Cubs Win

So we went to the Cubs game on Monday night. My friend’s family has season tickets and were not able to use them that evening so we all benefited from the 5 extra tickets available free of charge.

We met at K and P’s apt in Wrigleyville, had a beer and walked over to the game. Can I tell you how amazing it was to be able to just hop out of my door and walk on over to their place? Drunk Cubs fans aside, it was a pretty quick jaunt and I was so happy to be in that neighborhood! I love our new place. But I digress…we hopped on over to the field. Moments later we came through the gate looking onto the field and the sun shone in our face. I forget what it is like to be in Wrigley, the excitement of the fans and beauty of the field.

Our seats were 3 rows up on the first base foul line. Amazing seats right next to the wall…clearly these tickets had been in the family for quite some time. A couple of Old Style beers later we were really enjoying ourselves.

Do you ever have those moments when you know that you are in exactly the right place at exactly the right time? I used to have them at U of I and in Italy (when I wasn’t being bitten by a 6 year old boy). I suppose I have had them in Chicago as well, but this was really it. An affirmation that I adore my life. Sure everyone wants more money and I could really use a shopping spree at Nordies , but sitting there at Wrigleyfield, the quintessential Chicago experience, I was so happy that I had these friends and this experience. Beautiful Spring weather that once can only appreciate after a shit winter swirled around us as we cheered for the 6 run rally in the bottom of the 8th. CUBS WIN and we had a great time watching!

Experiences like that, when everything aligns and you know that your decisions aren’t completely unfounded and ridiculous makes the entire week seem like a breeze. I live quite a charmed life and although I might bitch day to day I know that I am very lucky. I hope you all feel this way too…and if you don’t, let me know if I can do anything to help you change it! Have a great day and a wonderful week!

The Zach Attack

Did you know that Cartoon Network has started to air episodes of Saved by the Bell (i.e. the greatest show ever)? I thought I would provide a little something special today and honor of this momentous occasion


FRIEND'S FOREVER BY THE ZACH ATTACK

We met some time ago
When we were so young
We've been through thick and thin
We lost, we've tied, we've won

Friends Forever (We'll be friends forever)
With you everywhere (With you everywhere)
Friends forever (We'll be friends)
Always will be friends (Always will be friends)

If you're down,
I'll pick you up,
I'll never let you fall.
If you ever need someone,
I'm waiting for your call.

Friends Forever (We'll be friends)
With you everywhere
Talkin bout Friends forever (Always will be there)
We'll be there (We'll be there)

Through it all, hangin' tough,
We'll stay side by side.
We'll be friends forever,
Til' the end of time.

Friends Forever (We'll be friends)
With you everywhere
Talkin bout Friends forever (Always will be there)
We'll be there (We'll be there)

Yeah, yeah friends. (Friends forever)
Always be friends. (With you everywhere)
We'll be friends together. (Friends forever)

Yes we will, (Always will be there there)
Yes we will, (Will be there)
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oohhhh.

Happy Birthday to yoooouuuuu....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER SEAN!!

Seany is 29 today so wish him a very HAPPY HAPPY if you see him (or read his blog)

Felice Compleanno! Tanti Aguri! Baci Baci!

One of my very favorite friends and people in the world, Melinda (better known as “Minda”) is getting her degree at Bowling Green State University in College Studies Personnel. Her assistantship has her as the house-mom for a fraternity on campus. She has lived her past year as the caretaker and advisor for the men of Lambda Chi Alpha and it seems that they have been very respectful and kind to her. She seems to have found a good group of men who generally care of her as one of their own.

Unfortunately, one of their own has been hurt and I am so saddened by the story and the pain that Minda and these men have to go through, that I felt the need to post. This past weekend, on a trip to visit family for Easter, the chapter President was in a horrible car accident and has been in a coma for the past couple of days. The situation is not look good and Minda believes that within the next couple of days this normal 21 year old college kid will pass away. These men have experienced most of their college life with each other. Say what you want about Fraternity boys, but I have known some very upstanding Fraternity men in my life and from the sounds of it, Minda is dealing with a wonderful house. These guys pledge together, eat together, party together, study together and live together the very idea of a Greek house is that you become family. The chapter President at the head of that family is usually a very popular person that the members respect and admire. At the age of 18 to 22 they will have to say goodbye to one of their loved ones. And that is often unfathomable.

