The Oscars are tonight and I am kind of excited. One of Jamie's friends from law school is having a little get together so we can all watch the show together. Usually, I do not venture out on a Sunday night at that hour (aka: after dark). But, she only lives a block away, so there is no excuse... my usual excuse for not attending social engagements is because someone live too far away. Basically, if I have to take the train and the event starts after 8, I will not be in attendance.

Anywho, my main reason for the excitement is the Oscar pool we have going at the office. We all put $3 in the pool and filled out our ballots. Although I have not seen any of the movies that are nominated, I have confidence in my ability to guess. Last year, I only saw one of the movies that was nominated and I won a Chipotle burrito. Hopefully, I will win again this year. Wish me luck and have a wonderful Oscar night!

One big step on the road to matrimony

So, I have been kind of stuck in the moment of my daddy's death. But, now I am refocusing my energy on my future nuptials. As you know, I have been officially engaged for almost a year now. We were planning a fall wedding at my parents farm (after giving up on the elopment idea)... in fact, my daddy and I had almost worked out all of the details. Well, you know how the rest of that story goes. Let's just sum it up with I am no longer having it there.

Anyway, Jamie and I have finally decided on a location. We want to have the ceremony in Asheville, NC. We are looking at the Biltmore, several B&B's, and outdoor sites. It doesn't sound like much planning, but it REALLY is. It is a definite start and the more I look into the location the more excited I get. I am even thinking of having a cream wedding gown (versus the pale blue one I was originally going with) and maybe having a bridesmaid or two... or not. We haven't really gotten past the location. I will keep you posted. (YEAH!)

Sweet Home Alabama

Lately, I have been listening to a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd... There is something so comforting about it at this point in my life. It brings back memories (college- specifically, Touchdowns-, the first taste of freedom, and on and on). Every, single day I listen to Sweet Home Alabama (sometimes on repeat) and it makes me long for the South. It invokes memories of family and friends. For so long, I dreamed about leaving the South and I finally did move to Chicago in 2003 with my best friend/life partner/now fiance. Four and a half years later (1.5 graduate degrees later for me and almost a law degree later for Jamie), I realize how much I miss it. That does not mean that I want to pack up and move back. I simply wish that I had the same relationships/friendships here with me now. The only time I see my family is at Christmas. I see my friends from the South much less. With everything that has happened, those relationships seem so much more important and I am so far away there is nothing I can do to fix it and that frustrates me. I need that support now and I don't know how to ask for it. Plus, I feel bad asking my local friends for help even though I am truly suffering after my Daddy's death.

Well, this post went from could-have-been-fun to depressing... it mimics my everyday. Hopefully, you have a support system that is a little closer than mine... (cue "Debbie Downer" music). Tell them how much you appreciate them before it is too late.

Pea Pod = Lazy

So, we have been ordering my groceries online lately and we are officially spoiled. Going to the grocery store has not been the same sine I have converted to an online grocery shopper (especially since the high this weekend is 6 degrees with a wind chill of -15). If Peapod (http://www.peapod.com/) is available in your area then you should definitely try it. You can virtually shop in the aisles. The newest feature is that you can copy and paste your grocery list into a little box and it will shop for you. You just pick the brand and size you want. Items can be sorted by price, price per unit, calories, fat, fiber, etc. THE BEST PART... you can order beer and liquor. In my most recent delivery (tonight) I bought a bottle of Bailey's, a bottle of Kahlua, and 2 12-packs of beer. Of all of the perks of living in the city, delivery of anything (and I mean everything) beats it all. Ahhhh, I love the city...

In memory...

In memory Jim Caruthers (1949-2007)

Thanksgiving weekend, I lost the most important person in my life. He was my rock and best friend. Most importantly, he was my Daddy. The weeks before he died, I considered myself the happiest person alive. Everything was going for me... I had a great job, I was engaged to a great guy, and I had the perfect family. That illusion of perfection left the moment I received the call from my mom telling me that daddy had a heart attack and didn't make it. I am no longer naive to how cruel and unpredictable life can be. Things will never be the same and that really pisses me off.

