A Kiddo DB

It seems there has been a call amongst my friends to post photos of themselves as kiddos, so here is me in the months/years following October 1983.

Back when it was just me and my folks...that sure didn't last long!  According to the age difference between me and my sister, this photo was taken right around the time my mom became prego with her.

Hello from MARINE WORLD TEXAS, 1987-ish.

This photo strikes me as amazing because I am making almost the exact same hand-to-grin pose as Laura W. in her kiddo photo!  Whoa!

Word to Your Grannie

Does anyone out there know how to crochet grannie squares? I just discovered this lovely blog called Granny Along which is run by a large group of grannie fanatics from around the globe and I'll have to admit, I'm a little envious! I need a social circle like this in my life! Grannie squares are soooo much fun and can be used to make lots of things. So far I've taught one friend up here to become my grannie ally...anyone else know the moves? So many wonderful things we could make together...

These are just some of the amazing things these folks are making!  And lookie at this one I found, just in time for Thanksgiving!

That was easy.

While walking somewhere the other night, I thought to myself, "I'm going to take a photograph of something for Annie H. and post it on my blog.  But what could I possibly snap?!" And then I looked up.

Alright, I'm just going to admit it.

I have a huge crush on Barack Obama.  Every night since he won the election I have had some sort of dream where he and I "pal around."  No, not like that!  We're just really close friends in my dreams and I have a secret crush on him that he doesn't realize and Michelle is usually there and we're friends too.  But, ladies and gentlemen, I just finally have to admit that for the first time in my life I find our (soon-to-be) President irresistible inside and out.  The end.

Note: my nose-partner will surely be irked by the news as I've added B.H.O. in addition to my other imaginary paramour:  Donald Draper.

Note II:  however, he does reap all the benefits of these men lighting my fire but being presently unavailable so he shouldn't complain too much.

YES WE DID

AND I WAS THERE!

TOMORROW!

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT TOMORROW!!!!

GO VOTE!!!!!!!!!!

My first time buying something off Craigslist...

First of all, sorry for the lack of posts!  I got blogged down. (A new word??)  We're taking over the lease of the lady we've been subleasing from and soon half of the things in our apartment will be gone (her stuff).  One of the things needing to be replaced is this kitchen cart of hers as we lack counterspace in our kitchen.  This is where the story of my first time buying something off Craigslist begins...

I found this kitchen cabinet last night for $25 dollars.  What a great deal!  I called the seller and she said I could pick it up in the morning at 11, but that she lives above a pet shop with no buzzer so I'll have to call her cell phone when I arrive.

So this morning I head up there and park outside of the pet shop on busy Irving Park Rd.  I call her cell but she doesn't answer.  The pet shop was closed (and looked like it had been for many years) and it was starting to sprinkle so I was like, "Great, now what?"

Just then I heard the door that led up to her apartment open so I walked up to greet her.  But instead I was greeted with a dead body inside a body bag!  Two grim looking men pushed past me holding the stretcher and in an effort to conceal my shock I turned my head towards the other side of the street where I saw two young Mexican boys giggling in amazement at what they were witnessing.

They put the body in the back of a van and drove off quickly.  I tried calling the woman's cell phone again but she still wasn't answering.  That wasn't her in the body bag, was it??

I sat inside my car and called Dave at work because I had to tell somebody what just happened plus it was starting to get really rainy.  In the middle of us both laughing at the absurdity of the situation the door opened again so I got off the phone and there in the doorway was a young woman with her daughter and I could see a few other people standing out in the hallway.  She was the lady I was looking for.

"Did something, uh, bad just happen?" I said.

"Oh.  Yeah.  My grandma just died," she replied.

What a relief, strangely.  Her grandma was 86.  Quickly we became comfortable with each other and I told her what happened, about her not picking up her phone and the body bag and my assumptions.  She thought it was hilarious.

"It'd be even more hilarious if this was your first time buying something off of Craigslist."

