Moving Day (#2)

Getting out of bed this morning was difficult... perhaps because my body knows that it is getting closer to being bed-less or perhaps because I really just didn't want to get up.

But, I did it. I had an interview this morning and simply recycled an outfit that I'd worn to an interview earlier in the week because all of my other clothes were in Logan Square (as if anyone besides me would know...). The interview was at a Capitol One Café. Did you know that those are a thing? Because they are. They're part bank, part café, as the name would suggest, and they have conference rooms that non-profits can rent for free. I was meeting with a non-profit, which is why we were meeting there. I was their first interview of the day and I arrived a few minutes early -- actually beating them there. I'm not sure if that makes me look good or bad to them, but it can't be helped now (Seriously though, they suggested you arrive early because they had paperwork to be filled out. This turned out to be a one page questionnaire that took approximately 57 seconds to complete, but I was just following the directions of their extremely detailed email).

After the interview, I was Logan Square bound. My backpack was filled with nothing but hangers. I kid you not. I bought hangers at Target yesterday and there wasn't much space in my bag for anything else. I followed my phone's directions and got on the train and then a few stops later, prepared to connect to a bus. My phone prepared me in a lot of ways, it did not, however, prepare me for how hungry I was going to be or the fact that when I ordered a breakfast sandwich without bacon from Dunkin Donuts that I would receive a breakfast sandwich that was literally filled with nothing except bacon. Ok, yeah, cuz that's what I wanted.

My phone also didn't tell me which direction I should get on the bus, so I rode it about 12 stops as it made an eastward loop before it returned to the train station and started its journey westward -- the way I needed to be going.

Ok, it probably did tell me that, but I didn't know I needed to look for it. Another rookie mistake. But now I know where I'm going for next time, because the bus literally drops me off directly across the street from my apartment.

My timing was perfect for meeting Janell, except that as I stepped off the bus, I got a text from Janell saying that she was running late. We're still waiting to sign the lease and for our own keys -- we currently have one set between the two of us and that set has been residing with Janell -- so I had to find a way to entertain myself. I went exploring, obviously. My neighborhood is easily described as half hipster/half Hispanic and I quickly realized that I'm living on the Hispanic side, not so much the hipster side. As I walked down the street, I started seeing a lot more Spanish than English. It was like being back in Central America, except that I could send text messages. I found a bakery that is going to be dangerous for my health... everything in there is in Spanish, large and cheap. I skipped on getting myself  a treat today (like a giant slice of cake for $1.99) because I didn't want to carry anything, but this place is within walking distance of my new apartment! Danger, danger, Will Robinson. There are also a few ice cream places which are also in Spanish, but looked delicious.

Even though I'd gotten my "breakfast sandwich", I was still hungry so I found Raymond's, which is a taco place, but I got a fish sandwich. The whole thing was surprisingly cheap. If food is going to continue to be inexpensive in my neighborhood, then I am going to continue eating it and we might end up having a problem.

I only waited for Janell for like an hour. The lease is *hopefully* going to be signed tomorrow and we'll have our own keys and be able to come and go as we please, but not yet. I did what unpacking I could and realized that I needed to print some things for work, so I ended up walking to the library when I was done. I'm really getting to know the neighborhood, because I was able to get there without my phone! I found out how to get a library card (I still can't get one because I'm waiting for a piece of mail) but even without a library card, I was able to get a pass and print out my stuff.

After that, I continued to prove my neighborhood-knowing prowess by getting to the nearest train station and getting my temporary home (with a pit stop at Target no less) without using my phone at all.

The rest of the afternoon/evening has been spent preparing for more moving. Hopefully the lease will be complete tomorrow and I will be able to come and go as I please. Fingers crossed that Moving Day #3 is the final moving day!

Moving Day (#1)

Well, I have officially started trekking my stuff across the city to my new apartment!

This morning, I piled 98% of what I'd brought to Chicago back into my suitcases. I'm staying at the apartment downtown for a few more nights because a) I don't have a bed at my new place yet, b) they're still working on my new pace and c) did I mention the bed thing yet? I'm not giving up a king sized bed for an air mattress until I absolutely have to. I also want to make sure that I leave Janet's apartment in absolutely spotless shape and that required moving some of my things out first to help literally clear the way.

I took an Uber because I didn't feel like maneuvering my two monstrous, bubblegum pink suitcases through Chicago. I was also carrying a pillow and it was seriously messing with my balance, so just getting the bags to the car was a struggle. Somewhere between the Uber and the front door of my new apartment, one of the legs of my older suitcases broke off, so now it doesn't stand up but I guess that isn't really an issue, since I was home and wouldn't need to be using it any time soon.

I built that.

Also, thank you MCT suitcase carrying muscles because I was able to carry my suitcase up three flights of stairs as if it were nothing. Janell and my landlord, Marge, needed to double team the lighter of the two and still struggled with it. Janell has already moved in quite a lot of stuff, so they both sort of marveled that my whole life was in two suitcases (with a stray pillow hanging out). Like Janell actually has stuff. I don't have anything, EXCEPT, that the stand-alone closet I'd ordered from Target arrived before I did, so I was able to set it up. I did it all by myself. I mean, I did it by myself using the directions, but the directions weren't even words, just pictures, so I basically did it myself. Also, it was super hot and I was super sweaty.

My room is legitimately too small to take a real picture of it, but I did take lots of pictures of the rest of the house to share with you.

