Weekend recap: Back from Boston

Woo hoo, I'm back! I'm back in Chicago and it feels so good!!

So after my adventure in Vegas, I came back to Chicago, rested my legs for a day and then jumped on another plane, this time to Boston, aka Beantown. And now, I'm finally back in the Midwest to stay. I missed everyone!

And because I'm totally exhausted, digging through 200+ e-mails from work and preparing to get back in my routine, I thought I would recap this trip in a fun bulleted format.

My Boston trip in the numbers:

• Celeb sightings: Zero (I tried to stalk Ben and Jen but no luck!)

• Photos taken: 300+ (I know, I can't believe I took that many too!)

• Times I tripped on cobblestones: 8-10 (one hurt pretty bad)
  
  
• Length of my stay: 5 days, 4 nights (turns out the Boston Craigslist Killer struck at our hotel. We didn't know that ahead of time. Still, it was nice!)

• Total miles walked: Too many to count (helped me offset the beer consumption)

• Restaurants visited: 6 (some examples below)

• Times lost in the city: 2 (not bad!)

• Beers consumed by me at Fenway: 4 (fortunately, I didn't say anything inappropriate, but it did result in the below picture)
  
  
• Arms sunburned: 2 (both of mine are toasty red. Doh!)

• Gay pride parade run-ins: 1 (it was dad's first one, he was very excited)

• Women seen touching themselves pantless and underwearless on the street: 1 (that image is burned in my brain)

• Fresh seafood dinners: 4 (the lobster roll below was amazing. Like, I died and went to heaven it was so good)
  
  
• Pair of seersucker pants with embroidered pot leaves purchased: Zero (but it makes a great picture)
  
  
• Children I told to "back off" so I could sit on the duck statue: 4 (they wouldn't share!!!)

So that is a quick little recap of my trip. Photos are in the process of being uploaded to my Flickr page too.

Thank you again to all of my great guest bloggers and everyone for coming and commenting on their posts while I was gone.

Oh and here's a nice little picture of dad and me that was taken on our Harvard tour. I was going for the "bookish-cute" look in my coat and scarf. Thank you JCrew corduroy for keeping me warm!

How was everyone else's weekend? Do anything fun? Or see any good movies?

Weekend recap: Vegas baby, Vegas!

Hey, hey everyone I'm back from Vegas! And the good news is, I came back unmarried and untattooed. Win, win!

As you know, this weekend I was in Vegas with a group of awesome and fun bloggers and it was a blast! This was the first time I've been to Vegas so I had to find the delicate balance of alcohol and sight seeing. It was tough.

And here are a few things I learned while I was in America's Playground:

• Vegas is totally chick-friendly. If you're a woman, Vegas is the place for you. You can have any of the following things happen: get a high five, be talked dirty to in Spanish, be whistled at and get just about anything you want if you travel with two or more women. Clubs are your oyster!

• Boobs are not a big deal in Vegas. In fact, they're everywhere on the streets. People hand out cards with boobs (and the "other" if you know what I mean) and after awhile you just go dead inside when you see them. Being a woman, if you've seen one boob, you've seen them all

• Holy shit it is hot. We came during a "cool week," which was still in the 90s but damn, I was baking like a pig on a spit at the pool and on the strip. That sun is punishing, as my arms will attest

• Your depth perception will fool you. I think this may be heat-induced but things look close together on the strip but they're not! Yes, the Bellagio and Mirage are next to each other, but it can take you 10-15 minutes to walk there because of other tourists and sidewalk space

• Time doesn't really exist on the strip. Yes, the time change from Chicago (two hours behind) was tough because it goes by so quickly and then suddenly it's 5 p.m. and you're eating lunch and 11 p.m. and it's dinner time. It's madness!

Anyhow, Jamie, Allie and I arrived on Friday morning in Las Vegas and quickly ditched our stuff at the Luxor and hit the strip, where we first discovered that whole depth-perception lie crap. I live in Chicago, walk everywhere and was still begging for mercy by the end of the day. Sanctuary! Save me! 

So after some sight seeing and a lovely lunch with our other roommie, we met up with our blogger group and walked with them over to their dinner buffet. We would have joined them but we had to run over to the Mirage. Why? Because we had tickets to the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show, Love. 

And here's an overly sappy moment, I love the Beatles. I love them so much. I grew up listening to their music and on any bad day, I always play some Beatles music to boost my spirits. So the opportunity to see the show (thanks to Cirque) made me literally cry. And as you know, I'm not a huger crier. So I put on my best boob shirt and we went to the show! And it was AMAZING. The music, stage set up, dancing and stunts were wonderful. It was a true sensory overload and I am so glad I got to go. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Moving on to Saturday, after leisurely sleeping in until 1o:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. Chicago time, hey ya!) my roomies and I met up with our blogger group at the pool (where I proceeded to get a decent amount of sun) and then hit the strip for more sight seeing, including a lovely tour of the Venetian hotel and "lunch" at Mario Batali's restaurant, Entocea San Marco, which had the best gelato I've ever had. 

View from our table at Entocea San Marco

And of course, that was followed by an epic blogger meet up at a bar in the Venetian, full of $5 glasses of wine, hilarious photos and a trip to the "best bathroom" as voted by the Las Vegas Sun. And from our group's consensus, it was awesome.

Katelin and me toasting out trip (before getting silly)

My bathroom stall. Tres chic!

