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 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.

"Let's Not Get Physical" - A long-lost ONJ Top 40

Note who just ran 26.2 miles,
and who is holding the food. 

You see this guy here? Looks innocent enough, right? 

Wrong. This past weekend, he made me do the unthinkable. Something that makes me so uncomfortable that I am literally getting queasy just thinking about it now. Ok, I will just say it.

He made me go running with him.

If you know me, you know that I hate working out. I get red-faced and sweaty, and it brings on a not-so-attractive personality that no one needs to experience. Yes, I try to exercise every now again so that I can indulge in Sully Sticks, nachos and obscene amounts of booze. But enjoy it? Never. 

Actually….I take that back. Here is a list of exercises I enjoy:

• Walking up 2 flights of stairs to my rooftop, where there is a keg of beer and a great city view waiting for me.
• Jumping in a bounce house…until I get too winded and take on a fear of the house collapsing in on me…at which point I exit rapidly and ungracefully.  
• Dance parties at 2am in my living room to the Backstreet Boys.
• Holding Autumn. She’s a chunker.
• Waist bends to put on a new pair of shoes.
• Briskly walking from my office when I sneak out of work a few minutes before 5pm.
• Waterskiing to the lodge and back.
• Walking to a nearby brunch spot for bottomless mimosas and bloodys.
• Surfing in Australia or Costa Rica.
• Carrying a box of online purchases from my office, down to my car, and up to my apartment. 
• Yoga. This is a real workout I enjoy about 75% of the time.

…But somehow that guy got me to go running with him. He certainly is a charmer. Plus, he promised me pizza rolls at the end.