Kitchen

Living Room

Bathroom

Dining Room

Add me on insta: thomson.was.here

I stayed at the apartment for a few hours, but considering I didn't have any hangers, I couldn't unpack much into my closet, so I said goodbye to Marge and Janell. (I did spend some time measuring out exactly how my bed could fit in the room when it does arrive and sent out a killer, inspirational instagram post).

On my way out, I discovered that my name is already on the mailbox! This was pretty exciting! Send me mail! I love mail and now I have a mailbox, so use it for something that aren't bills, please. I walked through my new neighborhood to the subway station, checking out the sights and sounds (there were lots of both).

I took the subway directly to Target. I'm not even joking. I needed clothing hangers to really get to the next step of moving in! I also needed to scout out things like a bedside table that I might like. My room only has one outlet, so bedside tablet placement is going to be important.

I trudged back to the downtown apartment with a monstrous bag filled with nothing but clothing hangers and basically collapsed on the bed (see how important having a bed is?). I was swamped and I'm not even done moving in yet. Tomorrow, will be day two of moving in, when I put my clothing hangers to use.

Big Weekend (Sweet Mandy's B-day and More)

Wow, I am really awful at updating this blog! Especially since I have so little actually happening in my life!

Butt.

Last time I wrote, I was coming to you from the New Wave Coffee Shop, where I was with a MeetUp writing group. It's too bad that that group doesn't meet every day, because that would be the easiest way to make sure I keep blogging consistently, but you're left to deal with my whim. After I hit the "Publish" button, I did take some pictures of New Wave to show you all just how hipster it is. I included the butt painting that I described because I don't think words can do it justice.


Friday night, I made a rookie mistake. My friend, Tatjana, has been in Chicago for a whole year now and was having a housewarming party. I asked if there was anything I could bring and she basically left it up to me, so I decided to get a 12-pack of Angry Orchard (she invited 70 people on FB, I thought she'd need it). I went back and forth between six and 12 but like I said, she invited 70 people! And when I'd Googled it, it was only going to be a half hour. I could easily manage that. Once my credit card had been charged and I was on my way, I found out that the estimated 30 minute travel time was BY CAR. I don't have a car here. I am public transportation all the way and it was going to be an hour plus some via train/bus...during rush hour. As I said, it was a rookie mistake. But it did lead to my first ever successful train to bus transfer! (I'll even say that it was my first real Chicago bus ride. I took the bus with Mandy in February, but she plotted our course and did the navigating, I was, quite literally, just along for the ride). The party itself was great. I know Tatjana through MCT so there were a few other TADs there but also other people she knows from having lived here for a full year! I took an Uber home because it was late and much easier than reversing the whole bus to train situation.

Literally anything can be a performance space.

Saturday was a rather lazy day for the most part, but I went out in the evening. My future roommate, Janell, is a dancer/choreographer and had a show so I got back on the subway (I'm really nailing this public transportation thing) and went out. Chicago will literally turn anything into a theatre/performance space. I swear this was just a studio apartment where they'd taped some marley to the hardwood. There was a kitchen behind me! The pieces were interesting. There was one that was mainly juggling, a piece performed to a poem, one that included a projection screen and one that was about Jesus where the dancer basically found every way humanly possibly to turn his body into a cross. Janell's piece closed the show and was about spring (she's done another piece about winter and will probably continue the series). The show, by the way, was in Wicker Park, which is a neighborhood I really like and want to spend some more time in.

Sunday was a special day because it was Mandy's birthday! I did the math and I have been in Mandy's life for 6% of it, which is a large percentage, especially when you consider that we spent a really large amount of that time just the two of us completely secluded from everyone else we'd ever known with just each other. She wanted to go to a movie so we made plans to do that, but after I asked if she wanted birthday cake, she decided that she couldn't just have cake but needed to go to Sweet Mandy B's, which is a cupcake place that I have now visited three times, twice with my own Mandy B, so we found a movie theatre near there and met up to see Sausage Party. I'm not sure how I feel about that movie... I loved it but I don't think anyone ever feels completely sure about enjoying a movie about sexually-repressed food that decides to wage war against man-kind in the most politically-incorrect way possible.

After the movie, it was cupcake time. As I said, it's great to go to Sweet Mandy B's with my sweet Mandy B and even sweeter to go on her b-day. I got the snickerdoodle cupcake, which I got the last time I went and it's pretty great.

Next, we came back to my apartment so that I could make dinner (and show off the apartment... because why not?). I made her jalapeno popper mac and cheese because we all know that it is my signature dish by now. I have the recipe memorized, people! We laid back on the couch and continued to catch up -- I'm not sure we'll ever fully be caught up. We need a lot of time!

Once again, we had to say goodbye too soon, but I'm going to help her move on Thursday, so I will see her again this week.

Today was kind of exciting. I got dressed up because I had an interview with a theatre company that I've been talking with for a while. It was probably the world's most casual interview ever, because it was at a coffee shop. It was at Metropolis Coffee, which I was going to guess is hipster headquarters of Chicago. They only have this one shop but I've seen a lot of Metropolis cups all around the city since I've been here (including at New Wave). It basically looks like every hipster coffee shop in the city serves Metropolis coffee! This is all great, except that I don't drink coffee. I got a "cocoa," which is legit the most hipster way I've ever ordered hot chocolate. Even though it was hot outside, I figured it would still be delicious (plus people drink hot coffee in the summer all the time, don't act like it's weird). It looked super classy and I managed to take a picture of it even though I was at an interview. In case you haven't already figured it out, this was basically the chillest interview in the history of ever and I left with a very loosely defined agreement of an internship. So yeah, I have a theatre internship now; very little besides that has been determined, but it's a thing, so in the upcoming future I will have a source of income (through temp agencies and probably other places... I'm still looking) and a creative outlet (through this internship). Also, if I liked coffee, I'm sure that I would like Metropolis coffee because the cocoa was delicious.