On Sunday, The time change finally hit me and I was up and moving at 7:30 a.m. Vegas time (9:30 a.m. Chicago). So Jamie and I jumped in a cab, to save our legs, and headed to the far end of the strip to cruise through more casinos. In fact, I even rocked the penny slots (daredevil!) and was up 71 cents before losing it. Well, at least it wasn't the rent. We also met up with Allie, Katelin and Matt for brunch at the Bellagio, which was awesome and filling, without the full "food baby."

Another perk of the trip? My cousin and his wife live in Vegas so they picked me up and took me to the "burger mecca" of the west coast, In-n-Out burger. I won't lie, I was ridiculously excited for this trip. And after some apologies for my serious photo-taking, I snapped a photo of our Double-double before it was devoured. It was heaven.

We were some of the few bloggers staying until Monday so we grabbed Amanda and went back to the Mirage for dinner, where the restaurant was so fancy, we had to ask for the prix fixe meal because they didn't openly offer it. But it was SO worth it. And I know you're sad, but the restaurant's lighting prevented me from taking pictures of the food. FAIL. I know.

And in closing, yesterday we returned to Chicago, where I came back on budget for the trip but exhausted. Seriously, our flight was circling O'Hare for an hour. And after some turbulence, my stomach was NOT happy. 

But all in all, it was an awesome, fun, crazy weekend where I got to meet a lot of cool new people and get a break from Chicago, work, life, etc. It was a real adventure and now it's time to rest up before I depart from Boston. But, I'm sure I'll go back to Vegas in the future, but this time a little more gambling-savvy.

After all, Missy Jess needs a new pair of shoes :)

How was everyone else's weekend? 

Guest bloggers start up again tomorrow, but I'll be back in full force after the weekend when I'm back from Boston! So come on back now!

Oh and Jamie took this picture of me near the bronze Siegfried and Roy and tiger statue. It's too hilarious NOT to post.

Guest post: Chicago vs. Vegas

The first awesome guest post comes from the lovely Jenn at Free and Flawed. Enjoy! 

What is it about guest posts that turn even the most creative bloggers into a big ball of writer's block? Don't worry, this isn't turning into a blog post all about how guest posting is so hard. I won't make you read a list of reasons why guest blogging is so hard or how many topics I thought of before settling on this one. But just in case you wanted to know...No, no. I promised Jess a real post so here it is!

While Jess is off having a blast in Vegas, I'm here in Chicago nursing my jealousy wounds. I had originally planned to tag along, but due to the lack of piles of dough, I decided to stay. So instead of sulking around the apartment all weekend, I've come up with a list of reasons why it's better to be in Chicago.

• While you're dumping coin after coin into the slot machines, I can just walk over to the closet vending machine. 75 cents in, tasty, refreshing pop out. I'm always a winner. 

• I've seen 21, I know all about those card counters. While you're losing money at the tables, I'll be playing a mean game of Monopoly with my grandma. What began as a game of strategy and balls turns into a fun game of hide & seek. Where's grandma hiding those pink fifties?

• If I'm tired of looking at boobs, I just turn off the porn. I mean...what?

• You know that saying, "what happens in Vegas - stays in vegas"......uh.....if you believe that, yeah, you might want to check out "YouTube"......
  

If none of that means anything to you, I've saved the best for last. Wait for it...

• I have Rachel, you don't. 
  

Mwa ha ha ha! Winner. 

Hope you're having a blast in Vegas!

Leaving on a jet plane

Here's another thing I recommend: going on vacation!

I haven't been on a proper vacation in.......years? And why don't I take vacation? Two reasons: money and I'm a workaholic.

But, I did mention in a previous post about wanting to take a vacation this year and I was serious.

So tomorrow, I am getting on a jet plane with some awesome Chicago bloggers to meet up with more awesome bloggers in America's playground, Las Vegas.

And because I hoarded so much of my vacation time this year (oops!) I am taking a full week-plus off of work to go to Vegas and then out to Boston with my dad. We're going to get our "geek on" for New England history and hit up Fenway Park to see the Red Sox/Yankees. I'm beyond excited about going to the ballpark.

My two little mini-vacations will be good for me. I get to relax and unplug from work and just veg. And while I'm not in the best swimsuit shape, after a few drinks, I'm sure that won't matter ;)

So while I'm gone, I have some awesome guest bloggers lined up and I'll be back next week with a full Vegas recap before I head out to Boston. I'll also be tweeting from my trips so if you don't follow me, feel free to do so and live vicariously through me, I do it all the time with friends.

Oh and please forgive me for being behind on commenting, I promise to get to everyone!

Miss me!?

Does anyone else have big travel plans this summer? That's either destination bound or staycation?

Note: Thank you everyone for your comments on the wedding note post yesterday. I won't lie, I was a little surprised by some of the feedback, but everyone made valid points and I can see where everyone is coming from. People were very passionate and adamant about the topic, which is great, I love reading your comments on things like this.

Key Learnings - NYC travel edition

Wow did I get lucky this weekend (not physically.) I left Saturday morning for NYC, when it was just raining moderately in Chicago and now it's a full, blown storm. I've been reading tweets from Chicagoans and it's crazy! Fortunately, the weather in NYC has been 60 and mild the last two days...and I am loving it!

Being in New York has been great, but before we get to that, let's hit the key learnings.

