The white shadow

Well the BF is out with a friend, I am at home just finishing school work but I am not alone....it is the White shadow.

Actually, it is the doggy! She has been around me all evening. It is funny how now that the bf and I are living together we are this "pack" to her. She herds us together and when the bf and i are in the office and we hug she nuzzles in to be part of the group lovin'. She adores her new toys and plays with them until they are grimy and falling apart. They are her babies and at times you will either find her sleeping with them or trying to fill all of them in her mouth.

She will keep me company when the BF is out. She will stay by the bedroom door waiting for him and when we are all together then she will go to her bed.

For a lab that is almost 9 she has the stamina of a puppy with a heart that is just full of love.

It was not always that way, the first time she and I met she was so excited she peed, then when I stayed over the first few time she peed but I suspect it was more of the "this is MY territory lady" than excitement. But after that I am approved in the pact.

I want another puppy but the BF won't let me (nor would the landlord) so now I want a bunny...yet that may not happen. I just love having animals around they are just so full of love and excitement, they are what can keep me going!

Chicago repair men...do they exist?

Can you believe that it is Sunday night, damn where did the weekend go. I mean, it felt like moments ago it was Friday night and then WHAM it is Sunday evening.

Well the drama of this past week is that our freaking fridge is acting up. The freezer is fine but the fridge part is at least 60 degrees. We spent the day yesterday waiting for the fridge guy to show up but that did not happen at least officially...

See I was tired and all i wanted to do was sleep at we were woken up at 8 am by a phone call. The BF gets up at 8 by nature so he was up and ready to get the day started. Me not so much. So he went to run a few errands. I feel back asleep. At around 10 I hear in this thick Chicago accent "Its the management company, we're here to look at the fridge". Woke the shit out of me...then I hear "Ohhh yea, I can fix this, Toby put da tools down over there" I was frantically trying to find a sweatshirt and brushing my hair with my fingers saying "I'll be right out". I open the door and there was the BF hysterically pointing at me. He was running out of breath!

Apparently that was to get me back for the allege head butting incident. According to his story, I was nudging his back with my head while sleeping. He apparently did not appreciate this gesture and kind of woke me up to stop. I do not recall doing such a thing...

But we are even...for now....the fridge is still broken!

Happy little clouds

I have painted again for the first time in at least a year in a half. The BF made me do it and I am glad that he did so now I am back in the zone.

I want to pain now...damn homework!

Fun fun fun....

A few blogs ago I whined about not having any girlfriends and had a "woe is me" moment. Well, needsleepbadly sent me a message that we should hang out since we are both relatively local and well, lets faces it....we are awesome chicks (like all of you out there!)

so last night we went out to dinner and had an awesome time. We noshed at Kitch'n and did we chat. laugh and just had so much fun. Before we knew it three hours had passed and it did not seem like that.

So we are definitely going to hang out soon. It was great to meet a really cool, funny and sweet person who is a fun insightful blogger. We had a great time!

I am glad that I met her and it is good to have a new friend.

So if you have a sec check her out at Blog this, baby and say hi!

Word of caution

Don't touch your nose after cutting up a jalpeno for your world famous tomatillo salsa...

I am just saying..................it burns, it burns.

four more..

Classes to go.

that is right my spring quarter is overrrrrrrrrrrrr! So my summer quarter begins next week. No rest for the weary.

But I went to my friends graduation at the U of C and it was beautiful and it has made me think that maybe I will walk in December. Bu I would just rather have a few close friends and family over for dinner where the drinks will flow and I can forget my school debt for a few precious hours!

We'll see, it is less than 5 months and then I am done!!!!

Girlfriends....

I am so missing my girls as of late. They are pretty much all in NY and for some reason I am really missing them, perhaps because it is so hard to make friends when you get older.

The bf has tons of friends and this week he hung out a few nights with them. I am envious because they are within blocks of where we live and most of mine are in a different time zone. So I have been a bit blue. I miss going shopping, out to the movies and just having a girl talk over coffee with my friends. Ther eis just something about having your girls around.

I did not really think that making friends when you got older would be this hard. I am sure my work and travel schedule is no conducive to making friends either. I try do activities where I can meet other people but other than school I don't have the time. Plus I've noticed that you tend to make friends with people you have something in common with...like if you have a newborn you can go to Gymboree and meet other new moms and then start to hang out to talk about baby same if you have a dog and go to the dog park.

It is just really hard and I miss them a lot.

Little miss cranky

That is me.

Yep, I am cranky all because of the lovely crappy job that I am current serving time eh I mean "work" for! here are some of the reasons for today's bought of crankiness:

-commute I get up butt ass early that even the dog does not get out of her bed. In fact she looks at me with pity in her eyes as I get out of bed and wobble to the bathroom.

