It’s November, right?

adminChicago weather, Corner Bakery, heat wave, Mother Nature, snow, Uncategorized, winter jacket%s Comments

Chicago Forecast: 70 degrees today.  68 degrees tomorrow.  High of 65 on Friday.

In November?!

I mean, the Corner Bakery had its air conditioning on today.

I am convinced that this heat wave is because I bought a winter jacket on Sunday.  Mother Nature knew I was prepared and decided to throw me a curve ball.

First thing on the agenda tomorrow: running along Lake Michigan.  The marathon was exactly a month ago today and I must  say, without 26.2 miles looming ahead of me, I have been running 1x each week, at best.  Gotta get out there before the snow sets in.

Which will probably happen on Saturday.  Chicagoans knows that 70 to snowing is totally, absolutely, definitely a possibility.

Monday Morning Honesty

adminUncategorized%s Comments

I had an email conversation with a friend this morning that started as “Happy Monday”, “How are you?”, “Sweater Vest Thursday” and ended up devoting entire paragraphs to “Monday Morning Honesty”.  One sharing of a truth led to another and all of a sudden, it was two friends being real about where they’re at with some things in their lives, not painting over the ugly and sitting with things exactly as they are, right this second.

It made me wonder about how often I might paint over the ugly and not even notice.

It made me even more grateful to have a good friend that I can be real with, even that realness isn’t the pretty package I want it to be.

Monday Morning Honesty.  I dig it.

Cupcakes and Champagne

adminbelly laughs, best friends, birthdays, champagne, cheers, free samples, More cupcakes, thimbles, Tomasello Fruit Wine, Uncategorized, Whole Foods%s Comments

Last night, my dinner was comprised of Champagne Cocktails and Cupcakes.

More Cupcakes is the best cupcake boutique in Chicago.

Yeah, I said it.

More is the BEST.  Perfect ratio of frosting to cake, perfect size, perfect level of moistness, perfect abundance of flavors…sheer perfection.  When I first moved to Chicago, I was taken aback by the amount of cupcake shops there were so I took it upon myself to try them all.  Hey, it’s hard work but someone had to roll up their sleeves (you don’t want them getting in the frosting after all!).  More and it’s Black and White cupcake emerged victorious.  With Molly’s in a close’ish second.

Anyways.

The Champagne Cocktail was a splash of Tomasello Blackberry Wine topped with some bubbly.  Ryan and I came across the Blackberry Wine one wine tasting Saturday at Whole Foods.  “Free Samples” always end up not being so free for us because we end up with a bottle or 3 after we are given multiple thimble-sized cups of samples.

As delish as this birthday meal sounds (and as selfish as I get with my cupcakes), I did actually share it with others.  A few dear friends whom I have been celebrating birthdays with for over 14 years came over to clink glasses and indulge in some sweets.  As it always does with best friends, the evening turned from one of those “I’m just going to stop by” sort of things into 3 hours, 4 bottles of champagne & wine and countless belly laughs.  In essence, the best birthday I could have hoped for.

I know every night can’t be filled with Cupcakes and Champagne but last night it was.  And that combination are the things happy birthdays are made of.

 

Happy Birthday: Thanks, Mom and Dad Edition

adminbeing there, big breakfast, Birthday, Dad, first soccer game, Golden Rule, gratitude, Mama G, Uncategorized%s Comments

Dear Mom and Dad,

You guys had a  whole lot to do with me coming into this world 26 years a go and since I totally appreciate being here, I think you deserve some thanks.

Do you remember feeding me eggs, waffles, pancakes, muffins, cereal, juice and soy sausage on the morning of my first soccer game, convinced I had to have a big breakfast so I would be ready to take on those other 6 year olds?  Remember when I stood in the goalie box the entire game because I was so full that I couldn’t move?  Thanks for always getting me game-ready for new challenges  (really!).

