To Cab It or take the L Train-You Decide

I've discovered the source of most of my sweaty 'pits in Chicago is riding with cab drivers. When I first moved here, I was totally intimidated by the L train (and let's face it, I still am), and trying to navigate the city's bus system totally requires a PhD in figuring out complicated stuff. (Although if you see the people on there, you know that's not the case.) I'm still trying to figure out how every non-English speaking person in this city can figure out public transportation, while I'm almost always riding the wrong color train headed the wrong way.

Yesterday, I had a nail appointment in the South Loop, so I took the Red Line south, and then realized the Brown/Purple/Orange Lines are closer. So I texted Mike, asked him what color and direction I should choose, and then I totally rode it by myself! Holla! I felt one step closer to getting my Chicago card.

Normally, I would have taken a cab, but earlier in the day I had a near-death experience after taking one to a doctor's appointment I had. The cab driver was very nice, and his cab only smelled like cigarette smoke (It's when you add urine and sweat, that I want to puke.) He was so busy talking to me, he ended up turning the wrong way down a one-way street. I couldn't figure out why everyone was honking and waving. I waved back, assuming it was Chicago hospitality. I quickly realized what happened when we were staring straight into the front grill of a semi truck. Luckily, we flipped around quickly, and got out of the way.

Wowsers.

I then had to pay $11 for my near death experience. The L train is only $2.25. Sure, the L occasionally jumps a track, or someone gets robbed, but I've never been on one that went the wrong way.




What makes the Magnificent Mile magnificent

I've had more than one tourist ask me what the "Magnificent Mile" is, and I wanted to reply, "Well, it's only magnificent in February when all the tourists like you aren't in town."

Inner monologue aside, the Magnificent Mile is a shopper's dream. Along Michigan Avenue you'll find stores I've always been too intimidated to go into, like Ferragamo, stores I'm still a little intimidated to go into like Coach, and stores I feel right at home at, like H&M. (By the way--they sell $10 clothes. Can you believe it??)

I did a little research, and found out the Mag Mile has its own website. It boasts that North Michigan Avenue is 8 blocks of 460 stores (Wowsers!) and 200 restaurants (Yum!). With that kind of temptation, no wonder everyone always feels poor in this city.

Here's the thing--the Mag Mile is kind of a hot mess right now. Every small town family with strollers a plenty are here. Every European and Japanese resident is here. Every person trying to shine your shoes, get your money, or sign you up to save the world is here. It's a HOT MESS.

But I've totally uncovered a little secret. If you go to Michigan Avenue, go at 9:30 a.m. when the stores are just opening. I had a doc's appt. this morning, and I decided to pop into Victoria's Secret to return a shirt....and there was no one there. I then went to H&M, and was able to try stuff on immediately, in fact, I was the only one in the dressing room. That never happens! Typically, the dressing room line is so long, people just start ripping off their clothes and changing in the middle of the store. I'm pretty sure the middle-aged lady who took off her skirt to try on another burned my eyeballs permanently.

Please don't share my secret with any tourists. Thank you.

(P.S. I have to credit djibnet.com for this cool pic. Now that people are actually reading this blog, I guess I need to credit my sources :)




To Change or Not to Change-That is the Question

I always thought women who didn't change their names after getting married were probably hippies at heart who didn't want to give up their identities. Sometimes I even thought they were just taking the easy route, and didn't want to go to the trouble. Or they didn't want to give up a common name like "Smith" for something crazy like "Bushwacker."

Now I know they are just being smart!

I think a man giving you his last name is the greatest gift he can give--if only the government made it easier. I started researching how to change my name yesterday, and I'm totally confused. Some websites said I could do it on-line, others said I couldn't. Some made it seem like I needed to change my social security card first, others say my driver's license.

I'm so confused!

Here's what's really putting a hitch in my get-a-long--I'm flying to Atlanta in October to be in my good friend, Melissa's wedding. I booked the flight under "Jeannie Crofts," so I'm guessing I shouldn't change my name until after that, because I'm sure the TSA won't be amused by my marriage/changing name story.

By the way--have you ever thought about how many things have your name on it? 32 years worth of documents saying Crofts is not going to be easy to change.

Any suggestions married ladies?




Daryl Hall is talented

Okay, okay, I'm feeling badly after my last post regarding Daryl Hall. When I got on my blog today, I saw advertisements for his show, "Live from Daryl's House," where he invites different artists to his home to perform with him. Right now, I'm watching the episode where he and Smokey Robinson are singing, "Baby, baby" and "Sara Smile" and it's really good. He truly is a talented artist.

