All I wanna do, is grow old with you.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, today I am asking myself, "What am I thankful for this year?"

Now, I like to think of myself as a pretty positive person. Not a lot gets to me and I usually can find good in even the darkest of situations. But, I have to say, 2013 has been kind of a shitty year. Maybe it is the screaming baby behind me on this flight, or maybe it was the fact that there was no hot water in my hotel room shower today, but I am feeling very negative as I reflect on the year and write this post. I mean, my year started out with a fire (you can read about here)! That should have been my sign. 

But when I really think about it, there have been a lot of wonderful things that have happened this year! And since the baby behind me is starting to finally calm down (knock on wood) I am starting to see the sunshine - in 2013 there have been vacations, weddings, new beginnings, fantastic parties, and soon to be babies! So much to be thankful for this season! Today, I am thankful for great friends, who have found great loves, and who throw GREAT parties. Today, I am thankful for weddings. 

Melissa McCormack and Bob Sisco - 3/2/13

I have known Mel for about 8 years as Pam's friend and roommate. But if you have ever met Mel, you will quickly start referring to her as YOUR friend, because she is the type of friend everyone wants to have. Mel is always smiling, and I have seen her dancing with joy during vacations, concerts, karaoke performances and sporting games. But I have never seen Mel any happier than the day she married Bob. 

Look at her!! Gorg. 

So happy walking down the aisle. Cue the tears.

While their beach wedding was slightly colder than expected (a chilly 50 degrees) we were all warmed by the look in their faces as Mel walked down the aisle. Plus, they had "Grow Old With You" from The Wedding Singer as a reading! Love that! And their photographer was out of this world, capturing some of the most amazing shots of the night! 

So So So So OBSESSED with this photo. 

The reception was so fun with Pam's (Patricia's) MOH speech and Captain Harry on the keyboard. They had a photo booth complete with amazing props and incriminating drunken photos. Plus it was Cad and Cherry's official first dance! The vacation to FL was overall one of my fave weeks in 2013, but the wedding was def the highlight of the trip. 

Our first dance together - "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz

Me and the MOH - such an amazing poem written for the bride and groom!

Dancing in Moderation...or not. 

Patricia and Keith Armstrong - good lookin' crew.

Drunken Photo Booth - woa.

Kimberly King and Bert Margis - 8/3/13

Kimmy and I have been friends since we were probably 9 years old, and we spent a good amount of time trying to be like out sisters, obsessing about poms, enjoying Calculus and Spanish, and looking for dates to dances. It seems that we were always a little lost when it came to boys. But as we grew older and became more confident in who we were, we started to look for someone beyond a date to Homecoming/Formals/Weddings. And when I first met Bert, I knew he was more than just Mr. Kimmy, he was going to be her Mr. Right. 

Kimmy and Carrie before walking down the aisle - BFFs! 

At the rehearsal dinner!! BMs and the groom.

They say your +1 should bring out something in yourself that you didn't know you had, and Bert and Kimmy do that for each other. They complement each other in the best way, and while I have always known how amazing Kimmy is, they make each other even better. I was supes pumped when Kimmy asked me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding, and I absolutely loved standing by her side as she said, "I do." She was just as elegant as she always is, but you could see her excitement as she walked down the aisle. She was gorg! And I cried, per the us. 

This photo says it all. Look at those smiles!!

The reception was too much fun with a live band and a family full of dancers. No one took a break from dancing! The next day I was so exhausted from the dancing and the boozing, but mostly just excited for the two of them. 

I really LIKE this picture - so do a lot of peeps on the FB. 

Weddings are not a place I practice moderation.

The BMs. I love these dresses, and these girls are awesome!

Love this one!! Celebrate good times, c'mon!

Jen Zei and Craig Boomer - 11/9/13

I met Jen my third day at UF. We went country line dancing, sat next to each other on the bus to Pi Phi, and instantly became friends. Jen and I were always together in college, and pretty much every story I tell will somehow include Jen Zei and probably include not doing things in moderation. Moderation didn't really exist in Room 6, except for the amount of living space we shared. I couldn't have been happier when The Jens moved to Atlanta because that just meant the saga would continue. Little did I know that a night of little moderation (it involved Bucky Covington and Front Page News) would also be the night we first met Boomer, and most importantly - Jen met her future husband. 

