Sunday, December 14, 2008

Key Learnings, mini drunk blog and Chicago holiday traditions

I cannot believe it's the middle of December. Wha? Where are the weeks going? This week I head home and I've already started overpacking. Is that even possible?

Let's get into the key learnings to spare me from finding another sweater to pack.

Key Learnings:
  • When you say, "I'm ready to make out," make sure it's by people you want to make out with (unless you don't really care who it is)
  • Just because it's "open bar for two hours," doesn't mean you need to drink a full night's worth of wine within two hours
  • Men who deliver food on bikes in the rain should be paid double
  • Gluhwein is awesome, but drink it as fast as you can to avoid the odd taste
  • When your doctor says (with a tone) that you've put on five pounds, do not say, "yeah? you have too," especially when she is pregnant. Oops!
  • People are meaner the closer it gets to Christmas
  • Baby strollers in crowded, public places are a menace
  • When having a celeb sighting at the gym, make sure your CWI's aren't at full alert
  • The first taste of caffeine soda after a long day tastes like sweet heaven running through your veins
  • When 40 mph wind gusts are blowing at you, tear your hat off and do a Charlie's Angels hair flip. At that point, just own it
Chicago Christmas

Along with the Michigan Avenue lighting, I love going to visit the Christmas Market at Daley Plaza and the Macy's windows. For some reason, I was possessed to visit both of them this weekend, along with just about every tourist in a 20 mile radius...and in the rain. That did not help my cold. 

View of the Market

But I got some sweet pictures and good food, including German Gluhwein, which is spiced red wine. I'm not a red wine fan and the spice tasted a little like lighter fluid, but it did clear some of my sinuses for a few minutes. Score. I also got some cinnamon-toasted almonds (gebrannte Mandeln in German), which bring back a lot of memories from my time overseas. The crowds were awful, but it was worth it.

Gebrannte Mandeln (nom nom nom)

Gluhwein

Also, here is a picture of my name on Santa's list in the Macy's window. Fingers crossed I'm on the "nice kid" list.


Mini drunk blog

Here's a shock, I was "overserved" at my holiday party this week (two of the above key learnings happened there) and I came home, downed a container of cold pasta like an animal and decided to drunk blog. Below is the text from my drunk blog attempt. Imagine me laughing in the background too and spitting pasta. It's sad.

"So right now, I am totally hammered and eating cold pasta to sober up before I go to bed and I'm watching the Office. But it's really not htat funny and I want to see more Jim/Pam before it goes o nhiatisus for a month. I mean what's up with that? I even SMS texted Jenn but she's not answering nad someone got my Xmas card today and it made them happy. That's not normal. Th room is spinning. Cold pasta, I want it to be awarm but it's not. But that's okay.  I love the office, dwight is fuuny. bedt ie."

How was everyone else's weekend? I get to wear jeans to work this week, which I am super excited about, but it is causing me to rethink my casual wardrobe.

44 comments:

Mandy said...

Cinnamon toasted almonds are wonderful. I totally agree, strollers in crowded places are annoying. Drunk blogging is fun! Have a fun week!

Sara said...

Lots of credit for you drunk blog! I can't drunk blog or get drunk at work parties. Being in HR sometimes sucks!

cinnamon toasted almonds = yummy!

Anonymous said...

I want to go down to the market so badly but I haven't gotten the chance yet.

I spent the weekend in Milwaukee and Kenosha enjoying the warm weather although this impending ice storm is scaring me. Snow > Ice

Pam said...

I went out to Christkindlmarket on Saturday and only stayed for about 10 minutes. It was INSANE with crazy strollers and bundled up tourists. I was there long enough to admire the tree and smell the cinnamon nuts (yum) and then we booked it to Macy's to see the windows. I was a bit disappointed, I have to say. What was with those weird little robot alien things?

Sounds like you had a great weekend though! I think one of these years I should try that gluhwein, even if it tastes like lighter fluid.

LBluca77 said...

Oh how I so also hate when people bring stollers out shopping during the xmas season. There is no extra room for that people.

Your drunk blogging looks like my posts before I edit them, even when I am sober. How funny was the Office this week? When she caught her hair on fire I nearly died from laughing. There was a xmas Office episode a few years back when Meredith got drunk and took her top off. Remember that one? So funny. I can't wait to put up my new Office calendar for 2009.

EP said...

Umm, I want to hear the story behind telling someone you want to make out but making sure that person is someone you would be OK makng out with. Care to spill?

Also, the excerpt from your drunk blog makes me SO happy. I'm impressed. And it makes me kind of want to try drunk blogging. Just to see what I would say...

Erin said...

I went to the Christmas market for the first time ever last weekend. We went Saturday night when it was FREEZING! I don't even remember what the Gluhwein tasted like because I drank it super fast in an attempt to stay warm.

We got Amaretto flavored toasted almonds at the market and that's all I've been thinking about ever since. I will have to brave the cold and the people on lunch one day this week and go get some more.

Mega said...

Things I take out of this post:

-I too near to hear the details of this makeout story

-I thoroughly enjoyed the card

-I accept payments in Stella, I do not look like Bob Vila, and you missed an excellent time last night

Vanessa said...

I think baby strollers in general are a nuisance! The parents seem to be oblivious that anyone exists except their precious in the stroller. Really gets to me!

Renee said...

I'm impressed you saved your drunk blog as a draft and didn't post it outright! I probably would've confessed something terribly embarrassing, published it, and then emailed it to everyone in my address book.

Anonymous said...

omg, gluwhein! I haven't had that in years... that sounds pretty perfect for this cold weather! And I really enjoyed your drunk blog! Funny how that all actually makes sense in the moment!