Key Learnings:

• Everything in NYC is more expensive. Everything


• Cab drivers are much nicer about paying by credit cards than Chicago drivers (Chicago cabbies should take note)


• Being awake for nearly 24 hours can start to mess with your head, especially with daylight savings added on
  
• Eating a cupcake made from pure sugar will help keep you awake
  
• Walking is the best way to see New York, but be sure to take breaks and don't walk 60+ blocks in one trip
  
• When an "unmarked" cab driver asks if you want to ride share with a guy who is "out for a smoke," say no
  
• Eating with bloggers is the best because everyone takes pictures before we eat
  
• Asking me what I "wish" for will automatically get a response of, "a pretty pony"
  
• Every accessory you could need can be bought on the street, especially $5 wraps (bought four this weekend. Someone stop me)
  
• Snapple is more readily available in NYC than anything else, even water
  
• A pet store and bong shop make for interesting retail neighbors. Get baked and then get a dog 50 percent off!
  
• Hint: when someone tells you not to take a picture, that doesn't dissuade me, it makes me more determined

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to upload any of my pictures from this weekend because Lulu didn't come with me, so those will be coming soon. I got some great photos.

When tourists come to Chicago, we residents are not always the nicest when we talk about them. They flood the sidewalks and ask dumb questions to the bus drivers. But, this time the shoe was on the other foot, as I was a tourist in NYC this weekend. But I like to think I was still "big city savvy" when maneuvering around.

It's late here and I have a big day Monday so here is another list, this time of things I did in NYC this weekend:

• Met my friend Maris at the Empire State Building (very Sleepless in Seattle)


• Walked from Midtown to West Village to Upper East Side back to Midtown (my legs were killing me)


• Waited in line for a Magnolia cupcake (and then went back Sunday for another one)


• Had an uncomfortably close encounter with a pigeon (I am scared of them)


• Found my favorite candy at Dylan's Candy Bar and overpaid for it


• Ate at Craftbar with Ashley and Maris (give it a grade of a B, but I do recommend the appetizers we had: crispy chicken wings with spiced creme fraiche, mushroom bruschetta and chickpea fries)


• Celebrated Lacey's engagement with awesome New York bloggers and a retired Chicago blogger


• Had bloggy brunch at SaraBeth's with lovely lady New York bloggers with salmon eggs Benedict


• Acted like a total tourist, taking pictures of Times Square, Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center


• Sat on a bench, watching a couple flirt on their first date and a man drink gin straight from the bottle


• Dined at Perilla with Ashley (give it a grade of an A+++++) My pork loin, hanger steak with creamed spinach and mushrooms, risotto and apple bread pudding was just beyond words. But no Harold sighting (shoot!)

Tomorrow I head back to a flooded Chicago and I'm looking forward to it. But I guarantee I won't let another three years go by without a weekend out here. It was a lot of fun!

How was everyone else's weekend?

Vacation poll: I want to go to there

Readers, I need your help! I haven't been on vacation in a long time and I'm itching to put my tax return to good use by getting me out of Chicago for a few days.

But I have no idea where I should go. My only real preference is that it's not in the Midwest. I would also be possibly taking this trip this spring/early summer.

So I put together some ideas below of places I'm thinking of vacationing, let me know if what one you like best or write in your own suggestion.

As Liz Lemon would say, "I want to go to there," so help me decide where I should go.

Napa Valley, CA

I love wine and warm weather. I may not be a big drinker, but a lot of sampling isn't considered heavy drinking, is it?

Vancouver

My stepbrother who lives there says it's beautiful and it's been on my "list" of places to be for a while

New Orleans

Haven't spent a lot of time in the South, but I would love to see first-hand what the city looks like post-Katrina and sample some Cajun food

Mexico

Never been there, but the desire to lay on a beach with a book is a huge plus

Does anyone else have trips coming up that they're looking forward to? I wanted to add Hawaii or Europe to the list, but right now, I need to save a little more before that can become a reality.

Or what was your favorite vacation, either with family, significant other or friends?

Toto I don’t think we’re in Chicago anymore

I’m back!!!!! Miss me? That’s a rhetorical question to some of you ;) So I’m officially back in Chicago/civilization and I won’t lie, it’s bittersweet. While I was gone, of course I missed things like: central air, television and available Internet, but there are some things about being not only on vacation, but also in the “middle of nowhere” that is very soothing. Being in northern Wisconsin changed my routine from going 80 mph to about 10 mph in no time. And I loved it, but now I feel like I was hit by a Mack truck in the process of adjusting back to my life here. 

I have over 200 photos from my several days away, but I’ll spare sharing all of them with you and pick some of my favorites. I’ve also compiled a list below of things that I encountered on my vacation, which I thought were notable for everyone. Trust me, there are more differences between northern Wisconsin and Chicago than I could have imagined.

In northern Wisconsin...

-- Bars close at 10:30 p.m.

-- People gather in groups at parks to watch the sun set every night (and clap when it does)

-- Spotted Cow is the unofficial “town drink”

-- Drinks are $4-6 each (even for “tall” Long Island Ice Teas – and no they don’t skimp on the liquor)

-- Gelato or cherry pie is the dessert of choice

-- Everyone you meet says “good morning” or “good afternoon” and it freaks you out for the first day or two

-- No one cares what you look like. I lived for several days in tank tops and jersey skirts, which were still flattering after a full meal and a “Buddha belly”

-- Wild turkeys and/or foxes are not an uncommon scene on a golf course

-- Every sunset looks like a colorful explosion in the sky and you can see real stars!

-- No one judges if you're already drunk when you show up to a restaurant for dinner (guilty!)

