P365 UPDATED!

For those of you clamoring for pics of my recent days, I suggest you head over to Hugo & I Spy to see a daily snippet from the last few weeks. Choosing just one photo per day for use in my Project 365 challenge was easier than tackling the dozens of photos from my road trip. Those are next on my to-do list, promise!

One of these days...

I know, I know! Most of you are saying, "ANOTHER POST WITHOUT PICTURES?!? " Yes, I'm afraid it is. One of these days, I promise, I'll get back to normal blogging, complete with photographic evidence of my life, my new place and city. One of these days...But not today! (Maybe tomorrow?)

Today my first overnight guest, Julia (formerly of Pasadena, now living in Michigan). and I are headed to Schaumburg to visit Ikea & Target to stock up on storage solutions and Windex.

Happy hump day!

Weekend Update

My first Sunday in Chicago included:

• Posting an ad for free moving boxes & getting rid of them all to grateful Chicagoans ("Sharing is caring!" one said.)
• Finding places for all the kitchen platters, bakeware, etc that has been sitting on the counters and/or floor since Friday
• Buying a used bike with a cushy seat (including sheepskin seat cover!) from a nice lady that smelled like canned corn, who'd posted on Craigslist
• A little grocery shopping (Can't do more than I can carry for several blocks.)
• Searching Craigslist for an old-lady shopping cart
• A neighborhood walk out in the beautiful, breezy Sunday afternoon
• Ignoring the book boxes left unpacked
• Sitting in my comfy chair, looking out my bay windows and enjoying the beautiful, breezy Sunday afternoon

I actually live here. So strange!

98%

Another productive day of unpacking and I'm about 98% done with only a few boxes of books to go. It feels good to near the end of the unpacking phase. Now comes the "how to fit it all into 409 sqft" phase (which will likely require a trip (or two) to Ikea, the Container Store and any other place with creative storage ideas to help maximize the space) and the "make it a home" phase (which includes finding the perfect places for decorative items and artwork). This is the fun part.

Thanks to some helpful neighbors with an allen wrench, I finally have my bed together in the bedroom, just in time to have a front row seat (from 2 floors up) at my neighbor's rager right outside my bedroom window. The techno-electronic music is already loud and someone just shouted, "Turn it up!" I think it's gonna be an ear-plug night.

Happy Birthday, sweet Audrey!

My girl turned 2 today!

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Wishing I could be with her to give her a big birthday hug, but hearing her say "goose poop" this afternoon was really sweet.

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I LOVE you bunches, Audrey girl!

(Image via Advertising for Peanuts)

Off for the day

Well, I'm calling it quits for the day. With almost 40 boxes unpacked I'm pleased with my progress. Now it's time to hop in the shower and head to a party. Two days in the city and I already have a social life! It's a busy life I lead.

(I know, I know. A party? Already?! If it weren't for Liz I wouldn't yet have a social life. But thanks to her and her friends, I'm off to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Each guest is to bring food or drink from another country. As I wasn't quite prepared to whip up something exciting, I decided to bring my homemade Danish schnapps. Complete with Danish flag. :-)

Afternoon break

Just got back from moving my car. My expectation of getting a primo spot was not fulfilled as I discovered that what should have been an empty street was almost completely full as I walked past to the parking lot. And this was before 3pm! By the time I drove back around I almost didn't get a spot on my block. I was just telling Liz that it drives my anal, rule-following soul nuts when people break the rules and gain from it. She says I'll have to get over that.

On a positive note, 26 boxes down, only too-many-to-count to go! I started with the boxes labled 'kitchen' in hopes of clearing out the bedroom enough to actually put my bed in there. No surprise that I'm left with stacks of bakeware, platters and small appliances with no cupboard big enough to fit them in the kitchen. Perhaps I'll find a way to display them decoratively in my living room.

Lunchtime

(Apparently short blog posts are going to be my outlet for the next few days, especially since I opted to forgo the expense of cable tv.)

9 boxes down, too-many-to-count to go! Taking a short break to eat a sandwich, sit in my one accessible chair and enjoy the noontime church bells ringing from a nearby church. Lovely and charming.

