Last night: Me, schlepping to Whole Foods for more soup. A couple, struggling to take a photo of themselves in front of a hotel with pretty lights. Me, knowing how much i hate the long-armed, self-portrait, stopped to take one for them. I felt good about my deed until I got about half a shuffle away, felt my chills/fever/choking cough and realized touching those people’s camera was actually the biggest asshole move. This flu has me forgetting my germaphobic ways. Ugh. Sorry, folks…I really hope they washed their hands.

Apparently, this flu is not just a curse on my week thing, it’s a nationwide outbreak thing. So that’s something.

But with my apple/carrot/orange juice this morning and the 30 minutes I was able to sweat through in the stationary bike, I am feeling much better today. Cheers to a healthy weekend and all of the produce in my fridge waiting to be turned into more juice! It’s remarkable how much comes out of ginger root. And beet. Or carrots. But not parsley. Nothing comes out of parsley.

It’s very, very cold today.

I was determined to send 2012 out on some positive note and managed to make it to the dinner Ryan and I set up with some friends. Keefer’s was excellent and the 2 glasses of champagne I had hit the spot but the last 2 days have still been flu city. So not fun.

The good news? 2013 can only go up from here!

Some awesome things I found on the Internet while sick yesterday:

The most un-fun man on the planet.

Emergency compliments.

I like the idea of spending the year In The Library.

Happy New Year, all!

I woke up yesterday morning wanting to clear my head and stretch my legs. Now that Christmas is over, jazz is my comfort music of choice so with Kurt Elling, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk flowing through my headphones, I bundled up and headed out.

That clear blue sky was deceiving. The second I stepped out of the lobby and onto the city sidewalk, the sharp, cold air swiped the breath from my lungs. It was refreshing, really, and so I continued.

The end of years is a funny thing. Even when extolling that resolutions are over-hyped, waxing philosophical that taking stock of your life or setting new goals this one time a year is ridiculous, I can’t help but find myself pressed to find what I want to be different in the next year. What do I want to do in 2013? What am I going to go after, how am I going to live this particular year? Because, apparently, it has to be very different than the last. Even as I write the words, it strikes me as silly but here I am, searching for new intentions.

I currently have the flu and my body is literally getting rid of everything that doesn’t belong there. It’s sort of ironic. 2012 felt a lot like that, a removal of things that didn’t belong there anymore. I let go of several toxic friendships. I held on to anxiety that did not belong to me and ultimately, finally, that cleansed itself out as well. I discovered my place within my job by figuring out what I did not want to be, that I was my strongest when I held space for others to be who they really were by being who I really am. Because in the end, that’s all I really want. I want to be who I am and have people in my life who really know that person. And for that to be enough. For that to be great.

So as my body cleanses itself of 2012, I suppose my resolution is this: I am who I am this year, with no apologies or restrictions and I have the strength to not just surround myself with people who support that but that I support that in others.

Now, will someone get me another cup of hot water and honey?

This happened in my kitchen this morning. A beet, a carrot and an apple, a quick turn in my new juicer and BAM! Fresh, healthy, juicy gloriousness.

The juicer was a big surprise as every time I said I wished there were more juice bars in Chicago or that I had a juicer, Ryan replies that we would need to buy a farm to have enough veggies or fruit to make one juice. The Christmas spirit must have gotten into him on his way to Bloomingdale’s Home…

And I’ve got kale, spinach and parsley on hand for green juice tomorrow. I am so excited.

Cheers!

Ryan, Luna Bell and I spent Christmas in Michigan with my family. I am finding that the older I get, the town I grew up in is becoming this place of nostalgia. For a time, it was a strange place that I didn’t belong to and didn’t belong to me. But now that I’ve made a life some place else, I find myself looking forward to my visits, pointing out houses and stories and memories as I drive into town. Ryan is such a good sport and I love how my childhood holiday traditions are evolving.

Still the same? Time with my parents, breakfast with my best friend at our favorite bagel/coffee spot, opening gifts one by one, reading “’twas the Night Before Christmas” by the tree before we go to bed on Christmas Eve.

New traditions? Christmas Day champagne by the fire, crab cakes (3 cheers for Ryan being from Maryland!), and a walk on the dunes by the lake.

I am happy to be back in Chicago and so grateful for a wonderful holiday in Michigan, with lots of new and old traditions. The first snow is falling right now but my little heart is super warm.

From my family to yours, bright and best wishes for a beautiful day.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

It’s nothing but Christmas carols, present wrapping and cups of hot tea as far as the eye can see over here! Happy Friday!

I made it on to the last Midwest-bound flight out of SFO this morning, allowing me to get to Chicago right before this “storm” hit (Draco, seriously- this is a lamesauce excuse for winter’s entrance). But I am home and with the macarons I picked up from La Boulange yesterday! They were the perfect treat for the evening spent with my boo cuddling up, catching up and checking “White Christmas” off my Christmas movies-to-watch list.

Home (just in time) for the holidays.