In regards to the Hall & Oates concert we saw on Friday, I'm just going to think that perhaps he was having a bad night, and he's not as "diva-ish" as he seems.

If you need a good laugh, watch this YouTube video of Hall and Oates. I'm pretty sure it's their first song, and the video is hilarious. They couldn't have spent more than $100 on production. Wow, how far we've come in TV.




She's a maneater!

"Whoa oh, here she comes! Watch out boy, she'll chew you up! Whoa oh here she comes, she's a maneater!"

For my birthday, Mike bought us tickets to go see Hall & Oates last night at the Chicago theater. (Sorry for the crappy pic, I was apparently the only one who followed the "no camera" rule and used my cell phone.)

Anyway, it was so much fun! We totally rocked out and had great seats! In fact, the drunk girl in front of us enjoyed our dance moves so much, she totally bought us a round of drinks.

Here's the thing: I totally love 80's music and movies, more than any other era. I'm sure a psychologist would tell you it's because it takes me back to a time with no bills, unemployment worries or really any responsibility. I say it's because I love the rockin' sounds of a "Keytar." (You know, those cool 80's instruments that looked like a guitar, but had a keyboard on them.)

Unfortunately, when you love a famous person or group for 20 + years, there's bound to be some disappointment when you finally see them. My disappointment came last night after realizing Daryl Hall is a total douche bag. First of all, the whole night he swung his long blonde locks in the wind, yet the venue was inside, so he totally had a fan blowing on him! Not sexy Daryl.

Also, all night he was motioning for the crew backstage to either turn it up, or turn it down. (I'm assuming the base), which was silly, because they sounded great. Then when a crew member came out to try and fix his microphone which was slipping down, Daryl swatted at him like he was a fly. Not cool Daryl.

On the other hand, John Oates seemed totally cool, and ignored Daryl's 'tude.

Sure Daryl, you were a big deal in 1983, but I know if I showed your picture to anyone under 25, they wouldn't know who the heck you are.




What's with the 'tude?

I love CVS. Sometimes I go to the one in our neighborhood, and just walk up and down the aisles, looking at every new face cream and nail polish color. CVS now fulfills what Target used to do for me, when Target was easier for me to get to. Often when I go to CVS I go in to buy gum, but come out with $75 worth of hair care products.

There is one thing, however, that drives me nuts about CVS--their love for plastic bags. I've told you before this is a huge pet peeve of mine. The other night, Mike and I went in for ice cream, and I got caught without my clothe bags. So the worker not only put our ice cream in a plastic bag, he started double bagging it! Mike and I both said at the same time, "Oh no, we don't need a second bag!", to which the worker gave us a glare, and double bagged it anyway.

What's with the 'tude?

The other day I remembered to bring my clothe bag in to CVS, and "Waymon" told me I had to bag my own toiletries if I brought my own bag. Yep, he handed each item to me so I could put it in the bag. Really, Waymon? Is that company policy? I don't think so! I want to yell, "I'm just saving the planet for your dysfunctional children, so quit with the attitude!

When I go to the grocery, I notice some workers seem to really take their time bagging my stuff, because they seem annoyed.

Guess what, people? Your attitude only makes my convictions stronger, so get ready to see more clothe bags! I'm starting a revolution!

Please join me to annoy store clerks nationwide! I'm hoping pretty soon clothe bags will be the norm, and people wanting plastic will be the ones getting glared at.




Are men faking it?

Okay, so I've only been married about 3 weeks, but I've totally just uncovered a man's secret! When asked to do something they really don't want to do, they screw it up so they don't have to do it anymore!

I just started writing wedding thank-you notes, and I was trying to calculate how long it would take for me to finish if I do 5 a day. Considering we have really great friends and family, I'm estimating 2 years. I remember my sister-in-law saying she gave Mike's brother a big stack of them to do himself, so they split it up. Here's the problem with Mike doing them: his handwriting looks like an 8-year old serial killer's! He admits it's terrible, and says he'd be embarrassed to have our relatives see it. But, is he just making it terrible to get out of this??

When I had him do his own laundry, he always left something in the pockets, so we now have gum melted onto the side of our dryer. Therefore, I now always do the laundry.

He always "forgets" to take the recycling down to the 1st floor, so I do it.

He takes the stance that "I don't do poo, because it makes me sick," so he doesn't have to clean up after the dogs. Maybe it doesn't make him sick after all, that's just a convenient excuse!

Don't get me wrong, Mike does plenty around the house, but doesn't it make you wonder if they just play dumb sometimes to get out of Honey-do's?

