"Life is Like a Box of Chocolates...

...You Never Know What You're Gonna Get."

Today is one of those days where neither of us have any obligations and we can do whatever we want. . . My absolute favorite.

Right now I've started the laundry and Dan is working on his grad school work, taking a final a believe, all I know is I'm not allowed to talk to him until he tells me it's okay. We have a watermelon in the rerigerator with a bottle of vodka in it to take to a party tonight. Spiking watermelons take a lot more time than you would think, it's quite the process and Dan is really enjoying the project. I'll be sure to let you know how well it goes over at the party. Dan promised we could take a long walk on the bike trail today, so of course I already have my tennis shoes on ready to go and we are already excited about eating leftovers from our dinner last night for lunch. Nothing to do today and I'm loving it!

It's crazy how things have changed in such little time. Just two months ago I would sleep all day on Saturdays either because I worked until 5 am the night before and had to do it all over again on Saturday night, or I went out and partied until 5 am the night before and wanted to do it all over again on Saturday night. Ten months ago I would be working a double at Harry's serving people in all kinds of silly costumes during breakfast club, I miss those days... and the cash that was in my pocket after those shifts. I don't really miss the sticky booze in my hair, grenadine under my fingernails, stink on my clothes, or sore feet though. (ooooo Dan just gave me an update on this final, he's on question 19 out of 20, Yayyy!) Anyway, back to my reminiscing. Four years ago Saturdays were always full of fun. It usually involved doing something with the girls, probably shopping for outfits to go out that night, or making props for our parties that were going to take place that night. One day we spent the entire day decorating Paul and Theresa's basement for Beer Olympics. Somehow me managed to "borrow" Ms. Hankinson's world flags for decorations for this party. Ten years ago Saturday nights we went to church and then went out to eat with Bert and Dave, Chi-Chi's preferably. TEST IS SUBMITTED, Dan is done! I can speak now, thank goodness!

There is really no common thread running this post today, but one thing I know is that when things change, it's a good thing. It means we are growing up, there is no way that I could have stayed out until 5 am last night. I believe I went to bed at 11:30 after drinking two glasses of wine and watching Forest Gump with Dan... my all time favorite movie (that will never change, it's the best!)

America's Greatest Game

Baseball... I love the game. I've grown up with grandparents and parents that wouldn't miss a game. They knew every player for their team, and what their batting average was. When we would visit Grandma Horstman in the summer time she would be sitting next to the radio listening to the Reds game. Dad could be driving anywhere in the United States and be trying to listen to WLW so that he could get the score of his Redlegs. I would be listening and could only hear scratchy scratch sounds but he would be clapping because his team just scored a run. . .

Dan's the same exact way, that's what I love about him. It kills him that we can't watch the Reds. We spend more time watching the bottom line on ESPN than we do anything else, just because we want to see a Reds score. So when Dan called me today and said "Don't take the train home, I'm going to be driving through your area," I had few ideas about what he would be doing. The Reds are in Milwaukee this week so of course he took the road trip to see them play. I was so jealous he got to spend the day at the park. He packed a cooler full of beers and ate hotdogs while enjoying the game underneath the shade, my kind of day!

When we got home tonight we really starting talking about baseball and how Joey Votto is the statistical leader in many of the categories, Home Runs and Batting Average to be exact. I asked Dan, "Can you tell me when the last time someone was batting .350 and they were wearing grey uniforms, the sun was shining, and there were 35,000 people in the stands." He laughed at me, but this is what I find so hilarious about baseball. Anybody can be a stat leader in anything because they make up the most hysterical statistics. I mean honestly, I could hold the record for the biggest fan who has brown hair, whose favorite color is red, lived in the tri-state area and then moved away on a hot day in June. PUT IT ON THE BOARD.... YES! ( Sorry, that's a little Chicago flare coming out in me now)

Baseball is my favorite game, today is my favorite day... AND THIS ONE BELONGS TO THE REDS!

