My So Called Life

Holiday Scenes Around Town

2006-12-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

Holiday Scenes Around Town
Originally uploaded by skillj.

Happy Holidays!

A Quick Update Before the Year End

2006-12-20T15:38:00.000-05:00

There was a wedding in Toronto.

Another GSB event...people turn out in full force even when it's out of the country!

There was a wedding in Chicago.

We clean up good, don't we?

Arsh ran the Chicago LaSalle marathon. Congrats, Arsh!

Green Acres is the Place to Be!!

2006-09-21T11:03:00.000-04:00

We took a vacation to the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York. It was beautiful and of course Wolfen had a good time. It's the land of wineries and Mennonites. We stayed on Lake Keuka. Too bad it was too cold to take advantage of being right on the lake. No cable, no cell phone and no internet. We did take advantage of the wineries, though.

The lake in the morning

The "backyard" of where we stayed

A waterfall in Watkins Glenn State Park

Walking along Lake Seneca

Me and The Wolf

Outside a winery...Do you think that's a working wine barrel?

Randomness

2006-09-11T10:25:00.000-04:00

I found this out in blogland. I bolded the things I've done.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cd's
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

Right On!

2006-08-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

I got to travel to the Seattle area for work this past week. I actually stayed in Bellevue and had to work at our new store in Tulalip. None of this is close to Seattle when you don't have a car. And by the time we got out of work at night, everything was closed anyway. I'm not exagerating...all restaurants in Seattle close between 9:30 and 10pm. One night we drove into Seattle and found the only bar open that still served food, Il Bistro. (Thanks to a woman who was standing in front of her own closed restaurant having a smoke.) Thank goodness they served real food, not just "bar" food. We had the hugest mussels I've ever seen and they were quite tasty. From the highway, I saw the Space Needle. We walked by the original Starbucks and the market where they throw fish...here is a pic of it...the only pic I got from my "Seattle" trip.

Oh and the title to this post? It's what Seattle locals say instead of Cool!

Visiting the Big Apple

2006-08-13T13:37:00.000-04:00

My friend, Michelle, came out to visit last week. And we got a lot done! This was her second visit out here with me so I tried to find different things to do.

We had East-West tea at Takashimaya (a Japanese department store on 5th Ave).

We went to see the Graffiti exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and had brunch at a cute place on Smith St(Her last visit we never left Manhattan.)

We also had the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity.

We went to Strawberry Fields in Central Park. (I gave her a beginner's knitting lesson there.)

I almost forgot! We went to see Avenue Q on Broadway. It's like Sesame Street for adults...very fun.

And of course we shopped till we dropped! I guess next year, we'll head out to Queens?

Oh Baby!

2006-07-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

A few weekends ago, Ken was in town and we went to see another friend who recently had a baby. Baby D is so sweet, maybe because she slept most of the time we were there and I might feel differntly if she was raising cane during our visit.Baby & Mommy
After that visit, we stopped in FAO Schwartz and saw Beyonce with her sister Solange who were having family time with Solange's son. That has to be the best celebrity sighting I've had so far. No one was bothering them, so I refrained to even though I had my camera with me, around my neck even...(I was being a tourist for the day). But if Jay-Z had been with them, I might have had to say something then.

Chicago is for Lovers

2006-07-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

At the end of June, we flew to Chicago for Chris’s brother’s wedding. It was a rainy weekend but it stopped raining enough to have the ceremony outside as planned.

The happy couple

Another happy couple

The flower girl was more interested in a pill bug than taking pictures

We were there for a short time-flew in Sat morning and flew out Mon afternoon…but I managed to meet up with some of my friends for dinner on Sat night.

Me & Arsh

Me & Nikki

I miss everyone so much, I definitely want to move back to Chicago sooner than later. New York is ok but how does the saying go? It’s a nice place to visit, but…..

I Could Be a Stay at Home Stage Mom

2006-05-19T12:40:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking about entering Wolfen into this contest. This could be his break and then I could manage his career as my job. What do you think? OK, maybe I shouldn't quit my job just yet, but I will send in an entry. Look at the sidebar to the right and click on the Wolfen Cam. Help me choose which pic to send in. Cast your vote thru the end of next week.