Sunset from the beach

As you would expect, the term “fine dining” is pretty subjective in northern Wisconsin, which I love. Why? Because by day two of my vacation, I stopped wearing makeup (the horror!) and wore “dirty clothes” too when we were out. And I didn’t care! That’s huge for me. But the “fine dining” establishment we visited Tuesday night was a bar/bowling alley/restaurant combo. And the best part? You have to walk through the bowling alley to get to the bar to get to the restaurant. Classy. Dad even gave me a quarter to play an arcade game (which playing while drunk on champagne is interesting.) We go to this restaurant every time we’re in northern Wisconsin and I still get the same thing: fried chicken and cottage cheese with Dole peach slices. Yes, it’s juvenile, but that food is finger-lickin’ good and it makes me feel like a kid again.

Finally, while Spotted Cow is the unofficial drink, the other regional drink in northern Wisconsin is the “cherry bomb,” which consists of: vodka, cherry juice and a splash of Sprite.

Cherry Bomb!

After several bad experiences, vodka isn’t my cup of tea, but this drink was amazing. I didn’t taste the vodka at all (good/bad thing) and it was sneakishly potent. After about two of them I realized that I WAS TALKING VERY LOUDLY and slid off my seat. Two drinks for $10 and I’m feeling good. Chicago can’t beat those prices.

So in closing, vacation was fun, I got to embrace my "non-makeup" look and dad made it to the championship round of his golf tournament, where he unfortunately lost. Next time, I'm staying up there longer as his "good luck" charm. Whenever he has made it to the championship round, I've never been around to watch and he has always lost. Sign?? Plus I can drive the golf cart more (yay!) and make "ahhhhh" noises as we go over the bumps. That doesn't get old either.

View from the golf cart

Oh and a local cab company told me I'm "abusive" and can't call them anymore for service. Agree to disagree. Welcome back to the city! Rage Girl made quite a mess in that situation.

Anyone else have big weekend plans?

Vince Lombardi meets Suzy Homemaker on crack

Yes that must be quite an image.

I'm technically on vaca right now, doing my time in northern Wisconsin where there is no cell phone access or Internet, except at this nifty little cafe with Wifi, where I now find refuge from a house full of people, including my dad, stepmom, stepbrother and his girlfriend.

The reason we're in northern Wisconsin is because of a golf tournament at the local state park. My dad has played in this tournament for the last 28+ years. It's a tradition in the family every summer to drive four hours north to this little piece of 1950s heaven and get away from the city, horns, drunk baseball fans and work. No McDonalds, cable television or Starbucks. It's a test of your attention span and how well you can entertain yourself. 

And as one of the women in our group, I wake every day of the golf tournament and join my dad on the course, dutifully playing Suzy Homemaker for him until my stepmom arrives, when I then turn into a rabid fan.

This is a very serious job for anyone joining us for the golf tournament and as a woman you're required golf tournament duties entail:

• Waking at an ungodly hour to join your man (in this case my dad) on the course
• Provide moral support
• Drive the golf cart and surrender it upon command
• Cheer when your man does well
• Say nothing when do they badly on a hole
• Pick up golf clubs that have been thrown aside in anger
• Take pictures
• Keep score
• Bring and maintain the cooler for yours and your man's cart - provide them with the requested food when necessary
• Chat with the other daughters, wives and girlfriends before the 10th hole, bragging about how your man is doing

Yes, I'm Suzy Homemaker on crack and while I'm a feminist and independent woman, I don't mind doing this stuff once a year. Even if the golf course bathrooms/out houses are beyond atrocious, it's another sign of how much I love my dad.

Last year, my dad was playing against a long-time friend of his, and whoever won that day's match would go on to the championship round the next day. My dad was beating this guy by only a few holes and I could tell that the thought of having to eliminate his friend from the tournament was weighing on him. So I did what any good supporter would do and I gave him a Vince Lombardi-like pep talk. 

Me: What's wrong?

Dad: I'm only up by one hole, if I win this next one, Mr. X is out of the tournament

Me: So?

Dad: Well I feel bad

Me: What? Don't feel bad, do you think Mr. X is going to give up his seat in the championship because he would feel bad about beating you?

Dad: No

Me: That's right, someone has to lose today and it's going to be him, it sucks but you're not a loser, we're winners, you raised me to be a winner and now you're going to be

Dad: I raised you to be a leader

Me: Whatever, go out there and beat him and if it makes you feel better, don't crush him, but win, win, win, win!

Dad: You're right

Me: No shit I'm right, go team!

And my dad did win and I made sure to clap and cheer when he did. I think it boosted his self-esteem for the championship round the next day. Unfortunately he lost, but he played well.

Well it's time for me to go back to our rented house, change for dinner and pack my dad's cooler for the next day. My voice is actually kind of sore from cheering today too so I should rest. One of the wives was giving me a "look" today when I was bragging about how well my dad was playing (unbeknownst to me, he was playing against her husband). Time to sharpen the nails in case she gets in my face. Yes I'm a scratcher and a biter.

Full vaca wrap-up will be coming this week, I have plenty of unique photos to share, but I leave you today with this image of a little visitor (aka a wild turkey) that came out on the 7th hole today.

I'm a petite little ball of rage

I always wanted to be a superhero but unfortunately my alter ego isn't as cool as Batman or Supergirl. My alter ego's name is Rage Girl. It's like the female Hulk, but minus the green skin, bulging muscles and no top thing.

My alter ego used to come out only when I was horribly anal retentive and OCD in high school and college, but since I graduated and moved out on my own, she only comes out on certain occasions now, like during customer service incidents or working with vendors.

It may be hard to believe but I'm overall not an "angry" person. Funny and sarcastic, yes and yes, but angry, no. I just have a tendency to overreact sometimes and "make a mountain out of a mole hill." I get hormonal - deal with it.

