{ rachel's odyssey }

3 Words for 2012

2012-01-09T18:14:00.001-06:00

For the last few years, Chris Brogan picks three words to focus on for the year. These are words that are to be used to guide through the year to help you achieve your goals. I do have lots of fun goals and plans set for 2012, but overall I want to focus on my new social media coaching site, Playing Internet. I think I will be growing a lot through the steps I take for building out the content this site and also experimenting with marketing for it.

My three words for 2012

My three words are:

Story - Directly related to marketing exercises, I need to further define the story of the site. The "About" page will probably be a work in progress most of the year as I re-vamp and fine tune. I am also looking to convey this more though social media posts on Twitter, Facebook, and all that.

Foundation - I am taking my time and writing really solid articles for a foundation. Since I work full time at a job I love and also have a social life, finding the time is challenging. So if I can write a minimum of 2 good articles a month, by the end of the year I will have 24 great articles which will serve as a good foundation. I also plan on doing at least one training video. I'd love to up these numbers, but if I can at least get those done then I will be happy.

Process - As mentioned above, time is a big challenge. Often I'm so tired after staring at the computer all day for work, I don't want to spend additional time writing. I really enjoy writing so I want to do so with a clear head. "Enjoy the process" is a big part of any success I will have. It will be how I can achieve balance. And I am also setting up scheduling and other business processes in place so things will flow.

What about you? What are the three words you choose to give meaning to 2012?

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

My Year in Lists: Most Listened to Music in 2011

2011-12-31T21:29:00.000-06:00

Through my Last.fm account, I can check which songs, albums, and artists I have listened to most often in 2011. I can access this information because I "scrobble" my music... everything I listen to on my iPod, at home through Spotify or iTunes, or even on my work PC, gets the info sent to Last.fm which is really cool. Then I just check my chart based on the last twelve months and below is what I found.

At first I was pretty surprised about this list because I listen to alot of other stuff, but then I realized that I listen to these songs all the time at the gym! So this means that I worked out pretty well this year, or at least for part of it.

Tracks

1. Lady Gaga – Born This Way
2. P!nk – Raise Your Glass
3. P!nk – F**kin' Perfect
4. Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
5. Cee Lo Green – F**k You
6. Black Eyed Peas – The Time (Dirty Bit)
7. Death Cab for Cutie – You Are A Tourist
8. Sara Bareilles – King Of Anything
9. Adele – Rolling In The Deep
10. Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are

Albums

1. Lady Gaga – Born This Way - Single
2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
3. Rod Stewart – Fly Me to the Moon... - The Great American Songbook, Vol. V (Deluxe Version)
4. Kate Nash – Made of Bricks (Bonus Track Version)
5. Michael Bublé – Christmas
6. Sara Bareilles – Kaleidoscope Heart
7. Rihanna – Loud
8. P!nk – Greatest Hits...So Far!!!
9. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
10. deadmau5 – 4x4=12

Artists

1. Lady Gaga
2. P!nk
3. Mumford & Sons
4. Kate Nash
5. Arcade Fire
6. Rihanna
7. Bruno Mars
8. Death Cab for Cutie
9. Ke$ha
10. Michael Bublé

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

That's Entertainment! and a Memory Foam Mattress

2011-12-29T14:28:00.000-06:00

We recently had a water problem... the sink was left on and it over flowed and the water went through the floor above and through the ceiling down onto my bed below, completely soaking the mattress. So as a replacement to my soaked standard coil mattress, I ordered a Lucid Memory Foam Mattress by LinenSpa. It got good reviews on Amazon.

I was told that since it compressed and wrapped in plastic so it needed a day or two to air out. Right now I have it propped up on it's side with a few fans blowing. Supposedly the plastic chemical smell is still in the mattress. I can smell it a bit, but don't think it's that bad. However, I don't want to get a headache when I sleep on it so I'll air it out for the rest of the afternoon.