A little to the left...that's it...ahhh, that's the spot!

My Latest Internet Addiction

2006-05-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

First it was blogger…I couldn’t get enough of looking at other people’s blogs, even people I don’t know in real life. Then when I first started knitting, I spent a considerable amount of time searching for free patterns and looking at all the online knitting/crocheting magazines. Hours and hours I used up looking at Knitty.com. And of course, looking at fellow knitter’s blogs to see all of their finished objects. You know, to get inspiration and learn little handy tricks like knitting with beads without having to pre-string the beads. And I can't forget about Craftster. I love, love, love Craftster! Then, I finally bent to the peer pressure of everyone in my office and got hooked on myspace. I update songs and pics a few times a week and was obsessed with getting as many ‘friends’ as possible, but I’m comfortable with the amount I have now. But now, it’s Flickr! Did you know that not only can you host pics there, but you can join online communities there too?! I cannot get enough! There are thousands…millions…of pics to scroll through. There are forum boards and you can post comments to one another. I wonder what will be my next obsession?
BTW, check out my Wolfen cam in the sidebar…done at Flickr, of course.

Check these out...

2006-04-04T16:33:00.000-04:00

Some of these made me cry because I was laughing so hard:

Personality Quiz

2006-04-04T14:58:00.000-04:00

You are an Architect

Your preference for concrete, visually pleasing things, combined with your confidence and your respect for order make you an ARCHITECT.

You are logical and detail-oriented, which allows you to get things done efficiently.

You are quite sure of yourself, so that you tend to know the best ways of doing things.

Your eye for aesthetic beauty and style indicates that you know a lot about design.

Having a routine and sticking to it is important to you; you find comfort in tradition and familiarity.

Self-reliance is something in which you take great pride—you are confident and down to earth.

You have a basic faith in yourself in many areas of your life, allowing you to be self-assured when facing challenges.

You're not afraid to let your emotions guide you, and you're generally considerate of others' feelings as well.

You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.

You are a fashion maven, up on trends, but distinct in your own style. You don't follow trends, you set them.

Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

You are Cautious

Being independent, practical, and somewhat guarded with others makes you CAUTIOUS.

You tend to keep to yourself, wary of trusting others with personal information.

The values that you hold are central to your identity—you are a very principled person.

You have respect for the natural order of things, and a good sense of right and wrong.

Investigating the world through observation, as opposed to interaction, is preferable to you.

You have an appreciation for those who have attained a certain level of accomplishment, particularly the rare few who have succeeded honestly.

You are efficient—when you work with others, you get down to business, and fulfill your obligations.

You sometimes wish that others would be more like you—less hindered by their emotions, more respectful, and more private.

Cautious Architect

Heeelllllloooooooo!!!!

2006-02-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

What's doing? It's been a while so here's a little update. I got promoted at work so that's good. I'm officially a planner for our travel retail/mid pac accounts. Hhmm, let's see...we just had a huge snow storm here, yet we all managed to make it into the office today. And that's it...see why I haven't blogged in a while? Here are pics of us frolicking in the snow...

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T10:54:00.000-05:00

So, I only managed to keep one of my resolutions from last year. But I’m optimistic and I’m gonna roll those goals over to this year and add a couple more:
5) Get curtains for the windows in the apartment. I’m sure our neighbors will greatly appreciate that one.
6) Run more with Wolfen
I hope everyone has a prosperous year!

It’s Over Already?

2005-12-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We drove to Chicago and it wasn’t as bad a drive as I thought it would be. I noticed a few things have changed since I last made the drive.
Ohio has changed its motto from ‘The Heart of It All’ to ‘So Much to Discover’. Why did they go and do that? I think the new motto sucks arse! All of the tolls in Chicago have gone up (double on the Toll Way!). Why does that surprise me? I also found another thing that makes Wolfen bark…he’s pretty much a silent dog…Cats! I don’t think he ever saw cats before and he barked frantically at each one he came into contact with one. I think that’s kinda funny!

Wolfen's cousin, Midnight

Transit Strike Day 3

2005-12-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

I am soooo over this strike…they need to figure this shit out quick fast and in a hurry.