Hmm...what does the man in your life get away with???




Resume girl

Do you ever encounter people who just have to outdo you? For example, if you say your child walked at one year old, they tell you theirs walked at 6 months. If you say you got a raise at work, they've gotten 2. Annoying, right?

Today I was talking to a girl who lives in my 'hood, who always seems to outdo me. I told her that when I went to look at the Transformers 3 movie set on Wacker and Michigan, a rent-a-cop told me to "move along." I wasn't trying to pass through the barricades or anything, I guess I just look like a Josh Duhamel stalker, and he was worried about me running in yelling, "Josh, I love you!" Well, the girl in my 'hood, who I'll refer to as "Jill", said when she walked by the set with her dog, not only did they let her

go past the barricades, but they allowed her to sit inside some of the military tankers. Oh yeah, and they let her dog go inside too.

Really?

When I told "Jill" a few months ago I was shocked by how high our parking fee is here, (about $200 a month to park in the garage), she informed with a smile that she gets her parking for free. Apparently she befriended our maintenance crew.

Here are some other outdo's:

If my friends park nearby, they pay $10 an hour. "Jill's" friends pay $2.

When I told her I was excited about getting into our pool Memorial Day weekend, apparently "Jill" got in in April.

I was telling Mike this today at lunch, and he said, "Oh yeah, that's a resume girl."

"What?" I asked.

"Yep, there are girls who spout off their resumes as soon as you meet them. It's to impress people."

We went on to discuss how many men do the same thing, and how we're guessing the info is usually not true. I also found out that (thankfully!) Mike said I wasn't a "resume girl" when I met him. Phew!

I bet you're smiling right now, thinking of a "resume girl or guy" in your life. They're annoying, aren't they?

(By the way-I have to give credit to my friend Diana O. who captured this awesome pic of actor Josh Duhamel. He greeted fans a few days ago. I totally wanted to take credit for it, but then, well, I'd be exactly what I'm blogging about.)




The Name Game

When I was watching the news last night, I was getting so confused watching the coverage of the Rod Blagojevich trial. If you're unfamiliar, he was the governor of this great state of Illinois, until he got caught trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by the now President, Barack Obama. Yep, sell it. He was allegedly willing to have anyone represent this state, as long as they paid enough. So now he's in federal court, and if (when) convicted, will spend a lot of years in prison. (By the way--there are 3 other Illinois governors who are/were serving prison terms for things like corruption. This state is dirtier than preschoolers on fudgesicle day.)

Anyway, when I was watching the coverage of the "Blago" trial, they mentioned Rod's brother, Rob, who took the stand yesterday. They kept saying things like, "Rob say Rod is..." or "Rod and Rob were not close..." How confusing is that? Their parents actually thought it was a good idea to name one son Rob and the other Rod, and they aren't even twins. (I'm sure it's actually Robert and Rodney, but still, they didn't think of what their nicknames would be?? Parents always need to think of that, plus what their child's name will rhyme with. Apparently Barb and Kip didn't think of Jeannie rhyming with "Weenie" or "Meanie." Thanks a lot, guys.)

I've never been a fan of siblings with close names. If I'm a twin, I'm already sharing the same facial features and probably the same bedroom with my sib. I sure as heck don't want to be "Hailey" and "Bailey" or "Chloe" and "Zoe". People would never get your name right.

(By the way--I haven't had coffee yet, so my brain isn't fully functioning. So I cheated a little, and googled "Girl's names that rhyme." You know what else popped up when I typed that? "Girl's names that rhyme with Chuck." So weird! Who googles that??)




Mike has ruined me

Mike has ruined me. Harsh words from a newlywed, I know, but let me explain.

He has ruined me from ever wanting to eat leftovers. I used to love warming up my pot roast or ham casserole, but now the thought of doing so reminds me of being constipated at Disney World. Another words, it just doesn't sound like fun.

Mike hates leftovers, and even more so, any leftover food warmed in a microwave. He says he can taste the radiation. True, that's weird unless he has the most sensitive taste buds ever, but I'm starting to agree with him.

So now on leftover night, I shoot him a text message about 4 p.m., warning of his potential fate, unless he picks up his own dinner. His usual standby is a chicken burrito from Chipolte. Here's the problem: every time he brings his burrito home, I find myself lusting after his food, and super mad that I'm having 1 or 2-day old food. (By the way-If you've never had Chipolte, run, don't walk to your nearest one. The flavor is like a party in your mouth.)