But I couldn't wait to try it out, of course, I laid on it to watch a bit of one of my favorite movies that they had on TCM today, That's Entertainment. It is SO COMFORTABLE I don't even think I'll need a pillow! I was not inclined to move and ended up bringing up the dogs on the bed and watching the end of the movie.

In fact, they have on That's Entertainment II and That's Entertainment III on right after...

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

The Muppets

2011-12-20T14:21:00.001-06:00

I went to see The Muppets new movie today with my friend and her two kids. The kids were SO good I couldn't believe it considering one is 2 and the other is 5 months. The movie is brilliant! It seems more geared towards the adults who grew up with the Muppets instead of for the kids today. One of my favorite things was that they had a barber shop quartet cover Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and I couldn't stop cracking up. Definitely go see this one.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)

2011-12-18T23:06:00.000-06:00

They aired one of favorites tonight on TCM! Love this one during the holidays (and the rest of the year too). It's my 2nd favorite Bette Davis movie - of course All About Eve is my top fav. But Monty Woolley just steals the show and such a pain in the ass that he's fun to watch. This one always makes me laugh.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Charlie Bird's New Setup

2011-12-13T22:32:00.000-06:00

How do you like Charlie Bird's new setup? Now he has a "branch" that stretches out about 7 feet so he can run back and forth over me while I'm working on my computer.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Neverland

2011-12-05T23:08:00.000-06:00

"Second star to the right and straight on till morning" - J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

A Peter Pan prequel! Wow, this is so good! Neverland on Syfy puts a new twist on one of my favorite stories. It tells the story of how Peter, Hook, the Lost Boys and other actually got to Neverland. You find out why Peter is "the boy who never grows up", how he learned to fly, and why he and Hook hate each other. The settings and costumes are beautiful I want to watch it over and over just for that.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Kurt and Liz's Wedding

2011-12-03T23:23:00.000-06:00

Little Kurt (who is almost 30) got married! The ceremony was at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Old Town.

Then we were invited back to John's apartment to visit which the bridal party was taking pictures.

The reception was held in the tent at Galleria Marchetti and it was beautiful. John gave a great speech as best man!

See more pictures of Kurt and Liz's Wedding (12/3/2011), a set on Flickr.

ABCs of Pet Birds: C is for Clowning Around

2011-12-02T23:52:00.001-06:00

The ABCs of Pet Birds: C is for Clowning Around is the third installment of my video series I am hosting on my YouTube channel. I shot a lot of footage of him hanging and climbing on things and being an overall goofball. It's interesting that you actually notice a lot more about your pet when you are trying to capture its actions on film. I had a lot of fun this week playing with Charlie Bird. Enjoy!

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Baby B's Ultrasound

2011-12-01T14:33:00.000-06:00

Got to see my nephew today! I went with my sister for her doctor's visit and she gets an ultrasound each time. Only six weeks left! Getting scary...

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Going the Distance

2011-11-27T23:40:00.000-06:00

I watched Going the Distance with my mom tonight. LOVE Drew Barrymore and thought the movie was funny and cute. But it was kind of raunchy! Justin Long's sidekicks, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis, must have improvised alot of that! I bet they had a blast making the movie. If I would have heard it was a bit raunchy I would have NOT watched with my mom. But it's all good. Definitely a quality rental :)

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T23:36:00.000-06:00

I am grateful for many, many things this year. Most of all my family with whom I got to spend the day with. I used my sister's digital video camera to shoot all the food and cooking and stuff. I was going to piece together a video but the file format from this Sony Handycam is of a format which I need special software for :( So no pics and no video this year...

Hopefully you had a peaceful and fulfilling Thanksgiving this year as well.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

ABCs of Pet Birds: B is for Bath

2011-11-18T12:25:00.001-06:00

The ABCs of Pet Birds: B is for Bath is the second installment of my video series I am hosting on my YouTube channel. Last week I uploaded A is for Appreciation and that video was just of me talking. This time I did some video editing and even a voice over. I used my HD camera which I think has better quality than my webcam. I'm going to be looking for a new webcam because I would like to practice being on camera more.