Day 1 We thought we were being pro-active and called for a car the day before to pick up all the east-siders to take us to work. The car service called and said they were running 2 hours behind, so I walked to work. It’s not far, I can make it in less than 40 mins but the 20-degree weather is a bitch.

Day 2 A co-worker rented a car to pick us all up (she’s gonna expense it of course). I live the closest to work and it took us 1.5 hours just from my street…58th St. to 34th St. We almost got into an accident cause people are CRAZAR!!! (Thanks so much J for driving & dealing with the madness) And it was even worse on the ride home.

Day 3 Today…I walked to work because I couldn’t deal with the car ride again. Of course when I got to work, the people who drove told me that traffic whizzed by today.

Like I said before….FIGURE.THIS.SHIT.OUT!!

Sign My Map

2005-12-16T11:33:00.000-05:00

Everyone is welcome to sign my Frappr map. Just use the City Girl Friends button in the sidebar.

Holiday Par-taaaay!

2005-12-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

We got together at Isobel's new apt for a toast to the season. We had the gift exchange where you pick numbers and you can steal someone's gift. I had never done it before and it was fun. It was pretty tame cause only one person stole something...EVERYONE was eyeing those MAC products. No I didn't take anything LeSportsac and No, I didn't take anything knitted...but I did knit the shrug I am wearing :)

This is the normal picture we took

This is the goofy picture we took. Everyone is displaying a different personality. Someone is nerdy, someone is sexy, someone is sad, someone is sugary sweet, someone is surprised and someone is a lush. Can you point out who is portraying what?

The First Snow!

2005-12-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

Finally, it snowed! I can't believe it's December and this is the only snow we've had. Wolfen didn't seem to mind it much...he definitely does better in snow than in rain.

2005-12-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2005-12-04T09:55:00.000-05:00

Wolfen and his best buddy, Tosca

2005-12-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

More friends...Mojo with Dolly and Tosca in the background

Cuba Libre anyone??

2005-11-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well, we certainly had our share of those while vacationing in the DR. We had an awesome time. Our resort was in Bayahibe. Even though we stayed at an all inclusive, we did a lot of things outside of the resort. We went to the Marinarium in Punta Cana and snorkeled with manta rays and nurse sharks. We went on a booze cruise to Catalina Island, more snorkeling and lounging on the beautiful beach. We went to a baseball game in La Romana, home of the Toros. We rode an amphibious boat, The Gator, before going to Altos de Chavon. And we went to the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo. On the way to Snto Dmngo, our cabbie took a detour to San Pedro, the hometown of Sammy Sosa. I can't forget to mention the Chocolate Friends. This was the group of young people that directed all the recreational activities at the Canoa Coral, where we stayed. Not only did they make sure that everyone was signed up for the volleyball tournament or knew about the aerobics classes on the beach, every night they put on a different dance performance like the history of the world or the folklore of the Taino Indians....and all performances were great! So, I know that I will become a part of the resort staff somewhere, anywhere when I move to the Caribbean.

2005-11-26T09:07:00.000-05:00

The beach at Bayahibe

2005-11-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

Christmas was everywhere

2005-11-26T09:05:00.000-05:00

Sammy Sosa statue in the courtyard of the Plaza 30/30

2005-11-26T09:04:00.000-05:00

Now, that's hot!

2005-11-26T09:02:00.001-05:00

Boozin & Cruisin towards Catalina Island

2005-11-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

Sun dial in Santo Domingo

2005-11-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

Faro a Colon, The tomb of Christopher Columbus...apparently Spain and Italy dispute this and they both say that they have his bones. Well, he can't be in 3 places at once....or can he?

2005-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Altos de Chavon

2005-11-26T08:59:00.000-05:00

Some of the Chocolate Friends

2005-11-26T08:58:00.000-05:00

One last shot of Caribbean goodness

Another B-Day Surprise!

2005-11-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Arsh, I got the gift today...this brings me 1 step closer to having the complete SATC collection. It's so exciting to get packages, isn't it?

Today's the BIG DAY!

