Da Bulls!

I had the most wild night ever, last night. Sean and I had bought tickets to the Chicago Bulls game. Paddy and Ed were also there, but they were sitting in a different section than us (Paddy's a season ticket holder so his seats are more special than ours). Anyway...let me start at the beginning...

I decided to take the Belmont bus down to the Belmont Red Line stop, in order to take the L down to the Loop to meet Sean. So I'm standing on the corner, waiting for the bus, in the freezing cold temperatures and I'm sorta huddling against the building staring at my feet when I hear "Excuse me, lady...are you waiting for the bus?" I look up and it's A COP CAR! I say, "Yes!" The cop said "Where are you going?" and I said "Down to the Belmont Red Line Stop" so he said "Hop in the back; we'll give you a ride."

I got a ride from 2 cops!

So I got into the back seat, which may I say those are the most uncomfortable seats ever. They were all plastic and oddly formed. But they pulled up right in front of the train stop, helped me open my car door and told me to have fun at the Bulls game! Everyone at the train stop was looking at me funny because I stepped out of the backseat of a cop car before boarding their train. Ha ha!

Then I met up with Sean and we cabbed it down to The United Center. We made our way up to our seats where we found these large placards with a red number 3 on them. They were placed on our row (of about 10 people) and the few rows in front of us. We looked at the sign and it said that every time the Bulls scored a 3 point shot, the cameras were going to pan to us and we're going to be on the Jumbo Tron!!! Right before tip off there was an up-close shot of Sean and I waving our signs! Then we were on the big screen like 4 or 5 times in the first two quarters! Can you believe it!?!?!

At half time we scooted over to Paddy's area, because there were some open seats. We drank beer, and ate burgers, and drank more beer. And than we drank beer. :)

The Wedding Date

Josh is coming to Chicago in March! Yeah! And of course I'll be your date, Josh!

Hopefully we'll find time to lay on my sofa, sip cider, and work our way through a crossword puzzle while Pua hides under my bed.
AKIMBO!

The Up Side

It seems like lately there aren't many up-sides to having a blog. Really, if blogs were fashion accessories then they would be the equivalant of aviator shades or chandalier earrings. In other words, they are soooo 2 years ago.

Which is why I've considered dumping this blog as well as myspace (lately it seems that all myspace causes is drama. And bad drama in a 'Britney bought a pregnancy test' sorta way...not good drama in a 'Brenda is in France for the summer and Kelly and Dylan seem to be flirting it up on the beach alot and this just gets juicier and juicer!' sorta way...)

So yeah, I'm debating breaking up with blogs. Or as my girlfriend Sarah likes to say "I quit you!"

BUT then, lo and behold, an upside occurs that makes me hesitate clicking the Delete button. Today, I got an email from a very old friend of mine Jake N. I knew Jake when I was 20 years old and he was very dear to me. And we lost touch and then we got back into touch and then we lost touch again (with each other, folks...not with reality. i just wanted to clear that up...)
And today, we got in touch again. I got an email from him. His wife had their baby. He's still fixing up their home. And, as he wrote "If it's alright with you, I'll just randomly check in and see how your doing every 2 or 3 years."

Yes, that is totally alright with me. :)

So this got me wondering...what other old friends have I been able to rekindle friendships with, thanks to this blog or myspace? Well, Jake N. for one. Brian. Jake M. Murry and I keep in touch via myspace. Steve B. (my old pastor in L.A.) just emailed me this weekend b/c he saw me on myspace. Joy. Josh. Megan. you get the picture

So there is the up side. And so I'm gonna wait on the deleting in order to see who else reappears and makes me smile. :)

Good to hear from you Jake. Congratulations on fatherhood.

Motorola. You are Dead to Me.

I got my new LG phone today! Yahoo! I can text message and make phone calls with this phone. Crazy, I know!
I even figured out how to pair my Bluetooth headset up to it!

Just to test it out I had a nice, 2 hour long phone call with Joy. :)

LG - I heart you!

