A little pre-Dose Market stroll. The marina is winterized so let’s get this show on the road- I am ready for snow!
Overhung.
I have been a wee bit under the weather today.
Last night started all classy-like:
And ended with “But Sarpino’s was having a special!”:
R is achieving a goal almost 3 years in the making this week and last night was the start of the celebrations. I am so proud of him that a Spartan loss (almost) didn’t bother me (roughing the kicker? Seriously?).
We are going to be eating pizza for the rest of our lives…
Chicago Christmas Guide
Christmas and Chicago are two of my absolute favorite things. Christmas IN Chicago? It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
It is high time to share my favorite city spots to deck the halls, warm up, drink down…whatever you like. Let’s get started, shall we?
Lincoln Park ZooLights: Pack a thermos full of (spiked) hot cocoa, bundle up and wander around Lincoln Park Zoo. Starting this weekend, the 9th through 11th and then every night December 16 through January 1, the zoo will be decked out in lights, perfect for a cozy holiday stroll.
CTA Holiday Train: Last year, I almost died when the holiday train pulled up. Santa on a flatbed, Christmas carols, CTA employees handing out candy canes…it’s like Christmas cheer on steroids (steroids of awesome that is). Check out the schedule and get on board- it’s the urban Polar Express.
Drinks at the Omni: A Family holiday tradition since I turned 21, grabbing drinks at the Omni is high on my favorites. Snag a window seat for great views of a sparkling Michigan Ave and sip on a holiday themed cocktail while listening to your Dad tell you that Bing Crosby beat his wife. Well, that last part might not happen (thanks, Dad) but the Omni is perfect for festive revelry.
Christkindlmarket : Outdoor German market, spiced wine, beer, streusel, brats. Need I say more? (more here)
Holidose! The December installment of Dose Market is this Sunday. I have adored the two other times I have dosed and cannot wait to get my holiday fix of local art, fashion and eats on December 4th.
Santa Hustle: for the love of the big guy, get some exercise while doing all of my suggested eating and drinking. Running with a few hundred aspiring Old Saint Nick’s this Saturday will do just fine.
December is the New October
December 1st, 49 degrees and river boat tours running?! You have got to be kidding me.
Fingers crossed this doesn’t mean another epic winter…
On Stunt Rugs and Getting What You Want
If you want something done right, do it yourself…and be nice.
Ryan and I are doing a little apartment improvement, which included spending a few hours sitting on every chair at Crate and Barrel and stepping on every rug (“too soft? Just the right soft?”). We made our selections and were super excited to get the new stuff into our place before we start some heavy holiday entertaining next week.
That was 3.5 weeks ago. The “end of November” promise has come and gone.
Ryan called and was, um, unsuccessful. Logistics and operations of a global brand is what they do so how it takes a month to get us a rug and chair is beyond me. You’re better than this, C&B.
So I took matters into my own hands, made some calls, was very nice and solution focused (“Sandy, let’s figure out how we are going to make this right”) and boom- a new rug will be at our place on Monday.
A stunt rug, if you will.
Not the one we ordered but a brand new, similarly colored, perfectly fine replacement that will live on our floor until the “real” one comes.
Moral of the story: being nice works. With pretty much everything. It might feel good to yell at customer service people but that’s not who I want to be and I most certainly don’t want anyone talking to me like that.
A stunt rug works for me.
The Day I Got My Cat Depression Medication
In July, our vet told us that Luna Bell had an anxiety disorder and gave us “treatment options”. It was kinda funny, kinda true but ultimately, we laughed it off because she IS A CAT (don’t think that fact is lost on us).
Lots of changes in our work schedules this fall threw Luna Bell for a loop and she acted off but we didn’t think much of it. Then, we got a new dining room table.
Yep, I said it- dining room table.
This hunk of oak has deeply disturbed Luna Bell and she has taken up residence exclusively under the bed and is genuinely terrified all of the time. The only time we see her is when we bribe her out with wet cat food. After spending nights on cat depression websites, it became apparent that she is depressed and feeling threatened. In a fit of “WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR CAT?!”, Ryan ordered a diffuser from amazon.com that is supposed to restore her energy levels and clear this whole thing up.
We plugged it in 4 hours ago near the bed, in attempts to smoke her out, and it is working. She is now on top of the bed and even hung out in the kitchen with me for awhile.
Baby kitty steps, right?
For as hilarious as it is that we broke down and are medicating our cat, it has been so sad seeing her so sad. Fingers crossed this thing the vet recommended does the trick and our little friend comes back to us.
The things we do for our pets…