"Actually...it is."

Anyway, it's a really nice kitchen cabinet.  Should be great for all our doodads...and for storytelling!

A Quick Update

(you, sir, are hot.)

• Get two of every animal...this town needs an ark!  My sister (who lives in Houston) and I have got some worried 'rents from all the rain that hit our respective cities this past weekend.  All is fine here...except half the apartments in our building have completely destroyed ceilings from water leakage (luckily not our half.)
• Spent Friday night eating delicious vegan cuisine at Karyn's Cooked in River North.  This was after seeing author Junot Diaz speak at the library and for WFMT's Writers on the Record.  He alluded to David Foster Wallace as inspiration several times during the talk.
• We didn't know at the time, but as Diaz was making his allusions, David Foster Wallace was busy putting a noose around his neck.  Bummer.
• Completed Season 1 of MAD MEN (I don't think I've ever been more obsessed over a TV series in my life.) Dave and I talk about Don, Pete, Peggy, Roger, Joan, etc like they're our pals. I was in despair but luckily discovered we can get the episodes off iTunes at 2 bucks a pop. A worthy investment.
• Spent an evening on Devon Ave. again.  If we had our druthers, we'd live there.  Found an awesome Indian grocery store that carried everything we needed off our grocery list plus tons of cheap and exotic spices, produce, sauces, and sweets.
• Oh yeah, speaking of India, we went and saw THE POOL!  A glorious film by Chris Smith that takes place in Goa--probably my favorite film of the year so far.  If you get a chance and are in the mood for a heartwarming fable, go go go!
• Holy moly, with all the rain we watched a lot of movies...saw the greatest Ealing comedy to date, Kind Hearts and Coronets.  What a hoot.
• Got a few things at the Renegade Craft Fair.  Saw many a hot skinny hipster girl there.
• Today I signed up for a printmaking class at The Needle Shop.  I need some 6x8 in. images!  Got some?

There's a new energy in the air

It's starting to feel like fall!

Colorado

Winter Park

Pete Gunn!

Garden of the Gods

It was pretty intense.

U.S. Olympic Training Center

Cave of the Winds

32nd Annual Colorado Springs Balloon Classic 'Balloon Glo'

Seven Falls

I'm going to Colorado Springs, CO tomorrow

Said to me about 12 hours ago:

"My dad told me to tell you not to get too close to my grandpa, because if you do he will grab your hand and not let go."

City Slicker

I spent most of my life planning to live in a big, bustling city throughout my 20s.  Now I'm in my mid-20s, living in the 3rd largest city in the U.S. and I have decided I'd actually like to live on a farm.  And grow my own things.  And have chickens and goats.  Seriously.

The change came when these happened:

These are some tiny red-leaf lettuces that I'm growing from seed on my window sill.  In about a month I should be eating my epiphany salad.  Something happened while doing research at work for a episode we're doing on the Relocalization movement.  After watching the video for PathToFreedom.org, a homestead located in Pasadena, CA where the family grows 6,000 lbs of food a year on their 1/5th of an acre in the 'burbs, a change came over me that has left a permanent impact.  I checked out a high pile of books from the library on how to grow vegetables and I'm actively reading blogs like yougrowgirl.com and small-mart.org.

It's too long to fully explain here, but basically I'm yearning to become a more sustainable person and to learn how to focus in on what's around me locally and make the most of it.  Luckily there is space for me to grow a vegetable garden behind our apartment and we also have a big back deck where I can have a container garden, but things like the chickens and goats are going to have to wait.  

After talking with our friends Emily and Josh the other night, I'm also starting to get this itch to visit Portland.  They're thinking about moving out that way and the way they describe it sounds wonderful.  My friends Haley and Jason are also having Portland conversations, and I have one friend in particular who I bet would be quite thrilled to have myself and one of her best buds living in the same city as her.  There's so much there that appeals to me, I think (won't know until I visit.)

