Anthony is home for Christmas and won't be back in Chicago until Tuesday. This break is a good thing as I feel it may be a practice run, preparing me for the first weekend we won't be together after he leaves.
I was off work yesterday. I ran some errands during the day. Dan called me and we planned to go out last night. I finished up my tasks at home last evening, then I headed to Jackhammer.
Upon arrival it was as if I walked into a different bar. It was loud with BAD 80's music (and I LOVE 80's music, this was just not some of the stuff I was fond of). I could normally tolerate it but there was an obnoxious group of revelers singing along, badly I might add. I downed my first drink quickly in hopes of dulling the torture.
Dan arrived and he acknowledged that it definitely felt different in there. However, we made the best of it.
My friends and former neighbors Joseph and Nayra texted me, and eventually joined us. The four of us had a blast hanging out, talking, laughing and drinking. 5 drinks later and 3 tequila shots later, it was finally time to go home...at 3:30 am.
Earlier in the evening, I had been watching VH1 Classic, and they played Taylor Dayne's hit from the late 80's "Love Will Lead You Back." I loved the song back in the day, and so I stopped to listen and the words struck a chord. For some odd reason, I came home, logged on to Facebook, and then found that song on YouTube. I listened to it...BIG MISTAKE. Tears immediately began to flow. Before I knew it, I was crying uncontrollably, for nearly an hour. I don't recall stopping, I just know that I woke up this morning at 9:30 and my eyes were red and swollen. However, I was NOT hungover, so perhaps I was crying out all of the alcohol.
Today has been a decent day. I needed to run to the grocery store. Before getting my act together and getting out of the house, I was chatting with my friend Debbie on Facebook and via Blackberry messenger. She mentioned her iPad and how much she loves it. Well, that put the idea in my head that I needed one, too. Okay, maybe "need" is a strong word. I however WANTED one and there was no talking myself out of it.
Merry Christmas to me. Retail therapy is good!
I'll probably go out again tonight, I think I'll avoid tequila.
Showing posts with label Tequila. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tequila. Show all posts
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, July 27, 2008
What's Going On?
File Under: Summer is flying by
So it's been a few days since I've checked in with a substantial post. Well, the time has come.
A couple weeks ago, I was paid a visit by my friend Dave. Dave is one of my Go-Go friends, he lives in Tampa. We first met online back in 2000, we were (and still are) members of a message board devoted to everybody's favorite all-female band from the 80's, The Go-Go's. We finally met in person in 2001 at a show in Florida. We've had the opportunity to get together on numerous occasions since then and I consider him to be one of the absolute nicest people I've ever met. He's a good guy, and everybody should know Dave.
The above picture is from Dave's visit. Our friend Vahona met up with us at the Park Grill bar in Chicago's Millennium Park, home of "The Bean" (aka Cloudgate). It was nice to visit with both of them and it was great for Dave to get to visit with Vahona, they haven't seen each other for close to 4 years.
The following evening, a bunch of us gathered at one of the local watering holes, Jackhammer. It was a long, fun night with lots of laughs and important life lessons. We learned that you don't look a pimp directly in the eyes or they will own you and turn your shit out! We witnessed it. Luckily, the unlikely victim got away, narrowly escaping being run over by a CTA bus. Oh the drama! A perfect end to Dave's Chicago weekend.
Last weekend I gathered with my usual cast of friends for a show and dinner. Dan, Luis, Tina, Polo, Denise and I went to see Cirque du Soleil "Kooza." It was a fantastic and exciting show and it gave us much to discuss at our dinner that followed. So much fun was had by all of us.
Yesterday, was my Block party. The weather was beautiful and the block was ready to rock (yeah, that sounded horriblyy corny). Friday I took the day off from work to shop and prepare for the event. The most dramatic of my preparations was the assembly of my new grill. I live in an apartment and don't have much space for a grill so I bought a cheap grill from Lowe's.
The instructions said that assembly would take less than an hour and required a wrench and a screwdriver. It took me 2.5 hours, it required a hammer, a wrench, a screwdriver and a vodka lemonade. It doesn't fold like the instructions say but it didn't collapse when I backed away from it so I deemed it ready for grilling.
The grill, in my living room. Yes, I took it outside before attempting to cook with it.
Guests arrived for the party at 3. The first drinks were poured at about 3:10. I know, bad host, they should have been poured about 9 minutes sooner. Aside from the late start with the beverages, everybody had a really nice time. It was never too hot to be in the sun, and it was great people watching. Here are a few pictures from the day...
The fire department arrived and proceeded to play ping pong.
Dear friends Dan and Luis were sorely missed. They got away for the weekend with Luis' family. A much needed for the two of them as they gear up for a very busy week. Thenkfully, their beautiful bulldog Ozzie represented them, he was chaperoned by our good friend Polo.
Ozzie was deemed "the coolest dog EVER" by this nice guy. Ryan is not looking at Ozzie.