Also, in a strange turn of events, Mandy is now working on a show in Logan Square, where I'm moving, and this internship is in Edgewater, where she is moving, so that's either fantastic or tragic. I'm going to go with the former because it hopefully means that I'll get to see her a lot more often.

I happily got back on the train and went to Target to buy a pillow before returning to the apartment. (I'm going to need a few more pillows, but I figured I would start with the one to make sure that I had something for when I moved it because I had exactly zero pillows for my new place). Speaking of the new place, tomorrow, I'm going over there to sign the lease and start moving things in. I'm so excited to make my three-floor walk up and 80.75 square feet bedroom feel like home!

This is What Happens When I Actually Focus on Writing

For someone who doesn’t currently have a job and has a lot of free time, I have found a lot of excuses not to write this week, but today, I carved out three whole hours just for writing time (more on that later… it’s Friday after all and I have a whole week to catch you up on).

My last post was on Monday, if you recall. (If you don’t recall, scroll down and refresh your memory – it was a pretty great post, I had a five egg omelet and bought a truly heinous shirt). But, as we’ve established, today is Friday, so here we go!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016:

On Tuesday, I had an interview with a temp agency. Mandy worked as a temp when she first got to Chicago last year (she now works at a day care) and recommended me to the company. I was pretty confident because I’m sure I can handle filing and answering phones, plus I will find any excuse these days to wear a pencil skirt and a serious interview in the city was definitely pencil skirt-worthy. I legitimately dressed up – not only did I dress up, but I put on a face for this interview! I wore said pencil skirt, a sleeveless white/polka dot blouse and an accent belt along with panty hose (yeah, I’m classy) and my “student teaching shoes.” I call them my student teaching shoes because I bought them in preparation for student teaching, which I did back in 2014. I wore those shoes for seven hours a day for 65 days and have worn them many, many times since, but apparently Chicago is different because these shoes that should be completely broken in by now actually gave me a blister by the end of the day. I topped the whole ensemble off with a bright red lip and serious lashes (my calling in life is to model mascara… I’m just still waiting on that call).

The reason I visited Yolk on Monday was because I want to try some restaurants downtown while they’re still within walking distance because I know that once I move to Logan Square, there is no chance that I’ll be busting my butt to get there for brunch, so my plan had been to visit Wildberry Pancakes and Café. It was on Thrillist’s List of 21 Best Pancake Houses in the US and sounded delicious. But, I underestimated how popular it would be. Most of the Thrillist-recommended places I’ve been to have been worth visiting but not so high in demand and crammed with people that the fire marshall might need to be called before the breakfast rush is over. Wildberry was different. People weren’t just waiting, they were waiting outside. Thinking that being a party of one might help my chances of getting a table, I asked about the wait. I can’t remember the exact number but it was too long for me so I opened my phone and thought I would find the closest Dunkin in the direction of where I needed to go for the interview. As I was walking down the street, I saw a Qdoba. I love Qdoba; it’s like Chipotle except they don’t have E.coli.  I didn’t think they did breakfast, but they had a neon sign in the window reading BREAKFAST BURRITOS.

And this is where an ordinary day became extraordinary.

Please note that I was really hesitant to write about this. It was an extremely personal experience and even though this blog doesn’t have a lot of readers, I’m sure that some might agree with what I did and some might disagree. I decided that since I dedicated the better portion of my afternoon to writing today, that I would write down as many of the details of this week as I could and not skim over anything, so leaving out the most important part of my week would be a disservice to myself and perhaps to you if you think I did the right thing.

As I was walking up to Qdoba, there a woman leaning next to the door. She was very clearly homeless and her eyes were milky as they stared out in opposite directions. She asked me if I had any change so she could buy a bowl of rice. I told her that I didn’t. This was not a lie as I try not to carry around change, but typically empty it out into a jar in my room at the end of every and having purged my wallet of quarters, nickels and dimes on Monday night and not having spent a cent on Tuesday, I did not have any change for this woman. I told her that if I had any on the way out, I would give it to her and she sort of mumbled “Maybe you can buy me a bowl of rice on your way out”. I nodded, unsure of what I would do.

Just that morning, I had been freaking out about money. I haven’t found a job here yet and I just shelled out several hundred dollars to buy myself a new bed and soon I’ll have to start paying rent. It’s overwhelming and even though I have a lot to fall back on, when you want to be self-sufficient, it’s hard to want to tap into those resources or ask for help. But as I walked up to the counter, I knew I couldn’t walk past this woman without something for her.

To be honest, I couldn’t even see rice as an option on the menu, but I’d already decided that I would get her what I was having. I ordered two egg/potato burritos, with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. No one questioned why one person would be getting two burritos – I’m sure that’s pretty common – and it’s not like I told anyone what I was doing, but as I was ordering, this woman, for whatever reason, actually walked into the restaurant. The girl who was serving to me leaned over her friend and said “she’s back.” Clearly this woman had been here before and these girls did not like her. They even called back to the kitchen staff that this woman was there.