2005-11-15T06:19:00.000-05:00

I can't think of a better way to spend a birthday than relaxing on the beach....we are off to the Dominican Republic (thanks Christian-muchos besos) bright and early tomorrow. See you after Thanksgiving! Have a good one!

This is pretty accurate....

Your Birthdate: November 15

You take life as it is, and you find happiness in a variety of things.You tend to be close to family and friends. But it's hard to get into your inner circle.Making the little things wonderful is important to you, and you probably have an inviting home.You seek harmony with others, but occasionally you have a very stubborn streak.
Your strength: Your intense optimism
Your weakness: You shy away from exploring your talents
Your power color: Jade
Your power symbol: Flower
Your power month: June

What does your birth date mean?

A Little Bit of Theater...

2005-11-11T11:39:00.000-05:00

Last night, Kymm and I went to see The Color Purple on Broadway. The show was good and so was the music, a combo of blues, jazz and gospel. The only disappointing thing was that they didn't sing God is Trying to Tell You Something at the end. So, I've done it all...read the book, seen the movie and now the musical. Time to start all over and re-read the book, and so on.

2005-11-11T11:38:00.000-05:00

Now showing at the Broadway Theater

Una Semana Mas!

2005-11-08T14:45:00.000-05:00

Just one more week until the big day! And I got a present early. It was a nice surprise to come home and see that Michelle sent her gift early to make sure I had it before we head out for vacation. Isn't she a sweetie?

Two More Weeks

2005-11-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

You have been officially notified. 14 more days until my birthday.
The countdown has begun!!!
Here is my wishlist . Feel free to send anything at anytime.

More Celebrity Sightings

2005-11-01T10:19:00.000-05:00

In addition to seeing Naima in the mall in Cincy, I also saw designing duo Heatherette on my plane from O'Hare to LaGuardia. ALSO, after work during my walk to the train last nite, I saw Tocarra from another season of America's Next Top Model. Some fans had stopped her outside of Express on 34th St. for her autograph. AND, about a month ago, I was on my way from the train and walked past Sigourney Weaver. She was on her cell phone standing in front of a small home goods shop on 59th St. That's all for now.

A Wedding/University of Chicago GSB Reunion

2005-10-31T19:00:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, Christian and I attended the wedding of a couple that went to b-school with him. It was in Cincinatti, OH. We stayed downtown in the Hilton, which was a really nice hotel...I loved the Art Deco decor. It's attached to a mall and guess who I saw walking through the mall one afternoon.....Naima...the girl who won the previous season of America's Next Top Model. She looks like she is about 13 in person. I should have gotten a picture, but I didn't bother her. Who would have thought that I would have a 'celebrity' sighting in Cincinatti. AND the Packers where in town playing the Bengals and they stayed at our hotel too. I was on the lookout for Brett the whole time but I never ran into him...too bad, so sad.
About the wedding...the bride was lovely and the groom dashing, of course. A fun time was had by all.....

2005-10-31T18:58:00.000-05:00

Sending the newlyweds off singing Sweet Caroline

2005-10-31T18:57:00.000-05:00

Christian's date...well, she marched right up to him and pulled him on the dance floor.

2005-10-31T18:50:00.000-05:00

Me and Bart...my fav GSBer.

2005-10-31T18:47:00.000-05:00

Christian, Herk, Jared, Bart & Jonas...yeah, they're wasted. They are doing chorus line kicks, which they did several times during the course of the evening...hee hee

My Bloggiversay

2005-10-25T12:39:00.000-04:00

It’s been a whole year since I started this blog back in September 2004. I’m a little late celebrating but in honor of the past year, I figured I’d share 100 things about me. It’s in a slightly different format, cause well, it’s tough coming up with 100 things!

