Anyhow, this weekend, I closed out July by doing not a lot, which is good because August is going to be BUSY for me, so I’ll take my rest where I can.

It started off with drinks near Marilyn Monroe from Some Like it Hot (no I’m not making that up) and ended at Wrigley Field for the Paul McCartney concert! Yes, it was hotter than sin in that stadium (like, no air circulation) but it was worth it. Let’s take a look.

View from our seats!

Pre-concert photo montage

Paul McCartney rocking out!

The concert in a word: AWESOME. As a raging Beatles fan, it was heaven, hearing songs I listen to on my iPod and on record live was just amazing. And sitting with the person I went with, both of us singing “Yesterday” is a moment I won’t ever forget. Really, it brings a tear to my eye thinking about it.

I also got a little pre-concert gift from my guest too. Yeah, he gets me.

But as amazing as last night was, it’s on to August! I don’t know about you but this month is cray cray for me and there is lots to look forward to, such as:

• BlogHer in San Diego! I must brush up on Anchorman lingo
• Seattle and Vancouver – time to hike, drink wine and stuff my face (sexy!)
• Birthday – Yeah I’ll work on getting more excited for this
• Next! Yes, that’s right, I’m going back for Thai cuisine. Very excited

Yeah, that’s all that’s coming up for me, not much at all :)

Do you have any big August plans? How was your weekend?

Let’s start with Glee. On Friday, TC and I embarked on a magical journey to the suburbs to see Glee in concert again. Last year, we had an awesome time dancing, screaming/singing and going bananas in the crowd. How could we say no to a repeat performance?

This time, Glee was at a bigger stadium in the suburbs, allowing for more screaming pre-teen fans and overzealous moms and less dance room. Not a fan, these hips and arms need to move!

But we made it work, kicking off the night by being the oldest non-parent people at the local Steak n’ Shake (first timer!) where you can get a meal for under $6, wow.

Then it was over to the Arena and to our seats with beers in hands to get our dance on. Best pre-show moment: watching a 10 year old boy lip synch along passionately to “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. A…dorable.

The main show was pretty good, a rotating mix from the New Directions and eventually the Warblers with a good mix of songs from this year and some from season one.

Little number from season one

A little blurry photo of the Warblers. Love.

And TC and I may or may not have starts screaming, jumping up and down while holding hands during Teenage Dream. Seriously, we were 14 years old (just like the people behind us). Fortunately, I could log “dancing” as my cardio for the evening.

After the show, we tried again for autographs and while Chord Overstreet (Sam) denied me an autograph in favor of an elbowing mom ahead of me, TC did get some sweet pictures, see one below.

Taken by TC who made magic with her iPhone

Dear Glee, we’ll see you next summer in concert. Moms, watch out.

Saturday, after some post-Glee-gasm rest, I had a Thai cooking class with the lovely Mananya. And this was serious. We started at the Asian markets in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, collecting ingredients for my dishes and talking through tips on what to look for and what can be substituted.

Then it was home and in to the kitchen with my wok and rice maker. The longest part of the session was just prepping the ingredients, such as water spinach, Thai chilis, garlic and Thai eggplant. Making our three dishes in the wok took less than 30 minutes. Amazing. Also, my grocery bill was only $20 for protein and ingredients and I now have enough food to last the week. More amazing.

Here is a picture of my post-cooking class plate:

Left to right: Pad Boong, Pad Prik with beef and Thai Basil Chicken with jasmine rice.

I learned a lot from the class and had a great time. I cannot wait to try next weekend’s planned dish, chicken curry with rice.

If you’re in Chicago and interested in cooking classes with Mananya, give her a shout on Twitter!

How was your weekend?

There are two bands that really define my high school experience: No Doubt and Weezer. I was a huge fan of both in high school and my fan-dom has stayed with me. I was fortunate enough to see No Doubt in concert two summers ago and Friday night, my high school geekdom was complete by seeing Weezer perform one my favorite albums, the Blue Album, in Chicago.

Yes, I did a little air guitar and drums and even did my 30-something version of head banging but the real “treat” was the crowd. I was expecting an older audience (given that the Blue Album came out in 1994), but nope, it was half teens (dropped off my mom) and full adults. And despite Mega’s warning, it just took one a**hole who drank too much Miller Lite to get a mosh pit going.

A motherf*cking mosh pit.

