Is this real Life?

A few obscure situations have happened to me lately that I would like to post before I forget. Think they will be funny to the outside reader...

Situation 1

[As my co-worker, Barb & I walk into Chipotle on our lunch break, we see a little boy peaking over his bench at us]

Boy: How old are you?

Me: 24, how old are you?

Boy: I'm 5. Can girls marry girls?

Barb & I give each other awkward looks and ponder how to appropriately answer this question.

Barb: Sometimes

Boy: Why only sometimes?

Me: In some states they allow it and in some states they don't

Boy: Do they allow it in this state?

Me: No

Boy: Then why are the two of you together?

Barb/I (simultaneously, flustered): We aren't married/We're friends/We're co-workers/etc.

Boy (Non-chalantly moving on, as if this was a normal conversation): Oh, ok. Are you eating your lunch here? That's my babysitter. I had chicken tacos with tomatoes.

Situation 2

Sometimes I take the bus into the city from Bolingbrook. It is pretty convenient, goes right from Bb to the loop, about as exspensive as the train & closer to my house. More ideal for napping, as they keep the lights off, and there is only 1 stop, as opposed to the train's multiple stops. But that's besides the point...

One morning, as I stepped off the bus to walk to the L, someone called my name. As they approached me, I had no idea who they were, but they were about my age. They continued, "I knew it was you, I'd recognize those legs anywhere."

As I chatted with him, he reminded me that we used to go to CCD (religious education classes) together back in elementary/middle school. Still had no idea who he was. But the moral of the story is, 10-15 years later, my legs still look exactly the same. REALLY?!?!

Situation 3

[This actually happened awhile ago & it was told to me second hand from my bro-in-law, Christ. Convo happened between him and my nephew, Wyatt, who was probably 6 or 7 at the time.]

Wyatt: I know what a sexual house is.

Christ: Uh, ok. What is it?

Wyatt: You know, like when a girl likes a girl, or a boy likes a boy.

Christ: Where did you hear this from?

Wyatt: On the radio with mom...

Christ [so confused, trying to figure out what he was talking about/what reference he heard it from]

Turns out, "sexual house" meant "homosexual" or "Home of sexual", easily morphs into "Sexual House" in Wy's mind. LOL, so good...

Kids say the darndest things... Speaking of kids-Wyatt & Travis welcomed their baby sister Georgia Mae last month. It's about time this family got a girl. I have already started to buy her lots of fun things.

Wyatt & Trav with their new sis

Georgia Mae Mattson
7 lbs., 9 oz. 19.5 in.
Born April 15, 2012

XOXO

Mixtape

I've made my fair share of mixtapes through the years. Freshman year of high school, my christmas gifts for my friends were entirely composed of Christmas song mix CDs including NSYNC (don't judge me, you KNOW that is a catchy song) Mariah Carey, Chipmunks, Elvis, etc. When Rock Band first came out, I put together a "ROCK, paper, scissors" CD for my fellow rockers - still one of the most solid playlists, to this day. To tell you the truth, though, the thought of a mix tape has not crosseed my mind in years. If I hear 'mixtape', I think of something totally 90's, like Chandler re-gifting Monica a mixtape because he forgot to make her a homemade gift, only to find out Janice actually made it for him, and her voice is all over the tape. Moving on....

The other day (actually, it was a couple weeks ago, but whatevs), my IDK, BFF Matty left me a message...

It got me thinking about my HORRIBLE taste in music. My iPod has an eclectic mix of 80% - 90s/2000s top 40 (think BBMak and Samantha Mumba) & rap/hip-hop (Hot in Hurr, Jumpin Jumpin) +18% songs of today mixed with 80s rock +2% solid, classic songs, basically. If anything is super catchy, or has a beat that gets my hips moving, its on like Donkey Kong. Without further ado, though - here is my mix - some jams of today plus some all time favs. I like to think I've got one or 2 solids in there...

Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney

Lovefool - Cardigans

5 o'clock - TPain/Lily Allen

It Had to be You - Frank Sinatra

Lucky - Jason Mraz/Colbie Calet

This Guy's In Love with You - Herb Albert

How do you mend a Broken Heart & Let's Stay Together - Al Green

I Want to Hold Your Hand - Across the Universe Version

Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5

Universal Mind Control - Common

It Will Rain - Bruno Mars

Dedication to my Ex - Lloyd

Fools Rush In - Elvis

Strawberry Fields & Come Together - Beatles

Rockateer - Far East Movement

Sally is A - Schwayze

Bad - Michael Jackson

Excited to listen to this CD on requiem. Like I said, he probably asked me for it a month & a half ago, just getting it to him now - he comes back to IL from LA tomorrow. Typicalll Annnnnnn. Anyways, basically for my enjoyment, here is some nice Matty & Ann shots through the years :)



Matty's first ASU football game

House Party

We have tshirts with this image superimposed

With my, by my Matty

XOXO

Things that Make me Laugh

I have been fortunate enough, lately, to stumble across a handful of things that make me smile. I often have to try really hard not to LOL at work/on the train. It gives me great pleasure to share....

I started to pick out my favorites, but these are all true - I nodded my head at almost all of them and heard my inner voice screaming "YES!" Props to my "travel companion" Rhea for this one!

