Does anyone else get really sad when these young gymnasts “mess up” and cry? I mean, really, they’re children. Well under the age of 18. And they just let them sit there, crying. When I was their age, I “messed up” a lot and probably cried even more. But I wasn’t in the freaking Olympics, with my entire country/parents finances/entire life of training on my shoulders.

I am amazed by the level these athletes compete at and love seeing these young girls achieve their goals…but when they fall a little short, I kinda just want to hug them and assure them that it’s okay and that their mom probably still loves them.

I have been sitting on the porch for 2 hours.

I have been trying to write, find inspiration for some big questions I have about my life, calm the worries I have about the coming weeks. None of the thoughts positive, all of them fear based.

After deciding it was time to head in for the night and stop trying to “figure it all out”, I turned around for one more glance at what had been in front of me for these 2 hours. I was taken with how the light shifted and I hadn’t even noticed. Time passed, no one did anything to make it happen but the light shifted. It’s continuing now even and soon, it will be as dark as a city night can get. I suppose the change was simply because that’s the nature of things- nothing stays the same, the light is always going to shift because that’s what the passing of a day, of time does.

Suddenly, I feel a little better about August and the inevitable shifting that has got to be coming up.

I woke up this morning ready to go running or to yoga or maybe the Green City Market, ready to gogogo because that’s what this last week has been all about. Instead, I am catching up on some reading and drinking coffee on the porch…I am going to relax if it kills me.

Hair straightener.

I got this sprite of a hair tool in a gift bag awhile back and packed it for a work trip, thinking that it might be useful to touch up my hair for an event this evening.

I was wrong.

The iPhone is for size comparison. I basically tried straightening my hair with an iPhone tonight.

Let’s just say it didn’t leave me feeling effortlessly polished like I intended. At least my bag will be .7 ounces lighter on the way home because Thumbelina’s hair straightener is most certainly staying in Omaha.

I remember sitting on the front steps, order form in hand, waiting for the clock to hit 4pm, the official time I could start selling, and the sprinting to my neighbors houses so I could be the first girl scout in the neighborhood to offer them their favorite cookies. I was a Girl Scout for 5 years and the patches, cookies, my spiffy uniform and overnight camp trips are among some of my absolute favorite childhood memories. Girl Scouts from a local troup posted up in the lobby of my apartment building this spring, selling their delish cookies and I felt like it was my civic duty to support them…and who can turn down Samoas? Anyone?

The Girl Scouts turn 100 this year and are hosting the “Girl Scout Cookie Classic 5k” in Grant Park on September 8th to celebrate. A gorgeous run on the lake, supporting an organization that has been a champion for self-esteem and confidence in young women…sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday morning if you ask me.

You can find more information here.

Sunday afternoon was going to look something like this: Petco to pick up food and litter for LB, swing into Walgreen’s, drop everything off at home, go back out to Macy’s for new undershirts for Ryan, then to here and there and there.

And then we realized that CITY TARGET WAS OPEN.

I haven’t been to a Target in years because there wasn’t one downtown. But the City Target on State and Madison rectified that with it’s one-stop-glorious shopping experience. We bought everything we needed at one single store. I know it’s city people problems but real talk- Ryan and I skipped through that City Target nearly beside ourselves that so many products were under one roof.

A-freaking-men.

More of the story: City Target is open and we are really, really excited.

I love hot summer days when Pinkberry is the answer to “What’s for lunch?”.

I love to run. It makes me feel good, clears my head, it keeps me in shape and I love exploring Chicago via hitting the pavement. Last night, the miles did not come as easily so my run turned into an urban photo safari of sorts. I picked spots and told myself that if I made it to x, I could stop and take a picture. It kept me going, I got some great shots and gave me an even bigger appreciation of this city than I usually have. I love, love, love Chicago.

Can you blame me?

Summer Olympics! Huzzah!

Fingers crossed that Kate Middleton is the one who lights the Olympic flame. She is my favorite Brit, next to Harry Potter.

Ohmygod. A bottle of wine that comes already in glasses, stacked on top of each other?!? That is called Stacked? Shut the front door. Brilliant, I say!

This rivals the cuteness and convenience of champagne in cans. Sort of ridonkeykong, all sorts of awesome. And really delicious.

(Stacked is not carried in Chicago yet so I may or may not have signed a petition to bring it to Binny’s. No lie.)