I know I just arrived in Chicago three months ago, and I know we'll probably be here for a few years to come...and it's not that I don't like Chicago, it's just that the odds of me getting a big yard to grow and moderate temperatures throughout the year are, well, extremely not likely.

For now, I'll eat me lettuces, hope Miro lays an egg, and continue to try to figure myself out.  Ah, 20s.

The second I have a yard, I'm getting one, seriously.

Ten Reasons to Keep a Chicken
(from mypetchicken.com)

Great-Tasting, Nutritious Eggs
We all love our dogs, cats and fish, but do they actually produce something edible? Or pay their own way? Chickens do, and once you've dined on their eggs you'll never reach for a dozen in the supermarket again. They're so much more flavorful, in no small part because you'll eat them when they're only minutes or hours old, not weeks or months. You'll even see the difference in the yolks, which are a healthy orange - not the pale yellow you're used to.
Plus, you can feel good about the organic eggs you'll be feeding your friends and family. All it takes to get organic eggs is organic chicken feed! Research shows that chickens allowed to roam freely and eat grass lay eggs that are higher in Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E and at the same time lower in cholesterol than store-bought, too. (Think of your hair and skin...)

Chickens Have Personality Galore -- Seriously!
Each chicken has their own completely unique quirky, kooky and endearing personality. They're stunningly beautiful too, parading around in a variety of colors, patterns, shapes and sizes. You'll name them, spoil them with treats, and pick them up and hug them any chance you get.

Get One Step Closer to Sustainable Living
Do you find it disconcerting how far removed we all are from the animals and plants we need to survive? How our fast-paced lives and ever-increasing demands are trashing the planet that sustains us? Believe it or not, keeping a few chickens in your backyard equates to taking a stand against all this. Read more about sustainable living with chickens

A Healthy Lawn without the Chemicals
Chickens LOVE to range freely, and allowing them to do so kills the proverbial two birds with one stone: they'll eat any garden pest they can get their beaks on (earwigs, grubs, beetles, even moles) and they'll turn it all into treasure in the form of fertilizer. Say goodbye to toxic, costly pest control solutions and wasteful bags and bottles of store-bought fertilizer. Chickens will even cut down on the amount of mowing you do because they love to eat grass. That's right -- you sit in a lounge chair with your mint julep while they do the hard work for you.

One Man's Unappealing Leftovers are another Chicken's Feast
Chickens can eat almost anything people can, and they adore "people food" -- so you can throw those unwanted leftovers into the chicken run. No more feeling guilty about letting them rot in the fridge or throwing them out! Watch out for the garlic and onion, though, unless you want your eggs tasting funny.

A Balanced Compost Pile
Composting is a wonderful way to reduce your ecological footprint, and a nitrogen-rich compost pile is a healthy compost pile. What better to provide the nitrogen than chicken poo? Eggshells are a great addition, too, especially in areas where there's lots of clay in the soil. At the end of the composting process you'll have "black gold" soil, so called because it's so rich and fertile.

Handy Leaf, Weed, and Grass Clipping Removal
Leaves, weeds and grass clippings are a treat for Gallus gallus domesticus. They'll happily dig through whatever you give them, eat what they can, and pulverize the rest. Give a small flock a heap of yard and garden debris and a week later it'll be gone without a trace. No need to bag it and pile it by the curb!

Save a Chicken from a Factory-Farm Life
If you're aware of conditions in factory farms, even in some of the so-called "free range" farms, we needn't say more. If you're not, please research it. Factory farming is terrifyingly cruel. The good news is that by keeping a few pet chickens of your own, you're reducing the demand for store-bought eggs and sending a message to those factory farms that you don't want what they're selling.

The Very Definition of Low-Maintenance
Chickens don't need to be walked, brushed, or fed twice a day. Essentially all you have to do is gather eggs daily, fill their food and water containers a couple of times a week and change their bedding once a month! (For more on chicken care, take a peek at our free chicken care guide.)

