The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

Christmas decorations: done.

Last Sunday night I got to go to my first Bears game. Khalia and I won tickets through a raffle at Big Brothers Big Sisters, and we were in the SECOND ROW. It was amazing. We were so close we could smell the turf. It felt so intimate, like we were just hanging out watching some guys play football. It all looked so small, too. On TV, the goal posts look so big; you wonder how the players can miss field goals. But in person, I wondered how they EVER make field goals. The whole field felt so tiny. Here's when they were running out onto the field. Here's when they were walking back into the locker rooms for halftime. Random shots from the game: Of course, the pics don't do it justice. The Bears ended up losing, but it was still amazing. I hope we get to go again sometime.

Well, there were no fires this year, so, you know, that was good. We just have a lot of fun together. I'm so lucky to have a family with no crazy drama. My grandma and aunt argue, but it's just because my aunt worries and my grandma is stubborn and independent. And they make funny faces behind each other's backs, and the best part is that the faces they make are pretty much identical. This year, as usual, we had tons of delicious food, and I didn't count Weight Watchers points at all. Andy was at his girlfriend's parents' house and missed dinner, but they managed to make it back in time for dessert. (There were 7 pies for just the 10 of us!) I was so glad they joined us; it wasn't the same without Andy and Jen. Katie brought Apples to Apples, which we had a blast playing. Michael shared some hilarious YouTube videos with me. (I finally understand the whole joke about being on a boat!) It was just a really nice day. So now we officially start the ho

Freshman year of college, my friends and I began a tradition. We were all home for Thanksgiving, and that Wednesday night we all gathered at my friend Dave's house. We wanted to go out to eat, but it was late, so we decided to cook. And it became a very ambitious meal that required a lot of time and preparation. The preparation was the best part- Tim was throwing pasta at the walls to see if it was cooked, Nina had an incident where she shook a Ziploc baggie that wasn't closed, and its contents went flying all over the kitchen... Finally, around 1 a.m., we sat down to eat in the dining room. It was very formal compared to what we were used to, and just perfectly wonderful. I'll never forget sitting there at the table, thinking how lucky I was to have these people in my life. It was me, Nina, Tim, Rachel A., and Dave. Things have changed a lot since then. Dave no longer dates Rachel A. (and I no longer talk to her). Tim died. Dave married Sarah, who is part of the

Oh my gosh, I can't freaking wait for tomorrow. I've been rereading the book this week to prepare. I'm actually kind of nervous to see the movie; this book is so dark. It's hard to read because Bella's pain is so real to me. (I think that shows what a great writer Stephenie Meyer is.) Most of us have been through bad break-ups, and she captures that so well. When I broke up with CTF, I took Nyquil all the time so I could just sleep and not deal with reality. Reading New Moon brings back all those memories. And the way Bella does so much dangerous stuff just to hear Edward's voice? It is messed up, but I totally understand it. When I read this book, I desperately want to get on a motorcycle. I also fall in love with Jacob a little more each time I read it. I love how attuned he is to Bella, like the part where they're in the car, and Mike asks him to turn on some music, and he replies that Bella doesn't like music. He just notices every little

Tim has been on my mind a lot this week, for obvious reasons. I actually started blogging with consistency not long after he died, but I never wrote about it. So here is Tim's story. (Tim and CTF (my ex) on our trip to Yosemite.) Tim started dating Nina senior year of high school. He was in the Navy and stationed at Great Lakes, and they met at a party. Tim was in the Navy because he got caught breaking into a car in a police station parking lot, trying to steal money to buy meth. This was in a small town in California, so the police gave him the option of the military or jail. When he met Nina, he was still partying and doing drugs, but staying away from meth. At the end of senior year, he was stationed in Virginia, and Nina followed him out there for the summer. It was during this time that he did meth again, had a random drug test, and was kicked out of the Navy. Nina brought him home with her, and he moved in with her family. He got a job, went to school, and was basic

Sarah and I both saw The Mint Julep Bistro on Check, Please last week and knew we had to go. It was soooo worth the trip to Palatine. We both ordered Mint Juleps, since that's the specialty. I'm not a fan of mint drinks, but these, I could handle. So refreshing- it made me wish I was actually in the South, sipping one of these on my porch on a hot summer day. For my meal, I had fried green tomatoes (the best I've ever had) and a side salad, which was excellent. I really didn't think a side salad could be anything spectacular, but it was. And, the waitress only charged me $1.50 for it! Cheaper than McDonald's. Sarah couldn't decide what she wanted, and finally settled on fried green tomatoes and stuffed dates. She mentioned to our waitress that she wanted to try the Butternut Squash Soup, but that would be too much food. The waitress said she'd bring her a little taste, and this is what she brought: Then, of course, we had to try dessert. Sarah had t

I want this. Maybe in like 10 years, after I've had a few kids and I'm in my late 30's. Would it be okay then? I can already hear people saying that it's never okay. But seriously, I would wear stuff like this when I have kids. Also, I really like the matching outfits they have for moms and their daughters. I have never been cool, and I will never be cool. I might as well just give in.

Last night was so perfect and fun; just what I needed after a lot of stress. Rachel and I went dancing at DC's, and I hadn't been in months. On the way there, we blasted Miranda with the windows down, and I stuck my head out the window to see the stars and smell the country air. Then I danced and danced for the next three hours. It felt so good, and Rachel's so fun to dance with because you can tell she's having just as much fun as you are. It was just absolutely perfect.

I am at a time in my life where celebrating Halloween means going out to the bars and dressing up as a slutty _____. This is not my thing. So although I love doing Halloween stuff with my students, and I'm sure I will love doing Halloween with my own kids someday, I chose not to celebrate Halloween this year. Instead, Whitney and I went on a hiking adventure out by the Mississippi River. Our plan was to go to lunch at a place called Poopy's in Savanna (because Poopy's? Seriously?), and then go hiking at Mississippi Palisades State Park. But there were some fun detours on the way. We saw a sign for a covered bridge, and I said, "Should I turn?" and Whitney said, "Do you even have to ask?" This is just one reason why I love her. As we drove through the cute covered bridge, I just couldn't help but wonder, "Why? What's the point?" But it was still nice. Our next detour occurred when we saw a sign for a windmill. I thought we'd