I think a slurpee from the 7-11 at the corner of my street (Phoebes-aren't you jealous?!) will be my afternoon break when I move my car. Ok, back to work!

A new line item for my budget

(Could also be called, "Yet another post without a photo.")

I've decided I have to add an $8 monthly expense to my budget: Parking on the 2nd Thursday or Friday of the month.

You see, every 2nd Thursday or Friday, it's street sweeping day on either side of my street. They ticket AND then tow you (and believe me they do it; I just saw it happen!). After driving around a several block radius for almost 45 minutes (along with all the other people who raced out at 2 minutes to 9am) I gave in and paid $8 to park in a lot 2 blocks away for the next 12 hours.

So here's my plan: when the 9am-3pm restriction is lifted, I'll race out there to grab one of the primo spots right in front of my building. And then not move my car until the 2nd Thursday or Friday of the next month, at which point I'll just pay $8 to park it in that lot again for the day, and then once again, at 2:58pm, be ready to park my car on the street out front.

Oh, the delights of city living!

Greetings from Buena Ave!

It's almost 11pm and I'm exhausted. After a horrendously frustrating move-in day with all sorts of snafus, I now sit in a corner of my living room, surrounded by boxes and large furniture, in the dark (because the outlet I had my only unpacked lamp plugged into had to be disconnected to plug in my low-battery laptop and internet modem, and all the other outlets are blocked by boxes; priorities people!).

Let's just sum it all up and say I AM SO GLAD THIS DAY IS OVER.

Now the 'fun' begins as I unpack boxes filled with all the things I haven't seen in months, since I moved out of my Linwood apartment. A little like Christmas, though I hope I don't kick myself for keeping so many things. I expect I will.

Liz was my first visitor this evening, stopping by with Chipotle and champagne. A much appreciated gesture at the end of this (I'll say it again) "horrendously frustrating move-in day with all sorts of snafus."

I promised my next post would have photos, but since I haven't the energy to even begin on those, I'll leave you with what will likely be the highlight to my road trip east. You may already have read about it on Molly's blog, but even if you have, this video is so much fun.

Captured by me, on camera commentary by all, a long car ride stuck in a seatbelt for Lauren, the super-trouper.

I haven't laughed this hard in years. (I just wish we'd thought to video our initial attempts to free her; now that would have been good footage.)

Hello Chicago! (Farewell California!)

Greetings from a Chicago hotel room! My things won't be delivered until tomorrow so I had to settle for picking up the keys to my new apartment and a tour (cozy & charming!), and staying the night at the Hyatt. My aunt heads home tomrorow and it's a busy day ahead moving in. Liz has promised to come by with dinner and 'help' me unpack (and by 'help' she means "sit and watch you unpack." I've got such good friends in Chicago. ;-).

The next post should include pictures, but in the meantime, for photos from my fabulous and fun farewell party, check out Molly's post and photos!

Greetings from Madison, WI!

Sitting in a Honda dealership in Madison, WI (the oil-change light came on about 500 miles ago).

Just TWO HOURS away from Chicago.

HOLY COW, WHAT DID I DO?!

I had my first reality check as we drove into Madison last night and saw the first mileage-to-Chicago sign. I really just left behind most of my family & friends and moved half-way across the country. All this time people have said how brave or adventurous I am to do something like this when I know only a handful of people there. I always brushed off their surprise/compliments but last night it suddenly occurred to me how "brave" (crazy??) a move like this is.

And then this morning the excitement returned and I'm eager to drive into Chicago myself for the first time. From what I hear, I should expect this up and down will continue for some time.

Next stop........................Chicago!

Greetings from Kadoka, South Dakota!

Allow me to start by saying, SOUTH DAKOTA?! Who would have ever thought I'd be at an America's Best Value Inn in Kadoka, SD?!? We tried to stay the night in Wall, SD but all the hotels were sold out for Bike Week in Sturgis. I've seen more multi-colored leather chaps in the past couple of days than I ever could have imagined existed. Colorful peeps, these motorcyle folks! One guy I saw at the Mount Rushmore Memorial this afternoon announced his name in a patch on his leather vest; I'm guessing his parents didn't like him much since it said his name was "ASSHOLE".

With that said, PEOPLE! I'm in KADOKA, SOUTH DAKOTA.

