I see the moon...

And the moon sees me.

I hope you were able to see the moon that I saw last night. I walked into my bedroom in the early evening, around 7PM or so. And into this beautiful sight...

Definitely was one of those moments when I wished I knew how to use a camera because I did not do the image justice. I was hoping someone was around with a better camera and more skill than I because the moon was dramatic over Lake Michigan, lighting up the sky and water. Lakeshore Drive traffic is seen in my picture. I'm not doing it justice. I was battling distance, flashes, windows and lack of skill. But it was amazing.

It was breathtaking - it's rare when I'm speechless and the beauty of the moon last night was amazing. I stood at my window for about 30 minutes, trying to capture the image and reveling in it's prescence.

"Life is filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your breath away, are what make you feel truly alive." - Stacey Charter

Oh! 48 hours and counting until I hit the open sea!!!

So Many Men...

I know I went into "Definitely, Maybe" with a crush on Ryan Reynolds... which is still firmly intact and was definitely enhanced by his performance. I really enjoyed the movie. Yes, it is a chick-flick but the guy in front of me seemed to really enjoy it. Maybe he just really related to all the stupid things the lead character did... who knows.

It was, however, Kevin Kline who was the sleeper star in this movie. I very much enjoyed his supporting role as I always do whenever his eclectic talent is brought into play on the big screen. His best movie for me will probably always be, "Life as a House" which was just touching. And of course, he's in my family's favorite movie, "The Big Chill". In "Definitely, Maybe", he plays the lover/professor, Hampton Roth of one of the female roles in the movie and he's fabulous. I adore him - he has such a presence on the screen.

So go see it, you'll love it. (Well, at least the girls will.)

Ok, it's gotten to me. I have had enough of the brutal cold weather. I would love to be able to go outside without my mental checklist of outerwear... gloves, hat, scarf, and jacket. I never really wore coats before... it really wasn't necessary in Georgia but also just out of laziness, I'd run out of the house without worrying about it. Or at the most, grab my fleece. Here that is not an option, this morning it was 7 degrees at 9AM. A little chilly. And dangerous to expose your skin for a length of time.

So it's a good thing for me to be leaving in THREE DAYS to go on a cruise to the US Virgin Islands. It's the perfect time to be taking a break. I'm excited for it. Although my sister and mom have already started packing, they both have husbands to pack for as well as themselves. (Yes, it is 2008 and my sister will be packing for her husband... I know many will think this is 1950s housewife crap but I think it's more of a control thing. Leah wants to know exactly what Will has in his suitcase and she wants to make sure he has what she wants him to wear.) My older sister also has a baby to plan for and my mom has to worry about her parents. I only have myself so therefore, I will be packing on Friday afternoon. Any time before that will be too soon. But I am SOOOOOOO excited to go!!!

Alright, that's enough for now. It's time to go ice my cupcakes. Yes, I'm about to go spend a week in a bathing suit and I've made cupcakes. Life is good. Mmmmmmm

Score!

I finally found my battery charger for my digital camera! And not a moment too soon, as we all know, I'm going on vacation this Saturday and I need to be able to take pictures on our cruise. Plus I love taking pictures of everything going on in every day life.

I had been looking for days, checking all my normal storage spots. I mean, I live in an apartment and I don't take things out of my bedroom so I didn't think I could have put it anywhere other than in my room. But it wasn't anywhere! It's like when you misplace your keys, you feel as though you are losing your mind because you know you have them...

I had been putting stuff away and I guess I stuffed it into a purse with some other random items which I then put into my closet. So I was pulling everything out. I had already gone through my desk, the dresser, the nightstands, this random box with computer stuff in it, under the bed, my bathroom cabinets, and I was starting on the closet. Fortunately for me, the purse was on the top of the pile so I hadn't pulled too many things out yet. It's funny, but for me, cleaning usually means tearing everything out and putting it back together. Sometimes I don't make it to the putting back together. My closet is hard because I have very limited space in Chicago. I've always heard about big city living and small closet space - thought people were exagerating. But now I'm living it and I totally get it. It's a little challenging.

