The End of My First Quartile

I have neglected my blog, because I have been too busy living, and also writing some good stuff for Girlish.  It makes me feel antsy!!! So let's play catch-up...

 

Since my last post, we celebrated the birth of baby Jesus, we celebrated the 25th commemoration of the birth of baby me, a new year rolled on in, and I drove about as much as I do during my work travel season (which is much too much).

The polite January questions that you are supposed to ask me are..

What is my New Year’s resolutions?  

Answer: Serve my family and friends more.  
Next question: how did I celebrate my birthday and NYE?  
Answer: Spending time with people I love, and doing so in style.  

For once, you will sufficiently see pictures of the events that I am describing, not because I’m catching on to this blogging thing, but because I have spent ample time with an 18 year old and all she does is take pictures...

On my 25th birthday, I got to celebrate one of my very Best Friend’s upcoming wedding.

FYI, if you wear a tiara out and about, people will assume it’s your birthday

100% of the time.  Therefore, it was willed to me.

Then I drove drove drove to my Cute Grandma’s and napped, after which I watched my niece and nephew so their Mommies could go on dates.  Sometimes you have to play with babies so people you love can be in love.  And by have to, I mean ‘get to.’  They.  Are.  So.  Cute.

Thennnnn around 2am I got on a double decker bus with my second youngest Sister to head to the Windy City (it was, as always, as windy as they say… maybe windier).  

 

After a power nap, we immediately went across the street from our hotel and got champagne for one… because I’m four years older than 21 and I can.  

Following this, we (I) chanted “PAID TIME OFF” through the city until we got to my former favorite place in the world (hello, Disney World), Shedd aquarium, where we waited in line for two hours in freezing weather… the wait was disappointing… the aquarium was disappointing... but this view from outside Shedd wasn’t...

I think this is what the kids call a “filter.”

 

My highlights from this adventure were three-fold:

1. The food!  This doesn’t surprise you at all.  Specific highlights include: fish ‘n chips from an Irish pub, a seafood stew from Xoco (the dish I had my first food dream about when I visited Chicago in 2010), King Crab in pasta with squid ink sauce, and of course, macarons from Vanille Patisserie.

1.5 We found Vanille Patisserie in an underground but not actually underground French Market that had lots of fancy vendors that I would have happily explored for hours if my Sister hadn’t wanted to go to the boring planetarium (where I fell asleep… for real). If you want to know what makes me geek out, it's underground but not underground French Markets.

 

2. Seeing a play called “Twist Your Dickens,” a take on the Christmas Carol performed by the Second City comedy troupe at the Goodman theatre.  

3. Touring the Art Institute of Chicago.  Aside from the very reasonably priced ($25) tickets to Second City show, the Art Institute was absolutely the best value for any of the activities we went to.  For $17 I got to see miles of Manets, Picassos and other stuff that I found less interesting. However, they made me carry my backpack like this the whole time, so as to “not disturb the art.” I have realized I won’t ever be able to handle being preggy.  
 

This really  happened… for hours…

 

What were my 18 year old Sister’s favorite parts?
1. Taking selfies at the bean in Millenium Park… really...

2. Watching One Direction play 3 songs on TV on NYE… really…
3. Shopping for too many hours on Michigan Avenue… really...

We weren’t always on the same page, but the trip to Chicago still made me the coolest big Sister ever.  In other news, it proved to me that my little baby is becoming a grown up… a word that is hard for me to use when describing someone who is so obsessed with a boy band, but is apt nonetheless. For more on that, and the dramatic ending to this adventure, tune in next week.  

Until next time, Chicago.
 

Back to Kentucky, back to my birthday.  

On Saturday, 16 of my closest friends and one of my favorite toddlers showed up for a nice dinner to celebrate little ole me, and I looked great (I feel ok about saying that, because it’s the truth).  I felt so special.  

I ended up staying out until 3am for the second time in one week (wild, I know), and was reminded that I am still somewhat young.  The thing that made me feel most contemplative was that, for the most part, the people who showed up for my 25th birthday were pretty much the same great people who showed up for my 21st, minus a few, and plus a couple of great additions.  

 

As I have now sufficiently word vomited the happenings of the last three weeks of my life, I shall attempt to wrap this thing up...

Standing on the cusp of a new calendar year and the end of my life’s first quartile, I have decided I have never looked better, have never been happier with my group of friends (though they have pretty much all gotten married and moved away/ left me) and have a gut feeling that I’m about to get some big stuff done… 2015, bring it on!