So pretty

Great view from my recent run.

Kings of Leon

I couldn't concentrate on finishing up my research proposal titled The Influence of Education on Role Change Stress for First-Time Fathers. (This is dedicated to all you men who are having kids in their 30's and 40's for the first time. You've had time to live life, work on your career, and have had no permanent responsibilities. Now it's time to get on board and evolve.)

ANYWAY, I downloaded the entire Only By the Night (Deluxe Version) by Kings of Leon from iTunes. It's all incredible.

Now I can continue my work.

RedEye

click on the picture

Note to Mother Nature

Hey WEATHER!  WTF? Why are you screwing with my Spring day off?  

George, future running sensation

Stupid Red Eye reader and L rider

<

CTA scrubs?
You should do a story about all the hospital workers I see on the Red Line with their scrubs on. This cannot be sanitary or healthy for the commuters or [their] patients.
--Luke Wrobrew, Streeterville

Some jackass (Luke Wrobrew, Streeterville) made a comment about people wearing hospital scrubs who sit on the L.
I would be one of these "unsanitary" people according to this guy. I ride the Red Line.

This is all from a pediatric nurse's perspective.

True, the seats are dirty and you would not want to rub your face in the fabric. I think it's lucky for the patient that we don't use the ass part of our scrub pants to take care of them! With working 12 hour shifts, it's common to not sit for more than 30 minutes a day...and that's not 30 minutes in a row. We're on our feet a lot. So maybe we're sitting down before our shift begins just because it's a long ride in and we're getting ready for a long day on our feet. Or maybe it's the end of the shift and we're filthy and spreading germs for the likes of Luke to touch and rub into their eyes. (Wash your hand you dumb fuck). Hand washing is the key to halting the spread of germs. It's not avoiding the seat on the L.

I'm a nurse. I wash my hands maybe a hundred times during a twelve hour shift. This is just an estimate. It's probably more.

Luke, you're a jackass.

Crunchy

It's crunch time with school. As the work is piling on, my attention and patients is depleting. It's Spring and all I want to do is be outside and run.

Lakefront Path

It's officially awesome again on the running path. When I pressed for water at the fountain at LSD and Fullerton, I got water. Clean water. And it did not taste like crap! I don't think I could have run the last 2 our of 6 miles I did today. Am I completely insane for running with a smile? Yeah, but I was not the only one out there. Welcome Spring!!!

Al Gore at the Chicago Theatre

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-talk_gore_0402apr02,0,7190847.story

Awww...we saw Al Gore last night. He was interviewed by Sir Harold Evans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Evans). Sir Harold obviously is liberal based on his Bush commentary...it's not bashing if it's all true. Al Gore, you're doing so well. Wish you were our president the 8 years before Obama.

We need to be GREENER!

If I Were a Bro

hawthoRNe

Have we finally made it? A TV show that revolves around an actual nurse!?

HAWTHORNE takes place at Richmond Trinity Hospital in Richmond, Va., where the strong-but-caring director of nursing, Christina Hawthorne (Pinkett Smith), continuously fights battles she often knows she won’t win. Whether treating the homeless woman in front of the hospital like a human being or trying to talk a suicidal cancer patient off the ledge, Christina must challenge hospital administrators, heartless doctors, apathetic colleagues and a system that sometimes forgets it’s there to serve the sick.

Recently widowed and the mother of a smart, willful teenager, Christina juggles her career with her equally important role as a single parent. Between the two, she barely has time for herself and has difficulty keeping things together. But she knows she has to and can’t give up on anyone. That’s what her passion requires; it’s what it takes to be a hero.

Ari Emanuel

I didn't know Ari Gold is based on Rahm's brother!?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-ari-emanuel-biomar30,0,1553732.story

Shamrock Shuffle 2009

I avoided looking out the window and stayed in bed til 7:30AM. All I heard in the background was laughter at the running conditions.  

BRRR...glad to have feeling in my toes again!  I didn't think we were going to actually run.  I even popped the Strata (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=E8E6A4EB-099D-DE7A-B2894D275BD7D8A0)  in the oven.  (It was also known as Eric Estrada.)  But ER, KC, and ZR were serious about doing it!  We didn't even bother to stick around at the finish line to get the group back together.  ER and I just ran back to JC's. Yes, running after finishing the race.  You wouldn't want your wet feet to refreeze!  LS, you are awesome for even leaving your place!

