fat thursday?

i rolled into the office this morning to find mardi gras beads and a bag of microwave popcorn on my desk. who says you can't celebrate fat tuesday a few days late? the celebration is appropriate considering i was in bed and asleep by 11 on the real fat tuesday. better late than never.

funny story: i went to a starbucks yesterday, and as i was waiting in line, a woman (i'm guessing late 20s) told me that she liked my purse. we struck up a conversation about the glory of target, and then started talking about what i did, and what work she did. turns out she works for mary kay, a company i've been trying to contact about some work for my internship. she gave me her card and took my number before asking me if i was free this evening. since i wasn't, she wondered if i wanted to meet for breakfast on saturday--apparently there's some corporate mary kay something or other going on at the hyatt regency downtown, and she wondered if i wanted to go and network or something. ten bucks says that they'll try and turn me into some mary kay seller, but it's a free breakfast. is this how networking really works, or i am signing on for a scam? i'll keep you posted.

i'm so excited that we have our first day off on monday. we're heading over to pilsen for some cheap mexican food and some thrifting. oh, and at some point i have to read a book (that i don't have) and write a 5 page paper by wednesday.

oh, the life of a student in chicago...

almost a month

how is it february 22 already?

apparently i've been here for almost a month and didn't even realize it. things are going well with work, and i like my classes too. we saw gokh-bi system at the old town school of folk last week. they are a hip-hip group from senegal, and the show was really fun. of course, getting home at 12:10 and having to wake up at 7 for work was less fun, but face it, i'm an old woman now.

the chicago semester sponsored a progressive dinner last night at a bunch of different buildings. it's a good idea in theory, having dozens of people migrating between apartment buildings for appetizers, dinners, and desserts, but let me tell you, there is a limit to how many people can fit in a studio apartment. let's just say it wasn't my idea of a relaxing meal.

a group of us went to a hookah bar last night. it was fun, but our crowd of nine barely fit around two tables. it made me miss the hookah we'd share in josh's apartment at calvin. that seems like ages ago.

i'm semi-motivated to do laundry but currently have no money to do so. i'm not above washing some clothes in the bathtub. welcome to little apartment on the prairie...

an average day in your neighborhood (or "this would never happen on sesame street")

today brought me another first for my time in chicago...witnessing public urination on a busy downtown street during rush hour.

i had just gotten up to the street from the subway, and as i was walking down the lake street i noticed a bright yellow duffel bag sitting abandoned on the sidewalk. my first reaction was to assume it was a bomb, or something equally horrific; had i been in an airport, it may have been something i would have reported to the appropriate authorities. naturally, my worst-case-scenario mind jumped to grisly headlines of terrorist plots. i was already picturing how distressed my mother would be at the thought of her daughter working in a city where duffel bags exploded when i walked past a doorway tucked in amongst the storefronts.

and it was there that i saw a man's back and heard the unmistakable sound of urine hitting the pavement.

never a dull tuesday, my friends.

it's 7:30...where are your children?

[i wondered how long before these feelings were going to hit me.]

it's a clear and lovely night down here in chi-town. nothing is currently going on, and my prospects for the evening are unknown. more than you realize, this is when i wish to my core that "my" people were down here too. i'm having a lot of fun with several very great people, so please don't misunderstand. but obviously, i miss my friends.

i'm sure tonight will be fun, and it looks like there could be some valentine's day karaoke in my future (!). however, lest anyone forget, i miss all the good ones back home.

springtime in the city?

can i just get a shout-out for the february thaw? yes, i do like 60 degree weather before valentine's day. i went coat-less to work today, and i couldn't help but chuckling at everybody unnecessarily bundled up in their winter warmest. embrace the heat wave while you can.

work is going well. i had my picture taken for the company newsletter today (and yes, it just so happened to be the day i didn't wash my hair and had it up in my tiny stub of a ponytail). i think i was able to recreate the gwen stefani bangs enough to salvage the photo.