Alright, now I'm off to the movies. Yes, I live a life of leisure and I believe it will be ending soon so I'm taking the afternoon to go to the movies. So many good ones are out right now and this afternoon I'm going to indulge in a chick-flick "Definitely, Maybe". It had Ryan Reynolds who I adore, of all the men in Hollywood, he's one that I could develop a serious crush on. I've liked him since his TV show about the pizza place, "Two guys and a something" I've forgotten but I find him VERY attractive. Even if he did date Alanis Morisette... we can forgive that one. Everybody makes mistakes. Anyways, I'll let you know what I think!

PS. 4 Days until I set sail to the Carribbean!!!

No Pressure

So I go to my volunteer job today and get an email from the HR dude: "Congratulations, you've been invited to the second/final round of interviews"

Great.

They've received over 250 resumes, interviewed about 25 people, and it's now between me and this other chick. I am meeting with multiple people this Friday, including board members and volunteers. I have to impress all of them, show that I can handle interacting with different types of people, raise money, handle details, and do it while smiling and looking chic. I'm excited and I really want the job because it's the first work environment I've been excited about in a long time. I've been posturing myself for a job with this organization for about 3 months now and I want it but I'm also afraid of it. This always happens when I want something and I feel as though I have no control over it. This happened last November with a different job - it came down to what her father did, no joke. Finding a job and going through this process is very challenging. It affects my self esteem and my motivation. It's hard to keep going. And now I have to put myself up for rejection again and do it with grace and a smile.

No Pressure.

So we'll see what happens... I'll keep you posted.

PS. 5 days until I'm lying out in the sun!

Cheers to Wanda

Wanda is my mom... she owns Hallmark stores in the Athens, GA area. We're a card sending family - always have been (even before the stores). I recently sent a birthday card to one of my friends' husbands and he was a little confused/concerned. But my friend explained it to him by saying, "that's Lindsey". I enjoy sending cards and spending the time reading them and picking them out. It's my way of making the world a better place.

I stumbled across this cartoon on the internet. I definitely recognize the commercial aspect of certain holidays... I don't think it's a horrible thing (it's kind of far down on the list of evil) but I can laugh at the mockery of it. Like an attorney who finds lawyer jokes funny. It's self-depricating humor which is always healthy.

So enjoy. It's funny. Well at least, it made me laugh.

By Popular Demand

I know it's been a while since I said I was going to go to the Shedd Aquarium but I actually DID go and although I forgot my camera (DOH!), I was able to make it out of there with a couple of "decent" pictures from my phone.


I know... I know... I suck. Tell me something new.


Alright, so maybe decent is a stretch.... but this is the funny looking man statue with a giant fish outside the Shedd. I enjoyed it. Made me smile. Between the darkness of the building, the glass and the movement of the fish... the rest of them didn't turn out so well.



I was able to see the dolphin show which was highly entertaining and made me think I wanted to be a dolphin trainer (I'm so like a 6 year old kid right now as far as my vocation is concered). I got over that when they talked about how cold the water is... 55 degrees on a good day. I love the water.... in any form: lakes, pools, ponds, oceans, rivers, bathtubs. But I like it WARM. I remember having to make the kids at camp jump in the lake when I wouldn't go near it - I always felt so hypocritical about it.



So the other picture that came out since this guy was under a spotlight is the giant lizard:

He's a regular at the aquarium and I have to admit, this picture does not do him justice. He is a BIG BOY... scary almost. He was enjoying his solar light... kind of looked like a tanning bed junkie going back for more. Scales, wrinkles and all. But he turned his head and hissed at the group that I was standing with, peering in at him and we all jumped. Grown-ups included. He is a massive lizard... I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley or desert. (which ever makes more sense).



Oh!!! 1 week and counting to the cruise!!!

Brrrrr....

It's cold up here. I've heard about the end of January/beginning of February as being the coldest part of winter in Chicago for six months now. And the time has finally arrived. My nose froze walking the one block to my bus stop yesterday morning. It snowed another half a foot last night. The city is so pretty when the snow is falling so I came home last night with a smile on m face. It does make the commute longer and a little precarious but I still love it. I'm sure come April, I'll be little tired of it, but right now it's still pretty to me.

Plus, in two weeks, I'm going on a cruise to the Carribbean with my entire family. It's my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary so we're going to celebrate and spend time together. I think it's be fun. Plus who is going to say no to a week in the sun!! I'll be sure to post pictures of my fun in the sun so you all can be jealous.

