move back to Iowa tomorrow. It feels nice to be able to sit and not be worried about that stuff for a bit. I'm excited to take Moni to school and even more excited for my graduation party on Sunday! Things seem to be coming together fairly well.
I stayed at my grandparents' house Monday night to enable me to catch a 7:35AM Metra train into Chicago. This means I woke up around 6 and left the house at 6:30. At 7:40 I received a phone call and learned that my 10AM interview was cancelled due to a family emergency. As a result I hung out at Corner Bakery and used their free wifi until I met up with Lauren (my potential roommate) around 2. We met at a cute cafe owned by one of her friends: Noble Tree Cafe. I got a honey plum tea with steamed soy, and it was very good; it didn't need any added sweetener! Even though we are different in some aspects, Lauren and I hit it off right away. (She thought we would because we're both virgos.) After we talked for awhile, we decided to go to Apartment People to look for an apartment together. We were only shown two apartments in out price range: both garden apartments that neither of us wanted to even consider. The bedrooms were so small that you couldn't fit much more than a bed in either room, and they kind of smelled like basements. After our first two showings, we decided it might be beneficial to to have another roommate our two. So then I got in touch with Rachel. Lauren and I parted ways for the night and planned to get together again Wednesday.
She called me around 10:45 Thursday morning to let me know that she had an appointment for us to see a place around 1:30. The place was a money location as it was five minutes or so from my job, but the rooms were terribly different in size. Lauren really liked it, but I did not feel like home to me. We decided to spend the rest of the day walking around the neighborhoods we like(d), searching for "For Rent" signs. I would guess we called 8 or so places but were only able to see one 3 bedroom at 6:30. The apartment was beautiful; the appliances hadn't even been installed yet. Saying that... It was also out of our price range. Lauren had to go, but Rachel and I went to Starbucks to get to know one another. After talking with her I thought the three of us might live really well together. When I went home I went on my good friend Craig's List and searched for 3 bedroom apt listings. I sent an e-mail to both girls and then tried to fall asleep. I had some of my worst nights of sleep these past few nights.
Yesterday morning Lauren and I had an appointment with the Apartment Finders. Mark made me feel optimistic. He didn't think it was practical for the two of us to look for three bedrooms (Rachel had to work til 5), but we started with 6 options. He couldn't get a hold of one; two were leased once we started, and we were not happy with the other ones we saw. At the end of our appointment we decided that we needed to change one of our search criteria: price, location or requirements. As Lauren and I grabbed a late lunch she encouraged me to search out other options. (I don't think she was too into the 3 bedroom idea.) By this time I was getting pretty down, but I was excited to be spending my night working with kids at McCormick Place. I was in the room with the 4-12 year-olds, and it really took everything else off of my mind. On my way over there I returned a call from Rupa. [Rupa signed a lease with three others but has decided to leave Chicago.] I found out about this situation via Craig's List but felt bad calling her back once Lauren and I started searching. Rupa and I set up an appointment for me to see the place today at 12:30.
After work I went over to Anique's to crash for the night. I hadn't seen her since graduation, so it was really nice to catch up. On the way over I learned that my Mom got tickets for the Cubs game on Wednesday night! Anique and I talked until we fell asleep and then slept in until about 10:30 this morning. The two of us grabbed lunch at a place called Orange: with a peel. (I think the name is so cute!) I took a break from the vegan life and did some brunch splitting with Anique: Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (cinnamon-infused pancakes served with maple-pecan paste, served with vanilla glaze and powdered sugar) and Omelet #6 (a three egg omelet sauteed with garlic, forest mushrooms, asparagus, and dry aged jack cheese topped with with toasted almonds, then drizzled with balsamic reduction). I guess I was hungry because I ate my entire half! Anique was impressed. :)
I felt bad because I was running late to see the place, but Rupa and Tessa were incredibly understanding. I walked in the house and had a great feeling! Someone had created little mailboxes to sort the mail; there was a trash can and a recycling can; the kitchen table had fresh flowers on it, etc. It had everything I wanted and more: a dishwasher, a washer and dryer in the unit, close proximity to the Belmont el stop and Southport Corridor, a Whole Foods and gym close by, a back deck, a grassy area in back to lounge in... So while it's a little more than I wanted to spend, I fell in love and didn't want to look any more! <3 class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Evanston with Rupa, who had a writing workshop, and decided to head home and help Monica move back to Iowa tomorrow. It feels nice to be able to sit and not be worried about that stuff for a bit. I'm excited to take Moni to school and even more excited for my graduation party on Sunday! Things seem to be coming together fairly well.
