Summer Lovin'

Yesterday was my last free "Summer Friday." I do have the next 2 Fridays off too, but next week I'm going to Dallas to be in Christine & Enoch's wedding, and the Friday after next I'm going to NYC to help Viv and do bridesmaid-y things. And then no more "Summer Fridays" after that. :(

How quickly did the summer fly by? I'm utterly SHOCKED at how HOT and HUMID it's been. Someone told me last summer in Chicago they only had like 2 days above 90 degrees...Why did I pick THIS summer to be here?

Yes I know I'm from Texas. But you see, in Dallas, even though it's 101 outside, the humidity is low, AND there's no walking around outside... We go from air-conditioned house to air-conditioned car to air-conditioned destination. Time spent out in the open-air, is really quite minimal, you see. :)

Bridezilla in the Making

Never thought I'd say this in a million years...but my own wedding planning is literally driving me INSANE!!!!!!!! I really feel like I'm losing my mind. Black circles are staring to form under my eyes, hair is starting to fall out... But don't ask me to "let it go," because I CAN'T!!!!!!

Currently residing in invitation hell...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lesson of the Day
Weddings cost TOO MUCH MONEY!! Seriously consider elopement as an alternative. :o

Got it kids?

Finally There

Moving to Chicago is probably one of the best things I've ever done for myself. I say that very selfishly though. I wish I would have done it right out of UT (the best school in the world!) or at least in my "younger" days.

Did you know that I had planned on moving to NYC after graduation? With no job offers in hand, I was still determined to find my way to Madison Avenue somehow. Just as I was researching for apartments and plane tickets, the thought of making NO money in Advertising and starving in in the Big Apple came over me, and I chickened out at the last minute. So I decided that Dallas was the next best thing because it was something familiar, somewhere safe. But deep down inside, I wondered about life in New York, in any metropolitan city. Seven years later, OMD gave me a choice: move to Chicago to work out of the Chicago office or look for new job in Dallas. It was one of the HARDEST decisions I've had to make in my life. Many tearful goodbyes later, I'm here, living la vida loca in Chicago. I think I wanted to do it because I didn't want to have thoughts of "what if" looming over me anymore. Looking back now, I'm so glad I did it. I am proud of myself for taking that chance. Because for the first time, I'm learning to be independent, to be "alone," to be adventurous, to embrace the "wide open spaces." All this, at the tender age of 28. :)

BUT, this new found independence isn't without a hefty price tag. As I'm learning to be independent, I'm also tempted to be less dependent on God. Thoughts of "I can do it" creeps above the desire to surrender myself and be completely reliant upon Him, who gave me the strength in the first place. I also plugged myself away from some of the dearest friendships that took all of the seven years to build. I'm missing out on their journey through life. I don't get to share wedding planning stress, pregnancy anxieties, job search nightmares...their babies won't know "auntie Iris" as they grow up. I'm just MISSING OUT in general, constantly fearing that I've been replaced, forgotten. :( And lastly, I am hundreds of miles away from my fiance, who is stuck with doing all the grunt work for this wedding while trying to get into medical school. We don't get to revel in our "engagement bliss" together, in the same city.

I've gotta believe that God is at work in my life even when I choose not to be aware of Him. There are no coincidences in life, only the will of God. My stubbornness and rebellion crumbles in His grasp. He was there with me in Taiwan, in Tulsa, in Dallas, in Austin, now in Chicago, and I rest in knowing that He also has my tomorrow in His hands.

I'm Starting to Have Anxiety Insomnia

After a restless night of tossing and turning, I woke up this morning panicking...

1. It is LESS THAN THREE MONTHS until I get married. MARRIED!!! I remember just 4 years ago, that's all I wanted. Now it's finally really gonna happen (I'm pretty sure), I'm totally freaked out by the "realness" of it. I still have soooooooo much to do for the wedding before the day comes. I'm normally very organized at coordinating other people's weddings. But for some reason, for my own wedding, I've become this huge procrastinator + control freak. Thus, nothing gets done. We don't even have the guest list finalized, and we still can't decide on a honeymoon destination. I told that to one of my co-workers, and she said "there are a lot of great last minute deals..." Yikes!!

