Happy Tofurkey Day! ;)

Watching Christmas movies, like Miracle on 34th Street and Elf, is an enjoyable way to relax on the holidays and catch up on e-mails (since my computer is down). Do you know what will also help? My massage tomorrow morning. :) My family usually puts our Christmas tree up, but a few strands of lights are currently burnt out. :(

Switching gears: I almost missed my train home on Wednesday. There was a lot of standstill traffic, and I felt like my bus hit all of the red lights. As the stops flashed across the front of the bus, so did the times. After awhile, I had to close my eyes; it was getting way too down to the wire! I got off the bus and pulled my bag up the stairs as I saw the lights of the train coming from downtown. The train ride went by quickly as I read the Red Eye and developed my plans for Thanksgiving food prep. Monica, her new boy (Tyler) and my cousin Joey picked me up from the Harvard train station. We made a couple of grocery stops and then made our way over to my Grandma's. She took me to get a new id, since I lost mine a couple of months ago, followed by my haircut. After that, it was time to get going. After I baked my pumpkin cheesecake and pecan crust, I relaxed a bit before hitting up the bars in the Rockton/Roscoe area. I went to the Village Pub where I met up with Emily and a good number of people that we graduated with. Then, after awhile, we went over to Jim Ez. It is always nice to see people that I have not seen in awhile, but it is also very overwhelming. Not only is the bar crowded and loud, there can be so much to catch up on (depending on the person). It also was not the same without "my girls." Last year everyone in the Super 7 was in town to celebrate the holidays, but Karen and Catherine are out of town; Grace didn't go out; Charlie had to work, and Jess and I ended up missing each other.

I was tired and as a result did not stay out too late. I woke up this morning to watch the second half of the Macy's Parade and to get going on my food. I was really happy with how everything turned out, especially the pumpkin cheesecake and the gravy! (I plan to make biscuits tomorrow morning for biscuits and gravy.) Sadly, I wasn't able to make the mashed potatoes that I planned on, but I improvised and made a kale side dish. Needless to say, I am still filled up from the afternoon's food, and my Mom already asked me what I am making for Christmas. haha

We said Grace at our meal today, but we never went around to say what we are most thankful for. I would say supportive friends and family and good health are the biggest two for me at the moment. I hope everyone reading this had a delightful holiday. Now, on to Christmas!

This is Going to Be a Long One!

I am going on four hours of sleep and am so ready for bed, but I really want to talk about the wonderful weekend I had before I embark on my five day weekend tomorrow! Caitlin got into Chicago Friday afternoon. I knew I would be meeting up with her later in the evening, but immediately after work Dominique and I grabbed dinner at Subway (thanks to Elton's dad) to discuss the kids, upcoming goals, progress reports, etc. I think we both felt like we had more to talk about than we actually did, but either way, I always enjoy spending time with her. Afterwards I had the option of taking the el & the bus or taking a bus. Instead of heading toward the el with Dominique, I thought the bus would be faster. After getting in touch with Sara (It had been awhile.), and talking to her for about 30 mins, I realized that the express was not picking up at that stop. As I started walking I discovered that my toes were very, very cold. I came home, had a quick hot chocolate break and set off for Ellie, Vannch and Delaney's place. Caitlin opened the door, and it made me realize just how much I had missed her! Her visit brought along a good group of people: we ended up staying at the apartment for awhile. Cait, Ema, Anique and I headed to Prost, only to learn that everyone had relocated to Grand Central. I think we had about 30 mins til bar close, but at least we got out for a little bit.

I did not wake up until noonish on Saturday- hadn't done that in awhile. I lazed about until I decided to go workout. I learned that poor Ellie got food poisoning, and Cait was going to chill with her for awhile. Later that afternoon I met Dominique downtown to watch the "Magnificent Mile Disney Light Parade." It wasn't anything extremely long or exciting, but it definitely helped put me in the Christmas spirit. Being downtown with all of the Christmas lights is pretty magical to me. :) How ironic is this?! I stopped into Borders with Dominique and ended up running into Charlie briefly. In regards to location, it would have made more sense to stay downtown and head over to Marissa's (to celebrate her birthday), but my phone was low on battery, and I was a little hungry. 