Be the Coolest Kid on the Block
Despite their many merits, backyard chickens are still relatively uncommon. Wow neighbors, friends and family by being the first person they know to have chickens. Amaze them with the green eggs from your Ameraucana hens. Confound them by scooping up your pet chicken and cuddling it. Astound them when your chicken falls asleep in your arms after you've lovingly stroked its comb and wattles. Make them green with envy at the lawn your flock has made effortlessly fabulous.

Chickens are, after all, the most "chic" pet you could possibly have. And we think it's time everyone knew.

Bryan Schutmaat's Photography

A few weeks ago, Dave and I had the distinct honor of being photographed by pal Bryan Schutmaat.  Currently residing in Houston, TX, he's definitely an up-and-comer in the photography world and recently has work being displayed in Venice, Italy.  A trip to his website or Flickr is sure to bring many moments of clicking and viewing pleasure.

Below are a few of my other favorites of his.  Enjoy!

(we will have a copy of this one in our home soon!)

ADDICTED

FRANKMUSIK

Go here, listen to "Done Done" then watch the video for the song "In Step."

You can thank me later.

I never knew how to either

This post was originally a response to my good friend Haley's new blog, in which she stated randomly that she does not know how to grocery shop.  In fact, my sister has called me several times in our "adult" lives frustrated with her inability to complete this feat successfully as well.  I was once in their shoes.  But I have finally figured out this enigmatic activity with a little practice and help from my living partner.  If you find yourself feeling your soul being destroyed amongst stacks of canned tomatoes and asian sauces, please, read on.

How to go grocery shopping

by Me (taught under the guidance of D. S. Gunn, real live grown-up):

1. Pick a weekly time that you will always do your grocery shopping. Some like to shop on Sundays, but this usually means crowded aisles. Saturday afternoons are not bad. Always try to go on whichever day you pick every week.

2. Pick out about 4 recipes*. Go through cookbooks. Search online. Bonus if you find recipes that share ingredients.

3. MAKE A LIST. Compile your list of only the things that are needed to make your recipes. Then add in the weekly essentials such as milk, bread, eggs, etc. Always write down "fruit."

4. Go to the closest store with the best prices. Buy everything that's on your list. Don't buy anything that's not on your list.

5. Grocery shopping complete! Money saved! Time saved!

*I say 4 recipes because that's the usual lifetime of some of the fresher things you might need to buy from the store. You also have to account for get-togethers during the week where you won't need to cook dinner, and thus don't need a recipe.

It's impossible!!

A totally ridiculous find in Andersonville that should not have been purchased and/or eaten.  I need help.

So after hitting an all-time low of eating 3 cupcakes from 2 different bakeries in one day (one before breakfast and two after dinner), I stepped atop the scale last night and discovered that I have, in fact, gained 7 pounds since moving to Chicago.

This town is EAT CITY, USA!  There are so many places to eat it's ridiculous/amazing.  I don't know if it's because I live in such an environment, or because it's my first few months post-graduation and I have the money, or a combination of the two but I eat out waaay too much and I always get whatever the hell I want without thinking about it.  And this especially applies to sweets.

So after yesterday's cupcake meltdown, I decided to tone it down with the sugar.  I'm just trying to go ONE DAY without eating any sugar at all in any form.  It's impossible!!  Everything has sugar in it...cereal, bread, crackers, soup, fruit, and on.  Here's what I've managed to find in the house to eat today:

Breakfast: Shredded wheat, walnuts, flaxseed, and milk (this was actually pretty good and gave me hope this morning)

Lunch:  Goat cheese by itself (because everything I wanted to spread it on top of had sugar in it), a can of sardines in hot sauce, some (most likely expired) yogurt.

I'm frustrated, chubby, and headed towards a life of diabeetus.

The Housewarming Party That Will Eventually Happen

A few days from now will mark my 2nd full month living in Chicago, and thus Dave and I's 2nd full month living in our apartment and we stiiiillllllllll haven't had our housewarming party yet.  Why?