Party guests Denise, Polo, Ozzie, Tina and Tina's mom.
Carla, Zelda (aka my Mom), Karen, Georgette (aka my Sister)
Leslie, Gillian, Patrick, Ryan and Paul:
And look, it's ME, with Denise and Polo and my apartment building, looming behind us. We just came back from a visit to the Margarita bar. FREE Margaritas. YAY!
The guests dined on skewered chicken (marinated in lemon, olive oil , garlic, salt and pepper), served with a yogurt sauce (greek yogurt, sour cream, chopped sweet onion, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper) and on bratwurst. I also made a pasta salad (whole wheat pasta, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, tossed in olive oil infused with minced garlic). Dessert was a tray of blondies, purchased at Costco, as well as some delicious cookies brought by Tina.
Entertainment was provided by 3 bands. The second band was a bunch of lawyers who just like to get together and play music. I hope they're better lawyers. One of them is Ozzie's new best friend:
Ozzie grew bored of his new friend and his music.
(not dead, just really tired)
My neighbors Joeseph and Naira were out for the party, too. (photo taken last month at Andersonville fest)
They brought their Gnome, after seeing my Gnome party lights. This called for a Gnome party!
Things wound down at about 10, I had everything put away and spent another hour just sitting outside chatting with Joe and Naira until we all decided it was time to call it a night.
Thanks to all my friends who attended and made it such a fun day.
So it's been a few days since I've checked in with a substantial post. Well, the time has come.
A couple weeks ago, I was paid a visit by my friend Dave. Dave is one of my Go-Go friends, he lives in Tampa. We first met online back in 2000, we were (and still are) members of a message board devoted to everybody's favorite all-female band from the 80's, The Go-Go's. We finally met in person in 2001 at a show in Florida. We've had the opportunity to get together on numerous occasions since then and I consider him to be one of the absolute nicest people I've ever met. He's a good guy, and everybody should know Dave.
The above picture is from Dave's visit. Our friend Vahona met up with us at the Park Grill bar in Chicago's Millennium Park, home of "The Bean" (aka Cloudgate). It was nice to visit with both of them and it was great for Dave to get to visit with Vahona, they haven't seen each other for close to 4 years.
The following evening, a bunch of us gathered at one of the local watering holes, Jackhammer. It was a long, fun night with lots of laughs and important life lessons. We learned that you don't look a pimp directly in the eyes or they will own you and turn your shit out! We witnessed it. Luckily, the unlikely victim got away, narrowly escaping being run over by a CTA bus. Oh the drama! A perfect end to Dave's Chicago weekend.
Last weekend I gathered with my usual cast of friends for a show and dinner. Dan, Luis, Tina, Polo, Denise and I went to see Cirque du Soleil "Kooza." It was a fantastic and exciting show and it gave us much to discuss at our dinner that followed. So much fun was had by all of us.
Yesterday, was my Block party. The weather was beautiful and the block was ready to rock (yeah, that sounded horriblyy corny). Friday I took the day off from work to shop and prepare for the event. The most dramatic of my preparations was the assembly of my new grill. I live in an apartment and don't have much space for a grill so I bought a cheap grill from Lowe's.
The instructions said that assembly would take less than an hour and required a wrench and a screwdriver. It took me 2.5 hours, it required a hammer, a wrench, a screwdriver and a vodka lemonade. It doesn't fold like the instructions say but it didn't collapse when I backed away from it so I deemed it ready for grilling.
The grill, in my living room. Yes, I took it outside before attempting to cook with it.
Guests arrived for the party at 3. The first drinks were poured at about 3:10. I know, bad host, they should have been poured about 9 minutes sooner. Aside from the late start with the beverages, everybody had a really nice time. It was never too hot to be in the sun, and it was great people watching. Here are a few pictures from the day...
The fire department arrived and proceeded to play ping pong.
Dear friends Dan and Luis were sorely missed. They got away for the weekend with Luis' family. A much needed for the two of them as they gear up for a very busy week. Thenkfully, their beautiful bulldog Ozzie represented them, he was chaperoned by our good friend Polo.
Ozzie was deemed "the coolest dog EVER" by this nice guy. Ryan is not looking at Ozzie.
Party guests Denise, Polo, Ozzie, Tina and Tina's mom.
Carla, Zelda (aka my Mom), Karen, Georgette (aka my Sister)
Leslie, Gillian, Patrick, Ryan and Paul:
And look, it's ME, with Denise and Polo and my apartment building, looming behind us. We just came back from a visit to the Margarita bar. FREE Margaritas. YAY!
The guests dined on skewered chicken (marinated in lemon, olive oil , garlic, salt and pepper), served with a yogurt sauce (greek yogurt, sour cream, chopped sweet onion, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper) and on bratwurst. I also made a pasta salad (whole wheat pasta, grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, tossed in olive oil infused with minced garlic). Dessert was a tray of blondies, purchased at Costco, as well as some delicious cookies brought by Tina.