Number Six

"After all there is something about a wedding-gown prettier than in any other gown in the world." ~Douglas William Jerrold

I knew that I would need to start dress shopping a year before our wedding because I honestly thought it would take me that long. I've never had a good dress buying experience. . . and I had buyer's remorse after every single big dress purchase of my life. So when I told Mom and Jill we were going wedding dress shopping they were both preparing for the melt-down of a lifetime.

As soon as we were back on US soil after being engaged I started looking for dresses. I probably considered 100 different dresses So I scheduled an appointment, took my top ten list into the store, and started this adventure. I thought for sure at least nine more of these trips would have to take place. What came next was something I was not expecting at all.

I tried on the sixth dress. Looked in the mirror. Contemplated for about ten minutes and said, "Ok, this is my wedding dress." It was just like that. I did try on one more, but just wanted to get back into number six. It fit perfectly, I didn't need one thing done to it. I walked around the store, picked out my shoes, my head piece, and was all set. In the meantime Jill picked out the bridesmaids dress and Mom tried on one dress and loved it as well. Two and a half hours after walking into the store, we each walked out with a dress.

Who would have thought??? Paul sure didn't. He looked pretty surprised when we all walked in the house with packages!

You will notice there is no picture attached to this post, and I'm not going to tell anybody about it, not even one detail (except the girls of course.) I put the dress in the garmet bag and hung it in the closet at Mom and Dad's. I don't plan on getting it out for 11 months. . . but I can't wait until that day. I love this dress!

July 3, 2011 can't get here soon enough. Now if only Dan's attempt to find something to wear to our wedding will be this easy. Not Going To Happen!

Turning Home

"I don't know no town like the old town

Even when the miles are many, I feel like I"m still around.

Deep inside me like rings through an oak tree

Yeah, there's something about a Sunday when I'm gone."

I just made the big drive back to Chicago from St. Leon. Driving back I heard this song and absolutely loved it. It summed up everything that I felt this weekend.

It was such a good time to go home because of the festivals that were going on this weekend and I got to see everybody in my family and all my friends from high school together in one place. . . I realize that there are few towns like this around where you can experience this. How lucky are we! I drove past my old high school and all the corn fields and instantly knew, I was HOME. My first stop was Mom and Dad's house. I kissed Dillon, heard him say "TRACY" for the first time and gave big big hugs to Mom and Dad. In five minutes Jill and I changed clothes and went out on the town. Well really, just to the Bright Festival. We walked in and everybody was there. I don't think I've ever given so many hugs and I had two beers in my hand... spilled every where!

"And I don't know no friends like the old friends

I never seem to laugh now like I did with them
But deep inside me, a piece of my history

Yeah, I hear their voices even when they're gone."

The girls were the first people I saw and I was so so excited. Kaitlin, Holly, and Jes were all in their finest forms. Kaitlin's family just sold there house and are moving. . . It's so hard to realize that when we all come home now for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Kaitlin won't be there, she will be at her new home... not Blue Goose Road. I'm thrilled that I got to see her and Adam before she moved out of the unicorn bedroom forever. I'm going to miss that house and all the fun times we've had there, especially George Washington's Birthday Party we threw there during Senior Year. We made any kind of excuse to have a party! Friday night was Jesika's last night in town. She's moving to Tennessee! We honestly didn't think we would see each other before she left, so seeing her standing in the middle of the field, with that cry face on was amazing. We had a lot of fun dancing on a picnic table (the same one we danced on four years ago) singing songs, and laughing at each other. There are no friends like the old friends.

The familiar people, the stars and crickets (something I miss more than I would ever know) the ability to buy 12 beers for $20, ponds to go swimming in, and my family and friend's love is what keeps my Turning Home.

LeBron and Benedict

Today is my favorite day... for several reasons

1. It was date night
2. Dan met me downtown for dinner so I didn't have to ride the train home
3. I had the best meatloaf ever... and that's saying a lot because Theresa's is fantastic!
4. Our Save the Dates came in the mail!!
5. I learned a history lesson.

Although I didn't get my daily reading in and I only walked one mile instead of two, it was a fantastic day. And our save the dates came! This is the first thing we've picked out and received for our wedding, so it's really exciting!