The new Mrs. Boomer

The groom drinking bourbon. Per the us. 

So last Christmas, when Boomer proposed with bourbon in hand, Jen toasted her chard and said yes! Archie barked, IPPL cheered, and Cathy Zei started planning what would soon be known as #BoomBash. Everyone was counting down the days. As Elle Tee would say, "An IPPL wedding? Get ready to live!" 

Zei #1 kept Zei #2 smiling!

#boombash was amazing for obvious reasons- a trip to Atlanta, a beautiful hotel, and amazing friends. But Jen and Boomer somehow managed to take a weekend about THEM getting married and starting their life, and made it about the guests! I shouldn't be surprised that Jen wanted to the focus off her, but you couldn't help but stare at her huge smile as she came down the aisle, so ready to marry her best friend. It was so beautiful to watch, plus she looked ah-maze! I always wanted Jen to move to Chicago so we continue our escapades together, but I lost that battle when she met Craig. And you know what, when I see how happy she is, that is fine with me. ORRRRR, they could BOTH move to Chicago. Just sayin. 

Rent the Runway worked! And look at that STUD!!

The girls initiating Boomer into the group!

Lacy wedding!!

I never use Pom Poms in moderation

There was not any moderation at the after party, but there were lots of photos and laughter. 

So as I reflect (with a sleeping baby behind me) on the year, I am thankful that these friends are starting these amazing chapters in their lives. And I am thankful they invited me to see them tie the knot! Cheers! 

I've seen it all in a small town...Had myself a ball in a small town

You have read in my last few posts how much I love the summers in Chicago. The funny thing is that my favorite thing about summer actually has nothing to do with this great city. My favorite city during the summer is actually Rome: A well-known, historic and beautiful city in Italy Wisconsin.

Doesn't that look relaxing?

Yes – Rome, Wisconsin is truly one of my favorite cities in the world. Wait, who am I kidding – Rome isn’t a city at all! It is a small unincorporated town in Central Wisconsin (about 40 miles north of the Dells) where I have had more experiences and stories than I can even remember. The town doesn’t have a post-office or a zip code, but it is home to 3 man-made lakes (Sherwood, Camelot and Arrowhead), one corner store (Pritzel’s) and 4 bars. My family bought a house on Lake Sherwood in 1983, and this summer marked the 30^th anniversary of “The Lake.” 

Being about 3 ½ hours from where I grew up, we spent all of our summers up at the lake. We would pack up “The Beast” (our blue conversion van – complete with velvet curtains) and leave a few days after school ended, returning with only enough time to hit up Woodfield before the first day of school. We would spend all day out on the boat swimming, skiing and tubing, and nights would consist of ski practice, ski shows, bonfires and pontoon rides.

Ski Practice and Ski Shows? You probably all know this, but my sisters and I were on a waterski team growing up called Shermalot. People always think this is really strange (especially people from the South) but show-skiing is actually huge in the Midwest, and Wisconsin is the Show-Ski Capital of the World! Yes, Wisconsin, where you can only ski from Memorial Day to Labor Day is actually home to some of the best show-skiers on this great planet. Being on the ski team gave us life-long friendships and teenage romances, taught us that life is not always fair, and mostly gave us an outlet to be ourselves. 

An old Shermalot Video - Look for Pam and Kim!

A list of things I love about the lake house/interesting facts – in no particular order.