But, I should focus on the positive. Some people are not lucky enough to have a special friendship with their dad. We had 28 really great years together as best friends through thick and thin... for that I am lucky and thankful. He was the most honorable and loving man I have ever known and he will be missed dearly.

Fall Update...

I know it has been forever since I have blogged... I have just been going with the flow of life lately.

The summer was spent going between Chicago and DC to visit my honey who was clerking for the courts in our nation's capital. It was a nice chance to explore the DC area and to reconnect with my 1st cousin once removed, her husband, and her son since Jamie was staying with them, rent-free.

In fact, it opened the door of communication so much that her neice (my second cousin) came to live with us this month to do a medical rotation here in Chicago. I am a bit of a hypochondriac, so having her here has been so great (for me). Let me just tell you, she is going to make an awesome doctor. Not only is she super smart, but she is also so much fun. Her little brother came last week to visit my college and he is a super cool guy, too. He is going to be an amazing artist one day... and hopefully, he will be moving to Chicago soon to attend art school.

I'll tell you, it has been so nice to reconnect with family. After losing my only first cousin, it has been kind of lonely knowing that I am all alone on this side of the family. Hearing about how my second cousins all get together at the holidays makes me a little jealous. Our holidays are a little depressing. It is me and the old folks at the holidays, so it doesn't get to rowdy, especially since my brother spends the holidays away (a whole other story I don't want to get into).

It is going to be kind of sad to see my cousin leave at the end of the week. Our next houseguest will be a co-worker/friend who is living with us until the end of October when she moves back to the east coast. Having her stay with us will be great. It is sad knowing that she is not going to be around anymore, so I am going to appreciate having a little extra time to spend with her before she leaves. After my cousin's death, she was one of the few people who was there for me when I needed it most. Letting her stay with us is the least I could do for someone who did so much to help me through that painful time. Plus, the kitties LOVE her (she kept them all summer when I was in DC).

We are not expecting anymore guests after October which I am not too happy about... I was hoping to have Thanksgiving guests, but I think that has fizzled. This year's Thanksgiving is (was) going to be awesome because I have a Christmas tree that I was planning on decorating the day after Thanksgiving with my guest(s). If this guest(s) would consider changing their mind, it would be the best thing ever. I would even help pay for the flight (you know who you are)... no pressure.

Anyway, we are settled back in the windy city (for now), slowly getting back to our routine. Now, if I could only kick this cold. Much like Katie, I catch every cold that comes within 5 feet of me... I guess that is a sign that I need to take better care of myself.

Anyway, Happy Fall!

Whew!

What a weekend... I usually don't talk about work, but I feel like I should.

Friday was Manifest. It is the all day art festival that our College organizes to showcase graduating student work. In conjunction with the event we had our Graduate Commencement Party... it was not as sucessful as it has been in past years. I suspect it is because we usually have it one week before Manifest but this year we tried having it on the same day. All of our students were busy with their departments so no one showed up... I mean almost no one showed up. Probably 30-40 people showed up total ALL night. At one point it was just staff standing around talking about how we all wanted to cry at how bad the attendance turned out. But, then, the Dance Movement Therapy girls arrived and made it seem sort of okay because they had a good time. Thus, the night was not a complete bust.

The next morning we had to report to Commencement at 8:15/8:30. I worked that alllllll day. That was a whole other story of unneccesary stress, but I won't get into that now.

After the 2 ceremonies, I walked straight to my next event, a gala with Dionne Warwick. Yep, you heard it... I was invited by the Dean to go to a private dinner event with Miss Dionne. I was one of around 100 people (mostly trustees and donors) in the company of this amazing woman. I dined on a perfectly cooked filet mignon, drank a few glasses of wine and listened to the Black Ensemble Theater sing Dionne's songs. Let me just tell you, they were A-MAZING! They ended the evening with "That's what friends are for" and I sat next to my good friend Gemini and sang along and swayed. It was a night I will remember forever.

So, back to Dionne. She has not aged a bit. Plus, she is super petit. She arrived in a stretch limo with her entourage of about 6... including her song-writing partner (I think) and her sister (I think). I was there that night to technically work. So, I was stationed at the door to greet the dinner guests. After my 45 minute committment, I was supposed to just enjoy myself.

Today I am sooo tired. So, I will relax all day.