So tonight, I texted him, warning him of the impending doom with leftover roast and potatoes. He texted back, saying, "Perhaps I'll pick up Chipolte."

I thought for a minute and sent back this text, "Shoot, that sounds good. Will you pick me up a steak burrito too with a little bit of sour cream?"

He texted back, "But who's going to eat leftovers?"

I texted back, "Not it!"

So that, my friends, is why I've been ruined. I may never want leftovers again. Maybe that's why we need kids....they can help clean out the fridge!




Perhaps the weirdest book out there

For one of my Bachelorette parties, I got this book called "101 Ways To Torture Your Husband." I expected it to be a light-hearted book about how to playfully joke with, or tease your hubbie. I left it on our ottoman, and when Mike picked it up and read some of it, he was shocked. He asked me, "What is this crap you're reading?." I said it was no big deal, but when I started reading it, I too, was disturbed.

The author offers up seriously awful ways to indeed torture your husband. I'm not quite sure how she doesn't get sued and/or a ton of hate mail. Considering I once got an e-mail from a woman who said she hated my brown sweater so much, she now considered me kind of "trashy". (Keep in mind it was from Target and really conservative. Weird.)

Here are some suggestions in this book...

(Beware, what you're about to read is disturbing)

* "Lose" His Dog- The author, Maria Garcia Kalb, suggests you call your hubby, and in a panicked voice say, "Oh my god! The dog ran away when I opened the door, and I can't find him anywhere!" She says after he flips out, you can let him in the joke, and laugh about it. (Weird, and not at all funny to me. You?)

* "Flirt With His Friends"- The author says this is a great punishment for any "jealous" fella, but should probably be reserved as payback for something he did, like hitting on one of your friends. She even breaks it down into steps, like you should first decide which of your husband's friends is the hottest. (I don't think Mike would be impressed, and that might cause us to have the shortest marriage on record. Not counting Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman, of course.)

* "Threaten to 'get him' in his sleep"- The author thinks the ball will definitely be in your court if you play mind games with your husband, such as saying, "Just wait until you fall asleep; you have no idea what I could do to you." She advises to scare the bejesus out of him and tell him you're going to get him after he drifts off. (Considering I watch every crime show, Forensic File and CSI, this would really scare Mike.) The author does includes little side notes about real-life warnings about crimes involving these scenarios. Apparently a Florida woman is locked up because she poured hot grease on her sleeping husband. Ouch.

* "Have lunch with your ex"- Kalb says a surefire way of torturing your husband is eating with your ex-boyfriend because it will make your husband "crazier than Mel Gibson on a bender." The author admits she keeps a couple of exes around, not because she likes them, she says they actually repulse her, but she feels like it's good ammunition.

* "Nair His Hair"-Kalb recommends you "pounce" when your hubbie is asleep, applying hair removal products "liberally" to his face, legs, arms, chest, or wherever is hair is present.

Okay, okay, so you get the idea. There are 96 other suggestions in this book, which I think should be re-named, "101 Ways to Get Divorced Quickly, Threatened Often and Arrested Too."




Getting married in your 30's vs. 20's

I'm not just saying this because I was on the verge of becoming an old maid, but I think getting married in your 30's has a lot of advantages over getting married in your 20's. I'll admit, I have a ton of friends who happily got married in their 20's, and now have a few darling kids (some of my friends have 15 year-olds. Yikes!), and they are super happy. But I realize when I went to their weddings, I was the worst wedding guest ever because I had no idea about wedding etiquette and gifts, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

Here was what I thought.... a) That me being there was a present enough, so I never got them anything. If I did get them a gift, it was usually the cheapest thing on their registry. b) I never RSVP'd, because I figured they just knew if I was coming or not coming, and c) I never really appreciated their centerpieces, flowers or anything else. I just got really drunk if they had an open bar.

If you think about it though, for people who get married in college, or right afterwards, we are all really poor and can't rub two pennies together. It wasn't like I was trying to be cheap, but my reality was making $14,000 a year at my first television job. Now, our friends are established, most have great jobs, and are much more educated in wedding etiquette.

For our wedding, I can't believe the amazing gifts and amounts of money our friends are giving! (Now that shouldn't matter, but it really does.) Many of our friends clearly tried to give back what they know we spent per person for the wedding. I just think that's really cool and thoughtful.

To my friends who got married in their 20's, (like Jennifer McClintic-you're the first to come to mind:), I'm sorry I was the worst wedding guest ever! If you renew your vows, I'm totally getting you a great gift. (That is, if I get a great job by then. Otherwise, it looks like plastic salt and pepper shakers are comin' your way!)




