Write my name at Gino's East - Done!

outstanding photography by Ryan Arnold

Living in a big city is so different than visiting one.  I have lived in Chicago for nearly 6 years and have never done half of the things that most visitors do.  I've never really been to the museums.  The last time I was at Shedd Aquarium I was 13.  Ditto for Navy Pier.  I've never been in the Sears (Willis) Tower.

And I've never been to Gino's East for Chicago style deep dish pizza.  Until last night.  Ryan and I had a wonderful date over a spinach pie inside the graffiti covered walls of Gino's East.  It was great, even if I did consume my monthly allowance of cheese in one sitting.  AND...I got to write on the wall.  Twice.  So that is officially crossed off the list.

On to the next item...


Happy Thanksgiving!  Wish me luck in my Turkey Trot tomorrow as I continue on the road to the marathon in 2011!

LA!

I was hoping to knock something off the list in LA this past weekend, but alas, the opportunity never arose...unless you count our wine tasting at the Malibu winery as a "wine appreciation class".  Kind of a stretch.  Still had a TON of fun anyway!  It was great to spend some time with the Kelly & Kelly.

Next up...TBD.  Stay tuned :)

437 ladies + 4.37 miles + beer + lasagna + old pictures = awesome weekend!

I'm continuing to (sloooowly) work my way towards a half marathon, then a full marathon.  Part of that continued training this weekend involved great friends and great beer.  Two of my favorite things.

I convinced half of the 437 W Dayton St roommates to sign up for the Tyrannena Beer Run 1/6th barrel (1/6 marathon) race with me on Saturday in Lake Mills, WI.  It's less than 40 minutes outside of Madison, which was a great excuse to spend Friday night with the ladies.  So much fun!  I just about wet my pants looking at old pictures from college and remembering all the stories behind the pictures.  We were a crazy bunch!

Saturday was cold but clear and sunny.  After (slowly) running 4.37 miles I was rewarded with delicious microbrews and veggie lasagna. So yummy!  Training would be much more fun if I rewarded myself this way after every run :)

O-mazing!

My O Face

The first item is "O"fficially crossed off my list.  Went to see Oprah today with Kelly Liss.  So.  Much.  Fun.  I wish I had been able to bring the camera inside for some fun pics but I'm sure every single crazy Oprah fan woman has that exact same idea, hence their strict no camera policy.  And apparently there's a no paper policy too, which was weird.  They literally combed through everyone's purse and made us check pieces of paper.  So odd.  Anyway...here's a quick rundown.

Show Topic:  Stars of Discovery and TLC

Guests:  Cash cab guy, Mike Rowe, Quints by Surprise family and DC Cupcake sisters

We got there at 7am.  Well...I got there at 7am.  A bit late.  Kelly was there at like 6:20am.  It's ok.  If you average the two times we had great timing.  It really didn't matter much because we had to wait in line outside regardless, in a covered but cold area to be let in.  It took maybe 30 minutes to actually get in and check our coats.  Then our bags were given the most thourough inspection I have ever seen.  Ever.  Airports included.  And we were then given a form to fill out with a number and ushered into a waiting room.

And -- totally random -- next to us in the waiting area was Rick Herb's sister.  Rick was my boyfriend in 8th grade back at St. Mary's.  I gave her side-eye for about 5 minutes and then said to Kelly "I think I know her".  Kelly had seen them check in ahead of us with Wisconsin IDs, so I asked and sure enough!  Rick Herb's sister.  16 years later with a huge rock on her finger.  Small world.  Apparently Rick is now in Chicago.  And still BFF with John Bako and Zack Messenberg.

Anyway, back to Oprah.  We finally got seated in AMAZING seats - first level of the riser, in the seats right next to the stage.  I was really hoping all along that something would get passed out to the audience.  Yes, yes, I was "there for the experience".  I know.  But c'mon it's Oprah and everyone knows she gives away some good sh*t. 

I knew it wasn't Favorite Things or any sort of special episode, but I was hoping for something.   Preferably edible since I had only had a banana on the way out the door at 6am.  I think I mentioned this to Kelly no fewer than 5 times.  And positive obsessing - er, thinking - worked!  We got champagne cupcakes from the DC Cupcake girls.  And I screamed when Oprah said "bring out the cupcakes!" and out walked the staffers with silver platters.  So fun.  And yummy!

Posing in the rain

One down...29 1/2 to go.  I'll post an update when I know the air date!





Silly woman took a blurry picture.  Sad.





OPRAHHHHH!

Reservation for the Oprah show CONFIRMED for Wednesday, Nov. 3rd.  Next Wednesday!  Excited to see Lady O and cross the first item off of my list!  No idea yet on show theme or guests.  I'll keep you posted.  A huge thanks to Chris for the hook-up  :)

Woohoo!

A little taste of how next Wednesday will look...