we've got our first round of classes tomorrow. i'm excited to sleep in (an extra two hours!) even though that means i'll be downtown until 5.

i don't know if i'll ever be able to get over this cold--i've been sick practically since i arrived in chicago. yes, there is a cvs across the street, and yes, i'm too lazy and cheap to buy more cold medicine. that probably ruins any chance i had at sympathy, right?

the new life

i just finished my first official workweek, and even though it was only two days, the weekend is upon me as a beacon of sleep and laziness.

the first two days at my internship went well. there's a lot of new information to take in and programs to learn, but i think i'm getting into the swing of things. my coworkers are really great, though i wouldn't mind have a dwight in the office to keep things unpredictable. that will probably become my role.

our arts & the city class went and saw japan dance now last night. it was definitely modern and not what you would see at calvin's dance guild shows. i may not have understood all the symbolism behind the program, but it was interesting to see something completely different from what i expect of dance.

i don't know what's going on for the weekend, but it's supposed to reach 50 degrees here tomorrow. i can handle a week of mild weather (even if the cold is just days behind). it was so nice walking to my train after work tonight; the wind was whipping, but for the first time i didn't feel like my limbs were about to freeze and cease functioning. it was a good feeling, i promise.

i hope all is well in the g-raps. if anybody wants to come down for a visit, the art institute is free for the month of february. seriously, who can say no to that?

love.

reconnected with virtual reality

comcast rescued apt. 309 from a life without internet as of 25 minutes ago; i couldn't be happier. i apologize for the lack of communication (not that my life is really that exciting in the first place).

i'll have to take some pictures of the apartment, but i'm surprised at how much room we really do have in our 1-bedroom. i just covered an ugly picture frame with a number of pictures, so i am finally beginning to feel as though i no longer live in a hotel. 

my internship at tc public relations begins tomorrow. i'm nervous and excited, as i think that i should be. pray that things go well!

i'm shocked at the weather. it definitely has been cold the past few days, but i think i've seen the sun shine most of the day for as long as i've been here. it's supposed to reach the 50s this weekend, and let's just say i'm jazzed.

sarah and i went on a walk down by lake michigan this weekend (and yes, that's only a few blocks from our building). on our walk back we toured the gold coast neighborhood--if anybody's looking to drop some dollars on a visit, i'm not too far from prada, chanel, vera wang, and jimmy choo. the anthropologie only a few blocks south also poses a stumbling block (but since i'm not earning any money this semester, it might as well be the harry winston store).

anyway, i've got a fold-out couch and lots of ramen noodles; want to visit? 

gold coast vertigo

i may not have internet in my apartment yet, but thank good i can buy 2 hours of internet access at starbucks for $3.99...(i mistakenly believed that all wi-fi was and should be free for paying customers. i can see i was incorrect.)

i've been here for less than one week and now i've got an internship, two roommates, and an apartment in the gold coast. i'm pleasantly surprised at the size of our one-bedroom apartment; i think it feels pretty comfortable and lovely for a three-month lease.

i made my decision regarding the internship; i will be working for tc public relations. i am excited to learn as much as i can about the industry so i can make good use of my communications skills in the professional world someday. on a more disappointing note, the cost of groceries in chicago has shocked my poor half-dutch soul. i bought a carton of orange juice, a half box of saltines, and five cans of soup for $30. yes, my jaw almost dislodged at that jewel u-scan.

i think i'm about over my cold, but i've been getting really dizzy the past two days. it comes and goes, but i've been trying to handle it as best i can. all i can figure is that i've been so stressed out and my head cold is probably messing with my balance. i'll reevaluate my feelings in a day or two, once i can get into a routine and past all the stress of settling.

i'm excited to be in chicago, and it finally feels real. and just so all potential visitors are aware, we have a pull-out sofa in our living room, so guests can sleep in (some version of) comfort.

two more days of orientation, one day off, and internships start on thursday. maybe the harried pace of this week is to blame for my weak constitution.

happy february.