Oh Work

Sometimes I feel like the entire world is going to shit...

But then I cook a cheap pizza, open a Miller Lite, turn on trashy television (or Dirty Dancing, depending on my mood) and remember that everything is going to be alright.

Oh Public Transit...

I have a bit of a commute since I changed jobs. Most of the time I don't mind it, because I can catch up on my reading or call a friend. Once I catch a bus and get on the red line, it usually only takes me about 20-30 minutes to arrive at my stop. This morning, however, it took over an hour to get to my stop. Every time the train stopped it would open the doors, let them stand open for awhile, shut the doors, then open them again. Multiple times the train stopped in the middle of its course saying that there was a 'crew on the tracks.' I was going crazy, not in the mood to read and had left like 4 voicemails because, apparently, no one was in the mood to talk....

The only thing that kept me from going insane was the company in my car. On one end of the car was an older gentlemen with a gray beard. He kept standing up and yelling about random things- I could never really understand what he was saying. Across from me a young couple was sharing an iPod, drinking coffee that was inside a 1/2 gallon soy milk container and taking turns rolling cigarrettes out of their bag of tobacco. They kept eyeing me suspiciously, like any second I might steal their large bag they kept on their laps while rolling....On the other end of the car, there were 2 older men yelling across the aisle about US history. I started listening around the US/Cuban Missile Crisis and they took me (and everyone else) through Castro, Vietnam, Russian relations, the Confederacy and finally the 'white man' and the slaughter of the Indians. The lady next to me wanted to make sure she was heard above the ruckus, so she was screaming to the girl sitting next to her about her purse and red lipstick.

Though frustrating, a fairly entertaining morning...

The Never-Ending Holiday

I used to think the never-ending holiday was Christmas. You know why- by Thanksgiving they have those singing Santas on the shelves at Target and 'Jingle Bell Rock' playing at Macy's. It seems like Christmas will never come...and when it does, you have to buy enough to make it seem worth all the fuss.

But that was until I moved here. I have come to realize that the actual never-ending holiday is in fact....St. Patrick's Day! I would never have guessed. Especially because I asked multiple people throughout the weekend who St. Patrick was, what he did and why we celebrate him here in America if he was Irish? No one seemed to know or care. But they did seem to care just enough to start the celebrating on Friday...and not finish until early this morning.

It begins with the river dyeing:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2006-04%2CGGLD%3Aen&um=1&q=chicago+river+dye+2009

And it continues with the South Side Parade (which was SO fun):

http://chicago.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/photogallery/south-side-irish-st/1025330/content

And ends with the actual Day-Of-Events like pub crawls, Irish dancing festivals, and lots of green beer drinking.

All-in-all I think I could get used to this never-ending holiday.....

Leftovers Anyone?

We had an office warming party on Wednesday for our board, staff, volunteers, etc. It went over fairly well. We had everything donated from the appetizers to the drinks. I'm glad it's over though, so I don't have to receive any more emails about who so-and-so wants invited and why, and what font the evite should be in, and directions for parking, and frustrations about locked doors and posting the event on congresspeople's websites (because I'm SURE they don't have anything else going on....). But, people did leave a variety of things behind...

1 case of non-alcoholic beer- who even drinks this stuff?
1 opened bottle of tea
1 opened bottle of sparkling water
1 vase of about-to-die yellow flowers
1 bowling pin topped beer lid opener
1 LARGE pink ball with the phrase 'Hope you have a BALL at the new place" on it (along with stamps for postage)
1 empty sign up sheet for 'People who are new to Porchlight'
1 empty platter that used to have sandwiches
1 case of Miller Lite
1 half-eaten vegetable tray

I blame my need to make this list on the fact that I've been sick for the past few days and my head is still a little fuzzy. I can't seem to focus on anything and especially not grants...so instead I'm making a mental inventory and deciding which things I should try to haul on the train.

Definitely the Miller Lite. Maybe the large pink ball.