Marissa lives in a beautiful apartment in Old Town; she looked fabulous, and the Birthday (aka Deloitte) Party was so much fun. I call it a "Deloitte Party" because primarily everyone in attendance was one of her co-workers. She kept apologizing to me, but everyone was really nice, and I enjoyed meeting new people. I was really enjoying myself but also wanted to get over to Ya Chin's going away party at Citizen Bar. Ya Chin and I are in the same sorority. She is one year older than me and was one of my New Member Educators. She recently landed a job working for China's equivalent of the NBA. She and I were never incredibly close, but it was crazy for me to think that I have a lot less likely of a chance to meet up with her. I got a little choked up as I said good bye, and she left me with, "I know I don't have to worry about you. You're a good one. Now go and do something important with your life." I really appreciate the kind words and expect nothing but success from her. :) 

I got a nice workout in Sunday morning before I had a little baking fun. I made a granola I had been eyeing (Molasses Crunch) followed by some chocolate chip cookies with pecans. I had been craving cookies, and these definitely satisfied my sweet tooth. The granola had I unique flavor; the recipe included some lemon zest, which served as a nice compliment to the molasses. After a good amount of clean up, I made my first ever, quick stop in  thrift store. What a fun experience?! There was some old school stuff in there, but I bet you can find some great stuff if you go in a lot. I found a cute,$2  brown lace shirt from Express. Some people don't like to think that these items were somewhere else first, but I think it makes the shopping even more interesting. Caitlin arrived to stay with me around 4:30. We hung out and caught up at my place and then went to dinner with Lindsay at Frasca Pizzeria/Wine Bar. Caitlin and I shared a flight of bruschetta, and the olive oil that came with the bread had a unique flavor to it. Caitlin ordered the prosciutto (olive oil, fresh mozzarella, arugula and prosciutto) pizza; I chose the caponata (tomato sauce, eggplant, red peppers, mushrooms and artichokes). The night concluded by watching the American Music Awards. 

From my long post, you can tell that it was quite the "social butterfly" weekend for me, and it continued into last night. Caitlin wanted to meet some of my students, so she came around 5. They totally showed off for her. Then, Caitlin had told me that she was up for trying some vegan food. I had heard good things about Karyn's Cooked (www.karynraw.com). We headed over to Wells after work and started the meal with a spiced apple cider wine served in a coffee mug. It was delicious and hit the spot on  cold night. We shared a mixed basket of cauliflower, zucchini and mushrooms dusted and deep fried in olive oil. It was delicious! Then we ordered two entrees to share: Classic Lasagna (homemade classic with smoke spinach and tofu ricotta) and a "steak" wrap (thinly sliced tofu/seitan grilled with onion sand peppers with romaine lettuce and chipotle sauce, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla). The lasagna tasted very similar to a recipe I followed recently. The wrap was not quite what I had expected. The chipotle sauce was incredibly spicy! I liked the "grilled" flavor," but it felt like a lunch sandwich. By the end of the meal, I was stuffed, but we couldn't not order dessert. We split an enormous piece of German chocolate cake. The coconut topping and fudge on the sides was decadent, but the cake itself was not as soft as I would have liked it. I would describe it as dense and dry. That may explain why I just ate the really rich topping. I felt like the service/our waitress was okay- not the best. 

According to Mr. Scott Carr, Cait's Dad, a shot of espresso is the key to re-energizing after a large meal. I don't know about her, but I wish it would have worked a little better for me. We went to State Restaurant to visit Ellie. Then, Anique and Ema stopped by. Ema had a lot of work to do, but despite my very tired, heavy eyes, Anique, Cait and I headed to Guthrie's Tavern. Anique had been raving about it, and now I know why: I felt very comfortable in the small space with painted ceiling tiles. There the three of us played an amusing game of balderdash. If you haven't played it, you definitely should! With the walk home, and a bit more talking before bed, my head finally hit the pillow around 3AM.

