I don’t know what got into me, but I decided to give online dating another go. Why I thought that this time would be more successful, I’m not really sure. I think I was just bored and wanted to see what kind of men Chicago was offering to the busy professional single woman. Who knows.
First, I was certain that a traditional match site was not for me. Those commercials for online matching sites are so enticing, though. And I blame them (combined with the change in seasons) for this whole delusional adventure. The ads show people at fun diners or in beautiful loft apartments enjoying each other’s company, laughing and making witty comments about not wearing clothes to bed. I watch these ads and I think, “I want to find someone who I like that much and who I can afford better clothes and a better apartment with.” And then I hear these thoughts and give myself a mental slap across the face. Though I would like a better apartment and nicer clothes, I’ll continue to appreciate my park-view vintage apt, eat at excellent coffee shops and wear the stylish clothes that I already own. Thank you very much.
In the end, I decided that it might be fun to stumble upon a summer romance and online dating is very convenient. So, I filled out an ad at a free Chicago-based newspaper site and thought I’d see what kind of prospects are still looking for love on the internet.
Most responses were fine guys, but not especially interesting. A recently divorced exboyfriend even said hi to me on there. But finally, I received a response from someone a bit more my type. After e-mailing back and forth, I learned that he was an IT guy, had a rather urban style to him, seemed somewhat politically minded, and he wrote in the flowery language of the hippies. And he was taller than me. This was enough for me to want to meet him. So we set a date for drinks at the Irish pub down the block.
My date arrived at the bar sporting HUGE reddish mutton chops that protruded about 2 inches or so from his cheeks (which were not present in any of the photos he had posted) and a long goatish soul patch.
What kind of man thinks that this look is attractive? Not one that I am interested in. I can handle beards or even sideburns, but these chops just pissed me off.
We stayed and had a few drinks together (I gave him the benefit of the doubt – maybe his personality could shine though all that unattractive facial hair) and I was friendly and tried to give him as many opportunities to convince me that he was worth seeing again. At one point, he wagged his tongue at me ala Gene Simmons. At another, he described himself as an “anti-consumerist.” This was not the man for me. He walked me home and we parted amicably.
Thought this summer has not yet brought any romance my way, I’m still having a blast. Besides, who knows what sort of fun I’ll stumble upon once the weather starts heating up...
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Oh how I love the library!
I've been very excited lately about the Library's new Imagine Design Compete poster competition. And the 30 finalists are now posted up on Flickr!! As I live across the street from one of the larger branches of the CPL and I keep an online queue of books and music on cpl.org, I feel very emotionally invested in this competition. The finalists this year are all really great and I like quite a few of them. Today, I'm feeling especially fond of this one.
You can view all the 30 finalists here on flickr - Top 30 Finalists.
In other news, I'm trying out the online dating scene again. So far, not many prospects. We'll see what happens. People have also been telling me, no so subtly either, that they have male friends with cute friends for me. Who knows - maybe this summer will have some romance in it afterall!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Fridge Art
I had hoped to blog tonight, but the evening got away from me somehow. Most of my free time has been spent cooking lately, so instead of a proper blog post, here is a photo of some kitchen art.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Heart breaker... Jet setter...
Hello my friends! It’s been a long time since I last wrote. It’s been a busy few months. Here’s a quick catch up:
On Halloween, I met a very nice young man and we dated for a few months. He was tall, very handsome and an excellent dancer. I thought that I liked him quite a bit. Then, he read his poetry for me and sang me some songs that he wrote. They were not good. At all. But because I liked him, I kept my mouth somewhat shut about that. I told him that his writing was just not my taste. He told me that he was “destined for greatness” (his words) and was hurt that I didn’t believe in him or see this greatness in him. He cried. The next morning I woke up to a self portrait that he drew – naked, headless, with bloody stumps for feet and tearing his chest open with bloody hands to show a bloody heart. I broke up with him. He cried more… and then I had my Chicago PD connection buy me some mace. It's pink and girly.
I am now adding “bad poets” to my list of people who I absolutely cannot date. It’s for the best.
Overall, life has been very good and I’m feeling really happy. I took a short trip to Oregon last month, which was great. Per usual, there was lots of silly fun involved. Lots of good wine. Lots of good food. Lots of good bourbon. Spontaneous dancing in hats. No sales tax. And most importantly, lots of good times with Chandra and Monkey, and Robin and Ass Badass, and new friends Jeremy and Erin. It was great. The main reason for the trip was to see Andrew Bird perform in Portland. And the Bird did not disappoint.
A week after coming home from Oregon, I was off to NYC for work’s annual benefit. The benefit was very very successful this year and we raised a fairly good amount, considering the current economic situation. I apologize to my friends in New York for not calling you. This visit was very busy with preparing for the benefit and meetings that I didn’t have much time for fun. However, I made sure to take full advantage of the minimal time I did have for fun. This included a trip on the subway down to Katz’s deli for a delicious corned beef sandwich on Tuesday night and also a visit to Pravda for some vodka and conversation after the benefit on Wednesday (where I successfully drank a ½ bottle of Imperial Russian vodka and was without hangover in the morning)!