I don’t mosh, I’m in my 30s. I want to go to a concert, listen to my music, rock out in my seat or designated area, go get some food and go home. And let’s be honest, mosh pits are kind of selfish.

And several other adult concertgoers were not amused by the mostly middle aged mosh pit either. I don’t like it when douchebags of all ages are flying at me because all I want to do is LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. Fortunately, Mega helped me from being pulled in to the mosh pit, thank god.

During a pit break, I had enough of one obnoxious teen and yelled, “Turn around a**hole, are you wearing braces?” The older crowd got a kick out of that.

Moshing aside, it was an awesome show and I loved hearing the songs live. Really, it was like being 16 again and I’m so glad I got to go.

I had to stop “head banging” to take this

Me and my Miller Lite were anxious to get this going

I have a quick crowd photo for you too. Pre-concert, we had to wait outside to be let in and of course it’s freezing cold and SNOWING, but damnit, some people refused to check a coat….or wear a long-sleeved shirt.

I even kept my Weezer love going Saturday night by singing a Blue Album song at Lincoln Karaoke, which has to be the most magical karaoke experience you can have. Yes, I was tone deaf and voice strained by beer and champagne, but I’ll say this, it was an inspired version with more 30-something headbanging.

How was your weekend?

Movie review: I also saw Blue Valentine this weekend. Let’s just say, it’s not an uplifter.

Anyhow, to help clear my cluttered mind of random stuff I’m thinking about, I put together a lovely bulleted list of things on my mind, some more random than others.

• How long will it take once I arrive in Mexico to be on the beach with drink in hand? My guess? One hour (at the most)
• Is it possible to wear leggings as pants all the time and not look silly? I’m willing to try
• I’m totally obsessed with Boo the dog on Facebook. Seriously, I would steal that dog. I want one just like him (kidding?) The video of his “typical day” makes me scream with cuteness
• This week’s episode of Glee was so amazing. I’m letting myself download three (or four) songs…or maybe just all of them :)
• Daylight savings time is bringing me down. I love getting another hour of sleep, but dark at 5 p.m.? Really?
• Arielle asked me this weekend if everyone in the Midwest is obsessed with football. After seeing the crowds at the bar Sunday, I think she’s right
• Why is picking paint colors so difficult? I’m so indecisive with what colors to select for my living room/bedroom. I’m thinking off white and light gray but I cannot commit. Blerg
• I’m pretty much also stalking photos from the Breaking Dawn set in Brazil. I’ve got Twilight fever yet again!
• I need to get back in for a mani/pedi stat. I did my own last night and it was…well embarrassing
• I’m dying to try Temptu’s Under Eye Concealer. I have serious under eye circles

Also, THANK YOU everyone for the feedback on the dresses to wear to the wedding. Holy cow, I was truly blown away by the response it got!

The dresses I packed tonight are the Banana Republic purple/black dress, floral dress and pink NY & Co. one. The final pick will be a gametime decision, but I feel good about all of them thanks to you guys! I even laid out jewelry, purses and shoes. I will be glammed up in any of those dresses!

What’s on your mind lately?

I had a busy weekend but the best kind, filled with friend dates, aka “freights.” Friend dates are the best because you get to go out, do date-like things, such as dinner or drinks, but it’s with your friends. No pressure, just fun. I love them.

I also paid off my Napa trip so I was ready for a glass of wine and friend dates so I can get back out there and be social.

Here’s a summary of my fun friend dates:

Friday – movie/dinner:

After a long week, I was ready for a movie/dinner date with my friend Robin. We went to see Inception (see full review here) on Friday at a pimped out theater downtown. Seriously, this theater had a bar, VIP seating, where you can bring food and liquor into the theater, extended concession stand with tart yogurt and sandwiches. And the best part? You can reserve your seats before you arrive so you can arrive just before showtime and know you have seats.

And the food you can get there is very good too. We got a prosciutto panini, martini with champagne (which made me buzzed after one drink) and BACON POPCORN. Yes, you heard me right. Check it out.

Hmm, bacon

The mix of bacon, popcorn and butter was delish. I’m a fan.

After the movie, we super sized our friend date by going to Chinatown for dinner. Robin took me to an authentic Chinatown restaurant that makes awesome bubble tea and dishes. Our waiter gave me weird looks when I ordered salted fish and pork in a hot bowl but it was tasty, even if it doesn’t look appetizing. I hope he gave me that look because I didn’t just order fried rice. Maybe.