I was out solid until my alarm went off at 7AM. The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday was enough motivation to get me out of bed. I definitely felt a bit out of it once the day started though; I don't know how some people do it. After I got home from work there was laundry to be done, dinner to be made, things to be packed and a Large grocery list to be made. I embarked on a large endeavor of planning to cook my first Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. The tentative lineup includes tofurkey, "mighty miso gravy," mashed garlic potatoes with kale, "maple glazed sweet potatoes," green bean casserole and a pumpkin cheesecake with a homemade pecan crust. I hope it all tuns out well! Now it's time to fold some laundry and get to bed.   

And Now I Know Why They Call It "The Greatest Show on Earth"

Yes, that's right. I, along with a large group of preschoolers and Kindergartners, went to Ringling Brothers: Barnum & Bailey Circus this afternoon. I would say that I was pretty spoiled as a child, but I did realize recently that my parents never took me to the circus. Well, it made today even more exciting. As soon as I entered the United Center, there was an elephant painting a picture, acrobats warming up and clowns all over the place. (Fortunately they were all pretty friendly looking.) Talk about being overstimulated. Once the show began, I never knew where to look; there was something going on in every direction of the stage. We were not able to see the entire show (We missed the grand finale), but in our time there I saw trained tigers, dogs that ran to jump and catch Frisbees, horses that carried people, ponies that carried goats, clowns, acrobats, motorcycle riders: 7 total in a fairly small cage and one on a tightrope, clowns and more. The acrobatic tricks and the motorcycle men in the cage honestly made me nervous! I am such a worrier sometimes.

As I sat there watching the show, my mind started wondering: What is it like to be a circus performer? How's the social life? the love life? How does one decide to be part of the circus? What would my parents think if I told them that I had made this decision? How are the animals really treated? I recently read Water for Elephants, and now I feel like I want to read more circus-inspired novels. I was truly amazed at everything that went on at the show as did the students. Most of them stayed in their seats the entire time. That is, unless they were dancing.

This week has gone by incredibly fast for me. I cannot believe that tomorrow is already Friday. Caitlin's coming into town, which I am very excited about, and there is also a large lighting parade taking place Saturday. Then, I know Monday and Tuesday will fly by. I am taking a half day on Wednesday and taking the metra home for the traditional bar crawl pre-Thanksgiving and lunner with my family on Thursday. :)

Besides the circus, today was good for another couple of reasons. One of the fathers from my class left me a card that said, "Thank you for the time you take to teach my son. I'm hoping that one day he's able to attend a great university like the one you attended." It was short and simple but much appreciated. He also bought me a Subway giftcard. Then, I'm thinking most of you remember "Anna." (If not, she is one of the students that made me want to quit my job a few times.) In addition to babysitting her a few times, her grandfather informed me today that I am her "plan B." I had no idea what he was talking about until he explained that this weekend "Anna" said to him, "I want Miss Karissa to be my Mommy. She looks like Sleeping Beauty." I don't think looks are a good indicator of parenting skills, but I was very flattered by the comment. The two of us have built quite a special relationship- I don't think a day goes without her telling me that she loves me, even if I am in the middle of reading a story to the others. Working with her on her anger issues has made me reconsider going into psychology and working with children. As usual though, I still am not really sure.

Tuesdays are my Mondays

I say that because Tuesdays are always more stressful than Mondays: I work longer hours, and there are more kids at school. One of my co-workers REALLY likes routine, and when something does not go according to her plan, she stresses out. Unfortunately, I sometimes pick up on her stress. She does not always speak to me in the best tone, which I do not appreciate. I did switch my Tues, Wed, Thurs hours from 8-6 to 8:30-6:30 so that I have a little more time to myself in the mornings (if I can get out of bed). I intend for this to make a positive impact on my mood. After work last night I met Anique and Eliz and went to my first Second City show. It was a great thing to do on a Monday night. The skits were based on the holidays, and I definitely got in some good laughs. My favorite was a guy "Frost they Snowman" who walked around with sticks as arms.