5 favorite foods
Plantains
Pork chops
Shrimp
Bratwurst (Johnsonville please!)
Buffalo wings- BW3’s the best

5 favorite desserts
Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery
Tiramisu
Baklava
Cheesecake
Pistachio almond ice cream

5 favorite restaurants
Café 28 (Chicago, IL)
Cabana (NY, NY)
Café con Leche (NY, NY)
The Tapas Lounge (NY, NY)
Nacional 27 (Chicago, IL)

5 Pet Peeves
People that chew with their mouths open (which is pretty much EVERYBODY)
People that smack their gum when they chew (which is pretty much EVERYBODY)
Couples that pet heavily in public
How people walk in front of you zigzagging, making it difficult to pass them up
The fact that Survivor still comes on TV

5 Favorite Actors
Taye Diggs
Michael Ealy
Jude Law
Chris Noth
Larenz Tate

5 Favorite Clothing Designers
Tracey Reese
Max Azaria
Stella McCartney
Elie Tahari
Free People

5 Favorite Shoe Designers
Jimmy Choo
Christian Louboutin
Carlos Santana
Tod’s
Franco Sarto

5 Favorite Things in My Closet
Yanuk jeans
Wool Mini-sweater (that I knitted!)
Trench coat from Old Navy
Yellow mock-crock pumps from Banana Republic
BCBG dress that I also wear over pants

5 Favorite Authors
Isabelle Allende
Toni Morrison
Chitra Banerjee Divakurni
Dean Koontz
Bebe Moore Campbell

5 Favorite Musical Artists
Mary J. Blige
Jill Scott
Erykah Badu
John Legend
Maxwell

5 Favorite Songs
In a Sentimental Mood, Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
Love Like This, Faith Evans
Real Love, Mary J. Blige
Golden, Jill Scott
My Green Eyes, Erykah Badu

5 Favorite Films
Love Jones
Cruel Intentions
Grease
Dirty Dancing
Shrek

10 Favorite TV Shows, Past & Present (I watch a TON of TV)
Will & Grace
The Apprentice
Degrassi
Sex and the City
Everybody Hates Chris
Law & Order (all of them)
In Living Color
Buffy
Girlfriends
Larry David

10 Favorite Books (See, I like to read as much as watch TV)
Sassafrass, Cypress & Indigo, Ntozake Shange
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
Sister of My Heart, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Daughter of Fortune, Isabelle Allende
Portrait in Sepia, Isabelle Allende
The Other Boylen Sister, Phillipa Gregory
The Red Tent, Anita Diamant

5 Hobbies
Knitting
Crocheting
Reading
Beading jewelry
Weight training

5 Favorite Places to Shop
Ebay
Bloomingdales
H&M
DSW
Wal-Mart

5 Favorite Things to Do with Friends
Brunch/Dine
Movies
Tea
Shop
Knit

5 Random Things About Me
My dream job is to be Creative Director of a top fashion house
I have 3 tattoos
I have never broken a bone
I love Cool Whip
I’ve decided to knit everyone’s Christmas gifts this year

My Spanish FINALLY comes in handy

2005-10-21T15:16:00.000-04:00

Not many people know that I got my BA in Hispanic studies. I’m not fluent in Spanish or anything…I never studied abroad and I haven’t used it since the classroom in 1997. But since we are going vacationing in the Dominican Republic next month, yippee!, we are of course going to see a few baseball games. Christian forwarded me the website of the Dominican leagues that is in Spanish. Can you read this? he asked. Why, yes…yes I can. So almost 10 years and thousands of dollars later, I am somewhat putting my degree to use to figure out where we can take in some beisbol. My mom must be smiling down on me from heaven.

What Jewell needs and wants....

2005-10-21T14:17:00.000-04:00

So, I hopped on the bandwagon and googled Jewell needs & Jewell wants. You try it with your name.

Jewell needs some sparkle from somewhere fast.
Jewell needs an experienced first-team coach to replace Colin Lee.
Jewell needs you to provide support now more than ever.
Jewell needs to interview Upper Arlington, Hammerschmidt from Dublin, and Nelson Coleman from EMH&T who is the engineer for Grove City.

