Windy City Girl

I'm pretty sure that watching Elf after Thanksgiving dinner is now officially a tradition at my house.

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:10:50 -0800

When I was in college, I lived across the street from one of my favorite restaurants,...

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:06:23 -0800

When I was in college, I lived across the street from one of my favorite restaurants, Hackney’s (the one in Printer’s Row, for all you Chicagoans out there). I ate there at least once a week, and by the time I was getting ready to move to LA, the entire wait staff knew and liked me, so much so that when I ate there on my last night in Illinois, they comped my dinner. There are many things about Chicago that I miss, but Hackney’s is definitely at the top of that list.

Yesterday, my mom and I went into the city to shop, then went to Hackney’s for dinner. It was decorated with Christmas lights, the food was just as fantastic as I remembered, and the waitress still remembered me! For a little while, it was like I’d never left Chicago.

teaforonesvp: gaseousclay: whydoihaveablog: JGL’s...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:23:27 -0800

teaforonesvp:

gaseousclay:

whydoihaveablog:

JGL’s monologue/dance from last night’s episode of SNL, in case you missed it or want to relive the adorableness. (via sade)

It’s like Joseph Gordon-Levitt knew that one of my Husband Requirements is “knows how to prat fall”. It’s the most dreamboat thing you can do.

He’s perfect.

Couldn’t agree more. He is adorable in so many ways. I loved it when he had to slick his hair back at 3:57.

The aforementioned number! Swoon.

closertotheocean: joseph gordon levitt on snl doin’ the old...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:58:31 -0800

closertotheocean:

joseph gordon levitt on snl doin’ the old say anything bit.

…i gave her my heart… she gave me pen.

I think this was my favorite part of the show last night. Well, except for when he flipped off the walls during his monologue number. That was unexpected and surprisingly sexy. I know, I know, I’m weird.

Travel rituals

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:38:21 -0800

Whenever I’m getting ready to fly somewhere, I have wildly unrealistic expectations of being productive during the course of my flight. I make sure to pack a moleskine and plenty of pens and pencils in case I feel like writing or drawing, plus a couple of books in case I plow through the first one before I arrive. I make sure my iPod and noise-canceling headphones are charged so that I can block out any distracting sound around me with either white noise or music that fits the mood of whatever I feel like writing or sketching. I put a small variety of snacks in my bag that would take care of any cravings I might have for salty or sweet food, and I make sure I’m dressed in layers that are easy to take off or put on even with my seat belt buckled in case the cabin is too cold or warm.

Then I get on the plane, put on my headphones, listen to about three songs while trying to decide what to do first, and promptly fall asleep for the rest of the flight.

As anyone that has followed my tumblr for a while may know, when...

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:49:50 -0800

As anyone that has followed my tumblr for a while may know, when I find really cool material things that I wish I owned, I often post them accompanied by the phrase “Someone please buy me this ______”.

About a week ago, I tumbled this adorable little necklace in such a way, and the lovely Emily aka suggestions did something unbelievably nice: she sent it to me!

Emily, thank you so much! I absolutely adore it, and getting an early birthday present picked me up after a week that was less than awesome. You really should email me your address so I can send you something in return!

2012 confirmed my thoughts on the apocalypse.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0800

2012 confirmed my thoughts on the apocalypse.

I’m On Fire by John Mayer (originally by Bruce...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:55:13 -0800

I’m On Fire by John Mayer (originally by Bruce Springsteen)

I remember seeing John Mayer play this live a few years back and thinking it was one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen, but the covers he’s recorded are usually limited to Jimi Hendrix songs, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this on Mayer’s latest album, Battle Studies. Also, I’ve been a John Mayer fan for years and years now, and I’m glad that people seem to finally be coming around to realize that he’s so much more than a pretty face. He really, really, really knows what he’s doing when it comes to making music.

I have a new button and it seems to serve the purpose of...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:57:00 -0800

I have a new button and it seems to serve the purpose of downloading the photo from the post the button’s on. This button is not, however, on all of my photo posts. Puzzling.

EDIT: Because I didn’t click beyond the little camera button, I didn’t realize until today that what it actually does is let you reply to the post with a picture of your own. I thought my computer was prompting me to tell it where to save the picture from the post when it was actually asking me to choose my own to upload. I actually find this option even stranger than what I originally thought the button did.