As for my weekend: It was nothing too exciting but very enjoyable. I went over to Jessi's after work Friday night. She made another delicious dinner: apple muffins, vegetable soup, Shepherd's Pie and pumpkin pie. I stayed over there for a couple of hours and then received a phone call from Lauren. She wanted to finally see The Secret Life of Bees. She, Melanie and Rachel picked me up, and we headed downtown to the movie theaters only to discover that it was sold out! We couldn't believe it; the movie's not even showing at some theaters anymore. I must say... There is potential for some great people watching at the theaters. Lauren and I had a great time seeing everyone coming up the escalators, standing in line, etc. I was going to go back to their apartment but wouldn't have had a very reliable ride home later at night. As a result, I called it an early night. That was okay though because I babysat 8-2:15 on Saturday. Then, I ran my typical errands and relaxed for the rest of the day. Grace came over that night, and we watched The Breakup as we caught up on life.

Sunday was a rejuvenating day for me. I went to a spin class in the morning, followed by a delicious breakfast of cinnamon, apple and raisin pancakes. While it was really cold outside, I found it refreshing. I met my head teacher, Dominique (who I absolutely love), downtown that night to evaluate our students. We had dinner at The Grand Lux Cafe. There were only two dinner options for me, but I ended up loving my dish: Crispy Sesame Tofu served with Stir-Fried Vegetables in a spicy szechuan orange sauce with steamed rice. The dinner allowed me to think about the students in a positive way and why I like the job. When I get going, I have so many funny/sweet stories to share about them. Yesterday one of them whispered in my ear, "You're beautiful." How can you not smile at that? :) We conducted our evaluations and then walked along Michigan Ave for a bit. It was lightly snowing, and it made me excited to think about Christmas time in Chicago (not that most of the decorations aren't up already). Then we made a ghiradelli stop. She was craving a brownie, and I ordered a hot chocolate. I must say... The drink failed to meet my expectations, but it was nice to talk with Dominique outside of the classroom. With so many little ears around, we don't often talk about our love life (mine=non-existent), our goals for the future, etc.

It's about time for me to get back at it, but as I offered Jessi well wishes on the phone last night (She's heading to London to become a certified ESL teacher and then going to Thailand to teach and take scubadiving lessons.), she encouraged me to blog everyday about something I learned. I will get back to you on that one. :)

Today's a Low

and with that being said... I am just going to type as much as I can for these last 15 minutes of my lunch break. (For me writing can be a great form of therapy.) Work/teaching has been frustrating for me this week, which is causing me to question my job in general. I feel like I spend so much of my time at school "controlling" the kid and trying to be consistent that I do not teach very often. Then, when I go home at night, I'm not my usual self. Instead of going to the gym or spending time with my friends, I tend to go home and be by myself. I know that "me time" is always important, but I feel like it's been happening too much. My co-worker posed a good point: maybe it's a full-time job in general that is causing this change. Regardless, I don't feel like myself, and I do not like the way I feel.

I have also begun to question whether or not my talents are truly being utilized as a teacher. Don't get me wrong, I have gained so so much respect for teachers, but I do not think my hardworking, perfectionist personality necessarily makes the best teacher. (My friend Tim, who is teaching English in South Korea, eluded to this as well.) I see teachers as having far more patience then I do. Great teachers never appear to be bothered by much of anything. Maybe it's best not to spend much time worrying about lesson plans. Right now I feel like I am losing my love for working with children, which I do NOT want to happen. As I wrote cover letters and sent out resumes this summer, I realized that every past job of mine has dealt with children. I still love babysitting (for the most part).

I think this is just a bad day, and I'm sure the weather doesn't help either, but I am looking forward to a new day!

Back to Cold, but Some Things are DIfferent!

Like Barack Obama being our President!! Up until Tuesday afternoon I did not have any intentions of making my way to Grant Park. A few people told me that the Chicago Police Department was terrified, and it was probably going to be dangerous. However, once Charlie gchatted me and invited me to join her and Grace in some partaking of American history, I really started to think it over. I declined at the time but couldn't stop thinking about the offer. I currently live in Chicago, so I had the opportunity to partake in the celebration of the first African American President. Yet, based on past news accounts of the way Chicago fans respond to victories (ie the Bulls World Championships back in the day), my stomach felt a little uneasy. Plus, I had to be into work at 8 the next morning. Was the partying/celebrating going to last all night?