I am really enjoying playing with video. And I also enjoy engaging with Charlie to capture his actions on film. He is so much fun :)

PS: Please support your local bird rescue.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

The Music Never Stopped

2011-11-14T15:34:00.001-06:00

I watched the best movie today! The Music Never Stopped is a GREAT story about a father and a son that connect through music. The son left home in the 60s when he was a teen and his parents hadn't seen him in well over a decade until they got a call one day that he was in the hospital with a brain tumor. After surgery, the son had a form of amnesia and his memories would only come back through music that he was passionate about. And his favorite band is the Grateful Dead (which was my favorite in high school too). The father ends up learning all the Grateful Dead songs just as a way to be able to talk with his son. There is a lot more to this movie and it is really touching. Featured in the movie is Touch of Grey which was a new Grateful Dead song from 1987. The tour they went on that year was when I went to my first concert, which was Grateful Dead at Alpine Valley in June of 1987. It changed my life and this movie reminds me of all the magic that comes with music like this.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Margaret's Baby Shower

2011-11-13T15:58:00.000-06:00

We had the baby shower for Margaret and Adam on Saturday, November 12th at Maggiano's in Oak Brook. There were about 50 friends and family who came and some brought their kids. (And thank god those kids were there because they helped open the presents and things went much faster!)

Margie isn't due until January 18, 2012 but with Thanksgiving, my cousin's wedding, Christmas and all that we had it a bit early. She got so many things and since I never had a baby I was kind of confused by some of them! But overall everyone had a really nice time and Margie is really happy which is what counts.

Margaret's Baby Shower, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 5

2011-11-12T12:23:00.000-06:00

Monday, November 7, 2011

Lesson 21: Love Doesn't Hurt
In tonight's class, a suburban mother's nightmare and actress Robin Givens' violent marriage to boxing champ Mike Tyson become the basis for a valuable lesson about love. Plus, start to learn what love looks and feels like for you.

Today's Question

What does love look and feel like to you?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Lesson 22: Plague of America
This evening, Oprah cuts to what she believes is the heart of what many Americans are struggling with: living a financial lie. Meet the mom who shopped her family broke, see what happened when personal finance expert Suze Orman stepped in, and get the money advice that we all can learn something from.

Today's Question

Your spending is a reflection of what you value. What do your purchases say about your life?

I liked a lot about this episode. Seems we all learn about money the hard way. I wish it was taught better in schools. I'm looking forward to the new Suze Orman Money Class coming in January! I should probably read her book, The Money Class, but it's more fun to watch on TV.

One of the lessons Oprah said that when you give everything to your kids "you're feeding the ego beast that can never be satiated and setting your children up to place value on things that really don't matter". I found that whole thing about children and money very interesting.

My favorite quote? "Your desire to improve created the energetic path that allows you to do better."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Lesson 23: Slow Down
Everyone has those moments where they forget where their keys are, or they have to go back in the house because they can't remember if they turned the stove off. However, tonight, you'll see some extreme examples of what happens when we rush through life, which serve as powerful reminders to live more consciously.

Today's Question
If you were giving your Last Lecture—your best piece of advice for appreciating life—what would it be?

I had a hard time watching the beginning of this episode. So many people who had tragic outcomes due to these accidents. But I never really paid attention to Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture story when it was happening so I really enjoyed the highlights.

"Look at your to do list. Are you on there?"

One of the interesting things someone asked is "are you a Tigger or an Eeyore"? I'm definitely a Tigger! But I do know a few Eeyores :) The general point of the show is that we should do the things we "wish we had time for" NOW instead of waiting until we are terminal...

