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11 November 2008

The fall transition phase

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: CTA, Chicago, Food

I love fall and I’ve posted before what I love about it. In Chicago, the fall transition is full-on right now and with all the good, comes some fall drawbacks. 

I am between two phases right now in the fall transition: 1) Seasonal adjustment and 2) Working on my “second winter coat” for the upcoming snowy season.
Seasonal adjustment starts around daylight savings time when I love gaining an hour, but that means it’s dark at 2 p.m. Sun becomes a myth and waking up to darkness and leaving in darkness are tough things to adjust to after a lovely summer season. 
This phase leads right into working on my “second winter coat,” thanks to the availability of Halloween candy and holiday treats. Whoppers, M&Ms, caramels, oh my! Once the vendor gifts start rolling in our office, all bets are off. That’s when I end up over-indulging in candy and have a hard time resisting any treats. I love the change in seasons but sometimes the adjustment takes some time.
Lately, thanks to these phases, I’ve been having a little issue keeping to my diet and exercise regimen. I can’t help being a little generous in the soup portion or grabbing the largest baguette and hibernating from the cold wind and chill in the air. Getting to the gym lately has been a chore, not a source of relief. 
And to make the “winter coat” phase worse, being squished on the bus with a puffer jacket, especially between two “festively plump” ladies with down coats, just makes me fussy and squirmy, like a child.

This is similar to how I feel during this fall transition time
Does anyone else go through this? It’s definitely not a bad feeling in spring when the sun returns and the weather starts to warm, but it seems the fall transition is always the toughest, even if the cuter clothes begin to come out.
Reader Note: Thanks everyone for your feedback on the Kate Spade purse post yesterday. Dad just confirmed that the purse arrived from Nordstrom’s today! I really liked Alexa‘s comment about splurging on two bags a year. I think that’s a great policy. I’m 90 percent sure that I’ll keep it, but I’ll know for sure when I see her again. Pretty things like that should be worn and enjoyed :) And I’m an enabler too so people telling me to keep it is just what I wanted to hear.

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30 October 2008

Attracting crazy people

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: CTA, Chicago, Random

I am a freak magnet. If there is a crazy or wildly insane person with a certain radius, they find me and somehow lose their sh*t at me. This point has been agreed up on by several of my friends. The phrase, “that only happens to you” is said to me a lot.

I have zero idea what I wear or do that attracts these people to me. Perhaps it’s some sort of sick pheromone that brings them in my direction, without me knowing it.
For example, over a year ago, a woman bumped into me on the sidewalk across from a CVS. I told her to watch where she was going (she didn’t even fake apologize) and the woman promptly turned and started s-c-r-e-a-m-i-n-g at me. She used words I can’t even say on this blog. Yes, my comment might have antagonized her a bit but she got so out of control that my friend Ryan had to physically hold her back from attacking me.  
Then, last January, I went grocery shopping with my dad and an elderly woman at the Jewel began screaming swear words at me when I moved my cart around hers and dinged her cart by accident. I did apologize after it happened but that didn’t stop the woman from tearing into me. Dad looked horrified but I just sighed, as it did not surprise me in the least.
Yesterday even, I was sitting on the bus, en route to work, and a woman behind me grabbed or petted my hair as I was getting ready to leave. To be fair, there is a 50 percent chance my hair was grabbed by accident in the crush to exit the bus, but there was a definite grab and hold before my hair was relinquished. Maybe the Bumble & Bumble shampoo I use does smell that good. People are apparently compelled to hold it.
See, I bring out freakish behavior! Watch out if you’re ever around me because I can’t guarantee what will happen. You’ve been warned. 
FYI: Happy Halloween everyone! I’m not a costume person so I will be dressing up as a young-professional-woman-dressed-for-casual-Friday. I hope no one steals that idea.
Big Halloween weekend plans for anyone else? Costume choices or ideas? I’m always open to hearing people’s creative choices. One year a friend made a costume out of an old moving box and went as “box of wine” with Franzia painted on the side Genius.
Reader note: Thank you SO much everyone for your kind comments on my rockin’ legwarmers. Everyone’s sweet comments really made my day :) I’m glad you also enjoyed the 80s TV flashback, but I did forget “Saved by the Bell,” which was a horrible oversight. I will post a link on Sunday to the pattern for the legwarmers in case you want to make them yourself. It might be tough to knock out in a weekend but definitely in two weeks, depending how tall you want them to be. You guys are awesome!

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16 April 2008

Pet Peeve: Chicago’s Summer Bummer

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: CTA, Chicago, pet peeve

I try not to list pet peeves two days in a row, but I’ve had a disgustingly long day so that rule is out the window for this occasion. 