Since my BlogHer-Girls Gone Touristy adventures last week, I've been a bit more tired than usual as I ease back into my routine. This has lead Rage Girl to come out more than normal in a given period of time.

Recent Rage Girl appearances --

Ask before taking

Last week on the plane back from San Francisco, I zonked out pretty much right away once we were in the air. Four days of little sleep and a two-hour time difference will do that to me. The woman next to me was flying from San Fran to Chicago to New York to Oslo, Norway (good lord what an awful flight) and was already obnoxious on the plane before we took off.

After a nice little nap, I suddenly woke up, in a panic (over nothing at the time) during the flight and noticed that the new Vanity Fair magazine I tucked away in my seat pouch was gone. Panicked, I started looking for it, unsure how it vanished, when the obnoxious woman turned to me and said...

"Oh was that magazine yours?"

"Yes, where is it?"

"I thought it was there for everyone so I took it" (she takes the magazine out of her backpack)

"Well yes it's mine, how about before you steal things you f*cking ask the person first?" (Rage Girl is now talking)

"I'm sorry, you were asleep"

"Yeah well do you see me dig through your stuff and assume it's for everyone? No I didn't think so" (I take the other magazine out of my pouch while saying this and stuff it in my bag again)

Summary: She probably thinks Americans are totally crazy.

Eyebrows gone bad

My love of Nordstroms is not hidden in my little blog. If I could make out with Nordstroms, I would. It's a beacon of joy and happiness in my life, where racks of purses and shoes make me smile and take all my cares away.

A few months ago I went to the Nordstroms Spa at a friend's suggestion for eyebrow waxing. I can't maintain my own eyebrows (I'm plucking deficient) so I met a woman named Amy at the Spa and now she's my "girl." Unfortunately, Nordstroms has an issue with my last name because they can never find me in the system as a client. Why? I have no idea. 

On Thursday, I called to make my post-San Fran appointment and spa attendant told me I was not in their computer system, which can't be true because I've gone there multiple times. 

When I challenged her on this, giving her multiple ways to search for me, last name, phone number, etc. she became defensive and told me that I was "wrong," which immediately brought out Rage Girl and I demanded to speak to a manager. When the attendant said no, she and I continued to argue and Rage Girl got very upset and started yelling (so embarrassing.)

The woman continued to tell me I'm wrong, which lead to me swearing and hanging up the phone in a huff. 

Summary: Now my happy place thinks I'm a raging, psychopathic b*tch.

Fortunately, I did speak with a manager, who was very apologetic about the situation and was able to resolve the situation. And now I get a free eyebrow wax and they threw in a coupon for a free meal at the Nordstroms Cafe and Coffee Bar for me too. I said thank you and apologized for Rage Girl's actions. I usually end up having to clean up her messes. This was almost as bad as the whole "belt incident" at Nordstroms too that Liz had to step in to regulate on.

So that's me, at time a petite little ball of rage. Maybe I'll develop another super human power, like flying or X-ray vision. Fingers crossed.

Anyone else have superhero powers or an alter ego?

Reader note: Thank you to everyone who commented yesterday on the Newsweek article about accepting money from your parents. I really enjoyed all of your comments and totally agree with you all. And welcome to all the new visitors that commented as well!

San Francisco part two: Girls Gone Touristy

As the bookend to my BlogHer adventure, I've decided to show you the second part of my trip in pictures. BlogHer ended Sunday so my friend Sarah (who is also the first friend I made in Chicago) met me at the hotel and we were off!

Sadly we weren't "Girls Gone Wild" but we did cover a lot of the tourist attractions in the city in the two days we had together. Below is my montage for you all. Oh I have plenty more than this but it's just a sampling of our fun. I'm saving some for my "food love" post soon.

I also just wanted to clear up one thing, I did change my clothes while I was there, but because of the cold northern California weather, I only had one coat/scarf that could keep me "warm," which is why you'll see me in the same external outfit in every relevant picture.

San Fran's Bart map - easier than Chicago?

Chinatown

San Francisco (from the top of a painful hill!)

Me and a cable car

Fisherman's Wharf - Sea Lions!

Boudin Bakery - famous San Francisco sourdough

Local dungress crabs

Ghirardelli

Cupcake break from Kara's!

(raspberry buttercream frosting)

Lombard Street 

Palace of Fine Arts (boo construction)

Sarah and me at the De Young museum garden

Haight Ashbury

Coffee with Angela!

Heading the airport

Phew I'm pooped. And I decided to spare you pictures of being hit on my a woman at a bar and a man vomiting between the Bart cars while heading to Oakland. No I wouldn't actually take pictures of that but you know what I mean.

San Fran was an awesome time and a perfect break from Chicago, but like Dorothy said..."there's no place like home."

Fortunately, my friend Sarah is coming back to Chicago in two weeks so it's time to get the band back together again. Woo hoo!

San Francisco part one: BlogHer '08

After three crazy days, a run-in with hotel security, a cheeseburger party, damaging photos, many late nights and one early morning, BlogHer ’08 is officially closed for this year. And now it’s 1:15 a.m. San Fran time and I’m blogging because I can’t seem to fall asleep yet. That will be painful tomorrow. Anyhow, my time in San Fran for the conference has been amazing. Truly eye-opening and just an overall a great experience.

It's true that I haven’t been “warm,” except for my time around a microwave and heat lamp, since I arrived on Thursday, but I would come to this conference again in a heartbeat. But next time, I’ll bring warmer clothes as opposed to the “cute cool” clothing, which I currently have. Yeah cotton jackets and layered T-shirts = not a good idea. I should have listened to my friend Sarah's advice a bit closer.