-commute on the way home which allows me to drive with the masses of stupid Chicagoans who in no particular order...cut you off and almost side swipe you, try to inch their way in front of you when you have only millimeters between you and the car in front of you and those who just can't drive because they are too busy on the phone, reading, applying make up or telling an animated story to his passengers with both hands whist going 50 mph (talk about emphasizing a point)
-my job itself...it is not rocket science but it is different from what I am used to but nobody has the time to train me so I just sit there.
-I found out that they are prorating my vacation so that means that I lost a week! Oh and I did not get paid from my previous employer for that week oh and did I mention that they neglected to tell me this before I signed on the dotted line...so much for going home for the holidays!
-CLA got her full severance despite failing two drug test and having a "secret" felony conviction on her record.

I hate my job!

i need a weekend from my weekend

I can be lazy..I know it but sometimes you just have to be right?

Yesterday, we ran errands went to the BF's dad's house to pick up a package then we went to the mall because I need work appropriate clothes. I was disappointed with the selection and the price of some pants that I only got one pair of pants and a dress but that is not for work. I spent the most at Sephora.

Then last night the BF and I celebrated our anniversary together with dinner at Bistro Campange.
It was so exquisite. We ate like we were royalty. I can't gush enough about not only the food but the service. They had to roll us out of there.

Today was my lazy day. I wanted to sleep in but the realization that I needed to do some online banking woke me up. Then I watched a full marathon of who's wedding is it....in my jammies. Then did some hw in between and now and finishing up some chores

There never is enough time is there?

Ack!

I realised that I haven't blogged in days! I really miss blogging at work it was just my downtime but alas the company Internet usage policy specifically mentions blogs....I wonder what they are afraid of. Anyway, I know what they mean so whatever....

Yukon got her head stuck under the bed yesterday morning. It took us 15 minutes to realise that she was not playing with a toy. She is just a happy dog so if you mention her name her tail wags like a propeller so when I said bye to her in the morning her tail was going a mile a minute. Her daddy rescued her....we are bad doggy parents! But we haven't killed a plant yet so there is hope!

Why work

Three day weekends are good and bad...good that you don't have to face another Monday bad because you eventually have to go back to work.

I started at the new place and It is frustrating. I feel like I know my stuff but I don't know their stuff and although it is similar it is just different. The people are nice but what I've realised is that I don't want to be doing this job anymore. I am tired of it, after 7 long years of doing the same thing for three companies with one joint venture that eventually became a M and A. i no longer want to be apart of it anymore.

I no longer believe that things will "be ok" and that they "listen to the new ideas that the new employees give us". Please, dude this girl has been around the same block...different color of paint but still the same ole block.

I am po'ed that the management team had ideas of who to give some management positions too while discounting the people who would have at least liked to apply for that position. Nope, apparently, positions are bequeathed to people and people are not given a fair short. So those who kiss ass and make it "all about how wonderful I truly am" will get the jobs not those who bust their ass to get the job done.

I guess I am more pissed at myself for not walking. I just need to get the hell outta there!

My morning dose

I admit it, I read blogs at work most importantly my favorite blogs at work. When there is downtime I read your favorite blogs and so on and so on...

I enjoy reading thoughts and opinions and stories with my morning cuppa. Well, that is changing.

Today I worked in the new location. "Officially" as it seems. So I am not too sure how keen they would be on their Internet policies. Plus they put my desk in plain eye site of my teammates so they can "see" what I am doing! And the lone IT guy is a few feet away. Talk about buzz kill!

So alas, I will read your wits when I get home instead of starting my day.

I am going through withdrawal!!!!!

17 years and a week or so

Well all over the news this week is the fact that the 17 year Cicadas are going to emerge from there underground homes to get it on all over Chicago land.

That is right, as you walk down the street you are going to hear bugs going at it with mini bug songs blasting from bug boom boxes. Yep there will be Barry White, Bolero, Marvin Gaye all over the city in bug tones of course.

So they are coming and it will be loud and there will be disgusting crunch sounds as I walk down the street. The BF said something about dog and they are not poisonous (it grossed me out so I blocked it from my memory.)

At least we only go through this every 17 years...which by that time I will have scrapped the last of the bug bodies off of my car.

Did I mention I am not fond of bugs?

Ice water

I am freezing here at work today.

By nature I am almost always cold except when I am in direct sun in the summer and entering a hot car. Lately it seems to have gotten worse and I am cold more often then not. I know that the weather is partly to blame because one day it is in the 80s and the next it dropped 30 degrees. So that may have something to do with it.

The BF is the complete opposite of me. He is warm and toasty. I guess that means we are the perfect match. During the course of an evening he will have his share of covers and by the time I wake up I have most of them as he is sleeping sans sheets!

But he does let me warm myself sometimes, just as long as I don't put my cold nose on his belly. apparently that is not cool...no pun intended.

Anyway, I am going to drink my tea...hopefully that will warm me up...with my gloves and scarf and sweater. No I am not joking

Office set

Well this weekend after the requried errands and nap. We got the offce some what set up. Baby steps....almost there but man I am damn tired of boxes!

I need a hobby!

I need a hobby (or some local friends)

The BF and I were talking about that the other day and that I need to find something interesting and fun to do besides going to school. Yet at the same time school does take up some valuable free time so that in a way is my current hobby.