I know, it looks gross, but mixed up, it’s very good

All in all, I saw a great movie, caught up with a good friend and tried new things. Win, win, win.

Saturday – Brunch/shopping and sushi:

That’s right, despite the downtown Transformers craziness, TC and I hit up Xoco for brunch and indulged in our mutual love of Rick Bayless’ churros and even sampled the new Mexican soft serve. Yeah, I was so hungry, I didn’t take pictures, even of the suckling pig torta. But here is a past picture of the Churros, which I could eat an entire plate of. I have no idea why they’re so good, but I want them all.the.time.

Then, with my shopping list in tact, we hit the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I behaved, but TC learned how bad my enabling ways can be. My bad.

After burning calories shopping, Mega and I met up for a sushi dinner in Bucktown where I had the best soft shell crab roll ever. I also meant to only have one drink and somehow had a total of five by the end of the night. Oops. Does that happen to anyone else?

Sunday – Sweating it out at Pitchfork:

Yes, I hate the current heat wave here, but that didn’t stop me from going to the Pitchfork Music Festival with Nic. I got to girl talk, craft shop, listen to some great music and drink 24 ounces of water, promptly sweating it all out. I was disappointed that my only ice cream option was dairy-free, but the pulled pork tacos were tasty.

How was everyone else’s weekend? Do you go on friend dates?

The official countdown to San Fran/Napa has begun for me but before I start freaking out about the trip, I had a busy/productive weekend so that distracted me.

Incentive to clean

Seriously, visitors coming to town is the best incentive to clean. It makes me actually do it and be efficient, rather than dawdle and think I’ll do it another weekend. No! I have to do it then and it has to be spotless! I even spot clean the next morning after making breakfast. Who am I? Well, this weekend I had a visitor coming into town for Father’s Day and my bathroom, kitchen and living room were nightmares.

So I dedicated Friday (post storms) to cleaning…up after the storms and my apartment. Yes, it took time and yes, some of the dirt and amount of hair collected was scary, but it looks GORGEOUS after. The sight of a clean apartment is one of my favorite things.

Of course, if company had not been coming into town, the apartment would likely still be a pigsty :)

The Eagles, Keith Urban, Dixie Chicks!

Saturday my visitor and I also went to check out a concert marathon at Solider Field, including of Keith Urban, Dixie Chicks and The Eagles. I’ve never been to Soldier Field before, so me and my camera were ready!

I was felt horribly underdressed because I wasn’t sporting sunburn (Saturday was amazing weather in Chicago) and cowboy boots. Now I want a pair! But thousands of people turned out to hit the Miller/Bud Light and dance.

Keith Urban was good and even sang in the crowd! It’s also a fact that women love Keith Urban. Thousand were going CRAZY for him. I’m surprised he survived that crowd with his shirt.

I was pretty excited to see the Dixie Chicks and they didn’t disappoint. They even played Train’s Hey Soul Sister, which got me dancing around.

I’m not too familiar with The Eagles either but I recognized a ton of songs, thanks to growing up with their music. I remembered a lot more than I thought I would.

All and all, it was a gorgeous night to see outside and enjoy some music!

Random acts of online dating

Post concert, I decided to do some pre-vacation laundry, which meant that I was still awake but tired at 1 a.m. with my laundry done and a restless mind. So I started wandering around online and when I woke up this morning, I was a member of OkCupid.

No joke, I signed up for internet dating while tired and barely remembered doing it! I filled out the profile and everything! I’m still planning on going back to Match but this is free and probably a good way to ease back into it. So far, it’s…interesting.

How was everyone else’s weekend? Do you always clean before company comes over? Or are you seeing any concerts this summer?

And they’re taller than me too. FAIL.

Tonight was the first of two Glee concerts in Chicago (part of a four-city tour) and ever since I heard it was coming to Chicago, I was determined to go. And after some drama, negotiating and tears, I scored two floor seats. YES!

TC and I sacrificed watching the Lady Gaga episode live to see the show and it was TOTALLY WORTH IT.

The show was AH-MAZING.

Really, the staging, singing and costumes were awesome. We even got to see Bad Romance live (thanks Perez for the tip) and it was insane. Everyone was on their feet but no one was really dancing….except TC and me, who literally sang, screamed and danced the entire time. People must have thought we were insane but we shut it down. Fo sho.