Run Lola Run

Last night, Michi cooked dinner for Carisa and me. We had pot roast, potatoes, carrots and onions. Some vanilla bean ice cream for dessert and one of Carisa's nicest Pinor Noir's. (C-Dog's cousin is a wine rep and so we are the lucky ones who get to drink some pretty fantastic wines.)
The meal was cozy and delicious. Perfect for a cold, windy night.

We also watched Run Lola Run, which is one of my all-time favorite films and Michi and Carisa had never seen it before. I believe they gave it a thumbs up!

There was also a discussion about my blog, last night. To make a long story short, I'm thinking of ending it. Or as I joked "a permanent writer's strike". The stuff that I want to write, that's worth writing, I'm not writing on this blog. And there is little to no participation anymore.

So I'm going off the air for awhile to contemplate this decision.

Peace out.

Donkey Soup

Last night Sean, Paddy, Sarah and I met up for dinner, drinks and Catchphrase. My God that was a blast!! This is my new favorite game to play.
Interesting points from the evening:
- I learned what the phrase "Superman that Ho" means
- An in-depth discussion about Hot vs. F*ck-Me Hot
- The thumb rule and my asking Paddy "what's up with the kicking?!?!"
- Donkey Soup
- "Me lost me cookie at the disco"
- All of us belting out the A-Team theme song
- "Play with yourself and you always win!"
- Laughing so hard I cried
- Sean almost falling off his chair
- "Goodnight Priscilla!"
- "Goodnight Patricia!"

Thanks Sarah and Paddy for letting me crash! :)

Counting Sheep - Tarantino Style

I had another nightmare last night. I was in a city, surrounded by people I know, and there was a man there that I knew but his face doesn't match up with anyone I know in real life. But in the dream, I understood that I knew the man.
And I was walking towards the man, relaxed and comfortable, when he pulled out a straight-edged blade and cut my arm. I remember looking at him in shock and then squeezing my arm with my hand to try to stop the bleeding. Then he attacked me with the blade and kept cutting my arms.
I was able to run away but he was chasing me. I was running down a city street looking for a police car but I couldn't find one. I stopped two people on the street and asked them for help and showed them my arms, which were covered in blood. The two people looked at me oddly and said the cuts didn't look that deep and I shouldn't worry so much.
Then I looked behind the two people and about a block down I saw the man with the blade and he was running towards me so I turned and sprinted away. I took off my green coat (all of a sudden I had a coat on where as before I had a tank top on) and stuffed it into a garbage can, because I figured the man could easily spot me with my coat on. And then I just ran. And then I woke up.

It sort of reminds me of a dream I had last spring. I was in a house and I was sleeping. I woke up (in my dream) to the sound of a window breaking. In my dream I had a new born baby sleeping in a crib in the other room. I ran into the nursery and placed my body in front of the baby, who was crying at this point. The man entered the nursery and he had a switchblade. I was yelling at him and he was slowly approaching me. I threw my arms up in front of my face and he started cutting my forearms with the knife and the baby was crying. And then I woke up.

What is with my having dreams that my arms are being cut?
It's so obvious when I have a lot on my mind.

Happy Anniversary, to Me!

I had a work dinner tonight to celebrate my longevity. There were about 30 people there all either celebrating or being celebrated! Of course Crate did a full out, fantastic meal: baked brie, lamb chops, roasted potatoes, grilled carrots and asparagus, 3 olive rice and, for dessert, a chocolate cup filled with lemon sorbet and fresh berries. Oh yeah...and lots of wine. :)
And I got my first gift ever from Tiffany and Co. The blue-green box with white bow was so pretty, I waited 3 hours to open it! It was just fun looking at the box!

