High School Reunion

Somehow the years have slipped by and my ten year high school reunion is suddenly upon me. In some ways I can't quite the believe this, and in others - it really seems like a different lifetime.

Most of you know high school was not my favorite. I went from being voted "most class spirit" my freshman year to "least class spirit" by my senior year. I spent as little time in school as I possibly could and really only went so I could participate in extra-curricular activities.

Thankfully UIC reinstated my belief that not all education is horrible and confirmed that I hadn't completely lost my sense of humor and passion.

One of my friends sent me a little quiz earlier today to determine what my "wish for my high school reunion is" and I felt the need to share.

"Go team! Ha — like you ever went to a pep rally! So maybe high school and all that goes along with it — the jocks, the cliques, Homecoming — wasn't exactly your cup of tea. Now that it's behind you, though, you can laugh about it — and all those silly things that went with it. Never one to go along with the masses, you march to the beat of your own drummer. Part of you enjoys rattling people's cages and making them think twice. What better chance to do just that than by showing up at your reunion? You're bound to have some laughs and maybe reconnect with your old rebel friends. How sweet."

Hehehe. It hasn't changed my mind about going though. Maybe if my class was actually doing something for our reunion I'd consider it, but as it stands.... I just can't do it.

We received an email invite a few weeks ago to join the class of '97 at a local Freeport bar for a night of drinking and karaoke later this summer. No questionnaire about where we are now. No special events, plans, etc. Just meet at a local bar and sing some songs. Really? But the best... they didn't even bother to spell check the word document invite attachment. We were asked to write down how much money was "inclosed". That's Freeport for you.

Happy to be somewhere else! :-)

Bruised and battered

As if Saturday wasn't enough fun for the weekend, I managed to get into even more trouble Sunday morning when I locked myself out of my apartment. Not a huge issue except that I didn't have my cell phone on me and Irie was locked inside. So I had to beg my unfriendly neighbor to let me borrow his phone and give me the number to the building manager. He was oh, so helpful.

The building manager didn't inspire any confidence in me that I would be getting back into my apartment anytime in the next... well, 24 hours, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Into the basement I went to determine if there was anything in there that could help me break into my apartment. Fortunately there was a rickety small step stool, so I used that to get me up high enough to get my front window open and push my air conditioner through. As I was doing this though I lost my footing and fell, scraping the majority of my body in the process.

But by now I was determined. So back to the basement I went to find something to set the stool on to give me a little more height to have a better shot at actually getting in through the window. I found a little shelf and got myself set up. Attempting not to create the same falling scenario again, I tested my weight and realized that if I stepped on the edge of the step-stool I would tip the whole contraption over. Thankfully, two ladies happened to be walking by about then, so I very politely asked for their assistance in holding the stool. They obliged and I managed to shimmy my way in through the window. Thank goodness for passer-bys.

I am now covered from head to toe in nice scrapes and bruises. My arms took the brunt of the damage, but my legs are looking pretty hot too. At least 10 people have asked me since then who jumped me this weekend. Awesome.

But, I did learn some important things throughout this....

1. No one is ever around when you need them to be.
2. When you suspect someone is unfriendly, you're often right.
3. There are many people in the city of Chicago who will walk right by someone who seems to need assistance.
4. Thankfully there are a few that won't.
5. Carrying your cell phone with you at all times is smart.
6. You'll never get anywhere without asking for help when you need it.
7. Irie doesn't understand that all the doors and windows lead to the same location - outside. She was utterly bewildered to see me come in through the window when she KNEW I left from the backdoor. She kept running back to the door and then to me looking very confused and refused to be satisfied until I opened the back door and closed it again.

How the other half lives...

Saturday night I had plans to go to Ravinia with Nicole, Jason and Jamie. For those of you who are not familiar, Ravinia is basically an outdoor concert venue, but it's on the north shore of Chicago and pulls the more "upper-class" Chicagoans usually. People bring their picnic baskets full of crazy food, their little tables... it's really quite the scene. We were prepared to do it up right (or at least as close to "right" as we're ever likely to come), but then Nicole encountered the cicadas that have over-taken the woods around Ravinia and decided she just couldn't handle it. So that left me and Jamie, which in itself is fine, but Nicole and Jason had some of the food and supplies we had intended to have (like glasses.) Jamie and I, being the make-do people we are, decided that drinking straight from the wine bottles was completely acceptable. We got a few laughs and plenty of funny looks, but we had a great time. We didn't exactly fit in with the high class standards around us. Here are a few of the pictures that tell the story maybe better than I can!

Me and Jamie enjoying a beautiful evening outdoors.

We didn't have a knife either. Wheat Thins are amazingly durable little crackers!

A candelabra at an outdoor picnic? I know... these people are weird.

And what table is complete without fresh flowers?

Classy.

This is what happens when you're as unsophisticated as us - everybody around you leaves.

Reading is fundamental

I realized something about two weeks ago. I haven't been reading. At least not for pleasure. I used to read all the time. Every day. But when I went to think about what book I'd last read - I realized it had been quite awhile - and I hadn't even finished that book before I returned it to its rightful owner.

So, I recently picked up a book and I'm happy to report I'm back to reading every day. It's really funny what a marked difference it makes. I've been feeling like I don't take much time for myself a lot lately. I've seemed to be constantly struggling with balancing friends, work, Irie, family and "me time." But reading (even if it's not for very long) every day, seems to take the edge off of that missing "me time." There's something about it that just helps me to feel really connected to myself I guess.

It makes me really sorry for people who don't enjoy reading because I get so much pleasure from it. But I'm sure people find other things to take pleasure in. :-)

And in case you're wondering what I'm reading these days, it's called Love Walked In. It's just your standard novel really, but it's got an interesting twist of being told from a twenty-something woman and an 11-year-old girl's point of view. I'm liking it.

I think in part I was drawn to it because of the image on the cover. It's a waist-down picture of a girl in a pleated skirt with knee socks. Very The Time Traveler's Wife, which is of course one of my all-time favorite books.