late night fun

last night we went out for Joy's belated birthday celebration.

the motel bar. it was a great pick. very conducive for lounging, good comfort food, and a nice drink selection.

i really enjoyed my mac and cheese and mediterranean salad with raw tuna. i had a cosmo, peach bellini, and mojito.

i lasted until 2am. joy and some friends were still going strong! :)

i spent my sunday recovering. i.e. sleeping and watching tv. i did manage to get to the gym. this brings my gym-going-frequency to about 1x/month. yay.

sadness

Parts of Malibu are burning down...
Malibu is such a beautiful area... I always think of the beaches there when I yearn for home.
Here's my post from last year about our trip there.
I want to get married in the Pepperdine Stauffer Chapel. It's the perfect chapel, with unparalleled views of the ocean and exquisite stained glass. I'm praying that the fire will be contained soon.

concerts, movies, plays...

lots to catch up on.

the dust is finally starting to settle a little...

susan came to visit me last weekend and we had a blast. we went to Room 21, the new Jerry Kleiner restaurant in the "South Loop." I put the neighborhood in quotes because it's really on the very edge of the South Loop and kinda in a scary area, but the second you step in the restaurant, you're completely in a different world. The World of Jerry Kleiner. Lots of reds and oranges and cool decor. We loved the food, but maybe not the tab. It was pricey, but for a special occasion, totally worth it. We also went to see The Crucible at the Steppenwolf, which was very very good. Much better than the Don DeLillo play I saw at the Steppenwolf a couple years ago. (Was it called Love Lies Bleeding?)

The weekend flew by and this week, I was on call twice. I'm exhausted. It's Friday night, I was going to see a film at the Chicago International Film Festival but I just didn't have it in me to get out of the apartment. But tomorrow... tomorrow, I'm finally going to meet Ben's girlfriend! We're going to see an international film and then he's making dinner for us! Very excited.

Post-home call, I had the chance to see Colbie Caillat, at the Park West. Joy introduced me to her music and I love her voice!! It was a great concert, if a little short. We ate at Zia beforehand, which was solid "new mexican" food at a good price. Not sure I would pay $20 to park in that neighborhood to go there, but it was perfect for a pre-concert meal.

My applications are coming along... I actually like my personal statement. It took 3 versions. I have most of the applications completed and ready-to-mail... a few of them, I'm still working on for various logistical issues (I really hate pdf writer).