My relationship with New York is very odd. I love New Yorkers. I think they are great. I love New York establishments. I love the lions at the library. I HATE walking around New York or trying to get anywhere. Not because of the traffic, but because everything is just so dense and big. New York has a huge presence and it’s hard not to feel the city bearing down on me. I feel claustrophobic whenever I’m outside and I don’t like having that feeling. I’ll stick to the Midwest for now.
So, now I’m back in Chicago. I have been worrying about work and the benefit since the beginning of the year that I’m not quite sure what to fill my mind with now. This weekend is going to be busy with birthday parties, dance performances and the Watchmen at the IMAX. But tonight! Tonight, I am treating myself to a massage and a lovely thai food dinner. Mmmm…..
On Halloween, I met a very nice young man and we dated for a few months. He was tall, very handsome and an excellent dancer. I thought that I liked him quite a bit. Then, he read his poetry for me and sang me some songs that he wrote. They were not good. At all. But because I liked him, I kept my mouth somewhat shut about that. I told him that his writing was just not my taste. He told me that he was “destined for greatness” (his words) and was hurt that I didn’t believe in him or see this greatness in him. He cried. The next morning I woke up to a self portrait that he drew – naked, headless, with bloody stumps for feet and tearing his chest open with bloody hands to show a bloody heart. I broke up with him. He cried more… and then I had my Chicago PD connection buy me some mace. It's pink and girly.
I am now adding “bad poets” to my list of people who I absolutely cannot date. It’s for the best.
Overall, life has been very good and I’m feeling really happy. I took a short trip to Oregon last month, which was great. Per usual, there was lots of silly fun involved. Lots of good wine. Lots of good food. Lots of good bourbon. Spontaneous dancing in hats. No sales tax. And most importantly, lots of good times with Chandra and Monkey, and Robin and Ass Badass, and new friends Jeremy and Erin. It was great. The main reason for the trip was to see Andrew Bird perform in Portland. And the Bird did not disappoint.
A week after coming home from Oregon, I was off to NYC for work’s annual benefit. The benefit was very very successful this year and we raised a fairly good amount, considering the current economic situation. I apologize to my friends in New York for not calling you. This visit was very busy with preparing for the benefit and meetings that I didn’t have much time for fun. However, I made sure to take full advantage of the minimal time I did have for fun. This included a trip on the subway down to Katz’s deli for a delicious corned beef sandwich on Tuesday night and also a visit to Pravda for some vodka and conversation after the benefit on Wednesday (where I successfully drank a ½ bottle of Imperial Russian vodka and was without hangover in the morning)!
My relationship with New York is very odd. I love New Yorkers. I think they are great. I love New York establishments. I love the lions at the library. I HATE walking around New York or trying to get anywhere. Not because of the traffic, but because everything is just so dense and big. New York has a huge presence and it’s hard not to feel the city bearing down on me. I feel claustrophobic whenever I’m outside and I don’t like having that feeling. I’ll stick to the Midwest for now.
So, now I’m back in Chicago. I have been worrying about work and the benefit since the beginning of the year that I’m not quite sure what to fill my mind with now. This weekend is going to be busy with birthday parties, dance performances and the Watchmen at the IMAX. But tonight! Tonight, I am treating myself to a massage and a lovely thai food dinner. Mmmm…..
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Impress These Apes - the midway point
Since, Impress These Apes is at it's halfway mark in the run, I realized that I was way overdue for a blog post about the show. The cast is all crazy talented and I'm so happy to be a part of the production. The breakdown of the show is fairly simple, there are 8 contestants who have a different performance challenge each week and are then judged by 3 hyper intelligent apes from the future. At the end of the 8 week run, the contestant with the most points wins lots of money and a grab bag of groovy prizes. It's like American Idol, but with Apes as judges and the contestants aren't elimated.
What I like most about the show is that it really shows the diversity in comedy and performance within the Chicago community. It gives a good balance between improv and script performance and it's all about fun. And winning. My position in the show is one of two contestant liasions. So, I spend the week checking in with contestants to make sure that they get their questions answered and to coordinate any sort of specific tech needs that they have for that week's challenge. I also run around backstage before the show and during intermission making sure everyone has what they need.
This past Monday, I was completely blown away by the performances. The challenge was live band karaoke and it was a whole lot of fun. Below are the three top scored performers in the competition. Who knows what will happen next week (Dance challenge, yo!), but regardless, I now have a new favorite version of Into the Mystic.
Enjoy the videos and if you're local, please come see the show! Mondays at 8pm at the Lakeshore Theater.
Seth Dodson - 1st Place
Leigh Vandiver - 2nd Place
Alan Metoskie - 3rd Place
What I like most about the show is that it really shows the diversity in comedy and performance within the Chicago community. It gives a good balance between improv and script performance and it's all about fun. And winning. My position in the show is one of two contestant liasions. So, I spend the week checking in with contestants to make sure that they get their questions answered and to coordinate any sort of specific tech needs that they have for that week's challenge. I also run around backstage before the show and during intermission making sure everyone has what they need.
