Dear real life,
Hate to say this, but you sort of suck. I much preferred your alter
ego, student life. I mean yeah, there are things about you that I
enjoy, like having an income. And that I now live in Chicago as
opposed to Cambridge. But overall, being a student wins over being a
productive member of society. In student life, jobs are just for the
summer. And you get real vacations. And if you want to sleep late
once in a while, you miss class, get someone else's notes, and life
goes on, no big deal. Mostly though, things just didn't have the same
kinds of consequences in student life as they do in real life. *sigh*
I'm sure there's more about real life to like that I didn't have in
student life. But right now, I'm not digging you at all...
Not feelin the love,
me

Dear Summer,

WELCOME!!!  Ok, so I know that technically, you don't start until the solstice on June 21, but really Memorial Day is your unofficial beginning.  And I am happy to have you here. 

The long weekend was great - what a way to usher you in!  Not enough sleep, but really, is there ever anymore???  I got to do lots of my favorite things: eat sushi, look at pictures, drive my mini, see my family, spend time outside, go for a long bike ride (on Lake Shore Drive no less!), take multiple naps, have long deep conversations with my closest friends, walk along the lakefront, and even catch up on a little tv watching!  Basically, if this weekend was a hint of what's to come for the rest of the summer, it's going to be insane but I think (hope) it'll be fun.  And I need fun right now.  More than anything I need fun right now. 

So bring it on summer.  You are my favorite season so don't let me down!!!

With love,

me

Dear blog,
I apologize for neglecting you lately. It's not intentional, I promise. Life has just been a little crazy lately and I haven't had a lot of time. Last weekend I was in Colorado and away from a computer for 3 days (that was traumatic for so many reasons). And while I could have written about that, I didn't even know where to begin. And you're not the only thing that's gotten neglected. I haven't driven my new car all week either. So sad. So I apologize for neglecting you. I will try to be a better blogger and update more often in the future.
With love,
me

Dear my MINI,

WELCOME TO MY LIFE!!  YAY!!  I'm very excited to have you :-)  As in very super duper extra excited!  Just thinking about you makes me smile.  I wish we were out cruising around right now instead of you sitting in my garage and me sitting at work, but alas...  Last night was fun, the drive from the dealer to Glencoe, then from Glencoe to Chicago.  And you're so pretty!  I would post a picture of you for the world to see, but I haven't taken one yet.  Anyway, just wanted to welcome you to the world.  So excited to finally have you!! :)

Love,

Me

Dear Tyra Banks,

I just wanted to let you know that I think you 100% made the right decision on America's Next Top Model last night.  Because if you had picked Natasha, I never would have watched your show again.  And that would have made me a little sad, because it's really one of my favorite forms of escapism, but it's true.  Because man did she piss me off.  She should have been eliminated weeks ago.  Of course a lot of girls this cycle lasted way longer than they should have (hello, Dionne??).  Anyway, I like Jaslene and think that she's got more of a chance in the modeling world than a lot of the winners of recent cycles because she's not as commercial as a lot of them - she actually has that not-quite-pretty but yet gorgeous look that makes a model a model that you didn't see in Caridee or especially in Danielle and Nicole who just look like any pretty girl.  So good job Tyra! 

Your (sometimes reluctant) fan,

Me 

Dear Car (Subaru),
You have been good to me for the past 7 years, but alas, it is time to say farewell. Tonight we will have one final drive out to Glencoe and then I will relinquish you to CarMax. We've had some good times. We've also had some not so great times but mostly you've been a great car. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. And so tonight an era ends. Hopefully tomorrow a new one will begin (but that's a different letter altogether). Farewell my friend. Farewell.
With love,
me

Dear Time
Slow down, you move too fast...

Yes, I'm quoting Simon & Garfunkle. But I'm not looking to feel groovy. I'm just looking for a little more time to enjoy life instead of trying so hard to keep up as the days just keep racing by. I'm on more of a sleep deficit than I think I have been in many years and I just don't see a foreseeable end to that (well, maybe next weekend in Colorado, but probably not because even then, I'll probably stay awake being stressed out or something). I just wish time would slow down a little bit, that I could enjoy things as they're happening. That I could feel more rested and alive while things are happening instead of being in this slight fog that I've been in (but that's a different issue, not really about you, Time, though if there was more Time, there could be more sleep...).
Anyway, as another song (thought not as well known) says, I'm just looking for a slow down...

Thanks,
Me

Dear body,

OK, enough of this already.  I am sick of being sick.  First it was the cough that wouldn't go away that turned out to be some chest infection.  Then that FINALLY clears and now it's some stupid stomach bug.  Come on... 3 and a half days of this?  (yeah, going out on Saturday night, while super fun, was probably not the smartest of ideas).  I am SICK of toast and bananas.  But way too scared to try anything else given that rice made my stomach hurt last night and the smells of real food while walking from the El to work this morning made me quite queasy.   And mostly I am sick of being sick.  Also, the timing on this... could not be worse.  So please body, let's be healthy now.  OK?

Thanks,

me

time out for pictures!

Thought I'd take a break from the regular format to post some pictures from last night's super fun cinco de mayo festivities. Or, as the night could have been re-named, fun times with Joe's sombrero :)

Lisa and Tyler rockin' the margaritas

Cassie and Joe (in the aforementioned sombrero)

Lindsey and Lisa (no sombrero in this picture, but so pretty!)

Quinton rocking the sombrero

There's me in the sombrero. It's a little big for me.

It fits Lisa just fine though.

So yay. Fun night. And now the blog goes back to normal.

Dear JUSTICE,
Thank you for prevailing. I am of course referring to the fact that a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge has sentenced Paris Hilton to 45 days in LA County Jail for violating probation from her dwi case. I have nothing in particular against Paris, but really, how unfair would it be if Paris were able to get away with these things when the rest of us had to actually abide by the law? Let her know what it's like to be a normal citizen. Awesome. Plus it's kinda funny to imagine :P
Thanks!
Me

Dear month of April,
Wow, you're already gone. That was fast! It's like I never even knew you! Seriously, where did you go?? I guess I spent half of you sick and the other half in a blur of spontaneity (hmm, that was while I was sick though) and with Em in town but wow, that went fast. To be honest, I was sort of hoping you'd stick around a little longer. While there's so much in May I'm looking forward to, it's also going to be a super-stressful month both at and outside of work and, well, April, you weren't. And I appreciated that about you. But alas, all good things must come to an end. So farewell April, see you again next year.
Until then,
Me

Dear body,
Sometimes, I just don't understand you. I wish that when I spoke to you, you could answer me in concrete ways that I always understood. But unfortunately you don't. Usually you make sense. I nourish you, and you appreciate that. The harder I push myself during a workout, the more difficult the workout is. But then some things don't make sense sometimes. Like why was a 4 mile run yesterday (Monday) harder to get through than an 8 mile run on Saturday? And why have I been having so much trouble sleeping when I've been working out so much more? Usually working out more = better sleep. There are other questions, other things that do not make sense to me, but they're a little too personal for this public forum.
All I ask of you body is that you cooperate with me for the next few weeks. These are going to be some rough rough weeks ahead. Not a lot of sleep in the cards and it's going to take a lot of willpower (and a willingness to even further cut back on the sleep) to make the time to work out. So please help your owner out here. And in return, I'll try to feed you right. Hydrate you. Can't promise sleep, but maybe a nice massage as a reward if we make it through the month of May...
Thanks,
me