It's been 5 years since I started working for Crate and every time I come across my anniversary I can't help but think that my career with this company started with my move to L.A. Can you believe it's been 5 years since I sold most of my stuff, quit my job, packed up my car and drove across the country? 5 years! If I could give any advice to that girl I was 5 years ago, this is what I would say:
1. Keep driving to L.A. It is the best thing you will ever do for yourself.
2. When you dump Him the first time, DON'T take him back.
3. Cherish Thursdays with Karla and pay close attention when she makes enchiladas. You're going to want to duplicate that later in life.
4. When Josh asks you to see a play about clowns, say Yes!
5. Don't get your heart set on a beagle. Kitties are cute, too.
6. Call Mom and Angie. It's been months since you've seen them and they miss you.
7. You're going to meet 2 boys, Gavin and Max. They are going to show you a love you never knew existed.
8. When Sadia drives you home from the bar, do not try to do physics in your head. It doesn't end up pretty.
9. You do not have to participate in a religion in order to say you are an open-minded person. It's ok to dislike Scientology. :)
10. Give thanks for Burbank Christian Church and all the people there. They will pick you up, every time you fall.
11. Enjoy the weather in January. Wear flip flops as often as possible.
12. You look great with blonde hair!


Here is what I hope future-me, five years from now, would say to me today:
1. Keep working hard at Crate. It's good to be passionate about your career.
2. Start using a higher SPF.
3. Keep eating healthy and cooking good food. You'll continue to feel good doing so.
4. Continue having girls night out. They keep you laughing which keeps you young at heart.
5. Don't give up on finding a church.
6. Call Mom and Angie. It's been months since you've seen them and they miss you.
7. You're going to meet 1 Boy. It's ok, you can trust him. He's going to show you a love you never knew existed.
8. Be patient with yourself. This whole 'growing' process never stops. And that's a good thing.
9. Try to worry less. It all works out for the best in the end.
10. Enjoy the Midwest summers and all those music festivals!
11. Appreciate living alone. There are times, later on, where you're going to wish for a quiet night alone, to read a book.
12. Thank you for being so financially responsible, even if it makes people roll their eyes at you. You will one day reap those benefits.
13. Keep telling the people you love that you love them. Keep hugging everyone. Keep smiling at strangers. You are at your best when you're spreading love.

America's Next Top Kitty

Every night, Pua gets super cuddly with me while I read in bed. She likes to snuggle as close to my face as possible and then she just purrrrrs for about an hour. Last night, I couldn't help but grab the camera and have an impromptu photo shoot.

I love how she's kinda winking in one of the photos!

24

I've started Netflixing the show 24. I have now decided that if I am ever kidnapped by international terrorists who are plotting to assasinate the president of the United States and who are using me as leverage to blackmail the one person in the world who could save the president, I want Jack Bauer to be my dad.

No offense, Jerry or Dad.

Baby Daddy

There is a new biography coming out about Tom Cruise. This is stirring up a lot of legal rumblings from the Scientology organization because the biography claims that Suri is a spawn of L. Ron Hubbard.

Is it not obvious to everyone that Suri's babydaddy is Tom's cousin, Will? Will and Tom are BFF and work on every film together. I wouldn't be at all surprised that Will offered up some of his swimmers to Katie. I mean...look at them! Suri and Will look exactly alike!! Suri and Tom, don't.

**Update: i've had some inquiries as to why i feel certain that Tom is not Suri's 'baby daddy'. Well, my friend is a fertility specialist. She used to work in L.A. at a clinic when Tom and Nicole were trying to get pregnant (she is now in Chicago). Both Tom and Nicole were tested and Tom had "no viable sperm". Therefore, I believe that he is not the baby daddy.**

AT&T

I'm still having problems with my cell phone. I keep receiving text messages titled "Greeting Card from AT&T" even though I have asked that text messaging capabilities be removed from my phone. I was told, by a customer service representative, that I should contact the Warranty Dept. and they could ship me a new model of phone. I guess my phone has a reputation for sucking.
So I spoke with the Warranty Dept. and actually, first I have to have them ship me the same model and that has to be defective in order for me to get a different model of phone.
I told the lady that this is the second phone that has given me problems and isn't that enough of a clue that the model is defective? She just kept reading me off the standard message that I hear from every flippin' person I speak with at AT&T. These people are trained to give pre-written answers to any and all customer questions. There is never any original thought in their response. I might as well be working with an automated program.

