I know I don't know you, but let me tell you my life story

Some days I feel like I have a huge tattoo on my forehead that says "Please talk to me." 

Today was one of those days. 

I find that random people often like to strike up conversations with me. Not that I mind, I take it as a compliment. I must look friendly and approachable or something, which is always a good thing. And I find people fascinating, so it's interesting to talk to them...but I wonder why it only happens some days, and not others. And I wonder what it is that gets them talking in the first place.

Today I decided to brave the soggy weather and run to Cosi for lunch. On my walk, I cut through the front of a hotel, where the doormen/valets hang out to get people in and out of taxis. There is this one doorman who ALWAYS talks to me...always waves, smiles and goes out of his way to be friendly. It always makes me smile, but it's a bit embarassing...my coworkers love to tease me about it. 

So after having my little run in with him, I walked back into my office building, still smiling a bit. As I stopped to wait for the elevator, I caught the eye of an older man standing there. 

"Cosi again, huh? What did you get?" he asked me, as if he had known me and my eating habits my entire life.

"Yep, I love Cosi. Just got a sandwich..." I replied.

"A sandwich? What kind?"

"Sesame ginger chicken."

"Oh wow, I only ever get a salad there!"

We then got in the same elevator and he proceeded to tell me about how he loves to get Cosi before class...the class he takes at Northwestern for fun. He went on about what classes he's taken before and the different things that interest him...and then he got off, telling me that he'd "see me again soon."

For a second I wondered if he was some friend of my parents' that I hadn't remembered...but no. It was just another random encounter. It was great to learn about him, but still a bit odd.

The strangest random conversations (yes, plural) I've ever had took place last year. I was waiting at my bus stop, the same bus stop I had waited at every morning for about 9 months, when the lady next to me, who I had seen almost every day, decided to chat with me. I can't even remember how it started, but before long we boarded the bus together and she took the seat next to me.

She then proceeded to tell me all about how she hated her job, riding the bus...and 20-somethings. Then she asked me how old I was, which was amusing. So I told her and she goes, "Oh, well you're a nice one then. You're the exception." Thanks...I think. 

I knew more about her after our 15-minute bus ride than I knew about some of my friends in college. She even asked for my e-mail address to send me something after she found out what my job was. And yes, she e-mailed me.

After that, I kept seeing her, at least two mornings a week. We chatted a lot and always sat next to each other (even though I do not like chatting on the morning bus ride...I just want to read my book). She was very nice and a bit negative, but now that I moved, I never see her. And I'm back to my (mostly) quiet morning bus rides.  

So I guess it makes every day a bit of an adventure. I never know who I might end up talking to or whose abridged life story I might end up hearing. Hey, at least I'll have good character insights if I ever write a book, right?

Ok off to finish The Holiday. I loooooove Jude Law's character (swoon).

Nothing much.

I don't really have a lot to say today...nothing much happened. I went to work, used all my willpower to resist a Starbucks run (I try to only go once a week),  struggled with a ridiculously hard crossword puzzle, contemplated my future for a bit, went to Pilates, bought a green dress at Urban Outfitters (see above) and then watched The Biggest Loser.

Fantastic show by the way...but that Vicky is such a jerk! What is her problem?! She and Heba...geesh. 

I recently took the plunge and signed up for DVR when I moved into my current apartment. I can honestly say that it has changed my life...probably not for the better. I have become addicted to TV during the week...

Monday: Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill,  John and Kate + 8 (I LOVE that family) and sometimes 17 and Counting (the Duggars are so odd and fascinating to watch)

Tuesday: The Biggest Loser

Wednesday: America's Next Top Model and Stylista (sometimes)

Thursday: The Office, 30 Rock (just starting to get into it) and Grey's Anatomy

Not to mention the other shows I love like My Fair Wedding, Amazing Wedding Cakes, Passport to Europe, True Life (yes, the one on MTV), Say Yes to the Dress, What Not to Wear, etc.

Kind of crazy..but I'm hooked.

And I also can't stop listening to Bella's Lullaby from the Twilight soundtrack. It is SO good.

I'm thinking about going to the midnight showing of Twilight next week...is that crazy? I know I'll be super tired the next day at work, but I am dying to see the movie, so I think I just might. Maybe I'll hit up Starbucks and then go. :)

"It's so nice to meet you. Can I have a hug?"

I love celebrities...the gossip, the fashion, the "stars are just like us" section in US Weekly, the drama, excitement...it fascinates me. But the thing I love most of all? Hearing people's stories about meeting/seeing celebrities in the real world. That's when you find out how they really are...if they're nice, total druggies, way hotter in person, so not as cute in real life, etc. 

Up until I was 19, the only "famous" person I had ever met was Steve Kerr from the Chicago Bulls...hey, he played with Michael Jordan. But to me, that just was not cool enough. I envied my friends who had great stories about meeting Zachary Ty Bryan getting off a plane, seeing Danny Devito going through security at the airport or running into Lance Bass and Joey Fatone in an alley in Chicago...though those definitely aren't the coolest celebs around, it was still something to talk about.