• I met my best friend in the whole world, Carreen, at the lake 21 years ago. Though we were very different in size, we were both on the ski team and both wanting desperately to be cool (let’s be honest, Carreen). When we found out that we lived within 20 minutes of each other back in Illinois, we knew that our friendship was meant to be! Another fun fact – Carreen was the top of the 4-high pyramid growing up. Isn’t awesome?!?!
• I was at the lake house for Princess Diana and Michael Jackson’s funerals and watched both on TV.
• The Schmelters would spend every summer with us at the lake, and fell so in love that they had a house of their own across the lake for a few years.
• In the winters, we (Kellers and Schmelters) would often go to the lake the week between Christmas and New Years and walk across the frozen lake when our parents were too busy snowmobiling to drive us to friends’ houses. “Busy snowmobiling” in that sentence could also be replaced with “way too sauced.”
• We were at the lake when the Bulls 3-Peated and painted “Go Bulls” on our butts and tee-peed our Wisconsin friends’ houses. Because the lake is classy like that.
• I had my first beer, my first cigarette and my first kiss at the lake.
• I broke my nose at the lake after Kim ran over me with a wave-runner. Those things are dangerous.
• Drunk tubing with Carreen is one of my favorite past-times.
• The stars at the lake are IN-SANE. Literally, there are thousands of stars and almost every night you can see constellations, the Milky Way, and often catch a shooting star (although I have never been able to put it in my pocket).
• For years, our hot water heater would only produce 5-10 minutes worth of hot water each day. In efforts to give everyone at least 1-2 minutes of a hot shower, we would often shave our legs in the lake, shower in two’s, and always try to get in the shower before Kim (water-hog).    
• Patriotism is not optional at the lake. The 4th of July is a 3-4 day celebration complete with hot dogs, fireworks, a ski show, and lots of flair. Exactly how the 4th of July should be.
• Bunk Beds are only comfortable until the age of 16…unless you’re Christy Kremer.
• Boozing at the lake is pretty much not optional. Even when you say you are going to have a relaxing weekend with no partying, somehow you always have at least a few glasses of wine.
• Pizza Fries are ah-maze, and you can only get them at the lake. You’re just going to have to trust me on this.  
• At the lake, Bob Keller turns into a musical genius, singing the words to every song and playing his guitar like a boss. Ok, so he THINKS he turns into a musical genius – Bud Light and red wine will do it to ya. But he always keeps the party going, especially when he sings our favorite song from when we were little. This gem brings back memories of dancing to my dad’s guitar at the age of 3. “Please don’t burn the shithouse down, we worked so goddamn hard. Please don’t burn the shithouse down, we’ll have to use the yard.” It’s practically a classic.
• You can go anywhere in town in a bathing suit or pajamas. It’s amazing.
• One thing about the lake house is that it puts a curse on Keller girl relationships. Every time that we have brought a boyfriend or husband to the lake, the relationship has ended within 2 months. No one can really explain why, but my guess is that guys see what the Kellers are really like, and they just can’t hang. Keith and Chad (so far) have been the only exceptions to this rule.
• Sleeping on a cot on the porch is a privilege – that’s where all the cool kids hang out.
• One of the 4 bars at the lake “Trails End” in the last few years has gone from our least favorite bar on the lake, to our most favorite. They went through a huge renovation about 5 years ago and now is a favorite for a few reasons (yes, this is a list within a list): 1) Huge outside bar with bags tournaments. 2) Live music who always welcomes me up on stage for crowd-hyping. 3) Their Bloody Mary has a SLIDER on top. I mean, come on. 4) The most important thing…they have a bus (“The Drunk Bus”) that will pick you up and take you home from anywhere in town. While the driver is usually about 15 years old and/or a little buzzed himself, it always makes for a good time.
• If you need to find Larry, he is always hanging out in the garage…or on the drunk bus.

I am sure many of you have that special place where you know the smells and sounds by heart, and they instantly bring back memories further back than you can imagine. To me, that is “The Lake.” 

Lots of anniversaries at the lake this year!
Mike and Jenny celebrating meeting at the lake 10 years ago!

Our 21st anniversary at the lake - watching the ski show where it all began!

Some of the Keller Fam - 30th anniversary of the lake!

Ok, not everyone gets to drink at the lake.
Pam and Pants boat-watching (exciting!)

Told you the Lake is very patriotic! The girls on the 4th of July

Papa, Na and Autumn cruising

Patriotism at its finest. 

Captain America has patriotism built right into his name. 

