Bright Side

I'm a Texas girl who's fallen in love with Chicago. This is my place to capture the lovely things in my life, or to remember to look at the bright side of the not so lovely ones. var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-13232778-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {}

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D and I finally got away for a weekend trip, just us. We've both done a lot of travel the last few months, just not together. New Orleans is a place we both love. We stayed in D's friend's family condo in the French Quarter, and spent the weekend wandering the streets. We ate, we drank, we listened to jazz, we ran the neighborhoods, we shopped together. We had great conversations. His friends had a shrimp and crab boil for us Sunday night. It was an important weekend for us. We came out of it feeling stronger than ever. I'm really happy.

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It’s really Fall y'all 🍂#viewfrommynewplace #thetreehouse #chicago #soquaint

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Awesome weekend. So awesome I didn't take pictures (pic above stolen from IG) Thursday night at the Virgin rooftop and the game room at Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. Friday night date at Momotaro. Saturday laziness, first time I've slept in in months. The Everest movie as part of a birthday celebration, Thai dinner, and an aerialist circus show in a warehouse. Again, an aerialist show. In a warehouse. It was amazing. Awesome weekend.

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Girls Weekend: Charleston Sweet tea. Grits. Manners. Palm trees. Not sure what I was expecting from Charleston, but I was glad to finally visit. We landed in the middle of a storm last Thursday, it poured all day and there was a tornado in the area that night. We ventured out anyway (KB drove through flash flooding), and had a delicious dinner at McGrady's. While the first day was washed out, on our second day the sun came out, and we did a walking tour. Instead of pointing out homes and buildings and telling us when they were built, Oyster Point Tours broke down the history of the area for us and we all learned a lot. We had mimosas and biscuits and gravy for brunch at Homily Grill, and did dinner and the rooftop at Star's. Saturday we stayed on Isle of Palms and took in a lazy beach day. Paddleboarded against the current. Did dinner at Acme Low Country. Played late night rounds of Heads Up. We celebrated, reminisced, and laughed. A lot. It was both relaxing and invigorating to be around so many good friends.

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I'm behind in sharing. My parents came to Chicago! For a week! 

Since D and I are moving in together, I won't have my place for much longer. My parents took advantage and booked a week trip up, while they could have their own place at my apartment. 

It meant SO MUCH to have them here. To get to share my new home with them. See how I navigate, ride the train together, and share the things I love. I took two days off to spend time with them, and we also had the weekend. 

 - Wednesday: I met them at Midway and we rode the orange line. Brunch at the start of Route 66, Lou Mitchell's. Dad loved the donut holes and Reuben, though he got pretty sick in the afternoon with a 24 hour bug. So instead of both of them, Mom met D for dinner in his neighborhood. 

 - Thursday: Mom met LZ for early coffee, and we walked Michigan Ave together. Later we did the Art Institute when Dad was feeling better. He loved the Van Gogh and the armor. Mom loved the paintings and the miniatures. 

 - Friday: They explored on their own, and met me at work to see my office. We walked the pedway and took the red line. They got to see D's place, meet AG, and Dad met D. We made pizza and talked for hours. 

- Saturday: Cubs game at Wrigley, my parents first game, as well as AG's. It was a tense 9th with a big win over the Cardinals. We walked my old neighborhood and 'house shopped'. 

 - Sunday: Brunch and cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather's then a lake front walk to the marina. The Kramers had generously invited us out sailing, and it was a perfect sunny day on the lake. 

 - Monday: They did the Science & Industry museum to see the sub. After work we had dinner at D's, takeout middle eastern food and we read AG bedtime stories. We took a stroll around the block before saying goodbye. 

It was so awesome to get to see my parents every day for a week. I'm so glad they got to visit.

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MY PARENTS ARE COMING!!! SO excited for them to arrive in the morning. First visit to Chicago since I moved here 7 years ago. 😁

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Pre-fall weekend It was crisp, and sunny, and I biked 50 miles on Saturday. There was also yoga and a trip to the gym. A proper date night, and a stay-in and be silly night. A massage and a bubble bath. We made chili and ate well. Life is good.

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My first half marathon

This was a big milestone for me. After signing up and training last year - only to hurt my hip (hello, lack of cross training) and have to downgrade to the 5k, I told myself I’d have to sign up again. 