But that all changed October of my sophomore year in college. As I headed back to my dorm room one fateful autumn afternoon, I glanced at the slew of fliers taped to the walls of the hallway. And one of them literally jumped out at me. It was advertising a rally for John Kerry for his upcoming election (yes, it was 2004)....with special guest star JAKE GYLLENHAAL!! I was SO excited. I had just seen Donnie Darko the week before and totally fell for him. He played a completely dark and twisted character, but he looked so darn hot doing it. I just HAD to meet him.

I immediately ran to my friend's room and told her we had to go. She was already planning on it. I felt a teeny tiny bit guilty because at that time, I am very ashamed to admit that I could have cared less about politics. But, I thought I could fake it for the night and be all about John Kerry.

So that night, after taking a long time selecting the right outfit and making sure my hair and makeup were perfect, my friend and I headed over to the Union to see Jake Gyllenhaal...oh and root for Kerry, too.

The Union was FILLED with girls. It was hilarious. And every single one, myself included, was clutching a camera nervously and grinning ear to ear. We all eventually sat down in front of a makeshift stage and had to listen to the College Dems give their little speech about voting (yes, I did vote that year).

And then Jake Gyllenhaal came in...and I nearly bit my lip off trying not to scream with excitement. The teenybopper in me was threatening to jump out of my skin.

So he gave a little speech about John Kerry and voting. And I was very, very surprised to learn that he was not a good public speaker. I don't know if he was drunk or high or tired or what...but he was all over the place. I think at one point he was like, "Oh man! You like just have vote. Just f'ing vote! For John Kerry! Because he is...awesome." It's a good thing he gets to use a script for his job. Not that any one was really listening to him...I couldn't stop staring at him. He was sooo handsome...MUCH better looking in person.

After his speech, they gave everyone the chance to line up and meet him. I started getting SO nervous. So what did I do to pass my time in line? I called my sister and practically shouted, "I am about to meet Jake Gyllenhaal! He is so hot!" To which my sister said, "Who?" and I replied, "Donnie Darko! Boy in the Bubble! I am pretending to like John Kerry to meet him!" I realized I sounded way too giddy, really crazy and was being way too loud, so I immediately ended the conversation.

As we got closer, we noticed everyone was just shaking his hand. So the random girl in front of me decided to put an end to that. When it was her turn, she marched right up to him and asked for a hug...and he actually hugged her.

And then it was my turn. And naturally, I wanted a hug. (well actually, I really want to jump on him and make out with him in front of everyone, but that would just be crazy and get me arrested). As I stepped up to him and took one look into those blue eyes of his, my heart nearly melted. "Hi...Jake" I said in a whisper. "Hey, how's it going?" he said with a smile. I think I stared for a minute, just taking him in. He not only looked good, but he smelled good, too.

Then I said, "It's so nice to meet you. Can I have a hug?" Yes. I actually said that. So he laughed and said, "Wow, look what that last girl started." And then reached out and HUGGED ME. It was the best hug of my entire life. Ok that's exaggerating...but it was definitely top five. It was close, it was tight and it was hot. Then he let go and we took a couple pictures together and then I had to leave (sigh). My friend met him next and got to talk to him for a good 5 minutes, the lucky duck. She pretended to be confused by the voting process...what a good ploy.

So yes, I met Jake and I hugged him and it was amazing. And yes, the little teenybopper inside me just knows that if he saw me again he'd remember me and totally want to date me...HA. No, no I love that he's dating Reese Witherspoon...mainly because if there was ever a movie made about my life, I'd want her to play me.

Below is the proof that I actually met him...Yes, I look terrible and yes, my cheeks are red because I blush like crazy when I get nervous...and I tend to sweat a lot. I was so nervous I think the entire campus could hear my heart beating...



Wow, my hair looked awful...but look! His cheek is resting on mine and his arm is around me. SWOON. 

Does anyone out there have any fun celebrity stories they'd like to share? I'd love to hear them!

My radiator makes me laugh

Buddy: "There's a horrible noise coming from the evil box underneath the window. It sounds like this. EEEEEEEEHHHAAAAAAHHHHHH"
Walter: "It's... It's, uh... It's not evil, Buddy. It's a radiator and the heat makes noise when it comes on."
Buddy: "No, it doesn't. It... It's very evil. It's scary to look at. It's... Okay, I'm going... Oh wait, yes, it is. Okay, it's okay. it's okay, everything's fine. You were right."

I had never experienced the joys of a radiator before I moved into my current apartment. The first time it went on was about 4am on a random weekday morning. It scared the hell out of me. First I thought someone was breaking in to my apartment, then I thought my apartment was flooding with rushing water. When I finally got the nerve to get up and investigate, I realized that it was just the radiator. 

And from then on, every single time I hear the radiator go on, I think of that quote from Elf...and it makes me laugh.

Shoot, now I want to watch Elf again. I LOVE  that movie... 

Ugggh....

I feel awful this morning. And I think my body hates me.

So I went out last night...yeah. I hadn't been out in a few weeks, so I decided to make up for lost time. Bad idea.