Rachel Burton said...

Those women with strollers are maniacs. They will run you down and not even look twice. I've even seen some of them pushing strollers with no kids in them! I wonder if they even know they lost their kid in the shopping frenzy - or maybe it's just all part of their diabolical plan to hog the ENTIRE DEPARTMENT STORE AISLE.

Pretty Unfamous said...

Drunk blogging is something that I need to do, haha!

B said...

OMG, I LOVE Gluehweinn!! LOOOOOOOOOVE. And roasted almonds. lakflajflkjdf

love.

Anonymous said...

Oh I love glühwein! And lebkuchen (gingerbread-y stuff)... too bad I haven't been able to convince my boyfriend we should make a little trip to Germany next weekend. He'd rather stay in. I mean I can get glühwein in the supermarkets here, but no lebkuchen for me this year.

Anonymous said...

OMG, I love that drunk blog. So funny! You make me happy.

Also, you are so right. Just because there is an open bar, does not mean you need to drink everything there. Oops. I did this on Thursday night.

Good key learning!

Anonymous said...

Ah drunk blogging. I <3 it :)

Maris said...

Christmas is Chicago looks so pretty! I love Christmas decor.

And your drunk blog post made me laugh. It is PERFECTLY acceptable to drink a nights worth of wine in 2 hours - girl's gotta unwind, right?

Kyla Bea said...

Your drunk blog is amazing - as is your pregnant lady bashing! This is what I come here for, thank you ;)

Cheryl said...

I love those almonds! And I love jeans for work. And I love your drunken post. It made me laugh out loud, which is embarassing at work, actually.

Anonymous said...

Your drunk blog is the best.

And your card made me totally happy even if it might not be normal.

Top Chef dinner. SOON!

thatShortchick said...

ok i am totally outing my high level of stupidity when I ask: what are CWI's?

but yeah, the mean people spike during the christmas season? ridiculously out of control.

Abby said...

People are SO much meaner the closer to the holidays it gets. My students are on edge and yelled at me today for having the "Christmas countdown" wrong on my board. (although legally, I could get in trouble for doing that!) Drunk blogging is fun...I've done it many times and it takes twice as long and I usually spell check it a few times ;)

Unknown said...

I'm glad you shared that drunk post with us. Classic stuff.

S. said...

You spell like a champ when you're drunk. I tried typing drunk one time....not so good.

alexa @clevelandsaplum said...

your drunk blog is hilarious. i also drunk blogged this weekend, i deleted mine though. my passive aggression didn't need to be seen by people other than my blog subscribers via RSS.

lesson learned.

and the pic of the market just makes me cold looking at it!

Anonymous said...

agreed on the soda thing. and did you really say that to your doctor? hilarious!

Anonymous said...

I love Gluhwein and the almonds! Yum, I want some now. Gluhwein shouldn't taste like lighter fluid...I'm making some tonight though and I can't wait. I always doctor it with some cinnamon, sugar and orange slices.

Anonymous said...

Hahahaha, I am impressed by your drunk blog and think your key learnings were very helpful.

I wish I could wear jeans to work.

Ray said...

I ventured to the market on Sunday, and it was so packed with tourists I didn't stay long.

I did, however, have some of that wine which I hated and promptly gave to my Mom. Also the potato pancakes there were ah-MAZE-iiiinng.

Kate said...

I commend you for walking among the tourists on State Street and in Daley Plaza without screaming "Get the f*** out of the way!" Nice job. :)

Anonymous said...

"People are meaner the closer it gets to Christmas...."

...why is that?! It's so so true but it makes NO sense to me!

SA said...

Valiant effort on the drunk blogging.

Those almonds sound great. And yes, baby strollers in crowded areas are evil devices.

KA said...

"People are meaner the closer it gets to Christmas" You've noticed it too, huh?

P said...

This confused me . . . "Just because it's "open bar for two hours," doesn't mean you need to drink a full night's worth of wine within two hours" . . . isn't that the rule??? lol.

Classic drunk blogging moment! My own personal favourite was the time I said not to put any music on the oven before performance time. It made no sense whatsoever. But provided some amusement.

Anonymous said...

OMG! That had me cracking up. I, too, was overserved at the office party, but unlike yours, mine had an open bar all night long and I was drinking farrrrrrr too much wine. I had to be carried into my house. I fell into the tub and pulled the shower curtain down on me. My roommate had to change my clothes. I don't remember a stinkin' thing, and I want to blog about it but I think there are too many sneaky people in this place that read the blog...grr! :) That drunk blog, though, that's funny shit.

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

My weekend involved not nearly enough drinking and shopping, but I get to wear jeans to work everyday. I think we're even. =)

Katelin said...

haha i love the drunk blog, classic. and cold pasta really is a fabulous drunk remedy, nice job :)

Maxie said...

"Just because it's "open bar for two hours," doesn't mean you need to drink a full night's worth of wine within two hours"

NOT TRUE!!!

Jenny Grace said...

I'm pretty sure I made the same "I'm ready to make out now" mistake on Saturday.

James said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
James said...

Ha! Love that drunk blog! But drunk writing anything can be a delicate situation...I've woken up too many mornings to the thought "did I really just send that myspace message?!? Nooooooooooo!!!"

You live, you learn.

erin said...

drunk blogging = hilarious.

i love the christkindl market and try to go every year (despite the crazy tourist traffic). maybe i will try the wine this year.

Anonymous said...

Haha I love the drunk blog.
& I can't believe you did all of that touristy stuff- I can't handle it during this season at all!