I wanna talk about me

It’s just that there is so much to do and I want to do it all. If there are that many cuisines available for takeout, imagine the number of events: rock concerts, comedy benefits, book launches, TV wrap parties, art openings, restaurant openings, theatre openings, even the opening of the mail is a fete if you add champagne. – I Totally Meant to Do That, Jane Borden

When I read the line above, I thought it was the perfect description of one of my self-diagnosed illnesses. I have mentioned before that I suffer from FOMO, and this summer was a doozy for me. If you ask anyone in the Windy City, they will tell you that Summers in Chicago are the best time of the year. As mentioned in this previous post, there are limited weeks each year where Chicagoans can put on shorts baring their white winter legs, and enjoy beer gardens, festivals and baseball games in the greatest city in the world.

This year, I had 3 weekends from the month of May-September where I did not have plans. And you what I did those weekends? I made plans. There was just so much I wanted to do! Outdoor concerts, Entertaining guests, watching best friends tie the knot, being lazy at the lake, enjoying a street festival, going on a cruise…the options were endless, and I didn’t want to miss a beat! Scratch that – I couldn’t miss a beat, because I suffer from FOMO and it is out of my control. I must do it all.

Let's start by talking about the concerts this summer...

Note: Needed to wear the Ball State tee because the White Old Navy V was too big of a risk in the rain.

Here is a picture of Chad from the Dave concert 14 years ago.
The guy you are afraid of in the back? That's him.

I think all of you know that Carreen (my lifelong bestie) is a huge Dave Matthews Band fan. She receives email alerts about the band, cried the day one of the members passed, and NEVER misses a summer tour. And this year all of the ants marching aligned, and the DMB concert fell on Carreen’s birthday (6/22/13). What could be a better way to ring in 29 than eating, drinking, and being merry with your best friends? So Carreen, Ed, Chad and I hopped in the Rouge (Rogue-Trip!) and headed to Indiana for the ultimate birthday celebration. We drove 3 hours through the sunny Hoosier State, and just as we pulled in…It. Started. Pouring. We didn’t let that stop us (no way!) so we cracked open a few cans, and waited for the monsoon to pass – there was still a celebration to be had, and celebrate we will. In addition to Carreen’s birthday, we were celebrating Chad’s anniversary of his last DMB show at this venue, which happened to be exactly 14 years prior to the day. Overall, the show was amazing, but the best part about it was celebrating the birthday of my best friend in a way that so simply was “Carreen.” Oh, I forgot to mention we ate at TGIFridays the next morning. Now THAT is “Carreen.” 

Don't Need Money, Don't Need Fame.
Do need to go to work the next day.

The next morning, we headed back to Chicago, took a brief nap, and rallied for another great concert. In the car growing up, my parents, always listened to “Oldies 104.3” (it’s more fun if you sing the jingle) and now I listen to it too. Except now the “oldies” is the best of the 70’s and 80’s, but I’ll take it. This year, the station hosted the first ever concert at Montrose Beach, which happens to be a short walk from my house. The show? Huey Lewis and the News…I know. I KNOW! I was just as excited as you are! Beach concert with oldies music? That has FOMO written all over it! So LT, James, Chad and I bought tickets to learn about the power of love. And you know what else we learned? We learned that Vodka Teas go down very smoothly on a walk to Montrose Beach. We learned that you can fit 2 of the skinny cans of Corona Light in each of Chad’s pockets, so buy them 8 at a time. We learned that cutting in line will get you told off by some mean girls. We learned that dancing in the sand is more fun if you are not wearing shoes. We learned that the heart of rock & roll is still beating (from what I see I believe ‘em). But the biggest lesson we learned, is that Sunday night concerts make for a rough Monday morning. That’s why I took off work following my Sunday show – Toby Keith. 

Red Solo Koozie is almost as good as a Red Solo Cup.
Proceed to Party!

5% of the reason I started dating Chad was for easy access to Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. Ok, that is not true, but it certainly is one of the best perks to TP, besides TP only has 6% sales tax at Old Navy and Target. Looking at my summer, I was getting really nervous about the MWBA concert schedule – it seemed like I had a conflict every time there was a show I wanted to see! Plus Chaddy-poo is not that into country music, which limited the shows he would enjoy. Then it dawned on me…did I want to see Passion Pit? No. Did I go anyways because Chad wanted to? YES! He owed me one, and it was time for Chad to get drunk and be somebody at the Toby Keith concert. I mentioned that I’m not as good as I once was, so I took Monday off work ready to party. In addition to FOMO, I also suffer from a severe case of patriotism, so a Toby Keith concert is like a support group for people like me. This was not my first time seeing Toby, but every time I manage to tear up when he brings the men in uniform on stage as I belt out American Soldier on the top of my lungs….getting teary just thinking about it now. Even Chad said “the man entertained him for 2 hours.” Sounds like a good review to me, and a great way to kick off the 4^th of July week.  