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Lesson 24: Newton's Third Law
Science tells us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. But how does this law come into play emotionally for all of us? Find out in tonight's class. Plus, hear real-life stories of how what goes around truly does come around.

Today's Question
Overall, how would you describe the energy you're putting out in the world and how is it coming back to you?

This class had a totally different format. Oprah started off the show at the Museum of Science & Industry to discuss Newton's Third Law with some of the physicists there and see the exhibits.

Newton's laws of motion

First law: The velocity of a body remains constant unless the body is acted upon by an external force.

Second law: The acceleration a of a body is parallel and directly proportional to the net force F and inversely proportional to the mass m, i.e., F = ma.

Third law: The mutual forces of action and reaction between two bodies are equal, opposite and collinear.

Also know as "what comes around goes around", according to Oprah, Newton's Third Law is really "Whatever you do is already done. The moment you do it, it's already done." For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.The energy you are putting out comes back to you. And one of Oprah's points is that it is the INTENTION that causes the reaction. Are you doing things because you "should" or because you truly want to?

The second part of the class was more like the live Lifeclass format. She had Tom Shadyac, a Hollywood director that walked away from a lot of that life, and a live audience. One of the movies Tom directed was Evan Almighty and there's a line in that movie he mentioned that I like: "When you ask for more courage, life doesn't just zap you with courage. You get the opportunity to be courageous."

Some other good questions came up too. Do you have loving people in your life? Than you have been loving. Do you have angry people in your life? Then take a look at yourself... Who do you want to be in the world? What do you want them to say in your euelogy?

Friday, November 11, 2011

Lesson 25: You've Always Had the Power
Tonight, get ready to learn Oprah's all-time favorite lesson: You—and no one else—are responsible for changing your life and making it better. With examples from Glinda the Good Witch, a Zimbabwean woman who achieved a seemingly impossible dream and more, this is one episode you simply cannot miss.

Today's Question

What do you now believe is possible? How will you make it real?

Our magic ruby slippers are in our own heart... that's how she started off this last show. By talking about Wizard of Oz which made me smile.

The main lesson from the show is that anything is achievable. And something they touched on that I wish I learned when I was younger: "There is a process to success. We must each figure out what that process is for our particular life."

My favorite quote? "Your life is a reflection of the way you think. What you believe is what you become."

Bonus Live Webclass
Iyanla Vanzant was the teacher again for the last night. They started out with a son who learned about forgiveness in Lifeclass and called him mother who he hadn't spoken too in about 5 years. She in turned called HER mom who she hadn't spoken to in 14 years!

I really enjoyed the all of Oprah's Lifeclass. There's a lot of activities you can do on Oprah's Lifeclass online. I highly recommend it if you missed it.

Other Weeks of Class:
Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 1

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 2

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 3

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 4

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

ABCs of Pet Birds: A is for Appreciation

2011-11-11T12:44:00.001-06:00

I want to do more video blogging and I need practice talking in front of the camera so I decided to do a video series with Charlie Bird - the ABCs of Pet Birds. In this first video I notice that I move around alot, look around alot, and say "um" a lot.

Also, I have no call to action at the end of the video asking people to do something next. I guess when I have more videos I'll want them to watch the rest in the series so I'll have to work out an ending.

I'm thinking of making a whole page on this blog for the series to link through to all the posts. I'm also thinking of linking to some bird rescue sites and things like that. I need to do some research. But in the meantime, Charlie and I are having fun.

PS: Please support your local bird rescue.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Puppy finds part of the Christmas tree

2011-11-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

So, I brought in part of my fake Christmas tree because the boys were cleaning the garage today and then hid it behind this fan so the dog wouldn't pee on it or something. He found it anyways. This video is stupid to most, but I had to post it so I could share with a few people. What's he going to do when I actually get the tree up???