I had them make one of the burritos for there and one to go. I knew that I would be eating there either way, but who knew what she would want – or if she’d actually accept. I tentatively walked up to her and said, “I know you asked for rice, but I hope a burrito is alright.” She accepted and when she started to unwrap the burrito and it was clear that she was going to stay, I asked if it was alright if I sat with her. I wasn’t going to force myself on this woman further, but if she was willing, I’d eat breakfast with her. The decision was hers and she invited me to sit down.

I grabbed us both cutlery and started to talk with her. It was hard at first because I wanted to be sensitive and it looked like we were worlds away from each other – I am a millennial in business casual and she was a middle-aged woman wearing baggy clothing that still had the size sticker on the front – but we’re both human and that is a closeness that cannot be denied. I asked her simple things. I wasn’t going to pry into her life story and she didn’t ask for mine. Her name is Street. I don’t know if that’s the name her parents gave her or if it’s a nickname, but it’s what she told me. She has lived in Chicago her entire life. She doesn’t have a favorite color, but she agreed with me that pink is nice. She’s Catholic and attends several different churches in the area. I thanked her for having breakfast with me because I was on my way to an interview and it was nice to have someone to talk to because I was nervous. When she was done eating, she filled a cup that she had with her from the soda fountain and rubbed my back for a minute. I don’t like being touched but nothing about it was unnatural or made me recoil like I normally would. It was one of the gentlest moments of my life. She collected her things – a few plastic and paper bags – said goodbye and walked out the door. I wasn’t finished yet, so I stayed put, a bit in awe of what had just happened because it went against every “don’t talk to strangers” lecture I had ever heard. I felt a bit stupid and reckless for having done it but I also simply felt warm inside and ready for this interview. I picked some more at my burrito (I actually wasn’t as hungry as I thought because I was still very nervous) and a moment later, I looked up and one of the cooks was standing next to me. He passed me a little card that said “Instant Karma – this card is for one free entrée” and said quietly, “You’re a good person.” It was almost too much for me to handle, but I knew I couldn’t cry because I’d spent a lot of time on my makeup and was not going to arrive at my interview looking like I was going through some emotional upheaval and was unfit for work, but crying was still my instinct in that moment.

The interview went well. Hopefully I’ll get some work from them in the next few weeks.

The rest of the day paled in comparison to the morning. I sent out a few more applications and actually scheduled an interview with another temp agency for Wednesday, but it was rather uneventful. The most exciting thing was that I got to plan an outfit for my next interview, which included another pencil skirt and a white blouse.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016 (National Waffle Day)

Two interviews in two days. I am killing the game.

When I woke up, however, it was raining. I had to say goodbye to my white blouse because even if I managed to make it through the walk to the interview completely protected by my umbrella, I was not going to open the doors to that type of disaster. I ended up picking a black and white striped top, but didn’t wear any lipstick because that would have totally made me a business-casual mime lady and while this temp agency was advertising specifically to the theatre community – promising the opportunity to make some quick cash in your spare time – I thought looking like I’d come from a gig where I played a modern business woman/balloon-animal crafting clown was not going to help my case.

This interview was one of the best I’ve ever had, even though it was raining like crazy on my walk and I got lost which added twenty minutes to my “commute” (thank goodness I always plan for disaster to strike and leave an hour early for everything). The lady apparently liked me before I’d even said hello. She actually gave me some wonderful resume advice, which seems counterintuitive considering that I should have had that figured out before I went into the interview but will certainly be helpful as I continue to look for work that isn’t theatre-related but might help pay the bills.

I left very excited at the prospect of working with these people because she seemed to be excited to have me on board and I walked straight to Wildberry. After that interview, I knew I had a whole lot of nothing planned for the rest of the day, so it didn’t matter how long the wait was. The wait was 30-40 minutes, because not even the rain deterred people from pancakes. As you’ll see from my pictures, there were a lot of people waiting both inside and out, and I even took a picture of myself sitting not so happily under my umbrella as I waited.

I was torn when I got to the table because I knew that it was national waffle day and how could I disrespect waffles? BUT this place is called Wildberry PANCAKES, how do you wait 40 minutes at a pancake place and not get their pancakes? I couldn’t, so I ordered the Signature Berry Bliss which was covered with all sorts of glazes, goodness and fresh berries. Always go with a restaurant’s signature dish – unless you’re a vegetarian at a barbeque place, and then just get the cornbread. I got the stack of three pancakes, which I couldn’t even finish, but the traditional stack is FIVE. That’s a lot of cakes in pans right there.

When I was done, I went back out through the rain to the apartment and prepared for yoga that evening. By the time yoga rolled around, the rain had stopped (thank goodness). Yoga was wonderful even though I was behind a woman whose feet smelled like she’d stepped in something horrible 10 years ago and never washed it off (Downward facing dog is not relaxing when toes like that are a nose’s distance away). I walked home a new way (trying to figure out to navigate this city on my own and how can I find my way if I never get lost) and then made fish for dinner, cuz I’m classy.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

This was the most exciting day of the week for me because I was finally going to see Amanda Lauren Belscamper! We were going to go out during her lunch break from work. I last saw her in March and she’s had family here and hasn’t been able to meet up since I moved but this was the day we would be reunited.

I arrived a little early and scoped out the neighborhood… meaning I saw a cupcake shop and promised that I would be back!