I don't handle these situations well. And I know that is a shortcoming of mine. I don't have the patience to try and figure out technology. I get frustrated when I feel like my voice isn't being heard. I get upset when I feel like I am talking and moving in circles, with no end in sight. And I just want this taken care of. I would do just about anything right now to be done with this whole mess.

There are a few moments in my life where I wish I could just hand a problem off to someone else and say, "Please, will you take care of this for me?" Those moments usually revolve around unwanted spiders in my apartment or hauling heavy items up the 3 flights of stairs into my home. But this is one of those moments where I wish I could just hand this off.

If I were a celebrity...someone would take care of this crap for me. Sigh.

Joy

I've been lucky enough, over the past weekend, to catch glimpses of joy. And as usual, these beautiful moments happened at the most unlikely time and place.

When I think of Joy I think of words like family, sunshine, color. I think of still snapshots of memories; frozen moments embedded into my heart. But I realize now that joy is not still. Joy has movement. Whether it’s the movement of someone's face when they break into a grin or the motion of raised arms when you squeeze someone into a happy embrace. Joy moves. And this weekend, one 3 separate occasions, I witnessed joy in all of its movement.

The first time was at a dark, dank, dive bar called The Horseshoe. There were about 4 patrons sipping beers and we had loaded the jukebox with dollar bills and set up a playlist that was certain to have us singing. But as I made my way back to my seat, to settle down in front of my pint, I was taken by surprise when he grabbed my hand to twirl me around. And we danced and laughed out loud along with the music. And we were filled with joy.

The second occasion occurred last night in the middle of a crowded bar. I was watching him tell stories and laugh at his own jokes, when out of nowhere; he started bopping in his seat. A sort of shrugging of his shoulders and swinging of his hands with quick moments of passionate air guitar. With his eyes closed, he was grinning and laughing. And I just watched as joy moved him.

The third occasion was later into the night. We were watching a Beastie Boys video and we were both rapping along, I'll stir fry you in my wok, and we were spread out across the living room dancing and twirling and singing and moving. And it was joyful.

And I will remember those moments, not as still photographs but as mini-movies that I will enjoy replaying over and over in my mind.

Zippy

For Christmas, Sarah gave me a copy of one of her favorite books A Girl Named Zippy. This book is really funny with very witty writing. I've still got another 100 or so pages in it but I'm already going to give this one 2 thumbs up!
And I'm really excited for next weekend because Sarah, Paddy, Sean and I are going to get together for dinner (i'm cooking a chicken) and for game night! We're playing Catchphrase! Yay!!

Prost!

Happy Birthday Michi!!

Oh Happy Day!

The following has made my day, so far, a very happy one (in no particular order):
1. I saw a doggie this morning walking down the street with a tennis ball in it's mouth. It looked like it was smiling. It was a yellow lab.
2. It's Michi's birthday!!! Das boot!
3. My mom met Barack Obama last night at her local Caucus. How awesome!
4. Obama won the Caucus!!
5. At Starbucks this morning, the guy knew my drink without my having to say it outloud and then he wished me a very good day.
6. Starbucks is doing a holiday giveaway, where you can buy a bag of coffee and they will ship the bag over to the troops in Iraq. So I bought a bag and wrote a little message on it and it will soon be in the mail to the Middle East.
7. While leaving Starbucks and walking to my car, I saw Bob on the street! So we got to chat for a couple of minutes before beginning our commute.


Oh Happy Day!!

Wildfire

I had dinner with my team at Wildfire Steak and Chop House, tonight. The decor is very Rat Pack-esque. We each enjoyed a martini and then tasted all sortsa good food. I'm sooooo stuffed.