I thought at first this was worse than the Chicago Half Marathon in Hyde Park 2008. It wasn't. Just because we stayed in side a warm building until 9:15AM, wore plastic bags around our shoes which lasted about 2 blocks, and came back to the fire place burning.

When's the next race?

Hotel Tomo!

Look what I found on MSNBC.com!  Stayed here while in San Francisco for the Outside Lands Music Festival last August!  I didn't know we were hip! Thought we were just saving money.  Not hip, but super geeky!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29663879/?pg=12#TRAVEL_Wired_GeekHotels


That awesome bean bag is like $200 on-line.

Spring

Spring!
Ran with KNB yesterday. Great run! The only thing that stopped us at 6 miles was our joints - my knee and her hip. Otherwise, we could have kept going. The weather was perfect and mentally, we had our running frame of mind in place. I guess that is what happens when you're "old."

Remember the winter we ran with the snow in 12 degree? ...to be young and able again.

Getting Schooled at a Korean BBQ joint

Dinner at San Soo Gap San Korean BBQ and Sushi Bar on Western was so good! My favorite part was seeing my boyfriend get schooled by the waitress on BBQing beef on the table grill! He was gingerly placing the thin slices of beef onto the grill. She came over with bigger tongs and messed his arrangement up! The look on his face! HA! I kept looking at KC and laughing. He got schooled!

Update - Getting High Like Planes

Now my neighbors are quiet. They sprayed the hallway with Lysol and BAM...Silence. They must be getting it on.

Getting high like planes

The dorm is having a fun day! Sounds like the neighbors are either watching college basketball or watching a movie. A very funny one. It smells like they have are having lots of fun. Their laughter is very loud. Please toke a little more so you can shut up and I can finish my Pharmacology lecture!

I went to Oprah...and left empty handed!

Not a huge fan of Oprah b/c she thinks she knows everything. But people listen to her. And she's a better person and has better intentions than Rush Limbaugh, that wanker.

I spent a few hours today at a taping of the Oprah Winfrey Show with a friend from work.  Suze Orman was the guest.
TSA should take note of how to search people and their belongings. I have to admit that they run a tight ship. There are 2-3 older people who run the waiting room. I was scolded by the little old lady with the short hair for not leaving my blue piece of paper on my seat prior to going to the ladies room. The pre-show person was great. Oprah is getting a little bit larger. She walked onto the set sans shoes. She needed someone to assist her put on her shoes This poor chick had her face between her legs, below the knee. Later, Oprah took her shoes off and you can tell that they've never or rarely have been used to walk in, as evidenced by a glare from the shiney bottoms of the shoes. It's not a bad show. It is like you're in her living room and all you're doing is listening.

I hoped for $1000 bills taped to the bottom of our seats.  I expected at least Suze Orman';s latest book.  
WTF.
WE GOT NOTHING.

Toothbrushes

Tips for a man:  What to hide from a first date.

GOOP

I really don't mind Gwyneth. What the hell else is she supposed to do with her time? She's rich and has people doing the stuff that regular people have to do (i.e. dishes, laundry, shopping). So why not build an empire. She's way smarter than Rachel Ray, that fucking idiot. She's young and hip. You don't hear her breathing like the Barefoot Contessa. And it's not like she peddling anything. She hasn't had any good movies out in recent memory. So I am supportive. I like the little stories in the newsletters. She doesn't claim to be an expert...she's just sharing the stuff she's learned. I don't need to know what we regular people already do. She's too famous to have a show on the Food Network. I'm actually shocked that she tries to cook. Anyway, I like it.

GOOP is GOOD.

Jai Ho-ing in Wicker Park

Some Indian guys from Madras who stood by us last night in Wicker Park. One of them told me what Jai Ho meant in Hindi. I can't remember now. I told them to not get suckered in by American girls and buy them tons of drinks. I really like how they played along with the story line that all us girls work together as pole dancers. It was very nice and smart of them. They also already love Danny's. So smart. JAI HO!!!

Hook Em!s

so there are these giant "art balls" on the steps of east mall.....

why can't ice cream look like ice cream?

America is heavy.

Shouldn't you mold vegetables to look like ice cream?

We don't have problems eating ice cream.

http://spaghettiicecream.com/welcome.htm

Refined...like white sugar

>I watched a co-worker eat her fancy breakfast. It was very refined. English cucumber, white cheddar, topping a slice of toast. It looked so delicious - crunchy, cold, and cheesy at the same time. So we get to talking about this wonderful yet simple treat she's having...