This Year by the Mountain Goats I’m sure I’ve...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:29:31 -0800

This Year by the Mountain Goats

I’m sure I’ve posted this before, but I’m posting it now because it always makes me feel better when I’m down. Bonus pick me up: I saw it live on Sunday night and am thinking about that feeling now, which multiplies the cheering up power by ten.

thelos: imlouise: I am such a nerd, and I think it shows when...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:16:12 -0800

thelos:

imlouise:

I am such a nerd, and I think it shows when I go crazy and put this Atom Ring on my wish list! Look how cute this is.

Someone please buy me this ring.

Setbacks

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:09:57 -0800

I found out something today that made me kind of sad. I don’t want to get into details because in the grand scheme of things it really isn’t important, but it was one of those moments where I realized something I’d been hoping to achieve in the near future will more than likely be out of my grasp for much longer than I’d like. That in and of itself isn’t even that bad, but it coincided with me being pretty sure that I completely lost out on something else that I really wanted as well.

At this point in my life, there are basically two major roads I’d want to follow, and these disappointments happened to land together today, one in each path. I feel stupid for having gotten my hopes up about either thing, and even stupider for being sad about it all instead of just taking the disappointment like an adult.

I know that was all incredibly vague, and that I’m not usually one to unload unhappy feelings on my tumblr, but I just felt like saying it and getting it out of my system.

notbuying: Normally a tshirt like this wouldn’t really do it...

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0800

notbuying:

Normally a tshirt like this wouldn’t really do it for me… but it happens to have me and Eric drawn on it, so obviously I need it like woah. Like woah.

Someone please buy me this t-shirt.

me: I see your tumble.

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:17:00 -0800

me: I see your tumble.
James: You do? Do you raise me a tumble?

The show last night was so utterly amazing that I don’t...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:42:00 -0800

Going to Bristol

The show last night was so utterly amazing that I don’t even know where to begin describing it. There’s something so incredible about seeing John Darnielle live, because he gets so into what he’s singing, but in different ways for different songs (some really quiet, others feverish, all intense). Plus I always love hearing his intros for songs, because they can be funny and heartbreaking all at once.

Anyway, the setlist is below, and the pictures above were taken from my cell phone.

1 Samuel 15:23
Old College Try
Romans 10:9
Letter From Belgium
Isaiah 45:23
Deuteronomy 2:10
Genesis 3:23
Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is In Another Castle
Genesis 30:3
Cobscook Bay (featuring Owen Pallett)
The River Song (featuring Owen Pallett)
Going to Bristol (featuring Owen Pallett)
Hebrews 11:40
Song for Dennis Brown
Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod
Psalms 40:2
This Year
Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace

First encore
Palmcorder Yajna
Wild Sage

Second encore
No Children

incline: Due to my abhorrence of crowds, I don’t go to a lot of...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:53:18 -0800

John Darnielle with Owen Pallett

Final Fantasy was a great opener

John Darnielle with Owen Pallett

Jen (WindyCityGirl) in the lobby

incline:

Due to my abhorrence of crowds, I don’t go to a lot of concerts. I make exceptions when the cost (creeping claustrophobia) : reward (fun fun fun!) ratio swings far enough in the right direction, which means I always make exceptions for The Mountain Goats and I’ve yet to be disappointed.

The show was absolutely PHENOMENAL. I’ll post my pictures later as I’m currently too tired to retrieve them from my phone.

I get to see the Mountain Goats in a few hours! SO EXCITED!

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:32:09 -0800

Catching Bigfoot's brother

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:45:00 -0800

An idiom meaning that your original plan doesn’t work out but something just as good happens. According to Demetri Martin last night at UCB, anyway.

"In increments both measurable and not, our childhood is stolen from us — not always in one momentous..."

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:05:51 -0800

“In increments both measurable and not, our childhood is stolen from us — not always in one momentous event but often in a series of small robberies, which add up to the same loss.”

- John Irving, Until I Find You (via fiftytwobooks)

The Sky Whirl was one of my favorite rides at Great America when...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:10:00 -0800

The Sky Whirl was one of my favorite rides at Great America when I was a kid, though I always referred to it as “the birdcages”. It was a triple Ferris wheel, one of only two that ever stood in the U.S. Unfortunately, this one was removed from Great America in 2000, three years after its sister version was taken out of the Six Flags in Santa Clara.