Jewell wants to aim high.
Jewell wants a poacher.
Jewell wants to stretch the Indiana Minority Health Coalition's reach across more of the state.
Jewell wants to be an astronaut or a professor, or both.
Jewell wants to boost sales 10% this year by opening additional stores.
Jewell wants to build trust and let students know their questions are being answered.
Jewell wants ordinary citizens to keep an eye out for telltale signs that meth is being produced.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2005-10-13T15:53:00.000-04:00

It has been raining since last Saturday, nonstop. I feel like I should be building an ark and collecting animals 2 by 2. I get to work and my pant legs are soaked from the knee down and they aren't dry until about 3pm, you know, just in time for the wet trek home. And poor Wolfen, he absolutely HATES to get wet so his walks have been cut down to about 10 mins...just enough time to do his business. Then he runs home and up the stairs to the vestibule whereas I usually have to coax him up the stairs because he is still sniffing around. And it looks like this will continue until this coming Saturday. Oi!

Congratulations Arshiya

2005-10-10T19:42:00.000-04:00

On completing the Chicago LaSalle marathon. It really takes a special person to WANT to run 26.2 miles. I still don't quite understand the mindset, but I'm very proud of her and happy for her. She survived it and said that she just might run another one...gee wiz, I guess I better get some more gel energy paks and body glide.

More Woflen!

2005-10-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

I just can't get over how cute he is!

2005-10-09T18:31:00.000-04:00

Nap time!

A New Look

2005-10-09T18:24:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I got my hair braided. I went to a place in Brooklyn, 8 hours later I walked out transformed.

2005-10-09T18:23:00.000-04:00

New style

What's Your City?

2005-09-22T20:47:00.000-04:00

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heart
Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome
Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand
And gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?
What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-)
Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

What I'm Reading

2005-09-08T18:26:00.000-04:00

Queen of Dreams, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2005-09-07T19:40:00.000-04:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we drove up to Cooperstown, NY….the birthplace of baseball. Christian had a tournament so we packed up the doggie and headed north from some country sun. Cooperstown is absolutely beautiful, it’s right on a lake. There is a ton of stuff to do that isn’t baseball related….Antique shops, flea markets, craft shows. And yes, I did find the local yarn shop (see pic below).

2005-09-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

View from the place where we stayed

2005-09-07T19:38:00.000-04:00

How pretty is that?

2005-09-07T19:37:00.000-04:00

Where it all started...

2005-09-07T19:36:00.000-04:00

The fam

2005-09-07T19:35:00.000-04:00

Field of dreams....literally! That's a corn field behind the baseball field!

2005-09-07T19:34:00.000-04:00

Sybil's Yarn Shop...was more like the annex to Sybil's house. When I rang the bell, she came out of her house next door and opened up shop for me. But it was crammed floor to ceiling with tons of yarn.

My Kind of Town, Chicago is……

2005-08-31T19:32:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I went to visit Chicago. I stayed with Arshiya and we had a great time. Unfortunately Michelle had to be in Battle Creek during my stay, but we will catch up during the holidays I am sure. Arshiya indulged me and I got to do a couple things that I never got around to doing when I lived there: I finally went to the Sears Tower and took the architectural boat trip on the Chicago river, that was awesome. I certainly do miss that place. I saw a matinee of Wedding Crashers for $5 at the Davis theater in my old neighborhood. The late movies there are only $7. That sure beats the all day every day $11 price for a flick in NYC! And we went out to a bar for karaoke and the drinks were $5!!!! I never thought I’d say that living in Chicago is easy on the wallet, but my weekend was chock full of “cheap dates”. When we do decide to move back to Chicago, Christian and I will be Big Ballers, Shot Callers cause the cost of living is soooo much better there. Back to Karaoke….it was hilarious!!! It turned into gay karaoke cause all these guys rushed in about 5 minutes to start time. The host was, let’s just say…outrageous and he graced us all with pole dances in between songs. We also went tango dancing and learned the basic steps...really fun and we went bowling. Thanks to Dave we now know how to score a game instead of using our own made up system.

2005-08-31T19:31:00.000-04:00

Hangin out

2005-08-31T19:30:00.000-04:00

On the boat tour

2005-08-31T19:29:00.000-04:00

Did you know...that Chicago is the birthplace of modern architecture?