Visit me on Google+

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Saturday Morning

2011-11-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

Snuggle time for Tristen (while I force down the Theraflu)

Visit me on Google+

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 4

2011-11-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

Monday, October 31, 2011

Lesson 16: Following Your Gut
The information Oprah shares in tonight's episode could very well make the difference between life and death. As you listen to stories of people who have used their intuition to tell when something wasn't right, you'll see how listening to your own gut can make you safer in the world.

Today's Question

What's your gut telling you right now? What will you do about it?

This episode kind of freaked me out. In fact, it's made me a bit paranoid... there was a guy sitting in his car outside of my house which is strange. Of course he could have been a contractor working on the construction of my neighbor's house, but he was watching load up my car and stuff. So I wrote down the license plate number. I mean he knew I was leaving the house and stuff! Of course I'm so clueless I couldn't describe what he looked like or the make and model of the car, but I got the color and plate number which is a good step for me. I do want to be more observant of things.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Lesson 17: You Can Rise from the Ashes of Your Life
Rising from the ashes is the re-examination of what life means after tragedy or devastation affects the interior and exterior of your life. Christine McFadden is just one incredible example: She endured the worst thing that could ever happen to a mother. Here, you'll see how she began to move forward with the rest of her life.

Today's Question

What is the pain that you thought you would not survive—and what got you through it?

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Lesson 18: Do Your Eyes Light Up When Your Child Walks in the Room?
The subject of tonight's class is one of Oprah's favorite topics: how everyone just wants to be appreciated or validated. As Toni Morrison explains, making others feel that way is essential for raising children and for having strong relationships. Plus, find out how you can make people feel like they matter.

Today's Question
Who really sees you? How do they show it?

This was my FAVORITE lesson of the whole week!!! It is SO important to connect with people. Especially these days, with texting and chatting and all that. I think that my eyes light up when I see certain people and I know that makes them happy. I definitely enjoy fun greetings. I can think of one friend who doesn't acknowledge people enough and it drives me crazy so much I think less of him because of it. I used to think he's so rude and arrogant and now I think he's kind of clueless. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn't realize how his actions are interpreted by others. Anyways, I a so glad that the majority of the people I surround myself with DO light up their eyes when we see each other.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Lesson 19: Step Out of the Box
Today is about doing the thing you ordinarily wouldn't do—and how, when you do it, it opens up space in your life. Gayle leaves her comfort zone to go back in time to the 17th century; a woman boldly dashes through her neighborhood in a bikini...what will you do that you've never had the guts to do before?

Today's Question
What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Ah... that is a POWERFUL question! I thought about that quite a bit over these past few months, especially since starting up Playing Internet. I find myself asking it alot as like a "final" decision maker. I figure something out or decide something and they ask "what if I weren't afraid, would that still be my decision" and it kind of helps push me out of my comfort zone if the decision I made was being safe. It's really helpful.

My favorite quote from a lady who ran down the street in a bikini: "If you want something you've never had, you gotta do something you've never done."

Friday, November 4, 2011

Lesson 20: Joy Rising: Surprise
ISee how we brought joy to a woman who really needed it after one of the country's biggest disasters. Plus, relive some of our best dream-come-true moments. Through it all, you'll see that when we experience pure joy, we live in a way that allows us to leave little pieces of light and love wherever we tread.

Today's Question

What brings you joy in good times (and bad)?

Bonus Live Webclass
Iyanla Vanzant was the teacher again tonight and as usual I got chills and misty-eyed during the live class. Iyanla is so on point with people. It is just amazing how some people have that special gift to just cut through all the bullshit and get to the bottom of it all.

Other Weeks of Class:
Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 1

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 2

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 3

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 5

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Contemplative Photography

2011-11-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of "Contemplative Photography"? My take on it is that looking through the lens and finding interesting textures and shapes can have an almost meditative effect. I totally to try it and play around with the concept. I'm thinking of starting a tumblr blog for the pictures, but then I also think I can just add them to this blog here. Not sure yet...

PS - why is this picture that I took with my phone look like it has a plastic film on it? That sucks!

