Happy NYE!!!

Despite my crabby-appleton mood the last two days, I am extremely excited about tonight’s NYE celebrations.  I know, I know–the girl who wished for severe illness so she wouldn’t have to deal with it, right?  Well thank goodness I revoked my wish in time.  E. and I are doing a lovely sushi, open bar & champagne package up near his place that will be MUCH cheaper than anything downtown.  It should be lovely and romantic and perfect.
I can get into the reasons I was dreading NYE another time (it has to do with our friends being so far flung from one another and my ever-present fears that someone is going to end up ditched) but for now I just want to wish you all a very safe and very happy New Year’s, no matter whether you’re whooping it up at a crazy party or having a cozy evening in with a pot of chili!

Sweeney Todd and the Stupid Asshats of Downtown Chicago

The movie with my girls was great.  Well, the time with my girls and the movie itself were great (movie is ohhhh so so so good for ohhhh so so so many reasons!).  But of course, the random asshats of the world always have to come out in force at the movies.
Asshat pair number 1 left after about the second murder scene and didn’t come back.  Ummmm, do you have ANY CONCEPT what Sweeney Todd is about? Did the DEMON barber of Fleet Street not give it away?  Is it because you seriously expect all musicals to be sunshine and smiles?
I’d never read or seen Sweeney Todd before and wasn’t 100% sure of the storyline, but at least I knew I was going to be in for a bloodbath.  And really, aside from having to turn my head for a few of the throat slittings, it really wasn’t unreasonably bad.  Certainly not “walk out of the theater bad.”
But I can forgive those asshats because the asshats sitting behind us trumped all.  That’s right kids, it was the classic “we brought our inappropriately young child to the movie” move.  Oh my dear god in heaven, can we please make it an arrestable offense to bring ANY child under age 8 to an R rated movie??  Sure, the little one probably couldn’t follow the movie word for word, but I’m sure he got that what was happening wasn’t Elmo and Shrek.  People like this need to be shaken until their heads rattle into some sort of sense.  If I had the ability to go back in time just once, it would be to ask these asshats for our collective $30 back because their idiocy (not to mention constant shushing of a baby who was just being a baby for two hours) ruined our afternoon at the movies.
Well, not ruined.  I mean, Johnny Depp.  Come on.
Still, it sucks when you are looking forward to a fun afternoon activity and selfish, idiotic people have to spoil it. Am I right, Dave?

Moody

Despite having a predominately fun weekend, I am descending into a pretty lousy mood today.  Friday night was karaoke with the boy and an old friend and her brother, and yesterday we went to a party that involved drinking games and a chance to do an all-girl version of Rock Band. 
I was down 7 lbs which was a huge accomplishment, but today I am back up 3 which is really disheartening.  And it’s my own damn fault for drinking so much like I’m 21 again. I *knew* better.  But it is hard when…well, when the primary source of fun in the room requires booze (karaoke, drinking games).  Am I supposed to shut myself up in my house and drink water all weekend long?
Then I made the mistake of reading an HR article about how recruiting has been in a slump since September and has been at its lowest in 4 years.  Thanks G. Dub.  You’ve been swell.
So that didn’t help my already continuous concerns about work slowing down.  The thing that is hardest about this industry is that if recruiting slows down, it slows down everywhere.  And that means I might have to take a job again that I don’t really enjoy just to keep the money coming in.  Or maybe 2008 will surprise us all and end up moving the economy in the right direction.
I’m trying to be positive, and I know I have enough money stashed away to live on if I have to.  But I don’t want to do that, I really don’t.
I also don’t want to have to work off 3 lbs all over again this week.  Blegh.
In a few, I’m going to see The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with the girls.  That should cheer me up…right?  That and a much-needed good night of sleep sans booze of any sort.

Resolutions, Goals, Etc.

Two posts within minutes!! You guys really lucky today!
Okay, kidding.  That last post was written last night.  I need to get my goals/resolutions at least started or they will just percolate around in my head and go nowhere.  In no particular order:
*Take drawing class at Lill Street Art Center (preferably this month!!), using up credit I have on file.
*90-120 minutes of exercise a week.  Lose remaining 14 lbs by April.
*Sign up for, study for and TAKE PHR exam in May.
*Pick up an extra babysitting gig or two for spare cash.
*Take an infant/child CPR & First Aid class.
*Get guitar back, begin practicing again as time permits.
*Stop bending over backwards for other people.
*Be flexible, be calm, be forgiving.
*Have talk with boss in January if work does not seem to be picking up, determine best course of action.
ETA:  Good grief, it is not even January yet and  I am filling in my (wonderful) new 2008 planner that my mom got me for Christmas…

