I just made that title up. Well, I make up all of my titles, but typically I will think about it for hours and often will have a title in mind before I even sit down to type out the post. Anyway, this one just shot out of my brain and through my fingers, into my computer and onto the screen. And I hate it. But it stays. *** My feet are in Chicagoland again, at least temporarily, and I’m ready to dive into my regular work/workout/taking care of things around the house schedule. This weekend has been great for easing in: yesterday Jim and I did our workouts in…
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Concrete Jungle
New York City’s Central Park is amazing. I have been there several times and there’s always something new to see. I was looking forward to walking around there on Wednesday afternoon, and as Liz and I moseyed through the winding paths I took tons of pictures. All of the scenery is impressive, really. I mean, check out this gorgeous view of The Mall, the main walkway that runs down the center of the Park on its southern end. The beauty that nature provides was only half of it. I am, for some reason, drawn to concrete ornamentation. Central Park is full of it and I created quite a collection of…
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Shells, Sea Glass And Colones
I told Liz that, while in New Jersey, I wanted to take a side trip down the shore to the Seaside Heights area, which was hit the hardest last year by Superstorm Sandy. She and I headed down there this morning and took a long stroll on the boardwalk. The businesses that are still intact on the boardwalk (there are lots of them!) are closed for the season and we were two of just a handful of people out there, not counting all of the construction workers who were fixing everything. As quiet as it was, I was able to imagine a bustling, noisy, funnel cake-smelling amusement area thanks to…
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Greetings From New Jersey!
I have been waiting for this day for what seems like forever (amazing how three and a half months can feel like forever!): I’m back in the same state–the same room, even!–as my sistuh-from-anuthuh-mutha. I’m so excited to be here I might possibly cry at some point. It’s been interesting, telling people before today that I was going to New Jersey. I got questions like, “Why would you go there?” and funny looks ranging anywhere from scowling to nose crinkling to head shaking. New Jersey has a bad rap. In fact, I was going to embed a video of Fred Armisen portraying former New York governor David Paterson on SNL…
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Scenic.
Everyone who travels has their favorite airports–and their least-favorite ones, too–and in fact while I was in Detroit I had a discussion with a friend who was highly opinionated about both categories. On her least-favorite list? Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. She said that in her experience she has found that every airport employee at O’Hare is extremely unhelpful and downright rude, and she had some other grumbles as well. Her opinion took me by surprise because I happen to like O’Hare very much, and it’s not just because it’s one of my two hometown airports (the other being Midway). One of the best things about traveling via O’Hare is the scenery…
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In This Case, “PH” Has Nothing To Do With Chemistry. (Scientific Chemistry, Anyway.)
By far one of the best things that has resulted from blogging since the fall of 2007 is the fact that I can travel just about anywhere and have the ability–time allowing–to meet up with a friend or two (or three, or four, or five) who happens to live there. As soon as I found out I was going to be in Detroit this week I messaged my friend Melissa to let her know I’d be in town and although I didn’t know yet what my schedule was going to be like, I hoped that she would mark the date so we could attempt a meet-up. Melissa has been blogging…
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Taking A Moment
I’m currently in Detroit on business and I’m excited about it, not only because of what I’ll be doing while I’m here but also because I’m only THREE! DAYS! AWAY! from visiting my sistuh-from-anuthuh-mutha AND because I have been workingworkingworking like crazy on all of my various jobs for the past ten days in order to be able to make my deadlines AND not have to worry much about work other than “maintenance-type stuff” during my two trips. Shew. That was a long sentence. Actually, if you try and read it without taking a breath, you’ll have a teeny bit of an idea how it has felt to live my…
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Listen To Your Mother 2014: And We’re Off!
I have said it a thousand times, but always enjoy repeating it: co-producing Chicago’s LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER SHOW (with Tracey Becker, the Phoebe to my Monica!) for the past two years has been a life-altering experience in the best possible way. We are an awesome team and I truly can’t imagine working on the show with anyone else. We know how to have fun. Of course, we also know how to get down to business, even when we’re just acting like we’re working for the camera. (Pictures courtesy of Sabrina Persico, by the way.) All of our work sessions, whether they are on the phone, in person, or via…
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Experiencing The Luxury of ESPA Skin Care Products At The Peninsula Spa
Remember when I visited The Peninsula Spa in Chicago for their new, heavenly Bamboo Harmonizer Massage? I walked out that day thinking, “Wow, this place is dreamy. I hope I get to come back sometime soon!” As it turned out, “sometime soon” came sooner than I imagined it could when I was invited to an intimate breakfast at the Peninsula Hotel with Sue Harmsworth, Founder and CEO of ESPA (a luxury line of beauty products), followed by a facial. I mean, is this real life??? I made my way to the city and, upon meeting Sue was immediately both charmed and impressed. This woman, who is in her late 60s…
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Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number
Today I turn 45. Forty-five. I must admit, I am having some trouble with that number. It doesn’t have anything to do with “feeling old” because truth be told, I feel younger than I did fifteen years ago. It’s just…the number. I don’t like thinking about it, and I don’t like saying it. When I was a kid I did the math to figure out that in the year 2000, I would be thirty-two. I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s really old! I can’t even IMAGINE being that old!” And here I am, thirteen years older than that. I’m thrilled that I have the type of outgoing personality and active lifestyle…