Friday, August 8, 2008
I'm an Assistant Preschool Teacher (I think?!)
These past couple of days have been pretty crazy for me; my emotions have been up, and then they've shot down. The internet was down too, so this is going to be a long entry:
I had my interview Wednesday afternoon at 12:30PM. Since I like to save money/pollution, I try to take public transportation whenever possible, so my journey began with a 9:35 Metra train to Irving Park. I thought I left with plenty of time to catch the train (8:35). However, when I got to Harvard I could not find a parking spot. There was not a signing telling me that I couldn't, so I parked on the street. Then, as I stood in line to purchase my ticket, I saw a police car driving through the parking lot. I asked them if my parking location was okay, and they informed me that I would get a ticket if I parked there. I asked them if they had any suggestions for parking, and they told me no, but I would get a ticket if I parked there. (Gee... Thanks for the advice/help!) At this time I hadn't purchased my ticket but saw a conductor and asked him how much time I had. He responded that I had 4 mins. When I asked him if I had time to move my car, his response was, "if you're fast." I think I have tears in my eyes at this point because if my interview goes anything like my morning, I am in trouble. So I run to my car and circle the parking lot again: nothing! I happen to see the police officers who then tell me I should be okay parking by the water tower. I pull in there, hop out of my car (as all of the contents of my purse fall in the gravel), pick up my lip gloss, wallet, etc. and run on the train. When I look at my phone, the time reads 9:36. I obviously didn't have time to purchase my ticket inside (It's $2 more on the train.), so I waited to take off.
Well the train didn't depart until 9:44, so I definitely would have had time to buy a ticket. When the conductor came by and tried to charge me the $2 extra. I explained myself, and my luck turned a bit as he gave pity on me. I got some help from the woman behind me. She happened to be a teacher in Lake Geneva. She was very nice, and we talked for a bit. There was a Cubs game at Wrigley that day, so the train was full as well as running very far behind. I knew I was going to get to Irving Park later than expected, and I also figured the buses were going to be full of Cubs fans, so I decided to walk a bit and then take a cab the rest of the way.
I got a rush of excitement when I got off the train and saw a sea of blue, red and white. I became very jealous that I was not going to the game. As I walked I ended up behind a couple of fans (Dave and Chad) who had the same idea of getting a cab to Wrigley. When I told them I had an interview on W. Sheridan they invited me to share the cab with them. I learned that the two of them were celebrating Chad's 25th birthday. Chad didn't say a ton, but I do know that he now lives in Las Vegas and works as a bartender and server with the hopes of finding a bodyshop job. Chad goes to DePaul and is majoring in film (after thinking he was going to be a teacher in two different subjects). I think Dave may have had some drinks before the game, but he still had some nice compliments for me. When he asked me why I didn't have a boyfriend, he insisted that I will find one within three weeks of being in Chicago. (We'll see...) He also felt very confident that I was going to get this job. When I asked the guys if either of them had change, they insisted on paying for the cab. They told me that they were going that way any way; I just better get the job.
When I walked up to the doors of the school around 12:10, Sesame Street was painted on the windows. Now that was a good sign for me because I watched Sesame Street religiously as a child! I only had to wait about 5 minutes until I started the interview. I ended up staying there for two hours and receiving the job! I loved the director, her philosophies, the hours I'd work, the classroom(s), etc. The job was too good to be true!