We went to the Art of Pizza for lunch, which I’d heard of because it’s Thrillist’s #1 Pizza Pick, but, um, I was not impressed. Perhaps it would have been better if we’d ordered a fresh pizza instead of slices, but it was just meh for me.

Now, an hour is not nearly enough time for us to catch up. I’m pretty sure we need an entire week completely uninterrupted to do that, but getting to see her was glorious. The biggest bombshell for me was when Mandy ordered sausage pizza! This was the girl who’d turned me into a vegetarian!! Apparently she gave it up at some point during the spring. I told her that was fine by me as long as she would still try out a few vegetarian places in the city with me and she agreed.

Insta famous

I told Mandy that I’d started a new blog now that I’m going to be stationary and she quipped, “I have a blog too. It’s called Instagram. Smile!” and she took my picture.

Mermaids Take Chicago

We had to say goodbye way too soon but made plans to go to the movies and make mac and cheese for her birthday, which is this Sunday, so I’ll get to see her again soon, and then I’ve volunteered to help her move across the city on Thursday (which is technically the day I move into my new apartment, but I have a lot less stuff than she does at the moment).

Now, I’d vowed to myself that I would get a cupcake so I went back to Smallcakes. I thought their cupcakes would be small, mini-cakes but I was proven wrong. Very, very wrong. Apparently they’ve won several awards and were on Food Network and such and it’s easy to see why. 

They have cupcakes AND ice cream, but I was in a cupcake mood. I asked what they would suggest and was sold on the first option (which happened to be the flavor of the day): the brownie red velvet. It was a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, a brownie on top and caramel filling. I should be dead. It was so delicious and ending up sitting in my stomach like lead. I ate it slowly, over the course of a half hour, but was still in actual physical pain as I walked back to the train. The worst part was that they gave me a rewards card and when you fill it up, you get a free cupcake – luckily for me, this place is nowhere near where I’m going to live, so the odds of me filling it up are slim. (Note to self: look up cupcakes in Logan Square).

When I got back to the apartment, I still needed to digest, but after a while, I got the gym plan that my sister has been making for me and decided to get my butt in gear – I’m in training for the Mermaid 5K after all (how mermaids run, I don’t know, but I doubt anyone is going to be taking it very seriously since it’s being advertised as more of a dance party than anything. Either way, I want to be prepared). I finally truly timed myself jogging a mile to get a baseline. 12:56 is my time to beat and if that sounds slow to you, it’s because it is but it’s the fastest I’ve ever run so I’m pretty proud. I then started lifting heavy things like Whitney suggested. My arms actually feel pretty good today (although typing for several hours is surprisingly good at pointing out exactly which muscles are sore today).

I watched reruns of SNL and cooked more fish after that and spent an hour and a half chatting on the phone with an MCT friend (and using him to tease Mr. Jas Spencer, my last tour partner, because they were together).

Friday, August 26, 2016 – TODAY

Wow, the week has gone by so quickly! Or at least, writing about it does when you turn off your cell phone.

The morning was supposed to start with a Skype date with Ryan Lind at 8:30, but he slept in so that became more like 9:15. We persevered through that and numerous technical difficulties until I had to go at 10:20 because I had a phone interview at 10:30 and I wanted to be ready in case they called a few minutes early. I joked that signing off early would make them 15 minutes late and after we said goodbye, I checked my email and had a message from them saying that there had been an emergency and they needed to reschedule for next week! Called it.

So, I deleted that from my calendar and moved onto the next activity for the day. There is a website called MeetUp where people who like the same stuff make plans to get together. I had joined a writer’s group, hoping that I could make some new friends and they were meeting today at a coffee shop in Logan Square (ok, I picked a group in Logan Square once I knew where I was going to be living… pretty smart of me, right?). So that is how I ended up dedicating three hours to blogging. I just went to the New Wave Coffee Shop, made myself at home with a bunch of people I’d never met before and started typing all of this out for you. The complimentary WiFi even meant that I could post it. AND the whole experience checks off another box on the New City Passport because one of the items is find a coffee shop to write in that ISN’T Starbucks. This place, with its mismatched furniture, vegan treats and its large canvas paintings of that have splashes of color encircling breasts and butts make it a far cry from Seattle’s number 1 coffee spot.

It’s 1:40 now and the group doesn’t end until 3. I’m not sure what else I’ll write about. I think I’m going to get a snack since I haven’t eaten and then I’ll be on my way back to downtown (the commute to the group – if I decide to return will be a lot shorter once I actually live in Logan Square). But, tonight, I’m going to a party that a TAD friend is throwing. I need to pick up some drinks because I offered to help out.

So that’s what’s happened since I last wrote. Now, turn off your laptop and go interact with people, because that’s what I’m about to do. Peace and love, everyone.

Glad You Got the Yolk

MCT plays are filled with puns. Aladdin has one about Stonehenge. There is a character called "Stone Hens" and the script goes as follows:

Aladdin: That's foul, as in chicken, get it?
Stone Hens: Glad you got the yolk!

When an eight year old says it, your heart melts -- here, not so much, but today, I went to Yolk.

I saw Yolk when I was in Chicago in February (touring Aladdin, no less). I thought it would be fun. I want to try some of the restaurants downtown while they're in walking distance because when I move, I know that it won't make sense for me to come all the way here just for a casual breakfast, so this is why I went out for brunch today.