Here are some photos! Note: So that I don’t ruin everything for the New York fans, you can see more photos on my Flickr page.

After the show, TC and I were going to the car when we saw people gathering at the stage door, so we joined for a little bit, hoping to catch a glimpse of the cast. And then the screaming and pushing started because my man, Cory Monteith (Finn) was like, right there, and I thought I was going to be trampled to death. No joke, having girls pushing, pulling at your clothes and body to get closer, was kind of scary. But I emerged safe and in one piece…and with an autograph :)

TC and I even went back into the mess for her man, Mark Salling (Puck) and boom, there was another autograph on the program.

It was pretty f*cking exciting :) And yes, Cory is smoking hot in person (OMG HOT) and Mark was pretty cute too. So awesome.

The entire night was worth every penny, tear, pleading email and hours spent researching to get us there. I’ll be on this high for a few days.

Also, big thanks to Chicago’s I-90/94 express lane for getting us to the show quickly in rush hour traffic!

What about you, did you get to see Glee on Tour? Or what is your favorite Glee song?

Before I left, I was a little nervous but excited. And then I arrived and got really excited!

Seriously, is planning and going on vacation is that easy? I used to think it was so taxing and time consuming but it’s really not and it’s so worth it. And going by myself, while nervewracking, was awesome. I don’t know what I was so scared of.

And having a break from email, computer, TV and Blackberry (mostly) was awesome.

Normally, I’m a planner but I went to Nola with ideas and a list of things to do but with nothing nailed down. I was trying to be…somewhat spontaneous, which I rarely am. And I got to do some cool stuff.

Touristy stuff:

I mentioned Thursday that I loved wandering the French Quarter and that was my favorite part of the trip. I spent a lot of time doing that, taking photos of the architecture and streets. You can see a lot of crazy stuff there that it was fun to just take in the history walking around.

I also took a cemetery and Katrina tour. The former was really interesting. And despite it being 90, sunny and humid, it was amazing to wander through the above ground graves, seeing how gorgeous and ornate they are.

The Katrina tour was tough, as expected. I felt awful sitting in a van, driving through areas still devastated and not rebuilt five years later, but it was important to see. I saw the coverage originally from my computer, shocked by the images, but seeing it in person was still tough. We saw homes missing from neighborhoods, the levee that broke and the areas being rebuilt by Brad Pitt and Project Home Again.

Food:

No lie, I was really excited about the food. I am trying to be more adventurous with food and Nola is the perfect place to step out of my comfort zone.

And I did!

Here are some of my food faves:

Fried green tomatoes (with crawfish)

Very tasty and light and slightly sweet

Blackened alligator

REALLY tasty and spicy. Tastes like calamari, not chicken :)

Charbroiled oysters

I love regular oysters but this was taking it to a new level. Really tasty and delicious

Bananas Foster

I’ve grown to love banana desserts and with a tip from EP and tableside preparation, this tasted like heaven on the cloud

Muffuletta

This is one HUGE sandwich. I only got a quarter size and it was huge. The mix of ham, pastrami, salami and housemade olive salad was delish!

Strawberry Balsamic gelato (thanks Renee for the tip!)

I could talk about the food porn for days but seriously, it was amazing food. I could not get enough!

Entertainment:

Street entertainment is awesome in Nola. There are always people dancing, singing, playing music or posing as art in the streets. And the music there was incredible. So rich and fun. I was blown away by the talent.

I also got to check out Preservation Hall for some old school jazz and despite it being 90 and no AC, the sound was incredible. What a great setting.

Now tomorrow starts a new week back at work and the countdown to Vegas continues! I still need to get used to traveling alone but I’m really proud of myself for tackling a two of my fears: traveling and dining alone. Big pat on the back for me.

How was your weekend?

Review blog update: No movies this week but I did find a great SPF lotion from CVS I loved and used on my trip!

Yes, I am still on vacation but I wanted to drop in, say hi and share a few photos from yesterday and today. Tonight, I uploaded 188 photos so far. And that’s with my camera. I have about 20 or so on the SLR Allie let me borrow too! Crazy.

Anyhow, everything is going well and it is HOT in NOLA. It’s around 90 degrees and sunny and wow it is hot in the sun. But it feels awesome. Sitting in the sun with a beer and sweating, not so gross (until my hair sticks to my neck).