On my walk home from work I learned from Jess that Grace and Charlie were on the waiting list to get into the ticketed section. Well shoot... I wasn't that special. My co-worker, Dominique, felt mixed as well. Then, once I got home and spoke to my roommate, Melissa, it was a go! Melissa and I ate dinner, put on blue dresses (It was such a beautiful night: a cotton dress, a fleece coat and flip flops was all I needed.) and met Dominique at Belmont. I have to be honest... I still felt some uneasiness after I made my decision, but I remembered a quote I read and liked at yoga the night before: "Every day do something that you are afraid of." This was mine for the day.

As soon as the train dropped us off downtown, I could feel nothing but positive energy. The scene reminded me of a parade as tons of people walked through the streets. There was a very small "security checkpoint," but many things could have passed by. On our way in I found this awesome sign on the ground that provided a great centerpiece for my pictures of the evening. I will post them soon. We also bought some American flags and buttons to show our support. We probably arrived at our spot around 8:45, Luckily there was a projection screen not too far from where we were standing so that we could watch, and cheer, each time Obama won a state. I felt bad that my Mom, one of the biggest Obama supporters I know, wasn't there with me. I tried to make her feel like a part of it by texting her and calling her when we found out Obama won at 10PM. At first I didn'tknow if he won the whole thing or if he won another state. My sister texted me to be careful and not "get trampled." She also asked me if people were "throwing couches and setting cars on fire."

Believe it or not, I did not see anything crazy at all and haven't heard about anything either. I thought McCain's concession speech was a positive won, and it was great to hear Obama's first speech as President. I am still amazed at how many countries (270) tuned in to our election. I, and so many others in this world, were so happy and hopeful Tuesday night. Melissa, Dominique and I surprisingly caught the first train to arrive, and I was home by 1:30. I will forever remember that night, who I was with, the crowd, etc. I'm not sure what time I finally made it to bed, but it was difficult to wake up the next morning until I remembered that it was a new day. :)

If only my positive thoughts could have continued throughout the day... I've been spending a good amount of time in the preschool classroom lately in preparation for my possible transition. That day one of the three year-old boys punched me in the nose with a closed fist after I put him in time out. He hit me right where it made my eyes water, so I had to leave the room. I guess one of the other teachers really let him have it, so he was apologetic when I came back to the room. (Too bad he spit in my face later that day.) It's situations like that which make me most frustrated. The boy does not respond to any forms of punishment. Anyone can tell that he runs the house and always gets what he wants at home (which is not a positive place for him). From what I know his parents are separated, and his Mom works long hours, which leaves his high school aged sister to care for him. He will definitely be a project for me.

The following night I received a call from my friend Ashley. She wanted to know if I had any desire to go rollerblading with her along the lakefront. I hadn't done that yet, so I headed over there post-dinner, and we went for a rather windy, evening rollerblade trip. Nothing too exciting for the rest of the week. I've been battling getting sick, so I didn't do much at night. Last night I went over to Jessi's house (the girl I met at Soul Vegetarian East last Saturday). She introduced me to a couple of her friends, Staci and Marie, and together we shared an enormous and delicious vegan dinner of minestrone soup, salad, focaccia bread with a spinach and artichoke dip, pasta with sauteed vegetables and a homemade cilantro pesto dip and banana brownies for dessert. She just asked me to bring the wine, so I did, but I felt like my contribution paled in comparison to the rest of the meal. It was really enjoyable to meet new people. Even though I knew I had to wake up at 6AM this morning, I didn't want to leave. I only left with Staci and Marie around 11:45.

This morning's conference in Schaumburg was very informative, and it gave me some inspiration and new ideas to start the week. I was fortunate to grab a nap before I headed to babysitting at 6. It was an easy night: one in bed at 6:30, the other 7:30. I cleaned up and then typed up my week for all of you to read. Now it's time to catch up on other stuff. I may go into Evanston for Northwestern's Founders Day (if I wake up in time) tomorrow, and I am going to The Balanced Kitchen for dinner. It's an all organic, gluten free, vegan restaurant. I cannot wait to try it!

So Confused but Loving It!