It's been an absolute WHIRLWIND of a week. From my last day of full-time work at KSP to packing the last, to loading the truck, to a last supper with the fam, to a pre-dawn departure with Lauren & Molly as we embarked on the first half of my road trip to Chicago (California to Montana/Wyoming), to the second and final half of the road trip with my aunt Laurie (from Wyoming to Chicago), it's been a busy but absolutely fun and memorable time. And it's not over yet! A couple more days on the road will take me to my new home in Chicago. Plenty of stories and photos (& hilarious video!) to share once I'm settled.

Stay tuned!

No fair. Humph!

My first day of non-full-time employment and I had to be up earlier than when I was working full-time! Because of the time difference, my 8:00am registration appointment became 6:00am Pacific Time. Fortunately I managed to get all the class times I wanted, condensing school to Mon-Wed, leaving Thurs/Fri free for studying, working part-time & out of town visitors.

And now, I'll get busy using this early morning time productively to pack the last of my things as I wait for the ABF moving truck to arrive sometime between 8am-Noon, and the loading guys around 1pm. Is it tomorrow yet?

Tomorrow I can breathe again.

And maybe actually sleep in?

Kell-Bell & Co.

One of the last volunteers (victims?) to my request for photography subjects is also one of my oldest friends, Kelly, going back over 20 years. We met through our sisters, both named Brandi, and we quickly became "The Kellys." Roaming the halls of junior high it was a big joke to call out to the two of us, "Hey Kelly!" to which we'd both respond, "Yeah?" and then they'd say, "No, the other one!" and point in a non-specific direction, at which point we'd shake our heads, realizing the joke was on The Kellys.

Since those days Kell has married her high-school sweetheart, Tom, and together they've created two adorable children, Emily & Brady. For some photos, we headed to Tom & Kell's college alma-mater, Cal Poly Pomona.

The Rydmans: Take 2!

With Raja sick the first time around, we decided to try one last time to get some family photos of one of my favorite families, the Rydmans. Wanting all the photography practice I can get, I certainly don't complain about needing a re-do. :-)

A few of my favorites...

M + A = Still in L*O*V*E

Friends Molly & Adam decided to go back to where she said the first "Yes" that would lead to the "I Do's" that happened just over 8 years ago. It was just the two of them and the beach (and me, who was honored to capture this celebration for posterity).

Here's a peek at their evening.

Jack(son) & Sawyer: Not Lost

If you're looking for Jack & Sawyer, they are no longer LOST. I found them at a park in Monrovia. Well, I didn't really find them there so much as I drove with them and their mother to this park in Monrovia. You see, the mother is an old friend of mine since junior high days, and they recently moved back to M-town from the east coast, and lucky for me, they wanted to get together to play. Though it was my first time meeting these two little guys, we soon became fast friends.







For more of Jack & Sawyer, go HERE.

(If you're lost on the LOST references, go HERE. And no, they weren't named for the show.)

A good side benefit

My friend Jodi (originally from the mid-west) wrote this in a recent email about all the fun I'm going to have in Chicago:

"And giiiirrrrlllll, the midwestern men! They actually aren't afraid to ask you out! And they pay! And we grow them tall and strong!"

Although midwestern men was not on my list of "Pros" when it came to choosing Chicago, I think this will be a very nice side benefit, no?

Preparing to move is like treading water

You have to keep moving just to keep your head above water. And it feels like you're not getting anywhere. ANYWHERE. AT ALL.

In the last week I have:

• Taken lots of photos
  
• Lots 'o visits & dinners & lunches with various friends
• Procrastinated
• Walked the Rose bowl
• Attended Pageant of the Masters
• Said goodbye to Ginger (who is now in Thailand) & niece Bailey (who is leaving for a vacay with her dad), both sad occasions

In the last week I've not been:

• Editing Jack & Sawyer's photos
• Editing Rydman Family Photos (2nd try)
• Editing Bertsch Family photos
• Editing Leslie's headshots
• Ummmmmmmmmmm.....PACKING!!

Wish me luck. Moving truck comes in 6 days. If you have nothing better to do Saturday morning and Sunday all day, and you want to come kick my butt into gear to finish packing, I'd be grateful.