I had a great time, but oh man...this morning I am hurting. A lot. And in a couple hours, I have to be up, dressed and ready to go to a huge family party. My boyfriend is driving down, my grandma and all my aunts, uncles and cousins are coming into town and my parents are driving in from the burbs.

Uggggh. I love my family, but right now I want to crawl under my covers, finish watching Rookie of the Year and slowly drift off to sleep.

And on top of it all, I cannot get this song out of my head:



That commercial is on ALL the time. I enjoy it the first couple times I see it because it means Christmas is on the way...but after that, the little jingle gets stuck in my head. Much like the Daisy sour cream jingle, "do do do do do do a dollop".

My grandma took all the girls in the family to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular last year when it was in Chicago...and I didn't like it. I know, I know, that sounds terrible, but I thought it was cheesy! I am big fan of the classics, like the Holiday Pops and The Nutcracker. And when people dressed in teddy bear costumes came out and danced to The Nutcracker at the Radio City show, I was shocked...and a little annoyed. Teddy bear costumes? Really Why? It ruined it... Yes, the Rockettes were pretty cool, but the show was just all over the place. And the living Nativity? Also cool...but bizarre. Camels? Donkeys? Woooow...I didn't know what to expect, but that sure wasn't it.

Ok enough being grumpy, I better go shower and try to perk up...yikes.

It's getting cold out there...

So here's to thinking warm thoughts...
(photo taken last November in Ixtapa...one of my favorites)

Happy Friday everyone!

So the craziest thing happened to me yesterday...

It was late yesterday afternoon, about the time I usually zone out and stop being productive, and I was really ready for the day to be over. I was chatting it up on gchat (the best thing ever, by the way) when a new message popped up from my friend, one of the fabulous ladies from Working Girl , one of my very favorite blogs.

I read her message..and then my jaw dropped to the floor.

WG: hey
marie claire magazine just e-mailed working girl
asked for your # and e-mail
they want to interview you on being gutsy and handing your resume to your boss for a feature they are doing about getting
jobs in different ways

me: WHAT?!
shut up

WG: yea

me: you're kidding right?

WG: no
i'll forward you the e-mail

So she did. And it was real. I gave her my contact info to pass on and then I sat in shock for about 5 minutes, just staring at my computer. I felt like my heart was pounding through my chest. I got nervous/anxious/excited/happy/more nervous in a span of about 10 seconds. These kinds of things NEVER happen to me. Ever.

Within the hour I had a new voicemail on my phone. Because my phone doesn't always work in my office building (or at all), I had to wait until after work to run outside and check the message. My heart was fluttering, my palms were sweaty and I was ready to scream with excitement.

After dodging the long lines in front of Tribune Tower, which I later waited in to buy the Chicago Tribune with the incredible Obama victory as the feature story, I found a stone bench, plopped down and listened to the message. It was the features editor from Marie Claire. She hoped I would be interested and asked me to call her back immediately. She hoped I would be interested? Ha. OF COURSE I WAS!

After 10 very intense minutes of phone tag, we finally connected. She was so nice and like the giddy girl I am, I think I kept saying "Wow, this is seriously so cool!" and "I can't believe this!". You would have thought I just won the lottery or found out Jim Halpert was real or made out with Justin Timberlake or something. God only knows how I would react if any of those things happened..

So I told her the whooole story about how I landed my first (and only) job.... Long story short, fall of my senior year in college, we had a speaker in class who was a creative director at a small Chicago ad agency, a place where I wanted to work when I graduated. So I whipped up a cover letter, updated my resume and at the suggestion of my Dad, walked right into class that day and handed him my resume...before even really meeting him. He was so surprised that I did that, especially since he hadn't even talked to the class yet. He ended up emailing me a few times over the year, and then out of the blue, after I had graduated, he emailed me again asking me if I wanted to interview for junior copywriting position. I did...and now he's my boss.

I suppose it was gutsy...but at the time, I was acting solely on nerves. I still remember how nervous I was to do that...

You can read the original post I wrote here. It was the first blog post I had ever written and I was a nervous wreck to write it.

Yes, I am a nervous person.

So anyway, she said the story was great, asked me to send her a picture of myself and said she would send me a copy when it was printed. I rushed home, found an appropriate picture with the help of my friends (I hope they crop out the purple party beads), and sent it over.

She sent me the very short write-up...more like a shoutout...today and it sounded great. A few too many exclamation points for my taste, but I'll let it slide. ;)

So yeah...I'm going to have a tiny quote and pic in the January issue of Marie Claire. How crazy is that?! It seriously just made my entire month. No wait, better than that. It made my entire season...as in fall. Move over Pumpkin Spice Latte, Marie Claire has you beat.

For this great honor, I'd like to thank the wonderful girls of Working Girl. I love your blog...it's clever, fun, witty and very informative. You do an amazing job and you definitely help me procrastinate at work, so thank you.

I'd also like to thank my cell phone for not dropping my calls for once, and the Chicago Tribune for reprinting the paper yesterday so I could finally get a copy. Woo!