Your wedding day could be...ugly!

When you start planning your wedding, you buy every wedding magazine or how-to book within arm's reach. You just know that Martha Stewart (albeit, single) can give you the right tips for the perfect day.

A couple of months ago, I realized there is a really strange trend when it comes to wedding dresses and accessories: they're ugly. Look at these examples! Seriously?? Yes, Mama Mays sometimes made me wear a swimming cap during my Kentucky summer visits to her pool, but it didn't start my dream towards wearing a jewel-encrusted cap when I got older and married Prince Charming. True, it would have cut down on my getting ready time by hours, but I'm pretty sure I would have felt more ready to do a couple of laps, rather than saying, "I do." And yes, I'm already pale, so you can bet that I'm not going to have white make-up put all over me for an "Asian theme."

True, Wyoming gets a little chilly at night (think 40's,) but imagine the guest's reaction if I walked out with this poofy, whip-cream topping-ish wrap. I guess the question of where I should put my Kleenex would be solved with this monstrosity, because it looks like I could hide small children in there.

And yet, the sad reality is these dresses and accessories probably cost more than anything I own.

The best wedding present, ever!

Okay, so there are wedding presents, and there is the wedding present. I'm talking about the best gift you'll receive in honor of your nuptials, and one that keeps a smile on your face long after the ceremony is done.

For me, that present is an autographed 8x10 glossy photo of WISH-TV's Dave Barras, hand delivered by Indianapolis' favorite newsman himself! He wrote on it, "Jeannie and Mike, May your marriage last as long as my smile! This is the best gift you'll ever get. Congratulations, Dave."

Why this present is sooo cool, is because Dave is the most popular news anchor on the cosmos, and the waiting list to get one of his glossies is now about 8 years. Luckily, Mike and I got moved up on the list because of the wedding, so we only had to wait about 4 1/2 years.

Indianapolis news fans surely know the story behind this glossy pic. For years, Dave has joked on air about just how many people want his glossy photo, so they can't keep them stocked, hence why there is a waiting list. What makes this so funny, is that Dave is one of the nicest and funniest guys I've ever worked with in television. He's the most humble news personality I know, and doesn't have an ounce of ego is his whole body.

Blah, blah, enough about Dave...now back to the real issue at hand. I can't yet decide where in the house to put it!

I like to have Dave on the patio to make the neighbors jealous, plus I feel like for a man who was raised in Chicago, it's only fitting that he overlooks the city. Don't worry, I turn him every 1/2 hour so he doesn't burn.

However, if it gets too windy, I like to put him in our bedroom. (Buckeye likes to sit next to him too.) Don't worry, I turn Dave and have him face the wall if I'm doing something he shouldn't be seeing, like changing.

Next up for Dave's pic? Ebay. I'm just sure we can re-coup most of what we spent on the wedding by auctioning this off. Please, don't let Dave know.




The wedding that never was...

How fun is it that when we were leaving for the wedding and got to O'Hare, we discovered that Mike's cousins Jess and Mandy, and Mandy's boyfriend, Jim, were on the same flight! That's how we captured this moment of no turning back. You'd think that if either Mike or I were having second thoughts about getting married, we'd speak up then.

Some people really do wait until the last moment though. Come to find out, there was another wedding scheduled for July 3rd in Jackson, WY, at the same hotel we were staying in and had our rehearsal dinner. Apparently the night before, the bride called the whole thing off after finding out the groom had a stripper at his Bachelor Party. Just like that, and she was done! Like, "Sorry to everyone who just spent hundreds or thousands of dollars to get here, but a stripper at my fiance's Bachelor Party is an unforgivable sin!" Funny, I encouraged Mike to get one at his. He didn't seem too interested, probably because I brought it up.

My opinion: the stripper is just a really lame excuse for a deeper issue. The bride was probably having doubts before.

However, I feel there could be circumstances for calling off the wedding a day or two before, like these....

* Your groom tells you he's been thinking a lot about his groomsman Tom, and would like to "explore those feelings"

* Your groom tells you he indeed had a stripper at his Bachelor Party, and he recognized her as his First Wife. Oh yeah, and he found out they have a child together too.

* Your groom tells you he can't get the stripper that danced at his Bachelor Party out of his mind, and he thinks he and "Cookie," may be soul mates

* Your groom constantly talks about Twilight, and says he just can't decide between "Team Edward!" or "Team Jacob!"

Other than that, it looks like you'll need to suck it up, or in my case, suck it in, and put on your pretty dress!




