Comments (8)

By kilax, March 31, 2008 5:41 am

Steven and I went to a “Condo-warming” party Saturday night. It was one of those things were I only knew one person there – obviously the new owner. I don’t mind going to parties like that, but I also don’t expect to stay very long, because, hey, I only know one person, right?

< insert warning of “sappy, isn’t life grand? post ahead” here>

I know this friend because we worked together at a small residential architecture firm in summer ’05. She’s a structural engineer, who went on to get her Master’s degree in PA, then came back to Chicago in ’07 to work at SOM.

Even though we only worked together for one summer, we always stayed in touch. Our personalities just clicked. And now that we are both in Chicago, we’ll meet up from time to time.

I was really excited to see her new place on Saturday (she is on the 15th floor and has a great view of the city(!!!), and because I am an architect, I was excited to see the new floors, etc. she put in), but was not expecting to stay that long. I don’t know why, but I didn’t think we’d find anyone to talk to for very long (you must understand the bad mood I was in on Saturday).

I should have known better. A lot of her friends are coworkers or people from college, also in the design discipline. I won’t say that I talked shop all night, but it is really fun to talk to people who are in the same field as you – they understand your horror stories! And even Steven had a few to share – he works with architects (myself included) on a regular basis.

But like I said, we didn’t talk about design/engineering stuff all night long – I’m usually not that boring.

We ended up staying a long time, because we were having such a great time. I had a little “party buzz” from meeting and chatting with new people (okay, and from drinking sangria).

I get so caught up and worn out in my day-to-day life that I forget how much I love to meet new people. When I lived on my own in Rome I would start conversations with new people on almost a daily basis. Of course, that has more to do with the lifestyle there, but I don’t think it is a bad thing to do.

Meeting new people, and making new friends means expanding your mind and learning something new. Yes, I warned you this would be sappy.

Let’s just hope this sappy feeling stays for awhile. (And before you ask, meeting the new neighbors doesn’t count here)

Comments (5)

By kilax, March 30, 2008 8:37 pm

Borrowed from Living Life Moment By Moment…

What is your favorite:

• GUM: I don’t usually chew gum, but my favorite flavor is cinnamon
• RESTAURANT: Red Robin… ymmm!
• DRINK: It’s a tie between Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper
• SEASON: Fall
• TYPE OF WEATHER: High 70s with a breeze
• EMOTION: Excited
• THING TO DO ON A HALF DAY: Sleep in… or take a nap in the afternoon
• LATE-NIGHT ACTIVITY: Watching DVDs
• SPORT: Soccer
• CITY: Rome
• STORE: Barnes & Noble

When was the last time you:

• CRIED: Maybe a month or so ago?
• PLAYED A SPORT: I played soccer when I was a junior… so three years ago?
• LAUGHED: Today
  
• HUGGED SOMEONE: Today
• KISSED SOMEONE: Friday
• FELT DEPRESSED: Last Thursday
• FELT ELATED: Two Thursdays ago
• FELT OVERWORKED: Every weekday, so last Friday
• FAKED SICK: Never
• LIED: Outright? Maybe Friday? Not sure.

What was the last:

• WORD YOU SAID: Okay
• THING YOU ATE: Apple
• SONG YOU LISTENED TO: “Sweet Home Alabama” (played through our walls courtesy of the a-hole neighbors)
• THING YOU DRANK: Diet Dr. Pepper
• PLACE YOU WENT TO: Chicago, a friend’s condo
• MOVIE YOU SAW: The Other Boleyn Girl
• MOVIE YOU RENTED: August Rush, No Reservations and Spider-Man 3
• CONCERT YOU ATTENDED: A concert with my aunt in September 2006… can’t remember who!

Who was the last person you:

• HUGGED: Steven
• CRIED OVER: No one
• KISSED: Steven
• DANCED WITH: Steven
• SHARED A SECRET WITH: My mom
• HAD A SLEEPOVER WITH: Steven
• CALLED: My dad
• WENT TO A MOVIE WITH: Steven
• SAW: Other than Steven? My friend, Alex.
• WERE ANGRY WITH: Probably a coworker
• COULDN’T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF: Steven?
• OBSESSED OVER: Do celebrities count? Natalie Portman for sure

Have you ever:

• DANCED IN THE RAIN: Yes
• KISSED SOMEONE: Yes
• DONE DRUGS: Yes, prescription and over the counter
• DRANK ALCOHOL: Yes
• SLEPT AROUND: No
• PARTIED ‘TIL THE SUN CAME UP: No
• HAD A MOVIE MARATHON: Yes
• GONE TOO FAR ON A DATE: No
• SPUN UNTIL YOU WERE IMMENSELY DIZZY: Yes
• TAKEN A SURVEY QUITE LIKE THIS BEFORE: No

Comments (18)

By kilax, March 29, 2008 12:15 pm

I refuse to be a pushover.

If someone is doing something that bothers me, I am going to talk to them/do something about it. I’ve always been this way in my personal and professional life, but more so recently, as my roles and responsibilities have changed, and unfortunately, as I’ve become more impatient and intolerant.

If that means I’m a bitch from time to time to time, I’m sorry.

I really am. But I’d be more upset if I didn’t say something.

We are still frustrated with our neighbors. They still play their music too loud. They still park their cars all over the place (in front of my driveway!). A few weeks ago, I was standing outside with my mother when my neighbor started screaming at her kid and shoving him around (in their garage). I feel bad for their kids.

Last night I went over to talk to them because their music was too loud. I just don’t want to hear it through our living room wall! They were nice, and turned it down for awhile. But a few hours later (10:00), they started screaming bloody murder at each other. We thought they were trying to kill each other. I didn’t really want to go knock on their door and say “Could you two not be so loud while you are trying to kill each other?” so we called the police.