As I walked to catch the el back to the train station, I realized maybe it was. When they had told me how much I'd be making per hour, I wasn't thrilled, but I also didn't expect a lot. Sadly, it's well-known that teachers are WAY underpaid! But when I got my phone calculator out to figure how much I'd make in a day, a week, a month, a year, I realized that it was even lower than I expected. Yet, I still felt optimistic and happy to report my news to friends and family. Now it was time to start the apartment search! Right before I went to bed I thought I'd go into my super organized mode and make a column of gains and a column of losses in regards to money for each month. After I realized the volume of things I'll be paying for (rent, electric, cable, groceries, gym membership, cta card, loan payments, fun...), I realized that everything that seemed so perfect might be setting me up for severe unhappiness. Yes, I could waitress or bartend on the weekends, but I'm going to be 22 in 20 days, and I want my weekends for myself. I could also potentially cut out on small things like a gym membership and maybe cut down on fun spending, but again... I don't want to do that. I have spend so much of my life working the whole week, and I don't want to do that anymore.
As luck would have it, I received a phone call yesterday afternoon for another teaching assistant position I had applied for. When I spoke with the director, she informed me that my credentials might qualify me to be a head preschool teacher in her school. This news was exciting/scary to me. Could I really have a classroom to myself?! I have an interview set up with her for 10AM on Tuesday. When I spoke with her yesterday, she informed me that classes will be staring in a couple of weeks. While I had set a goal for myself to start the Tuesday after Labor Day, now everything seems to be happening so quickly! I've started questioning if this is really what I want to be doing, or if my "go-getter" personality is getting the best of me. After talking with a few fabulous friends last night, everyone agreed that I should go to this interview on Tuesday and see how it goes. Also, I'm still free to continue searching other jobs because I have not signed any contracts. Needless to say I haven't been sleeping the best lately, and I am incredibly excited to go to yoga at noon followed by a Thai lunch with EmTemp. I just wanted to say thanks to all of my friends who have been so supportive, lent an ear, etc. You're the best!
I had my interview Wednesday afternoon at 12:30PM. Since I like to save money/pollution, I try to take public transportation whenever possible, so my journey began with a 9:35 Metra train to Irving Park. I thought I left with plenty of time to catch the train (8:35). However, when I got to Harvard I could not find a parking spot. There was not a signing telling me that I couldn't, so I parked on the street. Then, as I stood in line to purchase my ticket, I saw a police car driving through the parking lot. I asked them if my parking location was okay, and they informed me that I would get a ticket if I parked there. I asked them if they had any suggestions for parking, and they told me no, but I would get a ticket if I parked there. (Gee... Thanks for the advice/help!) At this time I hadn't purchased my ticket but saw a conductor and asked him how much time I had. He responded that I had 4 mins. When I asked him if I had time to move my car, his response was, "if you're fast." I think I have tears in my eyes at this point because if my interview goes anything like my morning, I am in trouble. So I run to my car and circle the parking lot again: nothing! I happen to see the police officers who then tell me I should be okay parking by the water tower. I pull in there, hop out of my car (as all of the contents of my purse fall in the gravel), pick up my lip gloss, wallet, etc. and run on the train. When I look at my phone, the time reads 9:36. I obviously didn't have time to purchase my ticket inside (It's $2 more on the train.), so I waited to take off.
Well the train didn't depart until 9:44, so I definitely would have had time to buy a ticket. When the conductor came by and tried to charge me the $2 extra. I explained myself, and my luck turned a bit as he gave pity on me. I got some help from the woman behind me. She happened to be a teacher in Lake Geneva. She was very nice, and we talked for a bit. There was a Cubs game at Wrigley that day, so the train was full as well as running very far behind. I knew I was going to get to Irving Park later than expected, and I also figured the buses were going to be full of Cubs fans, so I decided to walk a bit and then take a cab the rest of the way.
I got a rush of excitement when I got off the train and saw a sea of blue, red and white. I became very jealous that I was not going to the game. As I walked I ended up behind a couple of fans (Dave and Chad) who had the same idea of getting a cab to Wrigley. When I told them I had an interview on W. Sheridan they invited me to share the cab with them. I learned that the two of them were celebrating Chad's 25th birthday. Chad didn't say a ton, but I do know that he now lives in Las Vegas and works as a bartender and server with the hopes of finding a bodyshop job. Chad goes to DePaul and is majoring in film (after thinking he was going to be a teacher in two different subjects). I think Dave may have had some drinks before the game, but he still had some nice compliments for me. When he asked me why I didn't have a boyfriend, he insisted that I will find one within three weeks of being in Chicago. (We'll see...) He also felt very confident that I was going to get this job. When I asked the guys if either of them had change, they insisted on paying for the cab. They told me that they were going that way any way; I just better get the job.