2005-08-31T19:28:00.000-04:00

Pole dancin

2005-08-31T19:27:00.000-04:00

more pole dancin

Date Night

2005-08-16T15:18:00.000-04:00

Christian and I went out to dinner last night. The restaurant just so happened to be hosting karaoke. I got up and sang Let’s Hear it for the Boy by Denise Williams….haven’t heard that song in a long time. That’s twice that I’ve gone to karaoke within a few weeks, what’s up with that? And why do I sound completely different (a little off) with the mic? Cause I KNOW that I have a BANGIN singing voice :) :) OK, OK humor me ;)

What I'm Reading

2005-08-10T15:50:00.000-04:00

Portrait in Sepia, Isabel Allende

My 10 songs

2005-08-10T15:39:00.000-04:00

The rules:List ten songs that you are currently digging…it doesn’t matter what genre they are from, whether they have words, or even if they’re no good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying right now. Post these instructions, the artists, and the ten songs in your blog. Then tag five other people to see what they’re listening to.

OK, Steph, here is my list of songs that have been in my head lately...counted down with nbr 1 being my most favorite. Some are new favorites and some have been favorites for years.

10) Somebody Told Me, The Killers
9) Hollaback Girl, Gwen Stefani
8) Pon de Replay, Rihanna
7) Behind These Hazel Eyes, Kelly Clarkson
6) 1 Thing, Amerie
5) Never Scared, Bone Crusher
4) Golden, Jill Scott
3) Real Love, Mary J. Blige
2) In A Sentimental Mood, feat John Coltrane & Duke Ellington (think Love Jones soundtrack)
1) Love Like This, Faith Evans

Sorry I don't know 5 people who blog, but Arsh and Michelle, consider yourselves tagged :)

More Pictures of the Pup

2005-07-27T23:06:00.000-04:00

He's the sweetest and the greatest!

2005-07-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

Look at those ears!

2005-07-27T23:04:00.000-04:00

He's so darn cute!

What I'm Reading

2005-07-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton

End of Summer

2005-07-27T14:38:00.000-04:00

I can’t believe that August is around the corner. It literally depresses me to walk by store windows and see mannequins dressed in layers of clothing staring back at me. Sandals are now at the back of the stores and sneakers and various other closed toe type shoes are in the windows. Why is retail 6 months out anyway? It’s almost 100 degrees here with the humidity and I refuse to try on wool, tweed, boucle or anything else like that!

An Addition to the Family

2005-07-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

We adopted a dog that we named Wolfen. From what we can tell, he's a pit/shephard/chow mixture. He's the sweetest thing, always wants to cuddle and lay his head in my lap. But with magui come much responsibilty! I had to hire a dog walker, and it ain't cheap, obedience class ain't cheap and if we go away for the weekend, we gotta get a sitter...and it ain't cheap. A doggie shampoo costs almost as a trip for me to the salon! But he's worth it. See for yourself.

2005-07-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

Here is Wolfen!

The Yarn Crawl

2005-07-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

What is a yarn crawl, you might ask? Well, it's like a pub crawl except there is no liquor involved, just yards & yards of yarn. We hit up stores in Downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. Which I never would venture to Brooklyn to seek out yarn stores so I'm glad that Katy organized this outing.

2005-07-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

Some of the gang on the crawl

2005-07-09T22:00:00.000-04:00

Some of the yarn stash at Downtown Yarns.

What I'm Reading

2005-06-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon

Sandal Weather

2005-06-14T13:37:00.000-04:00

One of my pet peeves is when people wear open-toed sandals and they have crusty feet! If you’re going to impose your feet on the world, then please put some effort into making them presentable. I’m not saying that you have to get a pedicure but please at least 1) moisturize them! 2) trim the nails...toenails shouldn’t be as long as fingernails and 3) put on a coat of polish, even clear polish is sufficient. Guys, this goes for you too!! Well, I guess guys can forego the polish, but buff the nails in lieu of polish, please.

Happily Handmade Giveaway

2005-06-06T19:27:00.000-04:00

It’s that time again…you can win a basketful of handmade goodies. Knitted items, jewelry, bath and beauty products are just a few of the items in the baskets. Here’s a picture of one of the baskets given away for the last contest. There were 34 baskets up for grabs last time. So go to my website and sign up for your chance to win!

http://www.gemsbyjewell.com

Support indie business !!!!