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:21:00.000-05:00

My corgi Tristen in my mutt Taylor's old angel costume... he wore it for a long time. It actually suits him better. Barney Angus wouldn't keep on his pirate hat and was even afraid of it by the end.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Trains, Tricks & Treats at Botanic Gardens

2011-10-30T14:32:00.000-05:00

My friend and I took her daughter to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. I was especially excited to see the Trains, Tricks & Treats feature which had a miniature railroad all ready for Halloween. It was a windy and rainy day so we walked around a little bit, but we didn't spend more than a few hours there.We did get in some good pictures though, even if it was an overcast day.

Chicago Botanic Gardens Fall 2011, a set on Flickr.

20-year Regina Dominican High School Reunion

2011-10-29T23:38:00.000-05:00

We celebrated our 20-year High School Reunion today. I met up with my old friends Colleen and Meghan out at Regina Dominican High School for a mass that celebrated the anniversary for all the years that ended in 1's or 6's. They celebrated the first 50th anniversary of their first graduating class of 1961. It was kind of sad that so few people showed up. Less than 50 people total.

After the mass we looked at the theater pictures from the school plays that were hanging on the wall behind the auditorium. Then we walked through the school and over to the cafeteria for a celebration. Again it was sad because they did such a nice job with food and displays but there was barely anyone there. At least we got our picture in the photo booth! We saw it in the back of the room and no one was by it so we went and asked and then got our pics taken. I think we may have been the only one.

The party with the and main reunion was at Monastero's in Lincolnwood (perfect location for me!). Colleen was nice enough to let me drop of the car and drive me so I could drink more. It was really good to see everyone, but it was kind of the same as high school. You said "hi" to everyone, like you did when you'd pass them in the halls, but really we spent the most time with the gals that we hung out with them. By the time we sat down for the slideshow of pictures you could look around the room and see everyone in the same groups that they were in 20 years ago. Was funny.

I posted all the pics in a album up on Facebook here.

Below is a set of all the pictures from high school that I scanned and posted on Facebook.. Good times!

High School: Fall 1987 - Summer 1991, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 3

2011-10-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

Monday, October 24, 2011

Lesson 11: Your Life Speaks to You in a Whisper
Tonight, Oprah explores one of the greatest principles of life: Listening to the "whispers." Watch how two women acted on their instincts and saved the life of Jaycee Dugard. Plus, learn how to recognize those moments when your life is trying to tell you something.

Today's Question

What's the whisper you've been hearing for a while? What will you do about it now?

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Lesson 12: Holding On to the Past

One of the biggest issues for Oprah—and so many of us—is holding on to the hurt or the pain of what happened years ago. In this class, see how five sisters entrenched in a bitter feud managed to move on. The sooner you can let go of the past, the sooner you can get on with the now.

Today's Question

What memories of the past still dominate your thinking? What do you need to let go of?

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Lesson 13: When People Show You Who They Are, Believe Them
Of all the lessons Oprah's learned in her life, this one may be at the very top of the list. As Maya Angelou explains, people know themselves much better than you do. That's why it's important to stop expecting them to be something other than who they are.

Today's Question
Think of someone you met recently. What have they shown you about themselves? Who are they?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Lesson 14: What Animals Can Teach Us
From a miracle horse that gave his owner a new lease on life, to Oprah's dogs' unconditional love, animals have the ability to make even the direst situation better. Watching this episode will open up your heart to the power of how animals can reach out to us.

Today's Question
How has a particular animal changed your life?

Friday, October 28, 2011

Lesson 15: Joy Rising (Australia)
In tonight's episode, watch how something unexpected, wonderful and magical takes hold of the entire audience.

Today's Question

What are you grateful for and why?

Bonus Live Webclass
Iyanla Vanzant was the teacher again tonight.