When I walked up to the doors of the school around 12:10, Sesame Street was painted on the windows. Now that was a good sign for me because I watched Sesame Street religiously as a child! I only had to wait about 5 minutes until I started the interview. I ended up staying there for two hours and receiving the job! I loved the director, her philosophies, the hours I'd work, the classroom(s), etc. The job was too good to be true!
As I walked to catch the el back to the train station, I realized maybe it was. When they had told me how much I'd be making per hour, I wasn't thrilled, but I also didn't expect a lot. Sadly, it's well-known that teachers are WAY underpaid! But when I got my phone calculator out to figure how much I'd make in a day, a week, a month, a year, I realized that it was even lower than I expected. Yet, I still felt optimistic and happy to report my news to friends and family. Now it was time to start the apartment search! Right before I went to bed I thought I'd go into my super organized mode and make a column of gains and a column of losses in regards to money for each month. After I realized the volume of things I'll be paying for (rent, electric, cable, groceries, gym membership, cta card, loan payments, fun...), I realized that everything that seemed so perfect might be setting me up for severe unhappiness. Yes, I could waitress or bartend on the weekends, but I'm going to be 22 in 20 days, and I want my weekends for myself. I could also potentially cut out on small things like a gym membership and maybe cut down on fun spending, but again... I don't want to do that. I have spend so much of my life working the whole week, and I don't want to do that anymore.
As luck would have it, I received a phone call yesterday afternoon for another teaching assistant position I had applied for. When I spoke with the director, she informed me that my credentials might qualify me to be a head preschool teacher in her school. This news was exciting/scary to me. Could I really have a classroom to myself?! I have an interview set up with her for 10AM on Tuesday. When I spoke with her yesterday, she informed me that classes will be staring in a couple of weeks. While I had set a goal for myself to start the Tuesday after Labor Day, now everything seems to be happening so quickly! I've started questioning if this is really what I want to be doing, or if my "go-getter" personality is getting the best of me. After talking with a few fabulous friends last night, everyone agreed that I should go to this interview on Tuesday and see how it goes. Also, I'm still free to continue searching other jobs because I have not signed any contracts. Needless to say I haven't been sleeping the best lately, and I am incredibly excited to go to yoga at noon followed by a Thai lunch with EmTemp. I just wanted to say thanks to all of my friends who have been so supportive, lent an ear, etc. You're the best!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
My First Interview!
That's right... I have my first interview tomorrow, and I am incredibly excited about it! I don't want to get my hopes up, but I think it's a really good fit for me. After all of my searching through universities and hospitals, I found this posting on Craig's List. I applied last night, to be an assistant teacher, and they called me back this morning to set up an interview for tomorrow afternoon. It is located in Wrigleyville and serves the surrounding areas of Uptown, Lakeview and Lincoln Park (all areas in which I plan to apartment hunt). If I receive the position, I would be working with little ones up to 6 years of age. I feel very much aligned with their philosophies. They believe in a small child/teacher ratio, intro to English and Spanish, healthy snacks, learning through interaction and more. Hopefully I'll have good news tomorrow night. (Please keep your fingers crossed for me!)
In other positive news, I received a position to work at special events for Kiddie Korps! I received a phone call about that yesterday and have an event coming up on Thursday evening Aug 14th. Yesterday was a perfect depiction of my typical day (for those of you who are wondering). I went to the grocery store. My Mom hates going, and I love it! Then, I prepared the night's dinner, which focused on using cucumbers. I made "Cool as a Cucumber Soup," a "Garbs and Carbs" salad w a "Cucumber Raita" yogurt-like dressing. As that chilled/marinated in the fridge, I went to North Pointe for a kickboxing class. After dinner with the fam I conducted some job research and read before bed.
