Day 290: Stop. Focus. Click... On Life's Little Pleasures

One word: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. (Yes, those are rose petals! Never tried that before, but my skin came out soft and nice-smelling!)

Day 283: Stop. Focus. Click... On Ridiculousness, Part III

It's time for a third season of "Ridiculous," which is my place to vent about the ridiculousness of this world. (Read about the first Ridiculous and the second Ridiculous.)

This "bike" - one without a seat, tires, chain, or handlebars - was chained to a fence with a bike chain. Normally, a bike chain is used to secure a bike so it's not stolen. My question is, "Who would want to go through the trouble of stealing this?"

There are limited seats on the train going from downtown Chicago to the suburbs, and nothing infuriates me more than these horribly rude people who take up two seats so they can sleep more comfortably. While I have no issues asking them to move if it's the only seat available, and I want to sit down for the 45-minute ride, I see others stand so as not to disturb them.

One of my biggest pet peeves is people taking up more room than is needed, and just being an ass about it. Yes, I'm talking about you, Porsche owner who takes up the two spots nearest the store so no one parks too close to you. The same thing goes for you, red truck owner. You own a truck, and it's a large vehicle. But it's not so large as to take up FOUR (yes, four) parking spaces. Or even two.

Day 276: Stop. Focus. Click... On First Friday

After a long stressful week, it's great to unwind with fantastic art at First Fridays at the Museum of Contemporary Art, appetizers prepared by Wolfgang Puck, and the girls mustache-ing while decked out in our crimped hair and ballerina tutu's for '80s night.

Day 269: Stop. Focus. Click... On Please Play With Your Food

Carved fruit always gave our buffet meals an extra festive touch in the Dominican Republic.

 

Day 262: Stop. Focus. Click... On Doing Nothing

As I'm nearing the end of my Dominican Republic vacation, I'm realizing that there's just so much "nothing" I can do before I go stir crazy. I have determined that five days is enough, but seven is too many. It's still beautiful here, though.

 

Day 255: Stop. Focus. Click... On My Punkers

Glad you're feeling better punkin'.

Day 248: Stop. Focus. Click... On Frankenpup

Chloe Belle is getting her stitches out tomorrow from the small tumor we found on the back of her head, but it's been a rough week and a half. She could hardly keep her eyes open the day of the surgery.

She hates this cone I have to put on her whenever we're not home.

And her eight stitches scare me, but the vet said she got good margins, so Miss Chloe should be good to go. Whenever she can lose the cone, that is.

Day 241: Stop. Focus. Click... On Veggie Tales

I set out the veggies that I was planning on cooking with this weekend as I was putting away the groceries, and then saw how beautiful they looked on the counter together. Hence, this picture.

 

Day 234: Stop. Focus. Click... On Pure Joy

The snow started falling soon after I arrived at work this morning. It accumulated so quickly that the HR department at my work told us commuters to go home early.

So I did and in accordance with my routine, leashed up Chloe intending to take her on a quick "pee walk."

But when I got outside again, I actually took a look around me instead of just putting my head down and clomping along with dozens of commuters after getting off the train.

It was dusk, quiet, surprisingly not cold, and beautiful.
 
Nightfall had just arrived, and drivers were steering clear of the roads with eight inches and counting on the ground already. Plus, since it was still snowing, most of it was untouched.

So on impulse, I asked Chloe if she wanted to go to the small park two blocks away. I didn't have to ask her twice.

When we arrived, we were the only people there, of course, so I unclipped her leash, yelled "come on!" and started running through the still-falling snow with her prancing right alongside me.

And then I just let her go and watched a dog off her leash as she was meant to be through the gentle flakes whirling atop the dusk and thought about just how happy I was.

 

Day 227: Stop. Focus. Click... On Nighttime Magic

The holidays are over and the dreary winter months are upon us. However, the holiday lights are still up. So even though it looks crappy out my window during the day, it still looks magical at night.

Day 220: Stop. Focus. Click... On Disguises

Out of the four of us, I must say that Tony's mustache disguise is by far the most convincing.

Oh the things we come up with as reasons to take breaks from work.

Day 213: Stop. Focus. Click... On Family

I've have some time to spend with family this week for the holidays, and it was just what I needed. I love my family.

I didn't have time to make my cheese ball for the Christmas Eve party, so I gave the recipe to my mom and asked her to make it. This is what she gave me to take to the party. And to answer your question, yes, I did ridicule her for giving me a cheese boob. All I needed was another one to have a nice set.

Chloe was with my family and I this week and, as evidenced by the photo, LOVES Christmas. 

Day 206: Stop. Focus. Click... On Smoking Art

After I clean the bathroom, I light incense to make it smell extra nice. Today I watched it and sat marveling at the patterns it was making in front of the mirror. Then went to get my camera and captured a woman on her wedding day, an alien playing the violin, and the smoking caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland.

Day 199: Stop. Focus. Click... On Festive Lighting

I love Christmas lights. They make everything more festive!

Day 192: Stop. Focus. Click... On Smart Monkeys

I jammed my middle finger recently, and taped it to my ring finger to keep it from bending so it could heal. My colleague, Heather, asked to sign my tape cast-style and chose to memorialize the "Smart monkey" song and dance that I do when I have accomplished a particularly difficult task at work.

And now I'm walking around sporting a smiling penis. At least it's a conversation-starter.

Day 185: Stop. Focus. Click... On the End of Fall

I've been trying to hold onto fall because when I tell Chicagoans I hate the cold, they always respond with something along the lines of, "Oh just you wait. You haven't seen anything yet." I know there's only frigid temperatures to come, but I'll just try and keep focusing on the magical lead-up to Christmas. And this gorgeous photo of the golden fall leaves in the courtyard at my apartment complex.

Day 178: Stop. Focus. Click... On Home Away From Home

Even though I live four hours from where I grew up, downtown Chicago still gives me little reminders of home. Loving it.

 

Day 171: Stop. Focus. Click... On Puppets

Gotta love an impromptu puppet show outside of my work (I have this same disco ball hanging on a wall of my cube!).

Day 164: Stop. Focus. Click... On Granny Panties

Marilyn Monroe was larger than life, as Artist Seward Johnson's 26-foot depiction in downtown Chicago illustrates.

Iconic.

Day 157: Stop. Focus. Click...On Holding On To Summer

It's still summertime if there are butterflies still outside, right?