I figured that I needed to get eggs there. I literally needed to get the yolk. They had a lot of good looking things, but like I said, I was there for eggs (and yolks, they had a few egg white omelets but what's the point of that?). Now, their omelets are FIVE EGGS. I don't really know who needs a five egg omelet, but that is what I ordered. Specifically, I ordered their California Omelet. It was vegetarian and according to them, a staff favorite. It had smashed avocado, sauteed mushroom, green onion, tomato, jack, swiss, cheddar cheeses, garlic and sour cream. It also came with an option of potatoes or fruit (I picked fruit) and toast, pancakes or an English muffin (I went with pancakes. If pancakes are your side dish, you're doing something right). I was sitting at the counter, so if the menu alone hadn't convinced me that their portions were crazy, I was seeing it with my own eyes. I knew it was too much food for me before it had even showed up.

I ate, maybe, a third of it. Despite the sheer impressiveness of it, it actually wasn't my favorite. If I went back, I would order something else. The "smashed" avocado (why can't we just say mashed? It seems pretentious to me...) turned the whole thing green and sort of mushy. Central America might have turned me onto avocado, but not like this. I didn't like the sour cream on top, but the blend of cheeses was great. I think I'd like to go back and try something else, but I don't know what that something would be.

An item on the Passport was to find a breakfast place that wasn't Dunkin, so while I technically went here for brunch, I have done that. BUT, my new goal will to be to find a breakfast place closer to my new home -- a place within walking distance of my apartment.

Speaking of walking, I had a lot of calories to burn and a full belly to walk off, so I went exploring. While I was exploring, I passed a souvenir shop and got an idea. I've been thinking about sending cards to announce my move. It seems old fashioned since I've already updated my location on all social media platforms, but it also seems like fun. (And I'm not going to put my address on Instagram). Another task on the Passport was to buy a ridiculous souvenir, so I went to find one. My thought had been to buy an ugly magnet but I came up with a better idea: I would find a shirt that I could wear that shows off my new town pride and put a picture of me wearing said shirt on my moving announcement!

I found a good one. It's subtle Chicago pride, although the shirt isn't subtle. It is neon orange and simply says "Da Bears." The only reason I knew about the Super Fans was because I was a dialect coach for my college's production of Chicago (long story... I didn't know how to do a Chicago accent but I was the assistant director and the director wanted the whole cast to have them. He announced this to everyone's -- including my -- surprise. *enter panic mode*). It seemed like the perfect nod to my past present and future, so I bought the shirt and was on my way.

I returned to the apartment for a bit and my respite included buying a mattress/bed from IKEA. Unfortunately for me, it won't be delivered until September 10th, a whole 10 days after I will be moving into my new apartment, but at least it is on its way. (I also set up to have the gas company come to the apartment so that we could have gas! Very adult of me).

So. Orange.

Having cooled off, I pulled on my very noticeable shirt and went back outside. I decided that it wasn't enough for me to just wear the shirt, I needed to stand in front of a Chicago landmark, so I walked to the Bean. I walked quickly because this shirt is kind of embarrassing. It's so ridiculous that a stranger asked to take a picture of it! I also don't want to look like a tourist because I'm not one. I'm sure I'll continue to play tourist-for-a-day for many days to come, but I usually dress better. I got my pic and basically sprinted back to the apartment so I could change.

Ok, I didn't sprint because I don't really run. This is an important distinction because tonight, I signed up for the Mermaid 5K on October 1st. Tour partner #1, Mandy Belscamper (who goes by Amanda now, but says I can still call her Mandy) sent me a link and said "we're doing this." I told her I was down as long as she was alright with me needing to walk chunks of the race. I am officially in training, people! (And by people, I mean Whitney, who doesn't read this blog but is supposed to be making me a fitness plan!).

The New City Passport

A little over a year ago, I created something that I called "The New City Passport" to help my friends who were moving to new cities. Well, now it's my turn. I've already gotten started (albeit by accident, I sort of forgot about it until this afternoon), but let's see if I can cross off each of these things before the end of my first year here. Below I've just copied the document I sent my friend (but I've added my own comments and updates)

Congratulations on making it to your new home! As you unpack your bags, you’re probably wondering what you should do next and, now, I have got the answer for you! Below is a list of activities for you to complete within your first year in your new and exciting city and hopefully at the end of the year, you will have a wonderful scrapbook of all the amazing things you never thought you would try (this blog is going to serve as my scrapbook, my passport, my rules).

Guidelines for the New City Passport:

·         Items do not have to be completed in order nor do all items necessarily need to be completed.

·         Photographic evidence is required for each activity. You should also save any other mementos you come across (playbills, tickets, receipts, etc.)

·         Add your own item to the list! In fact, that’s one of the things on the list, but feel free to add as many as you like. This is about remembering an incredible year, so anything that was incredible or special to you should be included. I wrote the list, do I really need to add stuff?

·         Share the love! You’ve got roommates, feel free to send this list to anyone you think would benefit from having some fun.

·         I do not need to be updated every time you complete an item on the list, but I wouldn’t mind it! Think about maybe keeping a blog specifically for Passport related activities! I mean...