I have to say Dan's two biggest interests are history and sports, so when he gets to talk about them together he's in heaven. Our conversation on the way home from the city was exactly that, history and sports... not sports history, history and sports.

The talk around town for the last two weeks, well who are we kidding, the talk around the country has been LeBron James. A few times Dan has referenced Benedict Arnold when talking about LeBron and I just couldn't make the connection. (Today's exact conversation was how the Cavalier's owner has lowered the price of LeBron Fatheads from $60 to $17.14, the year Benedict Arnold was born!) He couldn't believe I didn't know who Benedict Arnold was and he would never tell me the significance, so he gave me an assignment. I had to write a 150 word essay about Benedict Arnold... due Wednesday! Here it is...

Benedict Arnold, born 1714 (that part I knew already) is the world's most famous traitor! He began the American Revolutionary War with Continental Army and later went to the British Army. Benedict Arnold distinguished himself during the war through his acts of bravery, but was overlooked by the Continental Congress for a promotion. Other people were taking credit for what he did. Long story short, Benedict Arnold was pissed and switched sides. Now he didn't just switch sides quietly. While he was still in Command on the American side he took control of West Point and plotted the surrender to the British. I compare this to LeBron James setting up a press conference at the Boy and Girls Club.

LeBron James is taking his talents to South Beach, Benedict Arnold took his to Great Britan!

Sunday, Funday

"Sunday Clears Away the Rust of the Whole Week" ~ Joseph Addison

I love Sundays, I always have. Thinking about it, my Sunday routines have changed a lot over the years. At home mom would always wake us up so early to go to church and ccd, dad would make us breakfast when we got home, and then we all took naps, it was fantastic. The Sundays during my freshman year of college were usually pretty interesting. I never felt good in the morning from the night before, I had a huge pile of homework, and the dining courts were closed, but these are the days I remember from college. The girls in the hall would all make fun of me because I was a walking dissaster, Amanda would ground me until I got my Spanish homework done, and the five of us girls would walk over to the convenient store and come up with the most unhealthy dinner you could imagine. Amanda and I's favorite was spinach and artichoke dip... for dinner! The next few years when I started working at Harry's is when the Sunday Funday routine started. Sundays are great great days for people in the bar business. Most bars are closed so it's the day all the bartenders go out. Well Harry's is closed one day a year, so we got all the great business, and we could usually drink along with them... and it was a short shift. We closed at 12:30 instead of 3:00 am. Sunday Funday was the best. It didn't make for a So Fun Monday though!

So I've mentioned that each Sunday was great, but now... my Sundays are my favorite. Dan and I are starting to make our routines and I really love it. It is my laundry and cleaning day which can sometimes take up quite a bit of time, but we sleep in, make breakfast together, have our regular TV shows we watch, make really good dinners, go on adventures, and just lay around like cats. I love that we are so comfortable together and can be happy doing absolutely nothing. I hate to think that in a couple weeks our Sunday routines are going to be interupted by football coaching meetings, but I'll enjoy our little days while we have them.

My Kind of Town, Chicago Is

So we did it, we invited our families to spend the weekend in Chicago. The Horstman, Helfer, Hartman weekend, with an itinerary and all, took place 4th of July weekend. It was a great weekend full of laughing, cocktails, ballgames, and exploring the city and just needed to be included in my blog. Not only was it Dan and I's first time to have guests in our home, it was Mom & Dad and Bert & Dave's first trip to Chicago.

Dan's family got in on Thursday and Dan entertained them while I went to work on Friday. They took an architecture tour on the river, had lunch on Navy Pier, went to the zoo, and then met me when I got off work. We had drinks on the 96th floor and enjoyed the view, it's amazing how great a beer tastes at that high of an altitude! That night we went to The Rockit Bar, which should be a stop for anybody while in Chicago. It's a really great atmosphere with bar food like no other. I had a great burger and truffle fries "The best fries I've ever had!" and Dan agreed with me on that one.