Honeymoon Hell

As the new hubby and I were driving back from our honeymoon, we saw every couple's worst nightmare: a flashing sign warning us of construction up ahead with 60 minute delays. 60! Sure, there are plenty of times I've sat in a construction mess for a full hour, but no one ever had the heart to warn me beforehand it would be that long. They usually just tacked up a "10 minute" delay sign and called it good for their conscience.

Along with the warning, we were told of a detour we could take instead. Yes! Sign us up!

So we exited off of I-57 somewhere near Marion, Illinois. For the next 75 minutes, we meandered slowly on country roads with plenty of stop signs and slow old men driving. (Seriously, they survived a depression, fighting in a war and raising kids, but going 30 miles per hour scares them? Weird.)

After passing cornfields and farming country, I'm pretty sure I know where most of America's food comes from. Finally, as we approached a 4-way stop, the orange detour sign showed that we could continue going on the road we were on, or go back to I-57. What? We have choices?? We didn't know what to do, but we decided getting back to the interstate would probably be faster. When we got there we merged on, and to our pleasant surprise, traffic was moving along nicely.

Then, it was every driver's worst nightmare. (Are you appreciating my overused television news cliches?) We saw the sign again, warning us of the 60-minute delay. Apparently our 75-minute detour put us exactly in the war zone. So I did what you should never do....I popped a U-ee on the interstate, and went back to our detour. Mike was cheering me on and excited by my new found aggressiveness. (And yep, I definitely had Sweaty 'Pits.)

We then spent another hour and a half driving on slow country roads. Apparently the fine folks of Benton, Illinois didn't get the traffic memo, and decided to hold their car and truck show in the town square right smack dab in the middle of the detour. Needless to say, it was slow going. So slow, I finally had to merge our SUV in with Hell's Angels bike riders, or else we were never going to move. I actually think the "don't screw with me" look on my face intimidated them.

I'm looking at the bright side though--I can finally check seeing the "Benton, Illinois Car Show" off my bucket list. Thank you, Illinois DOT.




Transformers 3 in our 'hood!

I'm starstruck. I just found out Patrick Dempsey is in town filming "Transformers 3," and he is just blocks away from our apartment. Whoo hoo! (I guess Shia LeBeouf and Tyrese are here too, but I'm more of a McDreamy fan.)

Crews are filming all over the Chi, including in our front yard! This morning, low-flying helicopters flew in our 'hood, and then parachuters jumped out, and landed in the park out front, including in this children's park. No worries...children and parents weren't allowed in the park during filming.

Apparently, crews filmed all morning long, starting at 7 a.m. Residents were given flyers, warning us that we wouldn't be able to drive in front of our building, and at certain times, be allowed to walk in the park.

Exciting, right?

It would be if Mike, the dogs and me didn't sleep through it. I guess when you live in the city long enough, minor distractions outside, like helicopters and stuntmen flying by your window, are pretty much the norm. During their last jump, I was doing laundry and didn't even hear anything, hence why I have these pathetic pictures. I was too late to get anything good!

When you're used to the sounds of sirens, concerts from Millennium Park, drunk bums fighting, dogs barking and kids screaming in the park, filming a major blockbuster isn't anything that bothers you.

(Check out this cool story done by CBS)

I was wrong...

Awe, we are back home in the Chi. It's about 10:30 p.m., and Mike and I had a long day of driving home from our laid-back honeymoon in Jackson, Tennessee. We were looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow morning, only we just found out they may be shooting scenes from "Transformers 3" early in the morning involving low-flying helicopters and parachuters right in front of our apartment. 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning is apparently a good time to shoot a movie scene. It should be cool though...

Do you remember a few weeks ago, I complained about people not calling me back? Yep, I pretty much used this blog as my personal rant.

To my horror tonight, I realized they did call back. Weeks ago. Something must have been wrong with our land-line phone, because when I just checked our messages, we had 20! Some went as far back as 2 weeks ago.

So to the two women I talked badly about before, I apologize.

Here were some of the other messages we missed...

* My cousin's wife saying they were in Chicago and wanted to meet up. (Sorry Rory and Brianne!)

* The audio guys in Jackson, Wyoming, calling to confirm if we still needed a mic at the wedding

* A reminder for my manicure a week and a half ago

* The transportation folks asking if the groomsmen still needed picked up before the wedding. (Even though the day is a blur, I clearly remember Mike being there, so luckily our lack of response didn't stop them from picking the guys up)

* The audio guys in Jackson, Wyoming, calling to cancel the mic since they hadn't heard back from us (Thank God we had a wedding planner who fixed this problem, and we had a mic)

* The limo driver, calling to tell us we left food in the limo. (The nice people at our reception packed up dinner for Mike and me, knowing we didn't really have time to eat, and we'd be hungry later. Dang, I hear the food was really good. )

* One of our wedding guests, asking what time the rehearsal dinner was (Mellinda and Dennis were there, so I guess they figured it out!)