And my boss, Michelle, knows me so well! When the dessert cart came around she immediately looked at me and said "Olivia, order up!" hee hee


Thanks Sarah, for the gift!! It's beautiful and it fits like a glove! xoxo

The Beautiful Cry / The Ugly Cry

A few days back, my girlfriend and I sat at a bar having a beer. She is, by all accounts, stunning. She has very dramatic features, incredible hair and she always, always looks pulled together.

She and I were having a difficult conversation. Well actually, she was sharing with me some difficult thoughts and feelings and I was doing my best to listen and be a good friend. During this conversation, she cried.

She has never cried in front of me before, therefore, I have never seen her cry before. So this was a new experience for both of us.

Between the pangs of sadness I felt for her and the urge to sweep her into a big hug, I looked at my friend and noted how beautifully she cries.

I have told her many times before that her skin reminds me of sugar cookie dough, soft and creamy. Having a serious sweet tooth myself, I love how her creamy skin perfectly compliments her deep, chocolaty-fudge eyes. And in no way am I surprised that when I see her I think of dessert; something I always look forward to and never seem to get enough of.

But this particular night, as she stared at the label on her beer bottle, I took notice of the pools of wet that formed above her thick, lower eyelashes.

And very quietly, very subtly, in the middle of a noisy bar, a tear broke free and slipped down her cheek.

So I sat there, listening and aching for my friend's grief. And I watched my beautiful friend, cry a beautiful cry.

******************************************************************
I've never been a pretty crier. My face is such a dead giveaway when my feelings are hurt, so much so that a person can look straight into my eyes and practically watch my heart buckle and splinter apart.
My cheeks grow all pink and flush and my eyes immediately start overflowing. It's a messy, scattered sort of emotion, not at all like how it's done on t.v. or in any of the movies I've ever seen. Well, I take that back. That crying scene in When Harry Met Sally, when Sally is crying on Harry's shoulder because she found out her ex-boyfriend is getting married, that's pretty close to how I cry. Only she has a professional camera crew and a make-up artist, so her cry was at least well lit and always shot from her "good" side.

My cries are usually a mixture of words and sighs and burying my face in my hand and pacing and hand gestures and more words and, if I'm lucky, Kleenex. It's not pretty. Not at all.

Any person can tell when I'm on the verge of crying, but trying really hard not to, because I will go silent. Dead Silent. I won't even breathe. This is why Lance had to double check that his cell phone hadn’t dropped my call, right after he told me he was going to propose to Courtney. I was able to squeak out a response "no...I’m here...I’m just so happy...I just love you both so much...." and then I lost it.

Ugly cry.

So I fully admit that I'm an ugly crier and I will blame genetics for that because that's always the easiest route to take. Besides, I figure some people are born to cry beautifully while others, well...we have other beautiful traits.

Like really white teeth.

A Woman Should Have...

*my mom sent me this Maya Angelou poem and I thought I would share it with y'all*

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it’s over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..

whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table or a charming inn in the woods, when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...

Rose Bowl

What a great way to spend New Year's Day! Ed and Derue hosted a Rose Bowl party so everyone could watch Illinois play against USC. Although I didn't attend UofI, I did go to a Big Ten School so I rooted them on for the day! But...our rooting didn't pay off as Illinois lost to USC.
Then I met up with Mike so we could watch the Georgia vs. Hawaii game (Sugar Bowl).

Happy New Year!

2008

Last night actually began yesterday afternoon. Mike and I met up for a quick drink at O'Donovan's around 4pm. Then, Sean and I grabbed a pint for a pre-NYE-party-mini-party. Then in the thick of a snowstorm we finally got a cab to take me to Goldies and Sean moved on to Manno's party. Michi, Tim, Leeeeeeee! and Sarah were at Goldies waiting with some pitchers.
Chicago is now a smoke-free city! At about 5 to midnight everyone in the bar lit up one last time and by 12:10am the bar was already a lot less smoky. We watched the ball drop, had some fun conversations, hugged and celebrated and brought in the new year with smiles. Happy 2008 everyone! I'm off to watch the Rose Bowl!