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.

Black Thumb

This morning as I was getting off the train, I noticed a dorky-looking boy standing with his mom. He was probably 10 or 12, had red hair and freckles. His glasses were about 50 times too big for his face and he had an aquarium tank full of plants (not the spiders I was expecting)! He had a light on top, so I could see some cacti and other green looking ones. Yep, that's how much I know about plants- spiky ones are cacti and everything else classifies as 'other green looking ones.'

Little did he know, the dorky girl passing him on the platform was ALSO carrying plants! But I had mine in a large tote, so that nothing but the crispy tops of the leaves were showing. I was transporting them to my office, because (much to my disapproval) there is a florescent light that stays on all the time here. Originally I bought the plants thinking, "These lucky plants- they're going to have a home." Sadly, after I bought them and trecked the 20 minute walk from Home Depot to my house they had already died! They were those kind that are "tropical" and need "lots of sunshine and water." Too high maintenance for me. So they've been drooping in my windowsill at the apartment.

I thought I would try this one last-ditch effort to revive them. But if it doesn't work, then goodbye to my plant growing days. So much for wanting to start a community garden in my neighborhood....I can't even keep a plant alive!

Moose?

So I applied to be a dog-walker for the weekends. Sadly, most places only want someone during the week and during the day (which makes sense for walking dogs, I suppose). But I did have one interview over the phone yesterday. It was one of the most bizarre interviews I think I'll ever have.

Q: If you walked into an apartment, and the dog had pooped everywhere- and I mean EVERYWHERE- what would you do?

A: Uh, well...I uh....well....I'd probably clean it up. *Then I thought, but some people think dogs are kids.* And I'd probably call their owner and then discipline them in the way the owner and I had talked about. You'd want to deal with it right away, so they wouldn't be confused about the punishment, if there is one....uh....yeah.

Q: So, we have this huge black lab. Over a hundred pounds. His name is Moose. And he's REALLY stubborn. If you were walking him, and he didn't want to go, what would you do?

A: Well, since I'm a pretty small girl, this has happened to me a lot when walking dogs (a lot meaning like twice in my life). I'd probably let him wander a bit, but then when it was time to go, give him a tug and say "Come Mousse!" in my stern voice. *Then remembering the child/dog association again* But not too hard or anything- just so they know who's boss.

I was tempted to say something like, "I'd probably kick him in the face" for laughs, but then figured they wouldn't laugh with me! I was also in the middle of the pepper isle in the grocery store, so that might've sounded a little harsh.

By far my favorite interview in Chicago so far....

Macy's

I went to the Chicago Macy's today for the first time. It had been a long day at work (long meaning dramatic) and instead of fuming around, I thought a walk would be good. My co-worker Quekan needed to return something to Macy's, so we decided to go.

I rode up and down the glass elevator, sifted through the sale racks, smelled oddly shaped bars of soap, and mozied around 9 floors of things I didn't need. But then, at the lower level, there was something AMAZING. A piano area!

If I were to sell my car, I could buy a piano. Granted, not a Steinway or anything....but a nice, shiny beautiful-sounding piano. It would bring joy to my heart and annoyance to my neighbors....

Worth it?