K: you know what this is? Points to the toast
Me: What? Expecting it to be from a local bakery
K: It's Wonder Bread.
Then I told her I'd do this...write about her on sweetyellwcorn.blogspot.com

Running Calendar

Febuary
Feb - Austin Half (done)

 

March

March 29 - Shamrock Shuffle 8K (registered)

 

April

April 4- http://www.runforthecheetah.org/chicago/index.htm#register

April 25 - CARA Lakefront 10 Mile  

 

May

May 23 - Soldier Field 10 (registered)

 

June

June 27 - http://www.frfwchicago.org/ptr2009/

 

July

July 19 - FleetFeet Womans 5, 10K  http://www.fleetfeetchicago.com

July 23 - Terrapin 5k  (registered)

 

Aug

Aug 2 - Chicago Rock n Roll Half-Marathon http://www.rnrchicago.com/

 

Sept

Sept 13 - Chicago Marathon (in Hyde Park) http://www.chicagohalfmarathon.com/

 

Oct

Oct 4 - Bucktown 5K

Oct 11 - Chicago Marathon (Watching and CHEERING!)

 

Nov

Turkey Trot

 

Dec

 

Jan

Houston Half? 

Feb

Austin Half?!!!!

Zico, the other Botox

I tried this Zico, coconut water at the running Expo in Austin...I think I'm allergic to it?! On the day of the race, I woke up with itchy, red, Botox-looking lips. Maybe it works great in hydration and limp plumping.

The other pic is of Brazil's legendary football player, Zico.

Dow ends at lowest close in more than 6 years

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-wall-street,0,4187589.story

The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index suffered the biggest hit Thursday after Hewlett Packard Co. tumbled 7.9 percent after posting worrisome results. The Nasdaq fell 25.15, or 1.71 percent, to 1,442.82.

Yuck...  I am really surprised with HP.  I've purchased at least 12 HP printer cartridges in the last 6 months at $15 a pop.  Sorry Nasdaq.   I could not stimulate you.

Sites of Austin during the Half-Marathon weekend!

The race was awesome and challenging. I'm only saying that now and positively reflecting on the morning since it's over and I'm back in Chicago deeply involved in my daily grind. Running up hills is tough. I don't know what is worse - not knowing the city and the course...or knowing that Enfield is a bitch of a road to run or suddenly finding out that South Congress goes UP when you're heading south. I like how some of the Chi-town runners who travelled down thought Austin was like Wicker Park...except an entire city. Was it all the hipster waitstaff we interacted with? My gosh Medici Coffee, your employees are hipster cute.

Austin Half-Marathon

Opera Dinner

Firecracker Chicken at Opera in the South Loop.

Hottest thing on the menu!

See that stack on the RIGHT??  IT'S ALL RED HOT PEPPERS!

I seriously felt like I hallucinated!  Like the Chili Festival episode on the Simpsons.

I found a trick - order something this HOT and the BF will keep away from eating your food!

What's up NSW?

Another freakin shark attack in Sydney?!  First it was in my favorite place in Sydney - Woolloomooloo!

Another at my favorite beach - Bondi

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/first-shark-attack-at-bondi-in-80-years/1432845.aspx

I thought this below was kinda funny.  He couldn't remember if Lisa was his girlfriend or wife.

"He was in a fair bit of a mess. He said: 'Tell my wife or girlfriend, Lisa, that I love her.' Then he said, 'She's pregnant'. He thought his number was up, I guess."

Don't be koi with me

I experienced my first First Friday at the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Arts) last Friday.  I can describe the experience with few words:  Euro Trash, River North, Meat Market.  The security guard trying to move us away to clear the doorway a few times. Finally, I told her that we have to stay there b/c that is where you see all of the said meat market.  She was amused.

Oh those pesky cell phones...as a friend tried to call me and save me from the sea of First Friday-ers, her cell battery popped out and dove into the koi pond in the ground floor.  oops. 

Snowbird, Utah

Snowbird, Utah. Not the place for beginners to learn. Took the tram up, minus the skis. I couldn't believe how high up the tram went and that people skied down. Wow. Chickadee Run was for me. Learned to turn. Made lots of S's. Excelled in falling. I'm hooked. What a fabulous sport.

"Bacon is a fruit" - Homer Simpson

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/dining/28bacon.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Dorm

My apartment building aka "the dorm" is super happening tonight! The next door neighbors are coughing, talking, smoking weed, and listening to Marshall Bruce Mathers, more famously Eminem in 2000. Should I offer them a cough drop or offer techniques on how to toke effectively?