They had quieted down by the time the police came, but as soon as they left, they took their little screaming match outside, and continued it until about 1:00 a.m. They were yelling “F**k those f**king faggots” over and over and “I can do whatever I want outside!!!”… so we opened our window to tell them to STFU and… that didn’t really help.

So really. What are we supposed to do? I don’t give a crap what they do in their house until it disturbs the general peace of our neighborhood, WHICH IT IS. Why aren’t our other neighbors disturbed by their screaming matches?

What would you do? I am not just going to ignore this. It wakes me up. And honestly, it frightens me.

Comments (11)

By kilax, March 28, 2008 5:43 am

If you won a flight into outer space (currently valued at $20 million) would you go?

This question came to me as I saw news on a new company planning to offer spaceflights.

I would LOVE to see the earth from space, I would love to travel faster than the speed of sound, and I would love to experience weightlessness… but I think I would be too scared to go into space. I would be afraid that something would go wrong and I wouldn’t make it back home.

Comments (6)

By kilax, March 27, 2008 8:10 am

Some of the tougher decisions in my day:

• Should I get up and straighten my hair or sleep for an extra ten minutes?
• Should I wear heels or flats?
• Should I bring some cottage cheese to work for lunch even though the container says it’s expired?
• Should I take a nap on the train in the morning, or stay awake so I am not a cranky-pants when I get to work?
• Should I buy a Diet Dr. Pepper to drink after lunch?
• Should I clean the kitchen after dinner or read blogs on my computer?
• Should I exercise or watch a DVD?
• Should I take my clothes out of the dryer, or leave them in there for another day… or two?
• Should I buy Azuma on ebay or save my $12 dollars? (sorry Steven, I already bought it… it was only $12!!!)
• Should I go to bed when I want to, or stay awake a little longer to spend more time with my husband?

My mind has been in such a fog this week (month?!) that the only decisions I can make are these really simple ones. I feel like my logic and problem solving skills are all out of whack, and I can’t figure out why.

(Any guesses as to which decisions I made?)

Comments (10)

By kilax, March 26, 2008 6:21 am

I finally gave Steven his gift – tickets to see Jerry Seinfeld.

We both love the Seinfeld series, and have wanted to see Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up comedy routine for a long time.

I hope we like the routine as much as we are looking forward to it… ever since I bought these tickets I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! And the funny thing is that Steven brought home Season 4 of the Seinfeld series the day I wrote that post about getting him the gift. Awh…

Comments (7)

By kilax, March 25, 2008 9:20 pm

One of my work contacts answered the phone today by saying “What’s up girl?”

It was very casual.

I’m not upset about it. I talk to this person a lot, and generally, when you talk to a person on the phone once, twice, or three times a day, you’re going to ask, “what’s up?” or “what’s going on?” because you want to know… why did they call me… again… today?

But I am thinking about all the comments left on my In Terms of Ten post about my young age. I am thinking about how a lot of my coworkers and work contacts have children my age. I am thinking about how establishing myself and my credibility at work while only being 23… is difficult.

I’m naturally, let’s say, chatty. And friendly (most of the time). It’s hard for me to play the corporate b.s. mind games with people when I know I don’t have to. It’s hard for me to be stern and bitchy when I need to, because I just want to play nice and get along.

Yes, I know this is unrealistic, and I had a very good tactic conversation with my boss regarding this. And it helps immensely to know they have faith in me.

But remember how hard it was starting off?

Comments (7)

By kilax, March 24, 2008 5:50 am

I think if you watch this video, you will see exactly how much fun my Easter was…

… who knew that my sister’s boyfriend and Steven were both so talented?

Comments (9)

By kilax, March 23, 2008 9:47 am

Originally, I thought liking musicals films was an all or nothing thing – you either liked them or you didn’t.

So I thought I was in the “like” category – I really like Moulin Rouge (for obvious reasons, SJ), Rent, and classics like The Sound of Music, Grease and White Christmas. But then I saw Hairspray… and despised it so much I wanted to stab a pen into my ears and eyes to stop the horror. I put myself in the “dislike” category and figured new musical films just aren’t for me.

Before seeing being tortured by that movie, my older brother told me he really wanted to see Across the Universe, the Beatles-based musical film set in the 1960s, when he came to Chicago in the fall. I was all gung-ho and excited to see it, but then he had to cancel.

He and I both never saw the movie, and it left theaters. Then, after seeing Hairspray and feeling just a bit pessimistic, I though, “It’s a good thing I didn’t see that movie. It probably sucked and would have been a waste of time.”

I never told anyone about my new found dislike, and still bought a copy of the DVD for my brother for his birthday, fully expecting him to hate it, but kind of short on gift ideas (I’m such a great sister, right?).

When he called me to thank me for the gift, and I asked him how the movie was, I was completely surprised to hear how much he liked it. At that point, SJ had already raved about it, but I was so put off by the suckiness of Hairspray and afraid of what the movie might do to my beloved Beatles music.

My brother bought the movie with him last weekend during his visit.

Of course – I loved it.

I loved the talented singing. I loved the new take on the songs.

I loved the acting.

I loved the costumes.

I loved the stories.

I loved that it was a very artistic movie but still had a plot you could follow.

So… I guess I was wrong about musical films. They are just give-or-take.

Comments (8)

By kilax, March 22, 2008 8:20 am

An impulse buy I made in February actually came in handy yesterday – a shovel for the trunk of my car.

“Wait!” you’re thinking. “Wasn’t Thursday the first day of Spring?”

Why yes, yes it was.

But that didn’t stop 2 and a half feet from miraculously collecting behind my car at the train station.

I just want to whine. And maybe someone who didn’t have to deal with our freak snow storm will feel sorry for me?