Project: Makeover!

This week's Project Runway was a lot of fun, despite the fact that Tattoo Neck did not get kicked off. Caitlin and I wore costumes, which is always a kick, I think. Caitlin did a mean Laura, and I pulled together a last-minute Michael when other plans fell through. Unfortunately, people seemed not to realize that I was Michael, and I when I pointed it out to them, someone said, "Michael Kors?" Hilarious. What do you think?




Oh, yesterday I got my hair cut and colored - I think it looks super-cute. I'll post a pic soon.

In other news, I started a book blog because now that I'm out of school I have a lot more time to read fiction, and also now that I'm out of school I need an outlet to, you know, do some critical writing. Here it is: Well Read.

Romantic weekend in Wisconsin

Last weekend, M and I went to Wisconsin to celebrate our 8th anniversary - because, when you think of romance, you think of Wisconsin. We stayed at a great B&B recommended by DeBrodian Perruque and sweetkealoha. It was awesome, and the kind proprietress served a hell of a breakfast. Another couple was staying there - they were farmers from the area and couldn't imagine what we city folk were doing up there, and kept asking us, "What are you city folk doin' way up here?" and "Do you feel safe leaving your house in Chicago?" and "Is life just real, like they say... fast paced down there?" Oh, yes indeedelee-doo, mister, we walk out the door and it's like Blade Runner mixed with the NYSE.

There was a lovely dog and a cat. During the breakfast, the cat liked to walk over to the dog and punch her right in the nose.

Spent one night in Milwaulkee at the Pfister - it was REALLY nice and the best thing was there was a pool on the 23rd floor and the totally best thing was that the whole time were there we were the only one's who used it. It was so gorgeous, especially when the light changed at night. We pretended like we were Hearsts.

Demographics

There's a new feature on Netflix where you can see what the most popular rentals in your neighborhood are. My current neighborhood is all over the place. It's like, we're gay and sophisticated! No! We like Jimmy Buffett and horror flicks!
1. Expo: Magic of the White City
2. Chicago: City of the Century
3. When a Stranger Calls
4. A Star is Born
5. I am Trying to Break your Heart (it sucked)
6. Days of Heaven
7. Palindromes
8. Seven Up/7 Plus Seven
9. Jimmy Buffett: Live at Wrigley Field
10. Stevie

my old 'hood in SF is interesting:
1. 24 Hours on Craigslist
2. San Francisco (with Clark Gable)
3. The House on Telegraph Hill
4. Sucker Free City
5. Tales of the City
6. Pornography: The Secret History of Civilization
7. The Times of Harvey Milk
8. Burning Man
9. Fidel
10. Queer Duck

Who knew so many people wanted to watch movies about where they live? Although, wouldn't you watch Blue Brothers or Feris Bueller before you watched Jimmy Buffett at Wrigley Field? And here's something hilarious - here's the top 10 current movies from my hometown in Indiana (note: no Hoosiers?):
1. L.A. Confidential
2. Larry the Cable Guy
3. Stephen King's Desperation
4. Blue Collar Comedy Tour
5. Silent Hill
6. Sky High
7. The Shaggy Dog
8. RV
9. The Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding
10. Coach Carter

To find this feature, scroll down to the bottom of the Netflix homepage.

Just when I think I'm out...

Today I had a really great day - I took my class over to Millennium Park to look at the sculptures, and they all did a really good job analyzing the work and thinking critically about sculpture. I'd pretty much made up my mind not to teach again for the next semester, but now I think I might, because they were so great today.

THEN, when I was riding home on the train - I did something I've been dying to do ever since I read an article about it a long time ago. It's called "jacking in", and what you do is ya take the jack out of your mp3 player, and you expose (sounds dirty, doesn't it?) the hole to someone else with an mp3 player, and then you kind of raise your eyebrows at them, and then they take their ear jack and plug it in to your player and then you plug your thingy into their mp3 player, then you listen to their music for a minute and they listen to yours, and then you switch back. OMG! It was so awesome! So, there's this pink-haired guy sitting next to me, and it took me all through Nina Simone's Feeling Good to do it, but then at Jose Gonzales I got up the nerve, and I ... exposed my hole... and then... (gee, this sounds so dirty) he put his jack in it... and then we smiled at each other... and then we switched back. He was listening to Johnny Cash. Then he said, "What is that, an ipod?" and I said, "no, it's just a regular mp3 player" and then he said, "It's a pinkpod." Take THAT, urban isolation!

8 Years, baby!

Mike and I celebrate our 8th anniversary today - can you believe it? Ah, seven good years... (that first one was a doozie.)


Last week was a rough one, my grandpa passed away on Friday morning - luckily I got to see him and say goodbye - I don't really want to get into it on my blog, but he was a great man, and I loved him very much. I'm still grappling with the idea that I'll never have a conversation with him again, but I have some great memories, and I'll always have those.

Well, and just like that, it's winter in Chicago. I wonder how cold it has to get before the landlord turns on the heat?

short romance

Well, it turns out that John Mayer and Jessica Simpson are NOT dating, at least according to various sources. JS herself claimed (on the View, I think) that it was all fabricated by the tabs, but the tabs say she started it, and some (US Weekly, maybe?) reports that John broke up with her when she started exploiting their "relationship." Anywho, that's my celeb (non)story of the day. Except to say that Britney Spears had her 2nd child today!

In other news, went to a friend's family "cottage" over the weekend for some blue-blood fun - swimming, boating, tennis-playing! We had a FABULOUS time, as you can see from the pics below.

Here we all are taking a swim - note the REGATTA behind us!


Here Mike's taking a turn driving the speed boat. I wanted him to learn, just in case we have the means to, you know, buy a summer cottage and boat of our own one day. Ah, to dream!

John is the new Kate

Have I been living under a rock? It's just come to my attention that John Mayer is dating Jessica Simpson. When did that happen? If you ask me, he's got that scared look in his eye we used to see in Katie Holmes back when she left the house. Do you think John Mayer holds Jessica Simpson's inflatable boobs in his hands and thinks her body is a wonderland? Why can't John Mayer conform and date a cool indie chick like Winona Ryder or even Scarlett Johansson? Now all of his songs are ruined.