This experience reminds me of my own in college. Two good friends from high school going to Marquette killed in a car accident, another badly injured. Lauren and I got the call on the Friday morning of Homecoming. We went about the weekend and then had to return home for 2 wakes and 2 funerals in 3 days, our friends and family from high school and college surrounding each other, shocked by the loss in our communities and the nightmare that the families had to endure.

I am sure that Minda is doing a wonderful job with the house and the men within. I know that she is strong, caring and smart and will make sure that they come through this on the other end. They are lucky to have her and each other there.

As you go about your day today, I ask you to keep in your thoughts my dear friend Melinda and the men of Lambda Chi Alpha as it looks like they will have to endure the loss of classmate, friend and brother.

Easter Baskets

I am 25 years old and still looking for Easter baskets (and poorly at that as I had to ask 3 people for help with my “clues”). I walked into my aunt’s house for Easter on Sunday-rommie in tow-only to be presented with clues to my Easter basket.

Every year since I was a wee little one, my Aunt Sissy has us look for Easter baskets. Sean, Ryan, Gavin and I used to be the only ones looking but now that the brood has expanded (damn Irish Catholics and their lack of birth control) there are just about 20 of us searching around her house for our effin’ baskets and I do not see the end in sight for this 25 year old. I think that until I have kids of my own (and that is looking like this side of never at this point) I will be searching for my basket every Easter from now until the end of eternity. Brett and I finally found the basket and were rewarded with silly little trinkets and two chocolate bunnies. It was the hunt more then the reward (much like my dating life) but we were excited that we found ours!

Lately, as I attend family functions and holidays, I wonder what will happen when the “elders” have passed and things are left to the younger generation. My brothers and I can barely keep the three of us in communication. My sister, Jen, and I have a hard enough time chatting while she has a baby…imagine if we both had kids (and multiples!). I believe that we are all destined to be strewn about the globe with our respective families. Inevitably it becomes harder to share your lives with those you love when you live 2000 miles away. Then there is the extended family…the cousins that we have grown up with as our brothers and sisters and the aunts and uncles that were our second sets of parents. What happens to them and how do they play into our lives? I grew up in a 5 mile radius of pretty much my entire family (and we are talking about 30 people who are VERY involved in my life) Every holiday, birthday and momentous occasion has been spent with these people. Can we continue to do that as time goes by and the younger generation becomes the one in charge? I’m not so sure.

I think American and the world is seeing this trend in its family structure. As the generation with the traditions-the nucleus-begins to diminish, the younger generations find themselves in the midst of an identity crisis. Someone must take over in order to continue the familial institution and there is a struggle to decide who will have that huge responsibility. How will families blend and grow after the older generations have ceased to direct that change? Will America, will my family, become tiny families spread across the country and the world…only to come together for weddings and funerals? Will my children know their aunts and uncles like I have? Will they be able to call Aunt Jen or Uncle Sean with their problems when asking the parents seems a bit too much? I certainly hope so. I am not quite ready to accept that change and I am happy now to be a bystander in the family traditions…to not have to organize and direct as much as develop and learn in preparation for the day that it becomes my job to hide the Easter baskets.

CUBS WOO CUBS WOO

HAPPY CUBS HOME OPENER DAY!!

All of the freaks are streaming into Wrigleyville in anticipation of what is bound to be the best season yet :-) I hope that every enjoys their "home opener" day!

Now that B and I live so close to Wrigleyville, I am going to walk there tonight to go to partake in a weekend-long party hosted by one of my adorable friends, Meg. YAY!

My sister Jen had a baby almost 5 months ago and although I have not had the honor of meeting one Mr. Preston William Rupert yet, I will in about a month. He is literally the cutest thing in the world (next to my fantastic sister of course) so I decided that naturally everyone would love to see a picture of my new little nephew! Cute babies do wonders for the soul...