If I haven't said this already, I started cooking a lot since I decided to eat vegan, and I really enjoy it. I made granola this morning before I worked out and met Karen and Em Temp for coffee at Starbucks. I had missed them a lot! Then, tonight I marinated eggplant and zucchini for my Mom to throw on the grill. I finished off the meal with homemade chocolate chip cookie bars. I don't think a meal's complete without a little dessert. :)
In other positive news, I received a position to work at special events for Kiddie Korps! I received a phone call about that yesterday and have an event coming up on Thursday evening Aug 14th. Yesterday was a perfect depiction of my typical day (for those of you who are wondering). I went to the grocery store. My Mom hates going, and I love it! Then, I prepared the night's dinner, which focused on using cucumbers. I made "Cool as a Cucumber Soup," a "Garbs and Carbs" salad w a "Cucumber Raita" yogurt-like dressing. As that chilled/marinated in the fridge, I went to North Pointe for a kickboxing class. After dinner with the fam I conducted some job research and read before bed.
If I haven't said this already, I started cooking a lot since I decided to eat vegan, and I really enjoy it. I made granola this morning before I worked out and met Karen and Em Temp for coffee at Starbucks. I had missed them a lot! Then, tonight I marinated eggplant and zucchini for my Mom to throw on the grill. I finished off the meal with homemade chocolate chip cookie bars. I don't think a meal's complete without a little dessert. :)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Go Cubs Go!
Yea!! The Cubs just beat the Pirates (8-5) and are now up five games. (I'm jealous because this time my parents are at the game.)
I don't have a lot to report after these past couple of days, but I'd rather write now than wait and have a lot to write about. Yesterday morning I went to a farmers' market in Beloit. It wasn't quite the same as San Francisco, but I got a lot of fresh vegetables and made an awesome stir-fry for dinner last night. I also bought Amish apple butter, dried cantaloupe (very good) and a necklace made by Jinga Jewlery: a line of fair trade jewlery from Uganda. (Check it out at http://www.jinjaproject.com/). I spent some time with my grandparents, worked out and then went back to job searching. I found and applied for a job as an assistant preschool teacher at Loyola's Lake Shore campus. Other than that... No new job updates. Today I've just been cleaning and organizing. It's a good thing to do on a Sunday. Since I lost my camera in Paris, Linds mailed me all of her pictures on cds. I just went through all of them, and I want to go back!
I don't have a lot to report after these past couple of days, but I'd rather write now than wait and have a lot to write about. Yesterday morning I went to a farmers' market in Beloit. It wasn't quite the same as San Francisco, but I got a lot of fresh vegetables and made an awesome stir-fry for dinner last night. I also bought Amish apple butter, dried cantaloupe (very good) and a necklace made by Jinga Jewlery: a line of fair trade jewlery from Uganda. (Check it out at http://www.jinjaproject.com/). I spent some time with my grandparents, worked out and then went back to job searching. I found and applied for a job as an assistant preschool teacher at Loyola's Lake Shore campus. Other than that... No new job updates. Today I've just been cleaning and organizing. It's a good thing to do on a Sunday. Since I lost my camera in Paris, Linds mailed me all of her pictures on cds. I just went through all of them, and I want to go back!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thanks Mom and Dad!
Thanks to my parents I have spent the past couple of days completely away from the job search. Therefore, this post is going to be a bit long. The couple of updates I do have regarding jobs are as follows: I have not heard anything back from the resumes I sent out to Childrens and UChicago (which I guess is better than a rejection), and I received a call from KiddieCorp. KiddieCorp is a need based agency that hires people for special events in Chicago. So hopefully I'll e working an event in a couple of weekends.