So far I had seen some of my faves – country music and oldies…but something was missing. What music do I love more than any other? 90s music, of course!! (If you didn’t know that, how did you stumble across this blog?) And the BEST band from the 90s is inarguably Matchbox 20, led by the gorgeous and talented Rob Thomas….ah. This was the first time the band had toured together in YEARS, and the last time I saw RT perform, MB20 came out and joined him and I cried. Actual tears (Jen Zei can vouch). So clearly I was online and ready to be the first to buy tickets when they went on sale…and yet somehow both of their shows sold out in minutes! For any of you that are surprised by that, I should tell you that they were touring with the Goo Goo Dolls. If I die and go to Heaven, I imagine I will be greeted by the Dolls assuring me they won’t tell no-one my name, and then MB20 will hand me a raincoat. They’re always worried ‘bout things like that. 

This isn't from the show.

It is when I first fell in love with Rob Thomas.

Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised that the tickets sold out. After a “ticket-liquidator” debacle, I got 3 tickets to the show for the ultimate sisters night a Ravinia, where you bring your own food and wine, and (if you are really fancy) table centerpiece. Kim is also a huge fan and turned me onto MB20, and Pam is a lover of all 90s and anytime she can eat and drink outside. When RT played Bright Lights (Trivia – my #2 fave song of all time) I did not know what to do with myself. I belted it out until people were staring while Sober Pam took a video. Turns out Pam didn’t get to drink outside… That was “Babys’ First Concert,” and the first time Pam would use the pregnancy card to skip the shuttle line. I bet Pam will deliver the babies at 3am. Just a guess.       

I tried to make a pizza. I failed. 

Wrigley Field is one of my favorite places in Chicago. And second to drinking a few too many beers in the bleacher seats, one of my fave things is going to a concert at Wrigley. Being that it is 4 blocks from my house, I host a little get together before and we all walk over together. This year’s show combined 2 of my faves – Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean. Kelly holds a very special place in my heart. The Season 1 American Idol star was the reason I pierced my nose, she helped Pam and I get through the beautiful disaster Summer of 2003, and whenever “stronger” comes on during one of my workouts, I can always run for a few extra minutes (seconds). Her show was incredible and I’ll tell you what, my life would suck without Kelly Clarkson. Jason Aldean also put on a great show, from what I recall…things were a tad hazy at this point. But one of my favorite things about that concert? The attempt to cook a pizza when I got home, which resulted in a burnt and cheesy potholder (what did I do?) and then recapping the night with Kim and Schmelter, who were lucky to be alive based on their tales…per the us.   

My last concert of the Summer was a tribute to the city that contributes to my FOMO – Chicago. As a belated Mother’s Day present, we got my mom tickets to the Chicago concert at Ravinia. We learned from our past experiences and brought more food, more wine, and got there early. Just a Saturday in the Park (it wasn’t the 4^th of July) filled with hours of drinking in the sun with my family – Mom, Kim, Pam, Keith, Autumn, Schmelter and Chad. You probably don’t think you know many Chicago songs – you are wrong. Just YouTube them and I think you’ll be surprised. “You’re the meaning in my life, you’re the inspiration. You bring feeling to my life, you’re the inspiration…” See? You’re singing along! The horns echoed through the park as Keith got "geese" and we sang and danced, especially Autumn. It was that nugget’s first concert and I think she liked it almost as much as the ranch dip.

This little dancer loved the showwwwwwww.

Music, sunshine, and the best company I could ask for…that’s summer in Chicago.

This post was brought to you courtesy of the red, white and blue.

I'm driving slow on Sunday morning, and I never want to leave.

Sundays are often a day of rest.  People call it the Sabbath, and by people, I mean my dad. There are several songs about relaxing on Sundays…and even a song about using the day to clip coupons.  It is a great day.