Do you remember that Christmas when I read every single tag on every single gift as “To Santa, From Nina”, getting more emphatic when you reminded me that I didn’t give him crap and it actually read “To Nina, From Santa”?  And then video taping it, while you muffled laughter in the background?  Thanks for always humoring me.

Do you remember dropping me off  (Mom) and picking me (Dad and Kari) at the airport when I was studying in Italy?  I was so ready for that adventure but I wouldn’t have had the guts to do it if I hadn’t had my parents there, cheering me on.  Thanks for always being my biggest and best cheerleaders.

Do you remember some difficult decisions I’ve had to make in the past few years?  To be honest, some of them I remember with the gravity of the situation at the time, some of them have dulled as years have passed.  But with any of those decisions in that challenging season, with all of them, you were all right there.  Thank you for always being right there.

Do you remember when I called and told you that I got Luna Bell/got a promotion/got my apartment?  You are always the very first people I call.  Thank you for always being excited for me.

Thank you for teaching me to think critically, giving me the gift of education, to take the Golden Rule seriously, to love with all my heart and most of all, thank you for telling me time and time again that we are a family and will get through everything together.

Thank you for making every birthday I’ve ever had a very happy one.

Love,

Nina

Picking Up Speed

adminbirthdays, driver's license, driving, East Lansing, high school, legal age, nostalgia, Uncategorized%s Comments

I am turning 26 in 2 days.

I don’t have any hangups with age (yet) and I am looking forward to entering another year.

What utterly baffles me is all the things that have happened that I still consider somewhat recent but, apparently, were a really long time ago.

Like a whole decade ago.

The ink had barely dried in my new minted driver status when Mama G. let me drive to school.  By myself.  Because I was 16.  And I could.

I can still remember sitting in the driveway thinking “I can drive this thing anywhere.  I can take whatever route I want.  I don’t even have to go to school.  This is freedom.”

I also remember taking the most direct route to my high school so  I wasn’t late for Mr. Tate’s history class.

5 years ago, I was at my apartment on Elizabeth Street in East Lansing with my 2 college roommates, watching WorldClock.com and waiting for the exact second it turned midnight, thus starting my days as an official adult.

Fact: There is nothing that ends up being all that adult about being 21.

But for my roommates and me in our college junior lives, turning 21 was just it and we were most certainly going to be there for each other as we made that chronological step that allowed us (legal) access into all the fine adult beverage establishments East Lansing, Michigan could provide.

Even when I think about the last 2 years, I can’t believe how some things feel several lifetimes ago.  Changing career paths, making a fairly gutsy move to Chicago (just ask my Dad- I think he’s still sighing in relief everything worked out better than any of us could imagine), changing political views, deciding that I actually do hate country music, despite several relationships in which I claimed to “love” Rascal Flatts.  See?  So much change.

A quarter of a century, nearly under my belt.

 

Treat or Treat

admincandy, committed to costumes, elevators, Hallowen, holidays, pirates, Superheroes, Tinkerbell, Trick or Treating in a City, Uncategorized%s Comments

Tonight, I had my first Trick or Treaters ever.

There was a sign-up sheet at the front desk of my building and after I signed up as being a “Trick or Treat” Stop, the doorman gave me a hang-tag for my door.  So from 4-6 tonight, Luna Bell and I waited with a bowl full of Snickers and M&Ms for the Trick or Treaters to come a’knockin’.

There was a princess, a dragon, a fireman and a spider.  Zorro stopped by as did Thomas the Train and Tinkerbell.  13 Trick or Treaters in all.  And the beauty of going Halloweening in a high-rise is that all the kids were able to wear their costumes as they were meant to be worn- no sweatpants, no gloves, no snowsuits shoved underneath them.  Where I grew up, it was usually snowing by Halloween and my parents would always try to ruin my life by making me wear my snowsuit under the princess costume of the year.  I did, however, escape pneumonia so maybe Mama and Papa G were on to something.  In any case, these adorable kiddos I saw this evening were in their costumed glory sans layers and looked like they were having a blast, playing on the elevator between floors to get to their next candy stop.