I don’t want to bore you with all the details of the conference but I did want touch on some of the highlights from this part of my San Fran visit.

BlogHer ’08 Highlights:

• Cab trip to the hotel


• My interview with the New York Times


• Bloggy meet ups


• Parties


• Presents
  

Cab Ride:

So on our way to the hotel from the San Fran airport, we got our first real indication that we weren’t in Chicago anymore. Cabs here proudly state that they take credit cards. That is awesome. In Chicago, I have to fight with a cab driver to take my credit card but here, they not only state that they’ll take it, but display the credit cards they accept. I love San Fran!

So during our bumpy ride into the city, our cab driver suddenly pulls over along the side of the road (not in front of our hotel) and a man, who was waiting on the sidewalk we pulled in front of, approaches the car, and slips something to the cab driver in exchange for money. My car-mates, Danielle and Teresa, and I didn’t quite know what to say and then suddenly we’re back in traffic heading to the hotel. It wasn’t until we were checked in and Teresa and I met up later that I said, “hey was our cab driver doing a ‘drug deal’ on the ride to the hotel today?” Now I can’t say for sure that’s what happened but it was O-D-D.

Me & the NYT:

Yep that’s right, I was interviewed by a Style-section reporter for the New York Times. On Friday, the first day of BlogHer, I was really excited to attend the Twenty-Something meet-up session. I met a ton of nice people in my first few days here but I was really looking forward to this meet up to find people in my age range. After the meet-up, the reporter approached me and introduced herself and said she wanted to ask me a few questions. The Times is doing a story on BlogHer and she interviewed me for part of the article. Now I’m not expecting to see my name in the paper (even though it would be awesome) but as a NYT Style-section fanatic, that would definitely be a treat. So fingers crossed and I’ll keep you guys posted when the article runs.

Bloggy meet ups!

Obviously there are a lot of bloggers at BlogHer, specifically women bloggers (shocker I know.) As I mentioned above though, everyone I’ve met here has been really cool. And my bloggy business cards (picture still coming) from Angie were a huge hit. People have commented how “cute” and "clever" they are, to which of course I say “thank you." I’ve collected a ton of cards from mom and 20-something bloggers and overall, I found that people were really interested in finding out what people were blogging about, how long they’ve been blogging and what kind of topics they write about on their blogs. I will be working on adding some of the new blogs to my Reader next week and checking them out as soon as possible. And I met someone Saturday night who already reads my blog, which was a huge treat. I felt insanely flattered.

Part of my Chicago blosse and my new blosse addition: Vanessa

One of the most interesting things I overheard in a break-out session was, "I work in porn, but I don't use my real name. I mean I want to be a teacher one day." Awesome, just awesome.

Famous blogger "run-in:" At the BlogHer Community Keynote speech on Friday night, a co-worker I was sitting with casually leaned over and whispered at me:

"Do you know who is sitting at the table next to us?

"No."

"Dooce, she's sitting like in your seat at the table next to us."

"Really? No way." (Turns out my co-worker was right, so to share this news, I texted a few friends about my fortune, followed by me repeatedly staring at Dooce without trying to look like a crazy stalker.)

Party-time

The time change has been hard over the last few days, but that hasn’t stopped me from partying like a little rock star! Thursday night we went to the Newbie party at the hotel, where I got to see my Chicago blogger buddies and meet a Katelin and Vanessa in person! The bar at the Newbie Party was also very generous – Teresa’s cranberry and vodka was about 80/20 in mix, with the 80 being vodka. Meow!


The hotel was also hosting a People’s Party, which we got to a bit late and thus lost out on the goodie bags. They were really cute too, which made it all the more disappointing that I didn’t get one.

But Sprout was doing a drawing for a gift bag, full of yoga mats, SIGG bottles and kid-friendly toys. And let me say, I entered the drawing only because I know I wouldn’t win. I never win stuff like this but I always throw my card in anyhow. So you can imagine the SHOCK on my face when the woman doing the drawing pulls out a business card and says, “Everyday Adventures of Me in the City? You’re the winner!” I seriously burst out laughing and “woo-ing” very loudly (because of a glass or three of wine). So I grabbed my HUGE bag of stuff and filtered through it in the hallway answering “no I’m not a mom but my friend is!” to people’s questions about my prize. Now, I have plenty of gifts for my beloved Ada, Sarah and some for me too.

Then Saturday night, TNT hosted a BlogHer party and I was particularly excited because, as you all know, I just listed The Closer on my list of “things I love” right now. Gina Ravera (Det. Irene Daniels) from the show was there and I was literally trying not to geek out in front of her.

I had my picture taken with her too, but I need to track it down from the photographer so it’s coming! I’m not letting that slip by. And some of my 20-something peeps at the party and I closed that night club, Ruby Skye, down…at 9:30 p.m. It was a ton of fun, and proves again that Chardonnay for me is very effective in helping me to loosen up.

Below is a picture of the cocktail napkins at our Macy's party last night. I thought this napkin was the most genius idea ever. By day 2 of the conference, a lot of bloggers had run out of business cards so this was a proper substitute to hand out to people. Our Chicago/LA/Texas bloggy group thought it was awesome. I hope someone grabbed a stack before we left the party.