I should probably be embarrassed to say that about 80% of Sundays I am a little hungover.  That statistic is based on the fact that I have been slightly hungover three of the past four Sundays, and I will likely be hungover again this week.  4/5 = 80%.  I am good at math.  NBD.  

Now, anyone who knows me when I am hungover knows that I usually wake up early, hungry and craving lettuce.  After eating, I will go back to bed where I will sleep until at least noon.  Take it or leave it, that’s Carrie Keller at her finest.  This Sunday was no different.  But I guess first I should fill you in on my Saturday that preceded it.

Humidity is not only a friend to Summer,
but also a friend to Carreen.
Check out those amazing curls!! #jeal

Three weeks ago Summer finally decided to stop by Chicago for a visit, and this week her (yes, Summer is a girl) friend humidity came along for the ride.  So what do Chicagoans do when Summer finally arrives?  We go to the beach.  Now, I know that I have at least three Floridians reading this thinking a beach in Chicago is ludacrous, and you know what I say to that?  I say, “No, Ludacris is a talented rapper from Atlanta…a beach in Chicago is GLORIOUS!”  So Saturday, Chad and I headed to the beach with a half a bag of pretzels and three extra-large, extra-strong, lukewarm vodka and green teas.  Yum!  After catching a nice buzz, and a little snooze, we continued our day by meeting up with Carreen and Ed at BurgerFest.  BurgerFest, while known for their burgers, proved not to disappoint due to the cold 312, and most importantly, a performance by Sister Hazel!  The 90s classic “All For You” and the fact they are from G-Ville make them one of my faves.

After BurgerFest, we went to meet up with Chad’s best friend Chris and his girlfriend Bernadette at Galaway Bay, a bar with free popcorn, old-school Nintendo and $2 PBRs.  Not mad.  I heard stories of Chad’s younger years, got to know them better, and we finally got home and to sleep around 3:30am.

It's hard to say what it is I see in you. Wonder if I'll always be with you.
Words can't say, and I can't do enough to prove that it's all for you.

When I popped up at 7:30am, you can guess that Chad didn’t want to wake up.  So I stayed in bed for a bit too…texting with friends about how much I wanted lettuce.  More specifically, how much I wanted BLTs.  I even made the mistake of Google searching BLTs and you should see the yummy images that came up.  So I rolled out of bed, still rocking a small buzz from the night before, and walked to the grocery to start my Sunday.

As we all know, a BLT should really be called a BBLTM: Bread, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo.  That way, when you go to the grocery store to make a BBLTM, you know EVERY ingredient you need to get.  In my case, I was only after the BBLT, because, for those of us who have not yet met, “I am Carrie and I love mayo.”  Never a shortage of it in my house.

So off to the store I go in search of the missing four ingredients.  Along the way, I picked up some fruit, some olives, and some new salad dressing to make a little side salad with all the lettuce I was planning to buy.  Did I mention how I crave lettuce?  Upon checking out, I reviewed my basket, and seeing all 4 necessary ingredients, I checked out salivating.

I started first by cooking the bacon.  Actually, no, I started first by taking a few delicious pictures, and then proceeded with the bacon.  I figured that the bacon could cook while I cut the veggies, plus, I really thought that smell would wake up Chad without me having to go in and jump on him.  Spoiler alert: It didn’t.  I had to jump on him.

D-Lish. And actually the makings for a BBCTM.

While slicing up the veggies, I noticed that something seemed off.  What is with this lettuce?  I never buy iceberg lettuce, but I have eaten enough to know that it is not usually so rubbery.  And then it dawned on me.  I had bought the ingredients for a BBCTM.  CABBAGE.  It looked just like lettuce!  You can see my confusion…its little things like this that historically have made me uneasy around identical twins.  They look the same on the outside, but really, they are different!  Guess this was God’s way of bracing me for the new little twins about to enter my life – more to come on that in future blogs.

Anyways, I returned to the store, picked up some actual lettuce (you almost got me again, cabbage!) and I have to tell you that my BBLTM and side salad were as amazing as I imagined.  So crispy and salty – I want one right now!  I then turned down for my usual 2 hour post-food nap, and started my day around 12:30pm with some QT at the pool with some faves (thanks, Mike and Jen!).