Books

I'm an avid reader... I love to curl up with a good book and delve into someone's story. I read a lot so I spend a lot of time in either the library or bookstores. In dreaming of my dream house, I don't know anything about what I want in my house other than a true library... just shelves and shelves of books.

So when I was in Borders the other day, I came across this book.

I did pick it up and look at it more in depth but I did not purchase it... It made me laugh and I'm glad that someone recognizes how much of our news is crap. (See my earlier post about Britney and Newsweek.)

So in my research for this post (yes, I work very hard at my craft), I discovered this guy has a website about the crap that news outlets try to pass off as 'real news' http://www.fark.com/. Very amusing, this Drew Curtis and I don't mind giving his website a plug. It's amusing. He has everything from CNN to the local daily from Palm Beach, how he finds all this, I have no idea but it cracks me up.

My personal favorite from the Chicago Sun-Times: "In the midst of one of the snowiest winters on record, the city of Chicago may run out of money for snow removal

Bet you didn't know...

I always have my toenails polished - I LOVE a good pedicure.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is my favorite cereral and I believe it's completely ok to eat it as a fufilling breakfast.

Tweezing my eyebrows makes me feel ridiculously better and in control of my life.

I'm easily startled, I hate working with my back to the door because I don't like people walking up behind me.

Chapstick and Mascara are the two things that I consider a necessity in my morning routine.

I want a job that requires me to be formally dressed just so that I "have" to buy the clothes.

Patent leather shoes have been an obsession of mine since I was three and could express that I wanted to wear my "shiny shoes".

Cake isn't worth eating without the frosting.

Whoever invented the shower deserves a medal.

Going to movies by yourself isn't weird or crazy, it's practical. You don't talk in the movies.

I think falling in love is easy, it's the staying part that I find challenging.

Everybody has baggage, the challenge is making sure it matches!

Life Goes On...

I was amazed today to discover they have snow days here in Illinois, I thought kids who grew up here never got to experience the joy, the amazing sweetness, the undescribable jubilation an 8 year old can feel when their mother utters the words, "snow day" to them when waking them up to play outside in the glorious whiteness.

Of course, in Georgia, we still had to get up at 7AM to actually experience the snow becuase it would all be gone by noon. But that's an entirely different story.

Although, the girls I work with at my volunteer position quickly explained snow days up here were days too dangerous to be outside. Storms, extremely low temperatures, etc. Scared me a little too - made me glad I had brought my down coat and hat with me. We're supposed to get about a foot of snow... I know this isn't a weather blog but it's what's fascinating me right now. So... well, it's what you're getting right now. Forgive my selfishness.

I am officially starting a countdown until I leave for Miami to meet my family for a 6 day cruise to the Virgin Islands. It's my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary and the whole family will be together on a cruise ship... I hope it's big enough! So we are at 16 days until we sat sail! So exciting... now if I could only find my charger for my camera.

Welcome to the Mid-West!

I went out to the suburbs yesterday afternoon for a job interview (it went well, keep your fingers crossed) and it was just in time for the storm of the year to hit. I haven't driven in snow in a long time and I was glad I had remembered to get an all wheel drive car at the rental place. I was at the interview for around 2 hours and it snowed about 4 inches... the footprints I had made walking into the interview from my car were no where to be seen. As I was leaving, my interviewer said sarcasticly, "Welcome to the Mid-West!"
And the snow wasn't slowing down, these were the BIGGEST snowflakes I have ever seen. HUGE! But beautitul and as I inched along the highway, I enjoyed the beauty of the snow. The drive did take a while, door to door was 2 and half hours. But no one was rude and I felt safe on the highway. So it was easy going. At one point, I called my parents and they freaked telling me to get off the phone and concentrate on driving. I laughed because I was moving around 5 MPH so even if I slipped into a ditch, I would be okay.
The lake looks amazing... the sky has finally cleared up and I can see the lake and it's frozen over which is cool and it's white because of the snow. It's totally different and I love it. It's gorgeous. I love looking out onto the lake, I'm going to miss the views from my apartment, it's a great place to live.
I am glad that the snow has stopped for a while so I can run out to the grocery store (since I have a car!) and stock up. I'll be back!