Christmas morning-like joy

OMG I have so much stuff, I’m so glad I brought a big suitcase to take back to Chicago. Below is a picture to show you a sampling of the stuff I got here at the conference. I will definitely be keeping some of it and donating it to my friend Sarah, who is hosting me Sunday-Tuesday at her apartment, and giving some to Yoda Amanda’s daughter Ada. I’m getting Karma on my side by paying it forward here.

So in a nutshell that’s my time at BlogHer. I could go on and on about this for days, but rather than ramble about it, I’ll just say this on top of my highlights. Going to BlogHer was definitely an experience. It was overwhelming at times, but totally worth it. I got to go to some great sessions and meet some really cool people. It wasn’t all play (I was there for work) but the opportunity to go was amazing and I really hope I can go next year too. And I have more pictures to collect so there are more antics caputerd on film that are not represented here.

So what's next? Well while co-workers and blog buddies are flying back to Chicago today, I'm opting to stay behind on the West Coast and get some "R&R" with my buddy Sarah, who lives in San Fran now but is in the process of moving back to Chicago in August.

I’ll be back in a day or two with the second part of my San Francisco adventure: the chronicles of Jess and Sarah. And our adventures are starting with the Dark Knight in IMAX and will likely end with someone being drunk dialed as we sing/scream Journey into the phone. Beware.

Shower and weekend recap (the good and the bad)

Thank goodness - I'm back in Chicago!

Well today was the highly anticipated shower and let's just say, I was pleasantly surprised but exhausted from being on-the-go all weekend.

Below is a recap of the weekends highlights and lowlights (some are not that low, but there weren't enough for an in between category):

High points:

• Day off on Friday!
• Driving - I love it and I miss it
• Haribo Gummi Frogs and Milka - you know it's really from Germany when you can't read the packaging
• Seeing my new computer - my baby!
• Getting a purdy new case for my baby
• Coach at Bayshore fixing the mix-ups in my order from Mayfair (also see lowlights)
• Free movie and dinner with dad and stepmom (Saw 21 - not bad but rentable)
• Cheesecake at the shower - it was awesome (see picture below)
• Amtrak finding my "cancelled" ticket from Easter (also see lowlights)
• Being told that I turned out "gorgeous" several times from an old family friend - thank you!
• Cab available right away at Union Station
• Seeing my apartment after a long Sunday

Low points:

• Cab #1 charging me the wrong amount (too much) on my credit card
• Coach at Mayfair screwing up my order - no I did not request those sunglasses actually
• Cab #2 getting confused between lower and regular Wacker Drive
• My new computer rejecting my iPod and iTunes songs - why are you so cruel?
• Cab #2 nearly killing a pedestrian on Belmont and Sheridan
• Realizing I probably should have contributed $20-25 to the shower - maybe I was too rigid
• Finding out my unused Amtrak ticket from Easter was cancelled when it wasn't picked up because I was stranded in Atlanta
• Logging my food - Diet? What diet?
• Checking work e-mail - 141 e-mails - wha?

So now that we've covered that - let's get to the main event! The wedding shower!

First off, I wasn't sure what to expect today at the shower and overall things went well. Phew! Of course getting out to the VFW required the Garmin and my brother was literally not kidding when he said I'd know I was there when I saw the "tank" in front. I don't really "hang" at a VFW too much so when he said "tank," I wasn't sure what he meant until I saw it (see picture below), a literal Army tank just in front of the VFW's parking lot. I believe, "oh my god," was my response upon exiting the car.

The weekend regulars at the VFW bar were very nice, but the smell of deep smoke still was stuck in the bar, lovely. The spread of food was impressive, big props to my future sister-in-law's mom for organizing. While the "hot ham" was nothing to write home about and I opted to pass by the fruit salad "fluff," all of the traditional Wisconsin side dishes were quite good. I'm always a fan of a veggie platter, French Onion dip (OMG good), taco dip, and lovely pasta salad with tortellini, asparagus, carrots and Italian dressing - although it would have been good with a light olive oil as well.

And I have never seen this many gifts at one time before. We had two tables and most of the stage's floor covered and gift opening lasted 2.5 hours. In the end, only the bridal party and parents were left - the guests couldn't take it! Everyone was well-behaved (grandma included) and I was informed that the guy I'm walking down the aisle with is kind of a "pain" so they put me with him to straighten him out. Oh yeah honey, you misbehave and you'll meet the back of my hand! Since marriage is likely not in my future, I want to enjoy the few times I will walk down the aisle - for someone else's wedding.

So now I'm catching up on DVR and television before crashing and preparing for another full, long week of work. *Insert dramatic sigh*

What did I learn this weekend?

Thank goodness - I'm finally back in Chicago. I never thought that I would be so happy to see the city, even if it's blanketed in snow. Of course, my bag from Atlanta did not arrive on the plane that I was on this morning, instead it arrived about 45 minutes later on another flight and was totally covered in snow and dirt. Why would things end on a positive note??

So while napping in the cab and doing nothing other than balancing my checkbook and laying on the couch all day, I've reflected on the last 72 hours and compiled a list of the things I've learned from this experience.

What I've learned (March 20-22):

• Always trust your gut - even if what it's telling you to do isn't all that appealing at the time
• Never check a bag at the airport, especially if you're only going to be gone for 48 hours
• Stop being so vain - leave some of the makeup stuff at home - no one will judge you
• Continue to resist the urge to tell an airport worker, who claims "I'm incapable of understanding" an answer to her question, where the f*ck to shove that question
• Even when everything is going wrong, there will be one nice person who will take pity on you and help out
• Realizing that certain things are out of your control is hard, but once you realize that, it's a lot easier to handle
• Finally, I am way too old to wear PINK from Victoria's Secret

I know the last bullet is a bit crazy, but I was tortured at the gate this morning by "college spring break" preppie sorority girls, who were decked out in PINK and Lily Pulitzer colors while eating bagels and cream cheese (which they didn't skimp on applying to the bagel) while talking about how "fat" they are, starting all of their conversations with "you will never believe...." and laughing and eating in unison. Kill me. Fortunately they were not on my flight, but rather I was treated to about five members of the Wisconsin baseball team.