* My mom and future mother-in-law calling, saying they had questions for me before the big day. Oops! Sorry Gail and Barb!

* The nurse at the lab, confirming Mike's DNA, and that he is the father of little Timmy. (Just kidding!)

To everyone I didn't call back: please forgive me! I guess land-lines really aren't any more reliable than cell phones.

Wedding depression

No one ever prepares you for the sadness that comes after a wedding. Seriously, I could cry every time I think about it being over. For two years, my life was all about choosing a wedding location, deejay, photographer and flavors of cupcakes. Every week, and sometimes everyday, I would makes decisions that would affect the happiest day of my life. Really, when you think about it, I was planning for the big day for 32 years. Every little girl dreams of her wedding day; if fact, I started pulling the pages of wedding magazines years ago, when I started thinking about what dress I wanted to wear. I always dreamed of walking down the aisle to a devastatingly good-looking man, who surely would be tall, dark and handsome.

I did all that, and it was amazing.... but now it’s over.

Now it’s back to the reality that I’m underemployed, living in a 660-square foot apartment, and have a ton of bills to pay.

Depressing, right?

Well, it would be if the end prize didn’t mean I have a fabulous man to call my husband. I truly hit the husband jackpot with him. I’m also pursuing a writing career and have one book written and another started. And we may not have the largest apartment, but it’s filled with a lot of love.

To everyone who made July 3, 2010 the most amazing day of my life--I thank you. After waiting my whole life, I thought surely I had created expectations that couldn't be lived up to. I’m happy to report the wedding not only met those expectations, it exceeded them ten-fold.

Jacob vs. Edward=who's the better match?

Okay, I’m officially addicted to Twilight. Mike and I saw Eclipse last night, and I’ve been dreaming of Edward and Jacob ever since (what every woman should be doing on her honeymoon.) Women across this country are screaming “Team Edward!” or “Team Jacob!” as I exclaim “I want them both!”

I didn’t realize just how much this series is geared towards women. As we were giving our tickets to the ticket taker, he turned to Mike and laughed, “Oh, so she dragged you here.” Mike told him he likes Vampire movies, only not ones where the vampires are “sissies.”

Here’s the thing--every women dreams of two men loving her, and being caught in a love triangle-- and that’s exactly what’s happening for Bella. Edward is the good-looking, mysterious vampire. Jacob is the strong and hot Werewolf. I say both have pro’s and con’s...so let’s break down who is the better match.

• Edward tells Bella he loves her and wants to marry her. You might think that’s pretty mature for a high school senior, only quite the contrary. He’s like 200 years old, but he never ages, so at 200, he’d better be ready to settle down.

  
  

  Jacob has the body of a roman god, and likes to show it off by never wearing a shirt. Hot to look at, but c’mon, he totally knows it! He doesn’t even wear a shirt when it’s snowing, which is one-way ticket to pneumonia.

  
  

  Edward never ages. Cool, except Bella is going to have to get a lot of Botox to keep up with her ageless beau. Eventually, Edward will probably get tired of her, and trade her in for a younger version.

  
  

  Jacob says things like, “Loving me would be as easy as breathing.” Sweet, but guys who usually talk like that are named Jake Pavelka and are the Bachelor. They also cry at the drop of a hat, and their relationships don’t last.

  
  

  Edward clearly knows the dangers of the sun, and has pale, silky smooth skin. He won’t have to worry about skin cancer, but he also melts in the sun. Not. Good.

  
  

  Jacob is willing to fight for the love of Bella, so he instantly turns into a Werewolf to fight off the Vampires. Super sweet, yet he rips all his clothes when he makes the transformation. I’m sure after a few years, Bella will get tired of sewing and mending his jean shorts.

  
  

Flying vs. driving=which is better?

Good afternoon from Jackson, Tennessee! Mike and I decided on a laid-back honeymoon at my parent’s summer home which is in the middle of nowhere. It’s great--there are no telephones, cell service, TV’s, or neighbors. To publish this blog, we have to drive into town and find WI-FI service (and I will have to charge you $9.95 for that effort.)

We drove down last night, which took about 7 hours from Chicago. Considering we’ve taken trips both driving and flying this week, I’ve decided driving is way better. Here are some thoughts about flying I jotted down in Jackson, Wyoming while sitting in the very crowded airport.....