Nevertheless, I am on a mission to find some thing to do. I have no idea! I used to paint and would love to get back into it. I want to learn to use oils by taking a few classes. But right now that is not in the cards. Time and expense wise, oil painting is a very expensive hobby.

So the next thing I am interested in is photography. I would love how to learn more techniques to take photos, learn h ow to develop print and just improve my technique. Again, time and money are limited.

I would love to take cooking classes too.

I am not interested in sewing or knitting so that is out of the question. I read a lot as is and it is hard to find a good book club like the one that I was in when I lived in NYC.

So I need to find something to do that I can squeeze into my schedule until after school is over and until the expenses have stabilized. Any ideas?

So what kind of cheese should I bring for his whine?

There is this student who is in two of my classes this quarter, in fact he sits next to me in one class. Well, he is apparently not doing so well in the two classes not because he is incapacitated in any form but because he is lazy and then whines about how it is unfair that they give so much work and don't they know we have jobs?

This gets me. I understand that when you are a kid you are forced by your parents and the law to go to school, then many choose to go to college. But grad school is your decision nobody is forcing you. Grad school requires dedication and the expectation that you are not to be spoon fed nor is it going to be "easy". At this point you have the ability to make critical decisions, have opinions and are open to learning new things. But nobody is forcing you. You made that choice, you took the GMAT, you got accepted and you decided to attend.

So therefore, stop the whining!!!!

Yep, see I work too and the days that I have classes I get up at 5:30 and I don't get home until about 10:15. But as I chose to go to school, I have chosen to make some sacrifices to see this challenge through. Additionally, the professor is going to do whatever the hell they want to do. Some are more diplomatic than others but ultimately you are in their hands....if you don't like it drop the class. If you follow the syllabus, keep up with the assignments tests and quizzes and participate you should do okay. Yep, they all count and they are clearly stated in the syllabus. Some professors are less focused on participation but, these two professors are not like that. For one it is 35% of our grade...oh yea that is on the syllabus.

I know that you are young and that this is perhaps your second or third quarter but sitting back with your laptop open as you im your friends then sneak a few text messages in will impede your grade.

So act like an adult...if you don't like the situation that you are in you can get out of it. You are pissing those who work hard to do well and balance some sort of life off!

We have a kitchen

Yep we do. We have managed to unpack numerous boxes, install an pantry and lo and behold we have a kitchen. Ohhh and we can see the dining room windows....it is a Huge step!

Today we did the "who has the better *insert kitchen tool/spice/food item here"? You see we had plenty of duplicates. the BF is a foodie and a gadget guy so we have tons of little tools and gadgets but it is taking shape.

So that means that i can cook. I am tired of eating out so it is good to just think that tonight I can make some nice chicken, rice, salad and a fruit salad. But get back to me in a few weeks and then I will tell you how much I miss restaurants.

You can't have it both ways, can you?

Ps to all the moms (including dog/cat/bird/hamster/pet moms) Happy mother's day....I did call my mom and send her a gift from Sephora. I rock

The Jetsons had it right!

I want my own space car like George had!

I work near O'Hare airport which is one of the busiest airports in the world. Well the esteemed mayor has decided to expand this airport to make it bigger. (which means more delays, congestion and noise but I digress) So in the effort to make it bigger the government bought (aka evicted) businesses and residents from near the airport. The next step is to close one major road.

Why is this an issue, well with the moved my commute time has gone from an average of 40 to 1 hour in the morning and 50 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Now granted, I have yet to explore all my options but the one that I prefer will be dramatically impacted once the road is closed.

One thing about working near an airport is the access to the toll expressway. Which itself is not that bad but, that means that around 4-7 pm it is a glorified parking lot. There are taxis everywhere, those who are back from a long trip and are cranky so they cut you off, people who have no idea where they are going and suburbanites going to Chicago for one event. See these are the people who should take mass transit. Now most of the drivers on the Kennedy are decent but the few that piss me off make for one hell of a commute. I've been very cranky lately about it because it is time away from things that I need to get done like, finish unpacking. When the weather gets bad, which it will, my commute will be God knows how long. One time it took me about 4 hours to get home in the snow!

The reason that I don't take the train or the bus is because my commute would them be 3 hours each way as there is no direct route. And there is no way that I am going to get up at 4 to make the train to get to work by 8 I am not a morning person.

So I need a space car...or a new job in the loop. Ohhh should I be greedy and ask for both?

Car commuting sucks!

Last registration...I Hope

So yesterday I registered for the summer and fall quarter of grad school. Which are my LAST two quarters! I can't wait for them to be over, I just want school to end, it is wearing me out.

The only drawback is that my fall quarter will be two 5 week all day Saturday classes! I am none to keen on that idea. When am I going to sleep in? Plus who wants to sit in a class room from 8:30-5. But it is my last quarter and I will be done earlier in November than I originally anticipated.

So this girl has to suck it up and deal!