2. I suddenly remembered that I'm 29 years old. :o What happened to my twenties? I'm not ready to leave it, so please don't make me??? I even got a spam email today with the subject heading "Thirty-something and single?" AS IF!!!! But seriously, what did I do with all my "youth?" Did I accomplished anything that I had set out to accomplish? I miss that fresh-out of school optimism where I really thought I could take on the world, and the world would embrace me with my best interest at heart. Many heartaches later, I too, have become jaded and leery of the world. *sigh*

3. My life is a huge TBD. I'm going about my day, living in a city that I don't even know if I'll get to stay to plant any type of roots, but I also don't know if I'll be going back to the place where I'm familiar with relationships already established. Bryan doesn't know where he's going to get into medical school, if he's getting into medical school. Our lives kinda have to be on hold because of it, but at the same time, time doesn't wait for us, life must go on...

Why must I be assigned to take the windiest road, in every single direction?

No longer young and fun.

So depressed.

Viagra Triangle

Today, I learned where the "Viagra Triangle" is in Chicago.

The intersection between State street, Rush street & Chicago street is a very happening part of the Gold Coast. It is also affectionately nicknamed the "Viagra Triangle" because of the (sleazy) over-aged men that can be found there trying to score with the dolled-up (and by that I mean with a plastic surgeon) girls young enough to be their daughters. Conversely, you can also find gold-digging females trying to catch the eye of some well-to-do middleaged businessman in town for the week, hoping that he'll finance her next plastic surgery venture. I just thought it was the funniest thing when I heard it! I always knew I was gonna find a little piece of Dallas here in Chicago!! I gotta get myself invited to one of the restaurants there so I can see for myself!! I mean, not by anyone who needs Viagra, of course. ;)

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Lesson of the Day
Have you ever been in a situation where you see someone say, with ketchup on his face, but you're never sure if you're supposed to discreetly point it out to him or just let him find out on his own? Well, here's your rule of thumb: if it's something that can be fixed easily, go ahead and tell him, but if it's something not easily fixable, then don't ruin his day.

For example:
Spinach in teeth - tell
Open fly - tell
Lipstick on teeh - tell
Run in her stockings - don't tell

Got it kids? :)

(I didn't come up with that by myself. I learned it from a very wise lady today. :) )

Tour de Chicago

I've been told that Chicagoans loved their bikes, because they only get to ride it ~four months out of the year when it's nice outside. So much love that once a year, they've got this thing called L.A.T.E. Ride (Long After Twilight Ends). It starts at Buckingham fountain at 1:30 am, through some neighborhoods, down Lakeshore, and ends back at Buckingham fountain, 22 miles later.





Well, guess what folks, I biked 22 miles lastnight, or I should say, TOO early this morning. That was probably the most athletic thing I've done, ever. I mean, I've never done 22 miles of anything, except driving it in my car.

Don't know what possessed me to do it, probably my obsession with making sure that I do everything "Chicago," experience everything "Chicago." The weather lastnight was actually quite nice for a bike ride. There must have been thousands of people who came out from all over for this event. I got to see a lot of Chicago neighborhoods at night, and I got a lot of "me" time because I'm too slow to keep up with anyone else in our group. :) I'm not sure if I can say that I'm proud of myself, but I did feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally came back to the starting point, 30 minutes later than all my friends. The last time I was on a bike was with Cathy & Bry, riding around White Rock lake, a 9.33 mile trail, and it KICKED my butt. This was more than double that distance. But anyway, after one pole-hugging incident and one fall (someone hit my bike) later, I finished around 4:45-5am (I think), got in my shower at 5:30am, finally hit the sack at 5:40am, and got up at 9:30am to go to church. (Came home again at 12:30pm, napped until 5:30pm)

I'm in pain, everywhere.

Praise God I didn't die.

Thanks Michael for suggesting it and finding me a bike.

Thanks everyone else for waiting around for me.

Cool Chicago Experience #?

4th of July, fireworks at the US Cellular Field. Best I've seen, ever!!!

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Rodent Update: Haven't seen him in a couple of days, I think he may be off the premises.