Man, I love Sundays.   

Time to get busy

Hello Friends! It has been months since I have written, and I have gotten some requests to get back online and talk about the things I don’t do in moderation.

I should start by saying that most things have not changed – I still do not drink in moderation, shop in moderation, or eat salty snacks in moderation. In fact, the reason I am even writing now is to stop me from eating the entire bag of Chex Mix I just bought at the airport (not nearly as good as P-Mix, obvi).

But one thing is new…the days of working in moderation for Carrie are now over.



I did not handle my 29th birthday with any moderation

As you may recall, NAM and I broke up about 5 months ago. And let me just say that starting a new job is HARD. You have a new set of programs to learn, new people to work with, and a new company to get accustomed to – is it sad that I don’t even know the name of the president of my company? I’ll answer for you…yes, that’s sad. And as I mentioned before, I am working A LOT.

I am not going to go into all the things that learning a new job has taught me about myself, because frankly I’m not really in the mood to write about that…but I am going to use that as an excuse for why I have not been blogging. And you know what – those days are done! NotInMod is back, and it is going to be better than ever (especially since the benchmark wasn’t set that high – let’s be honest).

Ok so – what is my return going to be about? Well, me, of course!

Since I have last written I have celebrated a birthday. I am now seeing the world through a 29-year-old lens, and let me tell ya, it’s glorious. And just like any real millennial, I am already thinking about what’s next…and the answer is that 30 is right around the corner - sort of. Now, turning 30 doesn’t scare me. I love where I am in life, I am proud of the things I have accomplished, I surround myself with wonderful friends and family, and I have at least one person who reads my blog (that’s Chad – because I make him).

But when the idea of a “30 before 30” list came up at our last IPPL reunion (which you can read about here) I decided to create a list – plus, I LOVE lists. Why you ask? Because 1) They keep you organized, 2) It’s fun to cross things off and 3) Because I grew up watching the David Letterman show with my sister Kim, and I think Top 10 lists are in my blood.



There are 2 different ways to look at this list – 1) Things you would like to do in your life before you turn 30 or 2) Things you would like to do in the next YEAR before you turn 30. Mine is the latter – let’s go.

1.       Run a 5K

2.       Go to the top of the Sears Tower

3.       Help my Mom move to Chicago

4.       Take a comedy class

5.       Increase my savings account by 30%

6.       Go to a Cubs rooftop

7.       Visit a winery – ideally an overnight trip

8.       Wake up and watch the sunrise over Lake Michigan

9.       Take a class about Whiskey/Booze (and not taste test in moderation)

10.   Volunteer on a Saturday

11.   Read at least 4 books – maybe one will be a “smart” book (that’s a relative term, but for example: I am reading a book called “I Totally Meant to Do That” and shockingly, I would not classify that as a “smart” book)

12.   Lose 5 pounds

13.   Pay off my Student Loans

14.   Paddleboard down the river, or at Montrose Beach, or really anywhere.

15.   Take dance lessons

16.   See at least 5 movies I have never seen that everyone else has (for example: Pulp Fiction, Coming to America, Goonies, Back to the Future, Animal House, Caddyshack - I know, "Carrie! How have you never seen ____?!")

17.   Go to Chinatown and eat Dim Sum

18.   Go on vacation somewhere new

19.   Eat at Girl and the Goat, the Publican and GT Oyster (any others Chicagoans?) 

20.   Celebrate my 1 year anniversary with Chad (laaaaaaaaame, but true)

21.   Donate money towards a good cause

22.   Visit at least 1 Chicago museum

23.   Host a downtown Sister’s Weekend….with my sisters.

24.   Pay off my Car Loans

25.   Convince at least one of my friends named Melissa to move to Chicago (come on, girls – pack it up already!)

26.   Play hooky from work and go to the beach

27.   Take Chad to a Gator Game and introduce him to Pita Pit

28.   Earn the respect of my new client and prove myself in my new job

29.   Do 30 random acts of kindness

30.   Stop writing my blog only in moderation

Can’t wait to see what this year has in store for me! It’s good to be back.