I realized yesterday that it has been quite some time since I was in a serious relationship. I do believe that Micheli in Italy was the last time that I actually dated someone for more then a couple months. When I returned from Europe, I was a serial dater…flying from one bad choice to another…never quite escaping the crappy selection of men that the northern suburbs has to offer. Our first couple of months in Chicago found me dating a little more but the quality still was not there. I found Le French and enjoyed his company for awhile, but the realization that he was not ready to commit and I could not have a semi-serious relationship that often times would span across an ocean caused me to ditch that one. Then there was the rugby player and a very very early “I love you”, completely unprompted by any feelings from me, made me just about pee my pants (and not the good kind of peeing one’s pants) and run very quickly in the other direction. And then there has been a dry spell…it is not for lack of meeting people…although it isn’t an every night thing, I have met some blokes and gone on a few dates here and there. There just isn’t someone that I have “dated” that has caught my fancy.

I fear that as I progress into the summer I will continue to be apathetic about a new relationship…that sometimes it is easier just to not deal with it…or in some cases I know what I want but can’t quite obtain it so other options don’t seem that grand. I’m bored and I want to feel excited again. I want the butterflies, the anticipation, the revealing conversations, the weak knees and the possibility. I want to be swept off my feet and I want to be adored (and for someone to tell me that on a regular basis) I want to figure it out and make it work…I want to at least try. I am not really sure where to start, so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. This year should be about change…but I might need some help getting started. I need to get back out there and make a real try…forget that things have not gone the way I wanted them and start controlling the things that I can. I recognize that it isn’t always going to work out and there might be a lot of bad dates…but at least that brings me one step closer to a good one. I’m sick of waiting around for it to come to me or for others to act. I am sick of hoping that things will “work out” the way I want them too and that it will be “easy”…I am forgetting that nonsense, taking some risks and moving onwards and upwards! Law of averages…it has to work out sometime soon, don’t you think?

D.U.N.Z.O and DUNZO was it’s name-OH.

The tune of “BINGO” has been in my head all weekend…why, you ask? Because my delightfully pocket-sized roommate has been singing everything to that tune…his name, my name, my little brothers name…anything we come across and subsequently it was sung on “That’s So Raven” (ie the best show on TV) so the song got even more “street cred” and it has been non-stop ever since.

The move is over…finished…finito. Everything is finally in our new apartment and although nothing is really unpacked, our lives can somewhat go back to normal. I am not on the verge of tears and Brett does not have to walk around on eggshells in my presence. No more worrying about Annie our bitchtastic landlord, UHauls, boxes, cleaning, primer, blah blah blah. FINISHED! I would invite you all over but our dining room has been taken over by boxes and our living room is only slightly more presentable. Soon though…soon.

I was very happy Saturday night when, after a long evening of watching nothing but the Disney Channel, B and I were able to hop in our newly decorated shower (not together you freaks), get ready, and scoot on down to Minibar. It is literally at 40 foot walk and there we were…Flirtini in hand…enjoying a nightlife that does not consist of 3 homeless men, the Jewel and Jake’s Chicken Hut….the new neighborhood welcomed us with open arms and we stumbled into those arms and gave it a big alcoholic kiss. There were some delightfully hot men at Minibar and the best part about Minibar is that you never know which way the cookie will crumble. There are quite a few straights in the ol’ M.B…so I am never quite sure if a man is looking at my chest because he actually likes it or because he actually wants it for his own after he gets the “operation”. J Either way the bar is always super fun and on Saturday night I had two of the hottest men (with accents) tell me that I was like a “Spring day” and they just “loved me”. They also loved each other, but I really appreciated their kind words!

On the best note of the night…I got to meet two people I have adored from afar for the longest time. Byron was at Minibar and Svenny was at Sidetrack. I was so excited to finally lay eyes on these very very good looking and delightfully funny men! It was a night of fantasticness all around!

I really think that our new neighborhood and close proximity to everything good will be excellent for B and I. I need a revamped life. I have had a hard time feeling passionate about anything lately. I need to find something that I love and hold on tight. (finding someone I love would be nice, too). I think that a resurgence in a social life will cause the domino effect that I need. Here’s to another year in Chicago, a great upcoming summer, fun plans, more travel and lots of new friends!

A amare di vita! (to loving life!)