OHHH shit, they're trying to rap...3 guys together! Is this a Man-Date?

Taint

Blagojovich or however you spell your name...you ruined my Rachel Maddow time tonight. Thanks. You should get impeached just of noise pollution

The Killers

Saw the Killers at UIC Pavilion last night. Fantastic show. Brandon, you spastic musical genius, Thank You.

Good mix of old and new. You guys have quite a repertoire for being around for just a few years. I would have totally lost it and melted if you played Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf. Damn, it had to be on the B-side album. Mr. Brightside is still my number 1 most played on my iTunes.

Happy New Year

I postponed my Happy New Years until today. It wasn't quite New or extremely Happy until yesterday. Inauguration Day. Obama is now #44. With that, I can say HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

iWhat?

My iPod is possessed.  Check this out:

SRV Diag Boot

SRV

Sep 09 2006

-------------------

Menu: Manual Test

Previous: Auto Test

WTF?  Is it broken now?  Why can't I turn it off?

Arctic

Holy Crap! This is what -8 degrees Fahrenheit looks like just before 7AM today. BRRR! My face felt like it was MELTING OFF!

Where's my Weiner?

What's up the the Weiner Circle?!!

Where is my date going to take me for a 3am snack on New Year's Eve?

The white piece o'paper says "Broke Water Pipe." 

I think it's a broken Crack Pipe.

Give me my fries, BITCH!

Big Ike

Check out this house in far north Houston.  This happened during Ike.  Right into a bedroom.  The roots were ripped from the ground.  Good thing the house is on the market so no one got hurt.  Kinda hurts the re-sale value.  

Mr. Cao

VSA should be proud...even if he's a Republican. I Wikipediaed him...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cao
He went to JV for high school. Go Northwest Side! Go Houston!

Rod, you asshole.

Rod! Who do you think you are?
You're in Springfield. Small potatoes. You're not in Chicago. Mashed potatoes made with fresh cream & organic chives.
If you're going to be corrupt, do it for the better good. Mayor Daley makes this city work with the corruption. We benefit from it. You're just plain greedy. You asshole. Keep your dirty greedy hands off Obama.

Patrick Fitzgerald, you the MAN!

Beyonce

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVTyLqkez6A

Beyonce's If I Were A Boy video.

No. She is NOT a stripper. She's a cop.

lvac

my gym

Snow

Snowfall on the backyard Koi pond

Delivered

new running gear

http://www.zootsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=3_26&products_id=294

I got a new running jacket.  Worth every penny.  There were a lot of pennies.  

FedEx, you ass clowns

FexEx...you are on my shit list. Where's my freakin MacBook??? You said it would be delivered today. And NOW it says on Nov 28th??? THAT IS BULLSHIT.

CDW - I'm sure you have something to do with this. The damn rep (JB) didn't even send me a copy of the invoice like she said she would. I had to email her 24 hours later to get this. AND I had to ask for the FedEx tracking number. What the fuck.

My MacBook

http://www.apple.com/macbook/

I don't know how to describe how I'm feeling while waiting for my MacBook to arrive by FedEx today. I'm staying home all day so I won't miss the delivery. The tracking site is constantly being refreshed...it's not telling me shit! It's a cold day in Chicago and I have my window open so I can hear the truck pull up.

I'm psycho, I know.

I want it.
I can't wait.

I love my iBook G4 but it's noticeably slower...takes longer to shut down, can't have all my Safari window tabs open with Word, Powerpoint, and iTunes with the same speed as 3 years ago. It's been absolutely reliable and compact enough to fit my various hobo bags and definitely my TimBuk2 bag.

An evening with Smashing Pumpkins

This is a picture of the in side of the Auditorium Theatre...beautiful.

I love the Pumpkins.  I've seen them 3 times in Texas back in the mid and late 90s.  That's when they were good.  That's before Billy Corgan became such a rockstar, drama queen.  He's a genius musically.  But there's something to be said when 2 of your former band mates did not return when the band was "re-united".  It's not even like D'Arcy Wretzky and James Iha are up to anything.  Billy must be a pill to work with.  He even took over James Iha's predilection for wearing dresses!  This must be too Single White Female for James.