Not Really My “Best” Friend

Guys, I should warn you now, I get really reflective the days leading into the new year.  In fact, at some point I need to sit down and map out all my goals and resolutions and such because I take them pretty seriously.
Anyway.  I did not see my “best” friend at Christmas.  I put that in quotes because I am realizing that saying I have a best friend at age 30+ is kind of silly.  I have a lot of friends, and for awhile she was my best friend simply based on duration of friendship (age 8 to present).  But if you don’t see or talk to a person hardly at all in the course of a year, are they really your best friend?
I’m not complaining, honest.  I used to be very hurt by the fact we were no longer top priority in each others’ lives but lives change.  I have seen my friends change both in terms of their lives and just in general terms of the roster.  There are people who have fallen off my social circle just since last year.  And of course there are new people who have been welcomed in. 
I have a friend who has ridden in an ambulance with me.  I have a friend who I talk to every day without fail.  I have a friend who was my roommate for two years in college. I have friends who I don’t really socialize with much anymore but I know would be there in a pinch, and I know care for me.  I have a whole new group of friends by transitive property since I met E.
How can I rank any over any other?  I can’t.  They are all important to me, and we all have our lives to live.  People will come and go and move away and get mad and get over being mad because that is how it works.  Some friends will stay there forever and always, changing with me.  Some will drift quietly away and I may only see them at their weddings.  I realize now that it’s all okay.

Thoughts on the Holidays

I have posted and deleted and tweaked and reposted (slow day at work, trust me!) some difficult memories I had to work through to understand why I have such anxiety around the holidays.  I admitted that there was yelling and fighting and crying and close relatives and some of their guests acting inappropriately.  Then I felt guilty because my parents weren’t divorced, I was never hit (no one was), and many other people have had far worse childhood holidays than I ever did.
In summary, I need to honor that some really crappy and upsetting (especially to a small child!) things happened for many years on one side of my family.  And it is okay that those memories still resonate and cause bad feelings sometimes.  But, one can move on, especially when the old has been replaced with the new, such as these little peanuts:
(my cousin’s kids)

(if you deface this picture or harrass or cyber stalk me in any way, I swear I will cut you)

Home, Safe-ish

I mean, *I* am most assuredly safe, but today’s news about Benazir Bhutto is extremely unsettling.
I’m slowly easing my way back to life here in Chi town, and as always catching up on blogs and trying to figure out what the heck I was doing when I left.  More later, kittens.  Just wanted to say, “hi.”

Happy Happy Holidays!

Yesterday I was a grumpus, fa sure, but I thought I’d make it up to you with some festive holiday photos (look Kim! at last!)…

My fancy Crate & Barrell style centerpiece

The tree

Um, at the height of wrapping presents, there was this pile in the living room.

The girls wait for Santa and dream of tuna in their stockings.
Have a wonderful Christmas for those that celebrate it.  The rest of you, enjoy the mandated days off.   I’m shipping out early tomorrow and will blog upon my return, if not sooner…

Crappity Crap Crap Crap

My day thus far:
*#1 candidate for a job that involves a company car currently has a suspended license, as I discovered after her background check was run.
*A candidate for another job has been locked out of our background check website because she waited too long to complete it.
*Yet another candidate called TODAY to cancel his interview for this afternoon because he’s no longer interested in the position. 
*I can’t get into my work e-mail and have not been able to since yesterday.  I spent 40 minutes on the phone with IT and they are totally at a loss.
*My radiator started leaking tremendous amounts of water.  It would have been funny, considering it made a noise very similar to an extremely wet bowel movement, but I wasn’t in the mood.
*And somehow, I am going to the gym today come hell or high water.  If I don’t go run a couple miles or something, I might smash something.  Grrr.
ETA:  The help desk has no record of me calling earlier today.  I have an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow for a potential UTI.  There were FOUR people crammed into my dining room/work area to fix my radiator.  When I got to the gym at last, my heart rate was 160–before I even started exercising!!

The Scene: H’s apartment

Characters:  Me, H, and our friend S.
Keep in mind that H and I live in the same apartment building, 2 floors apart

S:  Well! Lucky you, you just have to go upstairs.  I feel like we’re on Friends and I’m Phoebe
H:  I want to be Rachel
Me: Wait, I don’t remember what that makes me?
S:  That makes you Monica.
Me: Ugh, I don’t want to be Monica!
H:  Maybe I should be Monica and you can be Rachel.
Me: No, you’re not Monica either.  Can’t we both be Rachel?
S:  Maybe one of you should be Joey.
Me: Yeah!  I want to be Joey!
H:  And I want to be Chandler!
S:  I guess that makes me Ross.
*We all agree that this makes perfect sense*

Um…keep in mind a lot of wine was consumed.  Also?  If I’m going to be Joey, I want an air hockey table.