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I orginally saw this video on Rob Dyrdek's "Ridiculousness" - could.not.stop.laughing. Even made my mom run into the room to watch it - she didn't find it nearly as funny. Showed my brother in-law the next day - found it mildly funny. I usually watch it on a daily basis - have to stiflle my laughter.

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Accidentally got this blog forwarded to me a few weeks ago from a co-worker. I love when funny people just discuss real life things - this baby really is an asshole, and the picture really makes me laugh. Solidifies why kids are not for the faint of heart. 

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Just found this one yesterday, stumbled across it while facebook creeping. I am obsessed - Suri's Burn Book ROCKS.

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Finally...everyone reading this needs to get the instagram ap - I love it and my feed doesn't update nearly enough, because I don't have enough friends on it. Find me @annveezie

XOXO



Stoping to Smell the Roses

"Success is how you collect your minutes. You spend millions of minutes to reach one triumph, one moment, then you spend maybe a thousand minutes enjoying it. If you are unhappy through those millions of minutes, what good are the thousands of minutes of triumph? It doesn't equate. Life is made up of small pleasures, Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. If you don't have all those zillions of tiny successes, the big ones don't mean anything."

                                   

                                                                                          --Norman Lear

Make sure you stop to smell the roses

Bright Lights, Bigger City

Night view from the Shedd Aquarium

This blog may very well turn into the adventures of a suburbanite trying to make it in a big city.

I recently landed a job in Chicago and I find myself everyday trying to maneuver my way through the urban jungle. I literally learn something new everyday. Often, I learn it as I've made the wrong decision - got on the wrong L, missed my train, forgot my umbrella. etc. I try and fit in, but I am almost positive I often stick out like a sore thumb - but I am getting beter. I try and make mental notes often, so I can blog about my experiences - I think others would get a nice laugh about the level of unfortunate I am.

Living in the suburbs, I am usually doing the city to subs commute at least once a day via public transportation. Office to home usually takes about 2 hours, depending. It goes: walk 3 blocks, brown line, walk 3 blocks to Union Station, BNSF train to Lisle, bus #825, walk home - all of which is pretty obnoxious. I used to be working for the weekend, now I am simply working to move to the city.

Think I can officially call myself a commuter now that I buy 10-ride passes.

Although I've pretty much got my commute situation down these days, it took me FOREVER to conquer the L.

Day 1: I learned what line to take to get to the loop & that I need to go north on Wells because you can't access Union Station from the South without walking an extra few blocks :(

Day 2: Learned the purple & brown line are basically the same thing.

Day 3: Learned the purple & brown line are basically the same thing, except opposite, when you get to the loop. Purple gets me to Lincoln Park from the city faster, but takes me an extra 15 mins. to get downtown from work.

Day 4: After waiting for the purple line to Lincoln Park, I realize it only runs during rush hour-must take the brown mid-day.

Day 5: Brown line doesn't run after 1:30am, get your drunk ass in a cab.

The most ridiculous part is me trying to actually balance on the L, when all the seats are taken and I am forced to stand. I am forced to hold on for dear life, while everyone else seems to not be bothered. This is the way it feels everyday...

Regardless of all the bumps in the road, I absolutely 100% enjoy the city-especially when I find myself 45 mins. early to an event & can shop on the magnificent mile :) I've also enjoyed how much city-goers work Happy Hours into their lifestyle. Got to meet up with some friends at Zed451, which has fast turned into my favorite restaurant in the city. Got to eat there for free for work too - DELICIOUS!!

Some of my favorite Chi Town ladies, old & new - Trisha, Me, Stephanie, Natalie & Katie

Fondue & Sangria - AMAZING

For all things Chi, I've also found Fuck Yeah CHICAGO - it captures everything I love about the city & so much more. (They introduced me to Saturday AM yoga in Millennium Park!)

Hope I didn't loose everyone - had to catch up!

Until next time... XOXO

Weather Runway

Rainy Chi

I am convinced that if I moved to Seattle, I would become a runway model. Anytime it gets a little gloomy out and the umbrellas open up, I cannot help but to stomp my way down Michigan Ave. - it must be the rainboots or something.

I thought I was all alone yesterday on the platform as I waited for my L to come. I had my headphones in and was jammin to "My Humps". Add that to the fact that it was raining, and I clearly couldn't help myself. You would probably think I was practicing my audition for 'Umbrella' with the amount of hip pops and hair flips I was doing.

Awkward? Probably. But what makes it AMAZING is that mid spin, I come to my senses and remember there is a platform directly across from mine, and not only can they see me, but they are basically cheering me on- I don't hear them because my headphones are in.

I thought those moments only happened in movies.

XOXO



Insomnia Baking

Since moving back to Illinois, I have taken on making dinners for me and my roommate (aka Mom) as my daily project. Since I am still on the hunt for a full-time job, I often find myself unable to force my brain to sleep at a decent hour, so I have become a frequenter of stumbleupon, after I can find no new updates on twitter or facebook. More often then not, if I am not ogling over tiny, asian hip-hop dancers or useless facts, I am finding delicious, non-nutritious treats and baking them at all hours of the night. Most recently, my victim was Toasted Marshmallow S'more bars. After being originally turned off after seeing the word 'broil' in the recipe, I was actually pleasantly surprised - they were unexpectedly easy to make. I posted a link to these a while back, and Emily snatched up this recipe, so she can also attest to the easiness of the recipe. Bon Appetite! 

XOXO