Today was by far the nicest day in Chicago that we’ve had in a very long time. This lovely weather might actually steal attention away from the cougar that was killed in Roscoe Village this week. And it’s tough to beat a cougar, it’s a wild cougar in Chicago! 
So with the nice weather, there are inevitable things that happen in the city:
  • The crosswalks become insufferably crowded
  • Tourists – more on that another time
  • The summer homeless people come out
  • People have very high self esteem about the clothes they wear
  • and the biggest summer buzz kill….Cubs games
Now before I’m gunned down for saying that, I’m not saying that I hate the Cubs, I’m saying as a Lakeview resident that I hate evening Cubs games because of the ungodly traffic on LSD. Many of my co-workers and I actually have a Cubs game schedule at our desks so we can check for night games before we leave work. On those days, I usually try to stay late or take my time at the gym but today, I was irresponsible and didn’t check the schedule before I left work and was stuck standing on the 145 in atrocious traffic.
One woman standing behind me was so frustrated that she nearly charged off the bus, taking anyone, including me, out at Belmont. But in the midst of exhaustion and a painfully long ride home, I did do my nice deed for the day – letting a woman near me know she dropped her Chicago Card. Good karma for me!
Alrighty, Lulu wants to play some music and I’m going back to watching Juno. Pork swords!

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15 April 2008

Pet Peeve: Bus tidbits

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: CTA, Chicago, pet peeve

So after yesterday’s more “complicated” topic, I’ll keep it light today. Plus, Lulu has picked a very light, happy song from my iTunes library for us to listen to so we’ll keep on that trend.

Riding the bus to work every morning, I’ve noticed two new trends on my morning commute, one of which intrigues me and the other that annoys me (I believe it bothers me because it’s just too early in the morning). I’ll let you pick which is which.
Cuddlers
This used to be a winter-only trend on my route but now they’re out in spring. Cuddlers are the swooning in love people who cannot bear to not have any physical contact with each other on the bus, regardless of how this affects other riders.
I once had cuddlers on the bus who were so attached at the hip that they refused to allow other people past them. When one passenger broke their grasp why trying to get to an open seat, the girl in the couple looked like someone at stolen her purse and lunged for the guy in the couple, calming once they were connected again.
OMG gag me. This might sound “single-girl” biter but seriously, get a room. If cuddlers cannot stand on their own and stand to be apart for a few minutes, they  need to do one of two things: 1) get a room, apparently you’re not ready to be out in public yet or 2) get a rope to tie you together so you don’t have to worry about being apart. But make room for others on the bus, especially during bad weather and rush hour.
Make-up rush-hour style
I’m not exactly a morning person, but I do put on my make-up with scientist-like focus. I’ve seen the results when I don’t and it’s not pretty…at all.
One woman on my morning commute puts her entire “face” on the bus, regardless of bumps, short stops, the whole lot. And of course, rather than reading the paper, I cannot help but stare and watch her reactions during a sudden stop, especially when applying liquid eyeliner.
A different woman this morning had her little compact mirror out and was stretching her eye to apply liner when all of a sudden a guy bumped her arm and she started snipping at him. The guy dismissed her, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I understand the value of 10 extra minutes of sleep, but when you choose to get ready on the bus, you have to be prepared for anything. There is no way I could do that so I’m always entertained by who can do their make-up routine successfully in those conditions. Round of applauds for you!

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31 March 2008

Am I hallucinating? Heidi a "feminist hero?"

By: Jessica B.
Tagged: CTA, Chicago, television

I thought that I would have nothing to report on tonight – until I read on Us Weekly’s site that someone at the New York Times called Heidi from the Hills a feminist hero. I thought I was drunk or hallucinating when I read that. That has to be a misprint but sadly it’s not.

Heidi is many things, such as a poster-child for boob jobs, too much mascara, bee-stung lips and slutty clothing. All of those things come to mind when I think of her. But feminist hero, somehow that seems like a stretch…by a long shot.

The paper applauds Heidi for kicking Spencer to the curb (of course we know is not true because they’re back together) and for climbing to a bigger position at work (which she is absolutely not qualified for and likely got because of the MTV cameras). And for anyone who watches the show regularly, you’re not really “moving on” from the guy if you keep talking about him to anyone who will listen. But the real part of the article that caught my eye is that they applauds her for doing all this and “getting herself home on time.” Is that something that a 20-something year old woman needs to be commended for? I’m pretty sure anyone who is at least slightly responsible and coherent can handle that.

But this has gotten me to think that I’m a feminist hero too! I mean, according to this article, I’ve done the following things that they’ve called out “fake boobs” Montag for achieving: kicked a guy to the curb (yes it’s been awhile but I’ve done it), moved up at work and I get myself home on time every night. Phew, that last one is tough though, trust me. Getting on the CTA bus, scanning my card and watching for my stop while successfully exiting the bus – that is such a challenge day in and out. It’s hard to be me – superhero me.

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