I ran 10 miles during training (have only ever done that once).

Then 11 miles as my long run in training.

And this weekend I did a half.

Not only that, it was during a heat advisory (felt like 104), and I only got 3 hours of sleep the night before (hello, nerves).

And D was there with AG at the finish line to cheer me on and tell me he’s proud of me.

As much as that means, I’m also proud of myself. 

I ran a half marathon!

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11 miles - my last big training run last night Farther than I've ever run And while it wasn't a great run (had done 5 the day before & weights)... I did it And D met me at home with post-run goodness Feeling good for Sunday's race

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Happy Anniversary to my lovely parents. 38 years today. THIRTY-EIGHT. Whoa.

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KP's Bachelorette Weekend 

Flew home this weekend for KP's bachelorette at Hyatt Lost Pines Resort. It was so great to get to meet her best friends, the ones I had heard so much about, but hadn't met given our long distance friendship over the past 9 years.

We swam and did the lazy river, sipped cocktails, got some sun, had a delicious dinner in the private dining room, late night s’mores, and spent time at the spa pool the next day. It was so low key, lots of great conversation and time together.

As a bonus, I got to see AP+AG, and had time with my parents. I even got a run in, despite it being 89 degrees and 93% humidity at 6:30am. 

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Air & Water show was this last weekend in Chicago. It's one of my favorite times to be in the city, especially the years the Blue Angels are performing. Getting to watch them zip around skyscrapers and fly over as I'm running around town. Grateful to have been invited out onto the water to watch this year's show. It was good to get some sunshine and fresh air. AG loved watching the jets go "really fast" and has been asking where the Blue Angels are ever since.

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Thus has reading wound in with living, each a complement to the other. Charlotte knows herself to ride upon a great sea of words, of language, of stories and situations and information, of knowledge, some of which she can summon up, much of which is half lost, but is in there somewhere, and has an effect on who she is and how she thinks. She is as much a product of what she has read as of the way in which she has lived; she is like millions of others built by books, for whom books are an essential foodstuff, who could starve without.

Penelope Lively, How It All Began

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So I may have slept through the Chicago 10k on Sunday (whoops) but I got in 8 miles last night along the lakefront. Bonus: choppy waves creating reflecting pools and a killer view Super bonus: getting to come home to takeout sushi, a bottle of champagne, and a super supportive guy who rubbed out my sore muscles

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I ran for 2 HOURS last night! 😳 My half marathon training hasn't been going great. Lots of cross training, but when I try to run, I just can't clear my head and get out of my own way. Last night D said lets go, you can do this, I believe in you. He ran the first 2 miles with me, offered some thoughts to clear my head, and then sent me off. He saw me at the turnaround point, and met me back at home with a smoothie when I finished. I felt strong at mile 8. This is totally new for me. 4 weeks til the half marathon. I now think I can do this.

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This weekend was for:

- Anthony Bourdain Thursday night with D, and a late night sushi date

- Lolla on Friday

- Another 56 mile bike ride on Saturday

- Beers with LZ & LT on Saturday night, and got to meet LT’s new little one

- Gym and pantry re-org on Sunday

- Date night for our 3 month anniversary Sunday night

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This year I only went to Lolla on Friday. It was definitely a switch up, and I did miss the experience of all 3 days. 

SR was able to get there early with me (thanks Summer Fridays). We saw:

Jamestown Revial - Austin band, great fun

St Paul & the Broken Bones

Father John Misty - great rock out/zen set

After she left to work a shift at one of the booths I went to see MSMR. I’ve seen them the last two years, and they’re just so much fun.

Then D was able to get there after work and we saw:

Alabama Shakes - they’re always so good live

And instead of running to the other side of the park to catch Alt J, we moved up and held down our spot for:

Paul McCartney - wow, just wow. That man is either going to live for another 20 years, or fall over on stage. He had so much energy. We got to hear Lady Madonna, Magical Mystery Tour, Paperback Writer, We Can Work It Out, Something in the Way She Moves, Hey Jude, Get Back... and Blackbird, my favorite, which made me cry. Over 2 hours of hit after hit.

Really glad I got to share a little Lolla with D. He’s never been to a festival before and is already in for next year. We ended the night with a 5 mile Divvy ride home, and late night nachos. Great night, indeed.