So onto the fun: On Wednesday my Mom, Monica and I left our house around 2:30 to tailgate the Cubs game @ Miller Park. (My Mom bought me a Fukudome shirt to wear, which was a very nice surprise! Monica represented #25 D Lee.) We loaded the cooler with lots of goodies: fruit salad, vegetables and hummus, beer (of course), chips and some faux egg salad sandwiches :). We didn't actually have the tickets yet; we were supposed to meet up with a "professional scalper" (in the words of my father) named "Big Shaun" around 5. My Mom was incredibly anxious. She kept checking her watch and asking me whether or not she should call him. When I told her to call him, she wouldn't, so I ended up calling him. I got a little nervous when I got his voicemail, which was no longer accepting messages, but he called back a few minutes later. My Mom and Monica went to get the tickets (They were gone for quite awhile.) and returned with three bleacher seats in the third section by the third baseline. He originally told us he would have three in the first or second section, but I guess it didn't work out? It seems to me like that whole scalping thing is an art. With that being said... It's not mine. Tailgating was pretty low key in comparison to what came next. We were surrounded by a ton of drunk, rowdy guys. There were some rude Brewers fans behind us that literally pulled Monica and I down when we stood up to cheer for the Cubs. The same guys were also chewing tobacco. They got it all over a sweatshirt Monica brought to sit on and I kept getting spit on the back of my legs... lovely! At one time I guess the guy was feeling nice, so he told my Mom and Sister that they both had nice behinds. (If you don't know Monica, she has quite the ghetto booty, and guys love it!) When I jokingly gave him a hard time for not complimenting me in any way, he told me that he would be arrested if he said what he wanted to say to me. Okay... CREEPY!! At one point in the game I got a delicious $10.50 bloody mary. (I guess that's a perk of being home and spending time with your parents.) It came with a skewer of olives, cheese, beef jerky and a big pickle in the middle. (I passed off everything but the pickle.) Overall the game wasn't incredibly exciting, but it was a W and we were happy about that. On the way in Big Shaun said he was going to have tickets for Thursday's game. We called him on the way home and decided that the two of us would go with our 13 year-old cousin Joey and Justin (He's my sister's ex-boyfriend, yet still really good friend? It's confusing.).
So after getting home around 12:30AM I woke back up at 8 on Thursday to get ready for the game. It was hard to get out of bed, but it was an AWESOME game!! I saw Edmonds hit a home run, followed by a grand slam his next time up to bat. (The stands were crazy!!) There were also home runs by Soriano, Ramirez and Fukudome; the Brewers 2nd pitcher of the game was kicked out for intentionally trying to hit Edmonds and Fielder got ejected for breaking his bat after his pop fly was caught. Other noteworthy events of the game include me not being able to bring my broom in :( (I was so excited that Monica and I thought to bring them.), more scalping craziness and post-parking lot banter I got in.
It started out with somebody calling us "yuppies" on the way out.
Me: "I believe the term is winners."
radom Brewers fan: You're ugly!
Me: okay?
another random Brewers fan (while running around my car): "I have AIDS. I'm from Boystown."
Me: Wrigley Field's in Wrigleyville. Nice try though."
I was a little offended that the girl called me ugly. Plus, I wish I would have told her that I'd rather be a yuppy that a hillbilly any day! haha
Everyone fell asleep on the drive home. I tried to go to the gym once I got back, but that was pretty much worthless. I felt exhausted. I would have gone to bed as soon as I got home, but I was hungry. I made some food, watched the highlights of the game on the news and was in bed around 10.
I slept until 10:30. Friday (If Monica hadn't woken me up, I may have slept longer!) I got ready to go and Joey from my grandparents' house with Monica. I had promised Joey that we would take him to see a movie this week. He picked The Incredible Hulk last time, so Monica and I picked The Dark Knight. Superhero movies aren't always my thing, but I thought this was phenomenal, especially Heath Ledger. There was one part in the movie where I got teary-eyed just thinking about his death. After the movie I went to the gym quick followed by a visit to my grandmother's house with my Mom and Dad. She recently got out of the hospital yesterday after a double bypass last week. Since there were so many people there, and we were hungry, we didn't stay too long. My parents and I went out to eat at the Irish Rose in downtown Rockford where I ordered pesto sweet corn and a wood grilled portobella mushroom- very tasty! When I got home I watched 21 with Monica, Justin and my Dad.