Entertainment was provided by 3 bands. The second band was a bunch of lawyers who just like to get together and play music. I hope they're better lawyers. One of them is Ozzie's new best friend:
Ozzie grew bored of his new friend and his music.
(not dead, just really tired)
My neighbors Joeseph and Naira were out for the party, too. (photo taken last month at Andersonville fest)
They brought their Gnome, after seeing my Gnome party lights. This called for a Gnome party!
Things wound down at about 10, I had everything put away and spent another hour just sitting outside chatting with Joe and Naira until we all decided it was time to call it a night.
Thanks to all my friends who attended and made it such a fun day.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Meet Brian
File Under: Friends
The guy I'm hugging in the above picture is Brian. How we met is a funny story. Brian knows just about everybody in Chicago. He has lived here for a lot of years. About 8 years ago, I found his profile on an online dating sight. I sent him an email, hoping to initiate contact. I never heard back from him. I was disappointed but didn't lament (too much) over it. As I would review the site from time to time, I'd see his profile.
A couple years later, I was spending the day with my friend Chuck. We were having a yard sale at his place. A mutual friend of both Brian and Chuck came by and Brian was with them. We met, chatted briefly but I was at a loss for words because I didn't know if he remembered that I had written to him so I was generally just trying to be polite. He was nice though and I was glad that I got to meet him in person.
Sometime later, maybe a few months or so, I was out with my friend Dan. Wherever we were, in walked Brian and he and Dan, who were friends, began to chat. Dan introduced me and we acknowledged that we had met previously. Still I was kind of tongue-tied around him. At that point on, I started seeing him out a lot, Dan and I would run into him often, or I'd see him when I was with Chuck and we'd laugh at how our social circles overlapped. Things became friendlier between us.
As time went on, we became better friends. We would run into each other at a party and hang out and chat. I learned more about what made him tick, saw that he had some of the same insecurities as me. All the time that I thought he was just one of these great social butterflies without a care in the world, I realized that he had a vulnerable side and on a few occasions I was the one he would confide in.
We've had some great adventures out with our friends, some of our more memorable events were Cinco de Mayo 2007 (TEQUILA!) and the Pride parade 2006, among others.
Our most recent event was actually for a sad/happy reason. Brian was promoted and is moving to Washington DC this week. Saturday night (1/12) was Brian's going away party. A whole bunch of Brian's friends gathered at Crew Bar to send him off in style. It was a fun night, but a sad chapter for those of us who won't see Brian on a regular basis any more. Oh sure, he'll visit, and we'll visit him so he'll always be in our lives. I'm just glad I finally got to know the guy that I first saw in that profile picture, all those years ago.
Here's a few of us from Brian's party.
The guy I'm hugging in the above picture is Brian. How we met is a funny story. Brian knows just about everybody in Chicago. He has lived here for a lot of years. About 8 years ago, I found his profile on an online dating sight. I sent him an email, hoping to initiate contact. I never heard back from him. I was disappointed but didn't lament (too much) over it. As I would review the site from time to time, I'd see his profile.
A couple years later, I was spending the day with my friend Chuck. We were having a yard sale at his place. A mutual friend of both Brian and Chuck came by and Brian was with them. We met, chatted briefly but I was at a loss for words because I didn't know if he remembered that I had written to him so I was generally just trying to be polite. He was nice though and I was glad that I got to meet him in person.
Sometime later, maybe a few months or so, I was out with my friend Dan. Wherever we were, in walked Brian and he and Dan, who were friends, began to chat. Dan introduced me and we acknowledged that we had met previously. Still I was kind of tongue-tied around him. At that point on, I started seeing him out a lot, Dan and I would run into him often, or I'd see him when I was with Chuck and we'd laugh at how our social circles overlapped. Things became friendlier between us.
As time went on, we became better friends. We would run into each other at a party and hang out and chat. I learned more about what made him tick, saw that he had some of the same insecurities as me. All the time that I thought he was just one of these great social butterflies without a care in the world, I realized that he had a vulnerable side and on a few occasions I was the one he would confide in.
We've had some great adventures out with our friends, some of our more memorable events were Cinco de Mayo 2007 (TEQUILA!) and the Pride parade 2006, among others.
Our most recent event was actually for a sad/happy reason. Brian was promoted and is moving to Washington DC this week. Saturday night (1/12) was Brian's going away party. A whole bunch of Brian's friends gathered at Crew Bar to send him off in style. It was a fun night, but a sad chapter for those of us who won't see Brian on a regular basis any more. Oh sure, he'll visit, and we'll visit him so he'll always be in our lives. I'm just glad I finally got to know the guy that I first saw in that profile picture, all those years ago.
Here's a few of us from Brian's party.
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