There were no tricks on this Halloween, just treats.  Just the way I like it.

High Five of the Day: Goes to the mom who told me that her son is “committed to costumes” year round.  The Pirate getup today was carefully selected amidst a closet that also contained costumes to transform him into a doctor, a fireman, a superhero, a wizard and many other.  Because you never know when you might want to perform surgery.  Or save the world.  And you need to have the choice to do either.

Friday Goodness: Peanuts Edition

adminA Charlie Brown Christmas, eco-friendly, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, laughing, Linus, Peanuts, Uncategorized%s Comments

I found this article after I posted last night and it more than made me chuckle.  Way more thought and detail than had ever occurred to me about the Peanuts Gang but super entertaining for people who have grown up watching “It’s The Great  Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

“Back in 1966, when this special first aired, they called that (Linus spending his Halloween in a pumpkin patch) delusional. Now we’d probably laud Linus for being eco-conscious, getting back to nature and showing his support for the local food movement.”

Enjoy and Happy Friday!

Plus Charlie Brown Equals the Holidays

adminCharlie Brown, Halloween, holidays, It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, joy, Linus, Lucy, music, Uncategorized, Vince Guaraldi%s Comments

Nothing signals the start of the holidays like a Charlie Brown television special.  The music by  Vince Guaraldi, the zig-zag on Charlie Brown’s shirt and the way Lucy pulls the football out from under CB gets me every time!

“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” is on tonight to once again prove that Linus is the smartest one of them all and is always right…including about the Great Pumpkin.

“There are 3 things you never discuss with people: Politics, religion and the Great Pumpkin.”  Wise words, Linus, wise words.

Fly Yoga

admincirque du soleil, fly yoga, i.d. gym, silks, Uncategorized, yoga%s Comments

I had heard the hype, I had heard how amazing it was, I had heard that you feel like a regular Cirque du Soleil.  So I went up to i.d. gym in Lincoln Park to try Fly Yoga and see if I could fly through the air with the greatest of ease.

I don’t know about ease but I certainly got my yoga on in a silk cocoon.

Basically, you go through your flow using the silks to help you move deeper into your postures, increase balance and flexibility.  Created by the owner of i.d. gym, Brent, Fly Yoga is a one-of-a-kind thing and  I cannot believe we have it here in Chicago!  I love yoga and to add a playful, creative spin to my practice was really exciting.  What was not so exciting was overcoming my fear of heights/suspension that is getting worse as I get older (Hey, I AM turning 26 next week).  You might say “Wait- you were only 3-4 feet above the yoga matted floor at any given moment, pull it together!”.  While this is true, I usually keep this body safely on the ground so relying on a silk blanket thing freaked me out at first.  Particularly when my head was hovering above the ground.   But once I started to trust that the silks and rock climbing hooks really could hold up to 3,000 lbs, I was amazed by what I could do!  Pigeon pose with my shin tucked under my chin? Done.  Downdog with my legs in the air?  Definitely.  Splits upside down?  You got it.

My favorite part?  Looking over at my fellow fliers and seeing us all upside down, red faced, and giggling.  Fly Yoga is fun but it was even better to do it with friends I do regular yoga (read: on the ground) with all the time.  Ya gotta mix it up, ya know?  I’m so glad we did and I can’t wait to go back!

 

 

The Windy(er) City

adminUncategorized%s Comments

There’s an epic storm going through Chicago today.  Watching the news last night equated it to a tornado/hurricane that spans 2,200 miles, all of which will pass over Chicago.  70 mph winds have already been clocked.  We were instructed to tied down everything we didn’t want to blow away.

Um, like my building?  And my cat?  How is that helpful advice?

The waves on Lake Michigan was the biggest and most violent I’ve ever seen and Luna Bell and I watched wind and rain race horizontally across our window for the better part of the morning.  The windows are rattling and I’m a little worried about how I’m going to get to work without looking like I just went swimming.

I really need rain boots.