So onto the fun: On Wednesday my Mom, Monica and I left our house around 2:30 to tailgate the Cubs game @ Miller Park. (My Mom bought me a Fukudome shirt to wear, which was a very nice surprise! Monica represented #25 D Lee.) We loaded the cooler with lots of goodies: fruit salad, vegetables and hummus, beer (of course), chips and some faux egg salad sandwiches :). We didn't actually have the tickets yet; we were supposed to meet up with a "professional scalper" (in the words of my father) named "Big Shaun" around 5. My Mom was incredibly anxious. She kept checking her watch and asking me whether or not she should call him. When I told her to call him, she wouldn't, so I ended up calling him. I got a little nervous when I got his voicemail, which was no longer accepting messages, but he called back a few minutes later. My Mom and Monica went to get the tickets (They were gone for quite awhile.) and returned with three bleacher seats in the third section by the third baseline. He originally told us he would have three in the first or second section, but I guess it didn't work out? It seems to me like that whole scalping thing is an art. With that being said... It's not mine. Tailgating was pretty low key in comparison to what came next. We were surrounded by a ton of drunk, rowdy guys. There were some rude Brewers fans behind us that literally pulled Monica and I down when we stood up to cheer for the Cubs. The same guys were also chewing tobacco. They got it all over a sweatshirt Monica brought to sit on and I kept getting spit on the back of my legs... lovely! At one time I guess the guy was feeling nice, so he told my Mom and Sister that they both had nice behinds. (If you don't know Monica, she has quite the ghetto booty, and guys love it!) When I jokingly gave him a hard time for not complimenting me in any way, he told me that he would be arrested if he said what he wanted to say to me. Okay... CREEPY!! At one point in the game I got a delicious $10.50 bloody mary. (I guess that's a perk of being home and spending time with your parents.) It came with a skewer of olives, cheese, beef jerky and a big pickle in the middle. (I passed off everything but the pickle.) Overall the game wasn't incredibly exciting, but it was a W and we were happy about that. On the way in Big Shaun said he was going to have tickets for Thursday's game. We called him on the way home and decided that the two of us would go with our 13 year-old cousin Joey and Justin (He's my sister's ex-boyfriend, yet still really good friend? It's confusing.).
So after getting home around 12:30AM I woke back up at 8 on Thursday to get ready for the game. It was hard to get out of bed, but it was an AWESOME game!! I saw Edmonds hit a home run, followed by a grand slam his next time up to bat. (The stands were crazy!!) There were also home runs by Soriano, Ramirez and Fukudome; the Brewers 2nd pitcher of the game was kicked out for intentionally trying to hit Edmonds and Fielder got ejected for breaking his bat after his pop fly was caught. Other noteworthy events of the game include me not being able to bring my broom in :( (I was so excited that Monica and I thought to bring them.), more scalping craziness and post-parking lot banter I got in.
It started out with somebody calling us "yuppies" on the way out.
Me: "I believe the term is winners."
radom Brewers fan: You're ugly!
Me: okay?
another random Brewers fan (while running around my car): "I have AIDS. I'm from Boystown."
Me: Wrigley Field's in Wrigleyville. Nice try though."
I was a little offended that the girl called me ugly. Plus, I wish I would have told her that I'd rather be a yuppy that a hillbilly any day! haha
Everyone fell asleep on the drive home. I tried to go to the gym once I got back, but that was pretty much worthless. I felt exhausted. I would have gone to bed as soon as I got home, but I was hungry. I made some food, watched the highlights of the game on the news and was in bed around 10.
I slept until 10:30. Friday (If Monica hadn't woken me up, I may have slept longer!) I got ready to go and Joey from my grandparents' house with Monica. I had promised Joey that we would take him to see a movie this week. He picked The Incredible Hulk last time, so Monica and I picked The Dark Knight. Superhero movies aren't always my thing, but I thought this was phenomenal, especially Heath Ledger. There was one part in the movie where I got teary-eyed just thinking about his death. After the movie I went to the gym quick followed by a visit to my grandmother's house with my Mom and Dad. She recently got out of the hospital yesterday after a double bypass last week. Since there were so many people there, and we were hungry, we didn't stay too long. My parents and I went out to eat at the Irish Rose in downtown Rockford where I ordered pesto sweet corn and a wood grilled portobella mushroom- very tasty! When I got home I watched 21 with Monica, Justin and my Dad.
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