This past Monday, I was completely blown away by the performances. The challenge was live band karaoke and it was a whole lot of fun. Below are the three top scored performers in the competition. Who knows what will happen next week (Dance challenge, yo!), but regardless, I now have a new favorite version of Into the Mystic.
Enjoy the videos and if you're local, please come see the show! Mondays at 8pm at the Lakeshore Theater.
Seth Dodson - 1st Place
Leigh Vandiver - 2nd Place
Alan Metoskie - 3rd Place
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
I'm on the bus
Last week, I went on my yearly pilgrimage to Eugene, Oregon and I think it was one of the best vacations I've had there. I noticed numerous times during the week that my face was hurting from laughing and smiling so much. The vacation started out great with me getting a free flight voucher... and being rerouted to Eugene via Portland which got me in an hour earlier than originally scheduled. YAY! Chandra picked me up and we went back to the house to drop off my luggage in my apt. Chandra and Monkey have a studio apartment next to their house which is where I stay when I come to visit. After watching Obama's speech, we went out for some cajun food and jazz. Delish. After dinner, we went back to the house and Robin and Patrick came over. Chandra made sangria and we caught up on each others lives. This was my 8th visit or so out there and it is slowly starting to feel like an extension of my home. I know my way around fairly well and have my favorite haunts and have really good friends there.
On Friday, Chandra, Monks and I embarked on my yearly wine tasting tour. First we stopped and went for a beautiful walk along the river trying to spot an eagle's next that was in the trees nearby. Next, it was off to king estate for some tasty lunch! Here's a photo of the largest and most delicious oysters I've ever had!
Then it was off to sweet cheeks for truffles and bubbles. Our plans were to have a relaxing evening and then wake up early on Saturday for an adventurous day of climbing a mountain and then driving to the coast and trying to find a place to stay in Yachats. At dinner that night, we brought up our plans to Robin and Patrick which inspired Patrick to check and see if his family's cabin in Yachats was open - AND IT WAS!!! The plans to climb a mountain were scrapped and we decided to spend our Labor Day weekend relaxing at the cabin! And then we rocked the night away with with Rock Band.
The trip to the coast was great. We spent the first night eating at one of my favorite places - the Drift Inn - and walking through the tide pools next to the cabin.
It's not very often that I get to see starfish and sea anemones!
We went back to the cabin that night and played a rousing game of telephone pictionary. The rest of the weekend was spent doing much of the same. We went for a hike on Sunday morning through some old growth forest and watched tv and played games back at the cabin. While watching a new documentary DVD about Hunter S. Thompson, we were treated to the sight of a doe and her fawn walking through the front yard. I also learned how to play cribbage and I swam in the pacific ocean.
Friends
Going to Oregon is always like a little reset button for me. It helps me put my life back in perspective. Most times I feel very much at peace returning home, but this year I was very agitated. I'm in need of a change. Maybe that change will be packing up and moving to the Pacific Northwest. We shall see what life brings. For now, I will enjoy this glass of Pinot Gris and toast to my friends far away. I miss you already!
I hope to see you soon, Kesey!
On Friday, Chandra, Monks and I embarked on my yearly wine tasting tour. First we stopped and went for a beautiful walk along the river trying to spot an eagle's next that was in the trees nearby. Next, it was off to king estate for some tasty lunch! Here's a photo of the largest and most delicious oysters I've ever had!
Then it was off to sweet cheeks for truffles and bubbles. Our plans were to have a relaxing evening and then wake up early on Saturday for an adventurous day of climbing a mountain and then driving to the coast and trying to find a place to stay in Yachats. At dinner that night, we brought up our plans to Robin and Patrick which inspired Patrick to check and see if his family's cabin in Yachats was open - AND IT WAS!!! The plans to climb a mountain were scrapped and we decided to spend our Labor Day weekend relaxing at the cabin! And then we rocked the night away with with Rock Band.
The trip to the coast was great. We spent the first night eating at one of my favorite places - the Drift Inn - and walking through the tide pools next to the cabin.
It's not very often that I get to see starfish and sea anemones!
We went back to the cabin that night and played a rousing game of telephone pictionary. The rest of the weekend was spent doing much of the same. We went for a hike on Sunday morning through some old growth forest and watched tv and played games back at the cabin. While watching a new documentary DVD about Hunter S. Thompson, we were treated to the sight of a doe and her fawn walking through the front yard. I also learned how to play cribbage and I swam in the pacific ocean.
Friends
Going to Oregon is always like a little reset button for me. It helps me put my life back in perspective. Most times I feel very much at peace returning home, but this year I was very agitated. I'm in need of a change. Maybe that change will be packing up and moving to the Pacific Northwest. We shall see what life brings. For now, I will enjoy this glass of Pinot Gris and toast to my friends far away. I miss you already!
I hope to see you soon, Kesey!
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