This is why:

No back porch.  Who wants to go to a party in the summertime with no back porch?   They tore it down in May (top right is our kitchen door) and said 1-2 weeks tops to rebuild the new one.  I doubt we'll even get to enjoy the new porch at all this summer...it wouldn't surprise me if they finished up this fall.  They only come to work on it once a week, if that.

Anyway, on a more positive note, I'm going through a hardcore 90s dance phase/Genesis phase and so when we DO have our housewarming party, I plan to end the night dancing with our friends to a set list mostly comprised of these songs.  In addition to purchasing Genesis's INVISIBLE TOUCH on vinyl, I went on an iTunes downloading spree yesterday.  Here's what I got so far:

"I Got a Man" by Positive K

"Show Me Love" by Robin S.

"I've Been Thinking About You" by Londonbeat

"Touch Me (All Night Long)" by Cathy Dennis

"Finally" by Ce Ce Peniston

"Regulate" by Warren G & Nate Dogg

"Tell It To My Heart" by Taylor Dayne

On my next spree, I plan on downloading this:

Trader Joe's: Thumbs Up

I know many people have been to Trader Joe's long before I've typed this post, but gimme a break, I'd never been before.  Until yesterday.

Trader Joe's is awesome!  There are so many delicious treats...like a whole aisle of chocolate covered anything and really pure fruit juices...and it's all so cheap (for the most part)!  

It's definitely not a one-stop shop to knock everything off your grocery list, but if you're having a get-together, I couldn't imagine a better place.  I like ya, Trader Joe's.

P.S.--I got these white chocolate pistachio cookies and they are like porn for tastebuds.  They're so good you'll eat enough to start feeling dirty and ashamed.

pic courtesy of eBay...yeah, they're selling these things on eBay!

Stimulate this.

I got my George Bush monies yesterday.  I'm going to put it towards a health insurance policy.  Who says there's no free healthcare in America?

Ugh.  

Thing is, I have really no idea how to attain the best healthcare coverage.  My employer is a one-man operation so no health insurance through work which is why I have to do it on my own.  And you know what is one of the least fun activities in the world?  Looking for individual health insurance policies.

At least my dad will stop lecturing me about it once I get covered.  Wish me luck.

Bike Weekend USA

Fridee:

Went bowling with Gabe, Chris Shively, some Dutch girls, and a bunch of ex-Lawrencians.  It was great to see Gabe, he'll be moving up here soon.  This town is perfect for him.  Shively is a gas...to this day I still can't stop thinking he looks like Cameron Frye.  Met a sweetheart ex-larry named Jenna who I remember from before but have never been introduced til this weekend.  She's going to be Gabe's new roomie down in Wicker Park so perhaps our paths will cross again.  

By the way, one of the coolest places to bowl is Lincoln Square Lanes.  Hasn't been redecorated since the 70s.  Sits on the second floor above a hardware store.  Totally awesome.

Ended the night with "dinner" (fried bar food) at a pub called the Leadway.  Luckily we rode our bikes, otherwise I probably would have experienced a coma from all the grease.

Saturdee:

Back on the bikes, the mister and I rode down to the Music Box to see Werner Herzog's new documentary Encounters at the End of the World.  There are some amazing shots...I've always been fascinated with the idea of Antarctica.  It's pretty much the closest thing on earth to being on the moon and the idea that, although very unlikely, I could technically visit there makes me very enamored with the place.

In other news, Werner Herzog is the biggest hipster on earth.  He's also a total asshole sometimes.  He makes fun of the people he interviews in the film constantly and pretty much acts too cool for Antarctica (pun intended).  But in the end, this is one of the things that makes the film interesting.

After the movie we sit down at the 'ol Julius Meinl for dinner, tea, dessert and a 3.5 hour conversation and decide we're going to India sometime in the near future.