What is it about flying that’s so terrible? Really, it shouldn't’t be that bad considering you’re super excited to go on a family vacation or a wedding, and when it’s over you’re usually super excited about going home and finally using your own bathroom.

Waiting in the security line is just brutal. Why are people so stinkin’ slow? I get that we now have to take off our shoes and belts and just about everything else. Here’s my solution: wear flip flops, no jewelry and go sans belt. I say we should all become accepting of showing some butt crack if it means getting through security faster.

Also, why do people have so many damn bags? Yes, I have 3 bags today, but Mike has 1, so it evens out. But I just got married people, so that excuses my 12 pairs of shoes! What’s your excuse? What the airlines are making in charging people for shipping bags, they have to be losing in delays because everyone now carries on bags the size of The Biggest Loser's sweatpants. To add to the fun, carry-ons are so stuffed and heavy, passengers can’t lift them up into the overhead bin, so we wait twice as long to board.

Seriously parents, do you need to pack so much stuff? I can appreciate that little Johnny loves Toy Story 3 and wants every toy from the movie with him. I can also appreciate that you want him to have his playpen and crib and special travel seat. But does he need it? My mom jokingly tells me my bed when we traveled was a dresser drawer filled with blankets, and I don’t seem too emotionally damaged.

And as I’ve said before, there’s something rank about airport bathrooms. Have you ever noticed they always smell like poo? What is with that?? Have we ever heard of courtesy flushes, people?? Or going before you head to the airport??

P.S. I know this picture posted has nothing to do with this post, but I just love our wedding pics, so get ready to see more!!

Sleep, what sleep?

Oh sleep, how much I missed you! I knew right before the wedding, I wouldn't sleep much because I was excited. The night of the wedding, I thought I'd sleep great because everything went well, but then I just replayed everything in my head and I was too excited to get any shut eye. The night after that, I thought surely I'd get some sleep, but then I awoke at 2:30 a.m., wide awake, and I decided to start writing a book about my experiences at the wedding. From there, I didn't go back to sleep.

So finally yesterday, I took a nap from 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. When I awoke, I realized Mike had walked about 2 miles to our favorite Sushi place, and picked up dinner so I didn't have to get ready. Isn't that sweet? I figured by now, we'd both be on each other's nerves and if I asked what we're having for dinner, he'd reply, "Whatever you can find in the kitchen."

After my amazing nap, I then slept another 12 hours last night. Love it!

Today, we're slowly getting moving, and heading for a relaxing vacation in Jackson, Tennessee. My mom and step-father have a home there, so we're going to spend a few days relaxing by the pool, eating deep-fried Southern food, and just soaking up being husband and wife.

We'll chat again soon!




Where do I begin??

Okay, if someone told me how crazy fun my wedding would be, I would have done this years ago!! Are you kidding me with the coolness of it all? You get to a) wear a gorgeous princess gown, b) have people make and serve you dinner, c) never pay for a drink and c) have people tell you all night how pretty you are. (Oh ya, and marrying Mike was pretty darn cool too.)

Plus, here's the thing...it wouldn't have mattered if I had a big zit, kept my unibrow, and opted for a Mohawk-- because people would still have told me I looked good. It's like newborn babies...they usually look wild-eyed and gooey with their huge heads, but people squeal at their cuteness.

For those of you who just started following the blog, (like Mama Louise, Jim and Leslie, holla!) I've been engaged to my now husband, Mike for two wonderful years. (I can now say husband, holla!)

We met 6 1/2 years ago while working at WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida. Who knew all I'd have to do to find my husband is move to a state during the worst hurricane season on record, while dodging debris and cheating death during 4 major hurricanes. I say it was worth it!

We chose Jackson, Wyoming as our destination because I was born and raised in Wyoming, and I wanted to show Mike's Ohio family the most magnificent place on earth. If you've never been to the Grand Tetons, put it on your Bucket list, because it's incredible. As we wrapped up the ceremony, as if on cue, 2 beautiful bald eagles flew right above us. I loved the symbolism of the eagles flying together. (I was also glad we opted not to have our Chihuahua's in the wedding, because having my babies picked up and carried away by eagles would surely have ruined my night.)

There is so much to blog about, and I can't wait to share all my experiences with you. Weddings are incredibly wonderful and yet wacky wild at the same time. I made some great observations about life and family. Please stay tuned...I think you'll enjoy.

Now, I've got to go catch up on 2 weeks worth of lost sleep.


Evanchan!