I’ve been covering a lot of ground and seeing a ton of cool stuff. And let me just say, I love wandering the French Quarter. I always find something to look at or want to photograph. But I have tripped over myself a few times (oops!) I need to watch where I walk.

So here are some photos before I do a full recap on Sunday.

Cafe Du Monde beignets (amazing!)

Streetcar to the Garden District

Awesome street music

St. Louis Cathedral

Historic Bourbon Street sign (the only thing not sex- or alcohol-related)

New Orleans combo platter (Jambalaya, red beans and rice, Andouille sausage). Yes I know what this also looks like

I’m currently wrestling over where I should eat for dinner tonight and what I want to do tomorrow. Seriously, there are so many amazing things to see, I don’t think I’ll be able to fit everything in :(

Also, thank you to everyone for the sweet tweets, apologies about not being able to reply to everyone! And I will be caught up on blogs again soon too.

What about you? Big weekend plans?

My parents are divorced so every year I have two Thanksgivings in one day. Moms in the morning and dads in the evening. And the first year we worked out this arrangement, I thought my stomach was going to explode from all the food. My dad found me passed out with a plate of turkey next to me and woke me up to go to bed.

The image of me passed out on a couch, drooling with turkey next to me is hilarious. I wish I had a photo of it.

Anyhow, tonight I’m on my way back to Wisconsin to be with my family, shop my heart out and try to get into the Christmas spirit.

But before that, it’s time to share a silly and serious list of what I’m thankful for this year.

Serious:

• Family (we’re not perfect, but they’re mine!)
• Friends (even those I’ve been estranged from lately)
• A good job
• Good health
• No credit card debt
• A good life in a great city

Silly (this is more fun):

• Jacob’s abs (cougar time!)
• Glee
• HD-TV
• A full head of hair (I would be more thankful if I didn’t have so much gray)
• iPods
• Text messaging
• John Krasinski’s hotness
• Push up bras
• Cotton leggings
• Nordstroms
• A good sense of humor
• Twitter (which will help me get through four days at home)
• Mac and cheese (or just cheese)
• Honey crisp apples
• Cupcakes

And of course, thankful for all of you :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

So what are you thankful for this year? It can be silly and serious!

Because many of my high school and college friends have emerged from the woodwork on Facebook, I am reminded of a topic that was often a popular one amongst my friends in college – theme songs. And not television theme songs, but your own personal theme song that you feel best describes you and your personality. Ideally, it would play whenever you walked into a room to announce your presence (much like on WWE wrestling but smoke and fireworks with that music is optional.)

So what is your personal theme song? Please share the artist’s name and song title, but if you’re embarrassed, feel free to just put a music genre.

I rotate between two theme songs, “Big Pimpin’” and “Dirt Off Your Shoulder,” both by Jay-Z. Maybe it’s because I was a gangster rapper in my previous life, pimped out with bling, Cristal and 22′s on my car. (Further evidence why I was a gangster rapper in a past life will come another time – sorry KMo.) In fact, one of my secret shames is that whenever I debut the Uggs for the upcoming fall/winter season, I also play a theme song for them, which is “These Boots are Made for Walkin’” by Nancy Sinatra. Can’t mess with a classic. Anyhow, I’m anxious to hear your responses.

Talking to yourself is healthy – unless it’s in public
I talk to myself – I openly admit it, except I don’t do it in public because that makes me look crazy. But in the comfort of my apartment, I will have rhetorical dialogues with myself about anything and everything. Fortunately me and inner monologue me get along, which is important to note! Maybe this is a sign that I need a pet to so that those dialogues are out in the open.

Anyhow, last night on the 146, which I nearly froze waiting for, there was a woman in a monster fur coat and more monsterous fur hat that was apparently arguing with herself on the bus. She was frantically shaking her head and looking angrily at the woman next to her (who she didn’t know) and giving her the “stink eye.” After doing this for a few minutes, she would give her a half-smile and shake her head, looking still pissed. Part of me wondered what she was arguing with herself about, but if I learned anything from waiting with Emily at the Miami airport security line, don’t ask. Just don’t.

Final note
Oh yeah! I’m going to see The Police with Elvis Costello in Milwaukee in July. While I don’t remember The Police as a full band (in my memory Sting has always been a solo artist) but I do love the song Message in a Bottle and I cannot wait to rock out to that song with my wine cooler along the Lake. Hey it’s Wisconsin, a little Bartels & James full of ice and crop tops it totally acceptable there.