2005-06-06T19:26:00.000-04:00

Giftbasket Value $128

More things I’ve done in NYC

2005-06-06T19:21:00.000-04:00

Arsh was kind enough to remind me that I left these things off of my list:
-Launched Gems by Jewell
-Rode on the Yarn Bus…how could I forget that?

Put Me In Coach! I’m Ready to Play Today!

2005-06-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

This is how I spend my Sundays: Christian belongs to a men’s baseball team that has a game every Sunday morning out in Great Neck, Long Island. Well, today was the very first game where the weather was awesome. So I had a good time watching them play. Christian’s not too bad. He’s homered and he always bats runs in. I still can’t sit through a game though, let alone a double header, so I go to the car to nap or make runs to the local CVS during some of the innings J And I just have to say that a man must have designed baseball uniforms cause only a man would think white is practical for a sport where you slide in the dirt. Come on now! I can hardly concentrate on the game cause I’m thinking, “Can he GET any dirtier?” and “How am I gonna get THAT stain out?”

2005-06-06T19:18:00.000-04:00

21's the lucky number!

2005-06-06T19:16:00.000-04:00

Currently batting .540

An Afternoon in Brooklyn

2005-06-05T19:17:00.000-04:00

Amie and I started off at the Brooklyn Museum of Art to see the Basquiat exhibit before it closed. It was very interesting. I’m glad I finally got around to seeing it. I learned a lot like the reason why he put crowns or halos above the heads in his works and that he briefly dated Madonna. Then we made our way to Junior’s Restaurant. It’s known for it’s cheesecake…thanks to P. Diddy. That’s the place where he made Da Band walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to get him a piece. The cheesecake is alright, but to be honest, I’ve had better at other places, Serendipity for example.

2005-06-05T19:16:00.000-04:00

'Horn Players' Jean-Michel Basquiat

What I'm Reading

2005-06-04T19:33:00.000-04:00

The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton

Another Year in the Big Apple

2005-06-03T05:57:00.000-04:00

We just re-signed our lease so that means we’ll definitely be in New York until June 2006. Well, not definitely but more than likely. Here’s a look back at my first year in NYC:

I lived through my mildest winter ever! I laughed when a friend, who is originally from Texas, said that she had finally decided to move back because this past winter did her in. What? Growing up I would have loved for winters to have practically no snow and temps that hardly ever went below freezing…you know I’m of a ‘tropical people’ :)

I’ve had a few star sightings: Candace Bergen, Smokey Robinson, Wyclef Jean, Russell Simmons and Kim Coles. I’m still always on the lookout for Taye Diggs though.

I’ve taken the Sex in the City tour…twice!

We’ve taken weekend trips to Connecticut, Philly/DC/Baltimore, Atlantic City and the Jersey shore. No invites to the Hamptons yet…but the summer’s young!

I’ve learned my way around Manhattan, Queens and Long Island. I’m sure to conquer Brooklyn, the Boogie Down (the Bronx) and Staten Island in the upcoming year.

What I'm Reading

2005-05-17T19:08:00.000-04:00

The Queen's Fool, Phillipa Gregory

AIDS Walk New York

2005-05-16T18:59:00.000-04:00

Well, the AIDS walk was fun. The weather was quite nice, despite forecasts of rain. The rain held off until afterwards. It took about 2.5 hours to walk 6 miles. ..there were so many people there. I reached my personal goal and my team raised just over $1,000. That's pretty good for 3 people. So thanks to all who supported.

Another Sex in the City Weekend

2005-05-01T19:11:00.000-04:00

Arsh came up this weekend and we had a wonderful time. We really planned to make it an educational weekend, you know, by going to a museum, seeing the Statue of Liberty and going to the Empire State Bldg....but somehow we ended up shopping most of the time. And of course we had the mandatory Trivial Pursuit game against Christian...I will defeat him one of these days!!!

2005-05-01T19:10:00.000-04:00

The SITC tour is just as good the 2nd time around!

2005-05-01T19:09:00.000-04:00

Arsh & her cousin, Azer

2005-05-01T19:08:00.000-04:00

We went there but the sign said 'Visibility-- 0 miles'....so what was the point in going up?