To Do:

1.       Visit at least one popular tourist attraction  Technically, I had already done this before I arrived. I'd seen a lot of tourist attractions here. I'll check it off for now, but I'm going to need to get some more

2.       Buy yourself a really ugly piece of memorabilia from your new home (i.e. tacky magnet or bottle opener but it has to be ugly and say the name of where you got it! Bonus points if it is wearable)

3.       Go postcard hunting! 

o    Mail yourself a postcard today (make sure to date it!) describing how you feel about your new city and what you hope happens this year. Mail it to yourself (yes, this step is very important, it has to go through the US Postal service) and then put it somewhere safe, but don’t read it again. Write yourself another post card at the end of your first year and mail it to yourself and then compare the two!

o    Mail me a postcard! You can send it to me in Missoula or Cohasset – I don’t care, I just want to know how you’re doing, plus I love getting mail! Make sure to date it so that I know when you sent it! (This was written for other people who I'd sent the list to, I guess I need to update my address)

I've decided to change this one, actually. I'm going to find myself a nice card and send it on the first night I spend in my new apartment. This way, it will be sealed in an enveloped that I won't open until a full year has passed! Pretty smart, huh?

4.       See a play (or 10)  Peter Pan on Friday! Check. Nine (thousand) more to go.

5.       See a foreign film. Bonus points if there are subtitles I mean, I saw Suicide Squad, so I'm off to a start

6.       Go to a concert (rock and roll, classical, that random indie-hippie chick with a guitar at the local coffeeshop, whatever)

7.       Visit a local museum/art gallery

8.       Volunteer for at least one hour at a charity of your choice (hooking up with ugly people doesn’t count as charity) I haven't done this yet, but it should be noted that I'm so charming!

9.       Eat at an authentic Chinese restaurant (and no take-out either!)

10.    Try a foreign cuisine that you’ve never had before

11.    Eat at an exclusively vegetarian/vegan restaurant I went to the Chicago Diner when I was here in February. It was amazing and is within walking distance of my new apartment. I'll have to find other veggie-places but it's good to know that I've already found one I love (even if their vegan shakes do cost EIGHT dollars!)

12.    Find a really, really good pizza place and try a topping you’ve never had before I mean, it's Chicago, this one shouldn't be hard...

13.    Find a good place for breakfast that ISN’T Dunkin I'm going to do this tomorrow! At least, I'm going out for breakfast and I hope that it's good. (But there are a lot of Dunkins here, which is always a good backup).

14.    Get your coffee/work on your screenplay at a coffee shop that ISN’T Starbucks I'm hoping to do this on Friday! I joined a writing group and they meet at a coffee shop in Logan Square. I went there while I was in Logan Square this past Friday so I know where I'm going.

15.    Go to an ice cream parlor (parlor? Restaurant? Whatever, it’s ice cream!) and order the most expensive thing on the menu (within reason, but hey, live a little!!)

16.    Find a thrift store

17.    Go to three independent bookstores (that you’ve never been to before). Bonus points if you can find a bookmark (or business card) I've found one in Logan Square. Might apply for a job there if they're hiring.

18.    Make dinner – get all of the ingredients from a local farmer’s market or independent stores Well, I've obviously made dinner, just not all fancy from a farmer's market...

19.    Take a different route than your usual one to work (or the gym or somewhere else – anywhere you go on a semi-regular basis) I don't go anywhere on a semi-regular basis YET

20.    Go to a yoga class I did this tonight! It kicked my butt. I bought a pass for unlimited classes for two weeks and as long as I go to one other class, the thing has paid for itself!

21.    Go to a Zumba class

22.    Visit your local library and take out a book I went to the library on Friday, but couldn't get a library card because I can't prove I live here YET.

23.    Say hello to a neighbor that you don’t normally talk to

24.    Plan a day trip for somewhere outside of the city

25.    Make a new friend

26.    Add at least one thing to this list: As I said above, I wrote the list! What else can I add? Eh, I'm sure I'll think of something!

So, that's the Passport. I suggest you check off an item in your city, even if they've lived somewhere for a long time. You'll have fun, I promise.

As Promised

As I promised, here is a picture of the view from my temporary home. I'm not complaining.

I'm also not complaining about the very small dimensions of my future, permanent bedroom. I got the measurements and it is 9.5 by 8.5. I guess we're lucky that I fit in there at all!

Sarcastic City

So, due to popular demand, I have decided to start another blog. Thomson's Travel Blog is still awesome sauce and I hope that I will have another opportunity to update it, but in moving to Chicago, I have stopped traveling for the time being BUT I have not stopped being great or doing cool stuff, hence, Sarcastic City.

The name is a play on Second City, the theatre company that is here in Chicago, where I live now. I tried a few other names ("The Misadventures of Me"; "From Suburbs to City" etc.) but the domain names for those had all been taken. Apparently no one is as smart as I am to take this domain name, so now it's mine! All mine! *Evil laugh*

So, in case you couldn't tell, I have moved to Chicago. I never wrote a post to finish up the saga of Central America, but I clearly made it back to the States without causing any international incident (I did, however, learn a valuable lesson -- no matter how amazing Cookout is, do not agree to have an 11 hour, overnight layover in an airport, because you will sleep in the floor using your suitcase for a pillow and your portable hammock as a blanket).

The move happened on Wednesday, and it is now Saturday, so why haven't I blogged yet? There has been a lot of stuff happening! (And I was having that problem finding a domain name that I already mentioned). Plus, this is my blog and I decide when I want to write on it!

So, let's rewind and talk about the week!

Wednesday: My dad drove me to the airport. I checked my bags and one of them was overweight so that cost me $100. This move was already spectacular. (Seriously, American Airlines? $100?! They asked me if I knew what was making the bag overweight and if I could take it out, but hey, if I knew that, the bag wouldn't be overweight in the first place). I slept through most of the plane ride, so there isn't much to report about that.