Like my new blonde hair?

A new item - Try Veganism

I'm currently 2/3 of the way through the book Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.  And while I purposely didn't add "become a vegetarian for 30 days" to my list - I already pretty much AM a vegetarian, save for a tiny bit of select meat from our family farm CSA, and sushi - I do think I will add "become a vegan for 30 days" as list number 29.5. 

This book is That. Eye-opening.  Everyone should read it, meat eaters and vegetarians alike.  The movie Food Inc is a relatively good summary of the points Foer makes in the book as well.  Also recommended, though not as in-depth as the book Eating Animals.

As a Wisconsin girl, it's going to be hard to kick the cheese, even for a month.  But, this list is all about challenging myself, so bring it on.  I'm going to shoot for January to be the month.  Will update shortly.

Beer Run!

I've been wanting to get back to Madison for weeks.  I love Madison in the fall and miss Steph, Sarah and Erin a lot.  So, why not combine a Madison trip, the gals, running, and...BEER!  They come together in the "1/6th barrel" 4.4 mi Tyranena Beer Run on 11/6.

BEER RUN

Madison + The Girls + Running + Beer + Lasagna = a mighty fine way to spend a Saturday

Can't wait!  Also, from a (half) marathon training perspective, I'm looking forward to have a realistic race time to work with.

AND, as if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, it's Mr. Erin Aagesen's birthday that night.  Happy Birthday Brett!  Looking forward to celebrating with you after the race.

Brrrrr...

Two options for the polar bear swim in icy Lake Michigan.  January 1st - no "official" sponsor, but an annual tradition or March ? - the official Polar Plunge benefiting Special Olympics.  We'll see.  Either way....brrrrrrrrr!

Chicago Polar Bear Club
North Avenue Beach, Chicago, IL
Friday, January 1st, 2010
12:00noonRing in the New Year with a splash and set an adventurous tone for the upcoming year!  We meet at North Avenue Beach near the north end of the beach house just prior to Noon for pictures.  Wear your swimsuit under your warm clothing.  We'll all disrobe together and take group pictures in swimsuits before going in the water.  Then we'll run in together, get wet, run back out and get dressed quickly.  You'll be really cold for about 5 minutes total, probably spending less than 30 seconds actually in the water, unless you want more.  Spectators are always welcome.

Rules:
1.  Swimsuits only.  No nudity (it's a family event) and no wetsuits (that's cheating).
2.  Swimmers must go all the way under the water before coming out to be "official."
3.  No whining!

The List.

Drum roll....  Here's the 30 Before 30 list that I'm setting out to accomplish.  As of today, I have 10 months and 29 days.  Wish me luck and follow my progress!

1. Marathon
2. Take a wine appreciation class
3. Try tai chi
4. Sky dive
5. Polar bear plunge
6. Send at least one “just because” card per month with a handwritten note.
7. Go someplace that requires a passport.  Renew old passport. 
8. Volunteer at a soup kitchen for a holiday
9. See Oprah
10. Spend an entire weekend in pajamas catching up on movies
11. Read a long classic novel – like War & Peace or Anna Karenina
12. Take a cooking class
13. Go to the opera 
14. Kayak in the Chicago river
15. Try snowboarding
16. Spend a day at the museums
17. Go to the symphony
18. Write my name on the wall at Gino’s East
19. Go to a red carpet event
20. Have a big beer at the Rathskeller
21. Build a snowman
22. Go to the Wiener Circle.  Watch someone order a "chocolate shake" 
23. See Second City perform
24. Go to a Badger game.  And a house party - old school.
25. Dig into my ancestry
26. Surprise someone
27. Go sledding
28. Lay on a tropical beach with an umbrella beverage and no plans.
29. Order a super decadent dessert
30. Meditate.  Pray.

The Drama. And the Reality.

So, I started this blog under a slightly different name back in September on my 29th birthday.  And because I've had some time to think about it, and because the original title wasn't quite right after said thought, and because for the life of me I cannot remember the dang password to the other one, I started fresh. 

Ok, let's be honest, the password issue is probably the #1 reason, but still.  Time for a fresh start.

And a fresh start is good, too, because I went back and re-read what I wrote on my birthday and it was so dramatic.  Yuck.  Read for yourself here:  Rego Rocks.  And let's be honest.  It's not all that dramatic.  Does the thought of not being in my twenties anymore make me sad?  Yes.  Am I excited for all of the stuff this year and beyond?  Hell yes.

And to send my twenties out with a bang, I am doing a "30 Before 30" list.  I realize now, thanks to Google, that this is not at all original, but I still want to do it.  For me.  Otherwise I will talk about all of the things I WANT to do for a year, and end up not doing any of them.

I'm still polishing up the list, but will post soon.

And because it's awesome, I'm reposting the Friends clip from the original birthday blog post.  Enjoy!