The Pumpkins were never the band that had fans who danced in the aisles unlike some bands (as mentioned by the BF).  WTF, it's all melancholy and pensive lyrics with fucking awesome music.  The fans sat in 1996 Erwin Center, University of Texas at Austin.  A lot of the fans were sitting through some songs last night.  They crossed their arms and enjoyed the music and show with a frown in 1996 and 2008.  The world is a Vampire.  But that's also because WE'RE 12 years older now.  The dude sitting behind me yelled like crazy.  I had to wipe spit off my arm a few times as he called Billy a "little Bitch."  Apparently, a guy in the row in front of us SSHHed the guy next to me.  Come on, this isn't an evening with Yo Yo Ma.

Billy, you didn't even give us an encore.  I know you love to be loved and Adored.  But we clapped and shit for you.  AND YOU NEVER CAME BACK ON STAGE.  You suck for that.

NEVERTHELESS, the music is still awesome.  I sang every lyric I knew.  And these are the lyrics learned before the Internet.  I still have the copy of they lyrics to Siamese Dream that I sent a SASE to the fan club in 1994 to get.  I listened to that album every day in high school and college, then about once a week after that for about 2 years.  I still think Pisces Iscariot is superior the the pink Mellon Collie disc.  My freakin email in college has "Sandoz" which I took from Pisces.  

Your Mayonaise last night was awesome.  Loved it along with the version in Vieuphoria.

Evolve

To my friend who called himself an Evolutionary Beast:

http://www.bustedtees.com/f1rst

Trotting for Turkey

I signed up b/c I like eating. And it's a longsleeve technical t!

Slumdog Millionaire

This is one of the best movies I've seen this year. There a tons I want to say but I don't want to give away anything. I watched it with my Homey and Nurse A. and chatted about how good it was from when it ended, to the parking garage, to home. You feel bad for the kids but they get by. It is already written.

Frieda Pinto - ok, so Homey says "Freida? Pinto? There's a billion people in India and they couldn't cast one of their own people?" Seriously!!! So that is why I googled her and found that she is Indian, and of course a model.

Kinetic

OK...so I went to the Kinetic Playground on Lawrence Friday. There was a Greatful Dead cover band gathering. The original drummer was actually up on the stage, playing. Wow, not dead. What a surprise. Good thing there was another girl I hung out with who wasn't sure about the music either. The highlight of the night was:

Other girl: Hey, do you need to go to the bathroom?
Sweetyellowcorn: No, why?
Other girl: Well good. One of the hippie girls just took a piss in the sink!

It was fun, nevertheless.

Ripped Off

BF and I were on the L to Roosevelt on Sat. We watched as three girls got taken by a 3-card-Monty guy. He carried wads of 20's tempting the girls to play the game. A minute later, 2 other guys showed up in our cart just sooo willing to play the game. The girls were probably in their early 20's, dressed to go out...and I knew they were young b/c what intelligent late 20-something would seriously wear flipflops (her heels were probably too uncomfortable to continue wearing on the L). That's what Uggs are for! The girls put together $25 to play and of course, LOSE!

BF was like, no, no they're not that stupid. Um honey, YES THEY ARE. I guess you have to learn from an experience like this. Wouldn't you rather get ripped off on a trip around Europe where it's cute and "part of the experience."

Smashing Pumpkins

Going to see 1/2 of the Smashing Pumpkins that I loved from 1992 until now with the BF.
I've been thinking about my favorite songs. This is what I have just off the top of my head:

Drown
Mayonaise
Rocket
Today
All of Pisces Iscariot

School Schmool

This past Monday and Tuesday were my restorative days. I tried to study and get work done but I ended up shopping and playing Dynomite!. Erin knows what I'm talking about. I just needed some days to do NOTHING. I'm pretty damn good at it.

Yesterday, I walked down to Clark and Diversey to get some popcorn - 1 small Chicago Mix, please, hand my $2.25, Thank you. at Chicago Popcorn Works and to possibly sneak in a movie at Century. I almost lost my shit in front of Borders. Chicago Popcorn Works...EMPTY!!!! I seriously almost got hit by a car trying to run and bang my fists on the door. Ok, don't be alarmed. It's not really gone. It's closed and moved a block down. THANK CHRIST!

http://chicagopopcornworks.com/

Motherfucker

The kid I took care of this weekend is a MAJOR DICK!  Scrotum and all.  He shushed me!  His kid is asleep but I had to check his vitals and write them on my paper.  Opening up my paper was apparently too loud.  SO the FUCKer shushed me!  I just glared at him.  DICK.