And then I was in Chicago! Wow, amazing. (Yes, I know I have such a way with words, you can write that and many more compliments in the comments section belong).

If you're thinking, August 17th is a weird time to move, you would be correct. There has never been a lease in the history of the world that starts on a Wednesday in mid-August. I have a temporary living situation with a friend of my dad's, Janet. Janet has an apartment downtown and oh my goodness, I cannot get used to life like this. I can see Navy Pier from my temporary bedroom. (I am writing at night, I will post a clear daytime picture during the daytime). This is a nice place. I will never be able to get myself a place like this and I am just so thankful to Janet for allowing me to stay here and get my feet on the ground.

After getting all my stuff up to the 30th floor and settling in a bit, I thought heading to a movie would be a nice way to start seeing my new city. I had a Fandango gift card and purchased a ticket online. I was going to leave the apartment in more than enough time to walk there and just as I headed out onto the street, my phone decided it needed to reboot it's entire system. Experience has taught me that this can last a longggggg time. I was not happy. I was going to miss my movie! I couldn't even call an Uber without my phone, BUT, I was able to hail a cab. I'm not psyched that I needed to pay for a cab on my first day in the city, but cabs can be a part of the city experience so I won't complain too much. Also, my phone had the brilliant timing of completing its reboot as the cab dropped me off. The reboot had also depleted the phone's battery to just about nothing.

I went to see Suicide Squad. It was not as bad as the reviews would lead you to believe, but twice as disappointing. After the movie, my phone was basically dead (thanks to that conveniently timed reboot I've already written about at length). GPS wasn't really happening with 2% battery, but I was able to navigate myself back to the apartment on my own, cuz I'm wicked smahrt (Boston slang... I'm gunna need to figure out what Chicagoans say). I also visited the grocery store and made myself a grilled cheese for dinner!

Thursday: Thursday included a trip to Target and CVS. I bought inserts for my shoes because they were sorely lacking in arch support. I stopped at Millennium Park and saw The Bean (mostly because it was on my way -- I've seen it before). I stopped at Garrett Popcorn and got popcorn because it seemed like a very Chicago-thing to do and I hadn't had it during my previous visits here. I got a mixed bag that was part cheese popcorn, part caramel corn.

Friday: Friday was a big day. I realized that I had barely been here for 48 hours but it felt like so much longer. I had lunch plans with my potential roommates and plans to meet some TAD friends for a play in the evening. I got gussied up and took the subway to Logan Square. This is the neighborhood that my potential apartment is in and so it made sense for us to do lunch there. We had lunch at a restaurant called Dunlay's On the Square. The restaurant was picked by Janell, potential roommate #1, who I'd skyped with before I got here and I would be meeting Mary, potential roommate #2, for the first time. Janell and Mary already knew each other but hadn't lived together before. Dunlay's was good -- they had mac and cheese! But the best part was that we decided that we were going in on the apartment. Potential roommates became future roommates and soon we were on our way to see the apartment. The apartment is kind of a mess at the moment because the landlord, Marge, is doing some work on it. It is on the third floor of a building (well, it is the third floor). We have a dining room AND a living room. Just one bathroom but the kitchen is nice and even has a dishwasher. Now, there is clearly a lot of living space in this apartment, but my room is a different story. It is very small. I'm not too worried, but other people might be if they were me. But those people aren't me and those people aren't getting ready to move into their own apartment. The apartment is a 15 minute walk from the train station but across the street from a grocery store (I'd rather walk 15 minutes to the train than 15 minutes carrying bags of groceries!). Logan Square is a cool neighborhood that I'd definitely been interested in when I was searching for a place to live, so I'm excited to be moving there. Big success!

After lunch, I hung out in Logan Square because it would have been ridiculous for me to go back to the apartment just to get back on the train and go see the play (the Logan Square subway stop was about halfway between the two, but going back and forth would have been a waste of time). I found my way to the library (I'm getting a card once I have a piece of mail to prove that I live here. I don't care if I never use it, I want it) and also to a coffee shop where a writer's group I'd seen online meets. It's close to the Chicago Diner as well, which is a vegetarian restaurant that I really liked when I was here in February.

After being a tourist in my own neighborhood, I got back on the L and headed to Jefferson Park. My friend, Becca, works for the Windy City Music Theatre and they were putting on a production of Peter Pan. I met up with another friend, Tatjana and we sat back to enjoy the show. As Tatjana said, people in Chicago will put a theatre anywhere! It was a very small space, but they did an awesome job in the space, including a very impressive bare bones way of making Peter Pan fly, that included a stripper pole. We got dinner after the show and they made me feel like Chicago is really going to be home soon.

Today: Well, today, I started this blog! It was a quiet day in the apartment for me. I did some long-distance work for my dad, sent out a few job applications, watched some Gilmore Girls and cleaned up. I went to the grocery store and got a giant cupcake at the bakery. No joke, this thing was gourmet but came at a bargain price. I made pasta for dinner and added peas because I knew it was what Whitney would want. I've spent the better part of the evening watching Superstore in bed with no regrets.

Tomorrow, well, who knows what tomorrow will bring. It's just creeping in at this petty pace or whatever. (Not like I worked for a Shakespeare Company or anything). So for now, enjoy my blog!

Also, even though this is the Sarcastic City blog, I have yet to see a Second City show. I'm not sure when I will, but I know you'll read about it.