With Halloween in the past and Thanksgiving on the way I would expect the 40 degree weather that we had earlier this week. However, I love the 65/Easter-like weather of today! Oh my gosh... I just checked the weather for tomorrow: 75 and sunny! :) This warm weather in November may be attributed to global warming, which is never good. Yet, I can't help but embrace the warmer temperatures. I think this is my ideal climate. I would be happy if every day oscillated between 60 and 80.



Now for my highlights of the week: My friend had her baby boy (Parker) on the 28th at 11:11PM. I went to the hospital for a visit on Wednesday night. It was the first time that I can remember holding a baby that small. He is 8.5 lbs, 21" long and so precious!

Thursday night I ended up watching "Anna" again. We rode the bus home together after work, picked up some spaghetti ingredients, made dinner, watched Hocus Pocus and then read some stories until her Mom came after school. She is such a smart little girl, and I enjoy spending time with her. She told me that she wanted to stay overnight at my house and was sad to leave. I do my fair share of babysitting, but I cannot imagine having her with me every night.

Friday was Halloween! After three days of being in at 8AM, it felt fantastic to sleep in. I got on my low-budget, school friendly Twister costume and headed to work. I am very bummed; somehow I lost all of my pictures from the actual day of Halloween. :( The kids in my class were very cute. I had a boxer, a fireman,Batman, Superman, Little Red Riding Hood, two Princesses and a Transformer. My favorite costume was in the preschool class: a rat from Ratatouille. It was a very laid back day with trick-or-treating, a lot of time outside and an enormous witch pinata, which the kids went crazy over. The witch was taller than the girls in my class. At the end of the day I had a more serious discussion with my director about becoming a head (preschool) teacher at the beginning of the year. I am highly considering it now, even more than I was before.

Later that night I went to my friend Ashley's for a Halloween gathering. She was dressed as Sarah Palin, and her blonde roommate was Hillary Clinton. There was also a Bill Clinton and a Bristol Palin. They were very cute! 3/4 of my way to the gathering I realized that I left my id at home, so I ended up coming back fairly early. I loved being on Belmont and seeing everyone in their costumes. Halloween really is an amazing holiday! There's so much possibility for creativity and fun festivities.

Yesterday, Saturday, was a jam packed day. I woke up around 10:30 to get ready for my journey to the South side (75th St.) for my first vegan meetup at Soul Vegetarian East. I was one of the firsts in line at the buffet, and I also went up for a round of seconds. The menu consisted of Carrot Salad, BBQ Twists, Mac & Cheese, Greens, CornBread and a Lemon Cake for dessert. One of the fellow attendees did a good job of explaining the dishes (www.snarkyvegan.com). I wasn't a huge fan of the cornbread or carrot salad, but I think I will crave that mac & cheese and the BBQ twists often. They had such rich, delicious flavor. The woman who took care of us was so sweet. She also told us about their Sunday brunch, which sounds amazing! I think I'll be heading to the South side again soon. Let me warn you that it is not cheap, and I learned that they don't always have the macaroni & cheese, so make sure to call ahead.

I was a little disappointed that most of the group was an older crowd, but I did meet a really interesting girl at the end of the meetup named Jessi. She lives near Belmont & Clark, so we road the train back together. I learned that she went from being a freshman in high school to a freshman in college out in Colorado. She's working with her Aunt right now as a website designer and will soon be leaving for Thailand to teach English and become a certified scuba instructor. I woke up to a text from her this morning. She invited me over for dinner on Friday with a few of her friends. I thought that was so thoughtful.

While she got off at Belmont, I headed into Evanston for a babysitting job. I had about an hour in between, which was the perfect amount of time for me to meet up with Syd. It had been so long since we talked, and it was great to see her (and Ozzie). Babysitting was easy. The girls are so great! After that I headed home and got ready for a Halloween party! I ran into a lot of people who I had not seen in a long time. I was also very surprised to find myself one of the last people at the party. Then, I got home, and still wasn't tired.

I had a few tentative plans today, but they fell through, so it ended up being a day of relaxation. That seems to be a theme for my Sundays. Okay, long post. I'm done.