Dan and I went to the train station and picked up my family in the morning. I was so excited to see them, it hadn't been that long since they helped moved us in, but it's always so good to see them. After we took them on the River Walk we headed to Wrigley Field. Now I've only been to two other ball parks in my life. Great American and US Cellular, which are both fairly new and modern so going to Wrigley was quite the treat! We were in the last section of the park but felt like we were right on the field. There are no electronic boards telling you to stomp your feet or clap your hands, and there is no place to see the ridiculous amount of statistics that they come up with... it was fantastic. It's how baseball is suppose to be. So of course I had to eat a hot dog, drink Old Style (which is still disgusting even if you're at Wrigley) and eat cracker jacks. We had a great day at the game even though the Reds lost. That night we went to Greek Town. I absolutely love The Parthenon and every time we go there we have the same waiter. This man is fantastic and when he lights the saganaki on fire I love him even more! We had a great dinner, drank a lot of wine, told stories, and laughed. These are the best times with families and I was so happy that Dan and I had our families together at that moment.

Sunday I met my family at their hotel and we had adventures on our own. It was a great day to walk around the city, explore the parks, and stand in line for Garrett's popcorn. It was sad to leave the city with them all because I knew as soon as we got back to Dan and I's house they would be leaving to go home. But to my surprise they stayed enjoyed Gino's pizza in our living room before heading out! It really was a great weekend. I love having guests in our home and showing people around our new city! We look forward to many more of these adventures with our friends and families.

I'm now... The Suburban Commuter

This is never a title I thought I would hold. But here I am, living in Indiana, working in Chicago. I ride a train ever day for goodness sake! And I love it. I love getting up every morning and getting ready for work. I like leaving my house in a dress and tennis shoes toting along my heels. I like seeing the regular people at the train station every morning and saying hello (the newspaper man is especially chipper in the morning), and I like the 45 minute nap I get on my way into the city. The next step in my commute is to take a lot of steps... I walk exactly one mile (The Magnificent Mile to be exact) to work. Right now, I really enjoy this, it energizes me and gets me ready for my day, I get to people watch and window shop, and get some exercise. We will see how much I like it in the frigid winter time. But by the time I get to work and unlock the door to our part of the office, I'm ready for my day.

I really love what I do. I'm the Private Dining Coordinator at The Signature Room at the 95th. Every day there is something different and i love it. I am the first person someone talks to when they are thinking about hosting an event at The Signature Room and I love to hear their energy and excitement. I get to see the events from the beginning to the end, and all the little details that go along with it. It's been a lot of fun and I work with some really great people. The best part, the picture above is the view from the ladies room at the restaurant, something I don't get tired of seeing. If you go on any tour of Chicago, they will tell you that the best view of the city can be seen by going to the bathroom at The Signature Lounge... so by me saying this next statement, it's not just me being me, it's an actual fact! "This is the best view of Chicago ever!"

Welcome to my World

Today is My Favorite Day! What a great way to live life. It sums up the way I live my life and that's why I decided to use it as the basis for my blog.

I've had a lot going on in my life lately, and it all happened fast. When it rains, it pours... At the end of March I had a job interview, the next day Dan and I left for Mexico, and the next day I was engaged. This is a lot, I know, but that was just the beginning. Upon our arrival back in the United States and sharing our exciting news with everyone, I found out that I got the job! I was moving to Chicago, so we decided we needed to buy a house. . . so that's what we did. The day we were going to put an offer on the house, I crashed my car. The only car I've ever had, I loved that thing all 200,000 miles of it, but it had to go to the junkyard. So here I am, new house, new car, new job, new fiance... and two weeks later, I got it! The thing that's I've been working towards for four years, a degree! This whirlwind couple of weeks was over and I was on the brink of my new life. The whole time things were just getting better and better, and over a month later, here I am, and things are still getting better and better.

So I hope you enjoy my blog. I'm sure I'll be sharing a lot of pictures, quotes, and stories. I'm sure I'll be letting it be known that I found a better recipe or book than my previous favorite, and I'm sure I'll be loving this crazy thing I call my life.