Sundee:

Although many religions believe in rest on the sabbath day, we hit the roads on our bikes again, this time to see the new documentary about Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo....  It was terrific.

My friend Adam (Bemis) was in town for a wedding.  He's a great guy and always really fun to talk to so we met up with him and some other folks for margaritas and Mexican food.  Adam and Gabe are really good friends and they both happened to be in Chicago at the same time but just barely missed each other.  

Anyway, we ate out way too much this weekend and this morning Dave woke up with a burrito hangover.  We've vowed to cool it with the eating out from now on.  I'm about to make a spinach artichoke pasta salad for dinner to teach us a lesson.

Next weekend:  Joe and Anastasia stay at the Two Noses Inn for Pitchfork and big city fun and French consulate-ing.  Dave and I are totally going to see Public Enemy and it is going to ROCKROCKROCK!

Chopped and much cooler

Alright, so I highly recommend the highly recommended Sine Qua Non Salons.  Just got back from the Lincoln Park location this evening and I don't miss my old knotted mop one bit!  Check out my new summer 'do!

hellllp meeeee!

So fresh and so clean clean

Thank you, Kimberly, at Sine for the terrific new hairstyle!

Chop It Like It's Hot

I've been threatening this for a long time now and finally the day has come.  I'm chopping off all my hair this evening at 5pm.  I got an appointment at the very highly recommended Sine Qua Non Salon in Lincoln Park and apparently the stylist I'm seeing was voted as In Style Magazine's top Chicago stylist.  So I should be in good hands.

I've been growing my hair out for two years now but it's just become completely knotted and unmanageable.  Plus, I feel that I'm more of a short-haired personality now.  I've grown up, graduated from college, moved to the big city...just like in the 1920s, when you're no longer a leetle girl, off with the hair!

Of course the "Katie" is really popular right now and I have a square face like she does, but my sister claims my hair is way too poofy to pull that one off (she's probably right).  There's also Audrey Tautou's cutie-pie 'dos (and I'm not talking Amelie).  But, you know, it's so hard to just see the hair cut and not think, "If I make my hair look like this, then my face will transform and look as purty as hers too!"

Anyway, it's summer.  Who wants a tangled hot mess on top of their noggin right now?  Not I!  Wish me luck!  Will post pics tomorrow if it turns out well!

ze Katie?

or ze Audrey?

Jasmine!

Jasmine and me, 1986-ish

My little sister Jasmine and her boyfriend Mike are going to be here at 1pm today!  She just landed her first real job post-college and is spending her last weekend of freedom with us in Chicago (her first time up here).  

She's going to be working for one of the bigger pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. and it turns out her training will be in Arizona and she has to fly out there at 8pm Sunday night!  And, er, she arrives back home in Houston from Chicago at 4pm Sunday afternoon!  She bought the tickets to Chicago before finding out about this Arizona thing.  My dad was in Europe at the time but had he been stateside she totally would have called him for advice and he totally would have talked her out of coming to Chicago all together (which is silly, but us Bascis always play it safe).  Last night my dad and I chatted on the phone and when he found out about this 4pm/8pm thing he sent an e-mail out to both of us saying Jasmine should just fly back home on Saturday.  She's not going to, but both of us are now in freak out mode about Sunday.  What if she doesn't make it back in time to catch her flight to Arizona?  Why is it that parents are always able to induce panic in strategic ways?

Anyway, it turns out that there are limited openings at the Houston location for this new job, so after training there is a slight possibility she might have to work in her second choice city...which is:  CHICAGO!  So this trip is kinda important.  I can't even imagine living in the same town as my sister again!  I'm pretty excited about this possibility but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Anyway, here is our itinerary for today.  Yes, I made one, like a crazy person.  And I wrote it on a restaurant check thingy which is cool in my book and consequently cancels out the crazy.

Thanks, Melissa, for yoinking me a pad of GuestChecks from Genovese or Jo Schmo's, can't remember which.