Hel-lo boys. Who wants to help a girl carry her bags?

Where's Jess now? Hint: It's not the Midwest

Hey y'all. Yes, I'm keeping my Southern drawl for one more day. Why? Because I'm in Atlanta, instead of Wisconsin, and no this was not by choice.

After another bright and early start today (4:30 a.m. this time). The horrible snow in the Midwest, especially in Illinois and Wisconsin, has stranded me in Atlanta and made me feel like a horrible mother. I say this because my Macbook is still in Wisconsin - where I will not be going now this weekend. Now my baby girl and I won't be together for two weeks. Tear. I was so looking forward to that. I had a name picked out for her and everything!

See below for the full explanation of how I got here (to the airport Sheraton). It's an interesting read.

The saga of how I ended up stuck in Atlanta

By: Jessica

This morning started off great. I blissfully flew from Pensacola to Hot-lanta, and even arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule! Beautiful! Then dad starts calling with weather updates and that the weather in Wisconsin is really not good, but the airport gate manager assures me that we'll be able to take off and land. More beautiful! Then we board the plane, even though I'm sitting across from this woman with two devil children and am beginning to relax...until the pilot tell us that conditions in Wisconsin no longer allow us to fly right now. So we're delayed about 1.5 hours, no biggie. I work a bit, do some research...it's all good.

Then comes the announcement - our flight has been cancelled. Panicking, everyone runs over to the ticketing booth to reschedule and I call dad in a panic. After a mild fight, resulting in me hanging up on him, I get on the first flight they can confirm me for...tomorrow, but hey I can get my bag back so it's okay. I now head over to the baggage area to claim my bag and I find out that the bag will not be pulled for the claim because it's still headed to Wisconsin on a later flight. Much fighting, name calling and arguing start and I finally start to have a minor meltdown. After about three hours of back-and-forth (including some woman telling me that I am not capable of understanding the full answer to a question, which is why she is giving me the "PR" answer), I get a hotel reservation for overnight and resign myself to the fact that a) I'm spending Easter alone in my apartment and b) I will not get my computer this weekend, but rather in two weeks when I go home for a wedding shower. So now I start to cry (from exhaustion and disappointment) and take one last look for my bag...in a fleeting hope that something will go right. And to my horror (pleasant horror) I see it standing next to a security guard. I scream and claim it, with her providing me helpful directions to the hotel shuttle area. I would have given her an awkward hug if I could have then.

So I checked in at the hotel (painless) and a nice man carried my luggage upstairs. Suddenly the tummy starts rumbling so it's room service and then a traditional "lay down" because now I may as well force myself to stay awake. Whatever I did to deserve this...I'm sorry. It takes a lot for me to say that.

Welcome to Pensacola!

Yes, Everyday Adventures is live in Pensacola, Fla. tonight and ready for bed! The cab pick-up at 4:30 a.m. was painful but fortunately the flights down here were painless. At O’Hare, I was sitting far enough forward in the plane that I could see the baggage handlers putting the luggage on the plane. Anxiously waiting for mine, I smiled when I saw her getting ready to be loaded on the conveyor belt, until an angry worker got frustrated with her and slammed her on the belt, cursing and looking at it as though the suitcase had Anthrax. Shocked, I tapped on the window and pointed menacingly at him. That is a TravelPro suitcase jackass, don’t be so mean to it! Just because you hate your job don’t take it out on me!

Then, on my flight from Memphis to Pensacola, which was on a “regional” plane (which means its private jet size), I was LOVING that I sat in the front row, (because there is no “first class”) until Brandi, the flight attendant asked me if I wanted to demonstrate to the other passengers how to use the oxygen mask. Mildly stunned for a second, I said no because I have been fortunate enough not to have to use it just yet. She laughed but later as we descended on Pensacola, we flew right over the water and for a second, I thought I would end up like the survivors on Lost and hopefully would not be recruited to be an Other.

Then, I have been reminded today why I love to drive and why I don’t drive while living in Chicago. Fortunately, I did not run a Stop sign or a red light again, but rather I got ridiculously lost twice because of the Garmin that Budget gave me. I love Garmin but this evil little devil took me so far out of the way to my work function that I was screaming in the car for people to “go, go, go faster!!!” Fortunately, I arrived on time but the Garmin decided that it wasn’t done punishing me yet because after the function I got lost again because of it. Bastard. And it was judging me when I couldn’t make a turn in time because it was “recalculating.” If I would not be charted $499 for damage to it, I would have tossed that Garmin into the ocean. Fortunately, after some angry Twitter-ing, I am preparing to work from the hotel a bit while I mentally prep to return to the Midwest tomorrow, where I hear we’re supposed to get snow. Huh. If I’m trapped in Atlanta, watch on the news for stories about a crazy woman freaking out at the airport there. I might need a stiff drink…before noon!

Attached are some pictures of my hotel room. Ordering dinner tonight was a challenge, considering the hotel doesn’t have room service and no one around here delivers. Bastards. First the Garmin, now room service. Time to pack it in and call it a day. Later y’all!