Change is everywhere that I look lately. I myself am going through a job/career change, friends are experiencing all kinds of change as well, moving, relationships, marriage, babies, the list goes on and on. And while this is all taking place, I've found it interesting to take in how one deals and adapts, myself especially.
I think it's fundamental human nature to be adverse to change, even though we may spout otherwise and state how "good and healthy" it may be, it is our basic, primitive desire that things should remain the same. This desire is not necessarily for the best of reasons, familiarity, comfort, laziness, but it tends to be the force or non-force that keep us in our holding patterns for as long as it does.
Take myself as a prime example, I have long been wanting a career change, more responsibility, more challenge and now that the opportunity has finally presented itself what do I find myself dwelling on as this change approaches? The little mundane, comfort factors - my new office isn't as visually appealing, will it be easy to take the afternoon off to go to the doctor, what's the policy on open-toed sandals in the summer (okay that one IS important)? My point is this, I've not yet focused on the truly larger issues of my change - will I be successful in the new role, will I build relationships successfully ? because instead, I am focused on the comfort factors and this I have discovered is my coping mechanism. If I focus on all these smaller details it keeps me from having a complete meltdown dwelling on the larger issues at hand, and for this I am deeply thankful to my psyche - I just need to make sure not to analyze my train of thought here for too long or that full meltdown will undoubtedley occur!
Alright, enough contemplating for one evening, see what two glasses of wine will produce! I promise back to trivial lifestyle commentary in the next post.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
Nice Little Chicago Weekend
Spring was making it's first attempt to come out and play in Chicago this weekend, and while all us Chicagoans know that true, nice weather won't really be here until May, everyone was nonetheless out and about enjoying the fleeting fifty degree weather myself included. It was such a good little weekend I thought I'd share a few highlights should you ever find yourself looking for a few places to go to on the weekend.
The weekend kicked off with a Friday night gathering at Pops for Champagne, a long-time Chicago champagne bar that recently relocated from the Lakeview neighborhood to downtown's River North. I was sorry to see Pops make the move out of my neighborhood to make way for yet another sports bar (yes, we need more!) but I must admit downtown is where it belongs. Along with the new location Pops got a makeover and the result it a fun spot to sip some champagne for an hour or two in tinkling, modern decor, while you may have to eventually shout to be heard it is a nice change of pace from grabbing the standard beer or glass of wine post-work.
The lovely weather continued into Saturday and after an afternoon watching the Big Ten tourney (can we just acknowledge that the Big Ten cannot score more than a high school girl's team) I headed out with some friends for some sushi at Tank in the Lincoln Square hood. Tank's not my favorite sushi place in the city but the food is quality and the place is a welcome addition to the former German beer hall centric Lincoln Square. If you like your sushi hot and spicy this is the place for you (order the Latin Heat but beware), however, bring some patience as you sip you sake and wait even with a reservation the diva at the front of the house will still make you wait.
Sunday rolled around and (can you see a theme developing here-more eating) I met a friend in Wicker Park for some brunch, when the line at the Bongo Room was too daunting we headed down to Division's Milk & Honey cafe. With a relatively simple but delicious menu, the cafe is a great spot to sit and have a tasty breakfast, brunch or lunch with a slight din in the background, swing back by the counter on your way out for some old-school treats, rice krispie bars, big, bodacious brownies or the dessert that refuses to die, the cupcake.
So that was my lovely weekend, just a little sharing should you ever been in need of some dining suggestions, and here's to hoping that 50-60 degree weather is here to stay!
On an unrelated note, I received a request from one of my faithful readers (the few, the proud, the bored: ) to comment on my thoughts about the resurgence of the leggings trend. So here it is, while I am the first to admit that if I find a fashion trend to be cute or interesting I will be the first to jump on it (hello I'm 5"3 and own a pair of skinny jeans, I have no shame) however, I do tend to follow the school of "if you were around the first time the trend came through then you shouldn't be wearing it the second time", that being said, I do think in some instances the leggings can look cute when paired with season's draped t-shirts top/dresses, but those that can pull it off successfully are few and far between. Unfortunately I fear that I fall into the camp that cannot pull this off so it also tends to influence my desire to say "it's a terrible trend nobody should wear them" but that's just my inner fashion wannabe raising it's ugly, jealous head.
So bottom line on the leggings: if you have to ponder weather or not they are cute or for you, they probably aren't.
The weekend kicked off with a Friday night gathering at Pops for Champagne, a long-time Chicago champagne bar that recently relocated from the Lakeview neighborhood to downtown's River North. I was sorry to see Pops make the move out of my neighborhood to make way for yet another sports bar (yes, we need more!) but I must admit downtown is where it belongs. Along with the new location Pops got a makeover and the result it a fun spot to sip some champagne for an hour or two in tinkling, modern decor, while you may have to eventually shout to be heard it is a nice change of pace from grabbing the standard beer or glass of wine post-work.
The lovely weather continued into Saturday and after an afternoon watching the Big Ten tourney (can we just acknowledge that the Big Ten cannot score more than a high school girl's team) I headed out with some friends for some sushi at Tank in the Lincoln Square hood. Tank's not my favorite sushi place in the city but the food is quality and the place is a welcome addition to the former German beer hall centric Lincoln Square. If you like your sushi hot and spicy this is the place for you (order the Latin Heat but beware), however, bring some patience as you sip you sake and wait even with a reservation the diva at the front of the house will still make you wait.
Sunday rolled around and (can you see a theme developing here-more eating) I met a friend in Wicker Park for some brunch, when the line at the Bongo Room was too daunting we headed down to Division's Milk & Honey cafe. With a relatively simple but delicious menu, the cafe is a great spot to sit and have a tasty breakfast, brunch or lunch with a slight din in the background, swing back by the counter on your way out for some old-school treats, rice krispie bars, big, bodacious brownies or the dessert that refuses to die, the cupcake.
So that was my lovely weekend, just a little sharing should you ever been in need of some dining suggestions, and here's to hoping that 50-60 degree weather is here to stay!
On an unrelated note, I received a request from one of my faithful readers (the few, the proud, the bored: ) to comment on my thoughts about the resurgence of the leggings trend. So here it is, while I am the first to admit that if I find a fashion trend to be cute or interesting I will be the first to jump on it (hello I'm 5"3 and own a pair of skinny jeans, I have no shame) however, I do tend to follow the school of "if you were around the first time the trend came through then you shouldn't be wearing it the second time", that being said, I do think in some instances the leggings can look cute when paired with season's draped t-shirts top/dresses, but those that can pull it off successfully are few and far between. Unfortunately I fear that I fall into the camp that cannot pull this off so it also tends to influence my desire to say "it's a terrible trend nobody should wear them" but that's just my inner fashion wannabe raising it's ugly, jealous head.
So bottom line on the leggings: if you have to ponder weather or not they are cute or for you, they probably aren't.
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