Other Weeks of Class:
Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 1

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 2

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 4

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 5

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Calvin and Hobbes on Ethics

2011-10-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Calvin: Today at school, I tried to decide whether to cheat on my test or not. I wondered, is it better to do the right thing and fail…or is it better to do the wrong thing and succeed? On the one hand, undeserved success gives no satisfaction…but on the other hand, well-deserved failure gives no satisfaction either. Of course, most everybody cheats some time or other. People always bend the rules if they think they can get away with it. Then again, that doesn’t justify my cheating. Then I thought, look, cheating on one little test isn’t such a big deal. It doesn’t hurt anyone. But then I wondered if I was just rationalizing my unwillingness to accept the consequence of not studying. Still, in the real world, people care about success, not principles. Then again, maybe that’s why the world is such a mess. What a dilemma!

Hobbes: So what did you decide?

Calvin: Nothing. I ran out of time and I had to turn in a blank paper.

Hobbes: Anymore, simply acknowledging the issue is a moral victory.

Calvin: Well, it just seemed wrong to cheat on an ethics test.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Stephen King's Bag of Bones Read-A-Long

2011-10-25T23:06:00.000-05:00

I just ordered my book! I'll be participating in the Bag of Bones Read-a-Long hosted by The True Book Addict at Castle Macabre. I've never actually read any Stephen King before so I'm looking forward to it.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Deadmau5 @ Aragon, Chicago (10/22/2011)

2011-10-23T11:17:00.000-05:00

We had so much fun at the Deadmau5 show! I wasn't even going to go but I'm so glad I changed my mind. I saw him close Lollapalooza 2011 and it was such a great show, especially because he started his set at the EXACT time it started to pour rain down on us. So we got to dance around in the mud which was extra fun.

I ended up getting tickets at the last minute and paid more than double the face value but it was worth it. I totally needed a night out dancing with my friends. And I did meet up with several people there but we lost them pretty early on because they moved up closer to the stage and I wanted to stay at a spot where I could see well (because I couldn't see anything at Lollapalooza). And this guy's light show did not disappoint.

Deadmau5 live @ Aragon, Chicago (10/22/11), a set on Flickr.

And actually the entire show was great! There were some DJs that opened and it was all amazing. For some reason the music had me dancing like I used to in high school or something. My friend told me that some of the songs were old school which is maybe why I recognized the music. We found out later that it was Tommy Lee (DJ Aero) who were playing all those old beats which made it even more fun.

"Some Chords" (includes sample of "Tiny Dancer")

I lucked out with the timing of this video clip of "Sometimes Things Get, Whatever" into "Cthulhu Sleeps"... so fun!

This light show was sick! (P.S. I never felt the floor at Aragon Ballroom vibrate like it did with Deadmau5)

We had a really great spot and it was right in front of the bar! The lines were probably the longest I'd ever seen at that place though... but we kept getting beer for the other people we were meeting and then they wouldn't be around so we'd polish off their too!

One of my favorite songs is "Sofi Needs A Ladder". Below are the lyrics:

Sofi Needs A Ladder

Songwriters: Sofia Toufa, Joel Zimmerman

Let's play musical chairs one of my favorite games

Especially now that you and I have traded place

You walk around in shoes that don't fit for a change

There is no way for you to win this race

Crisscross and turn your shirt inside out

You like to think I can't figure you out but the tables have turned

What goes around comes around, you're about to get burned

Flip the script, you're checking in, I'm checking you out

You're just too sweet till you get on my nerves and hurt like cavity

You left a bad taste in my mouth, my sour patch kid

You and me, it's no mystery, no magic trick

Let me hear this broken record again, just press repeat

I can be your new favorite waste of time and you'll be mine

All I want is your attention, it's all the same thing

Are you in? What's it gonna be?

Don't roll with the punches, make it hard for me baby

Drop you like a needle on the record, scratch my itch

Watch you walk in circles hit the beat

Drop you like a needle on the record, flip my switch

Go around in circles, hit the beat

Clip 1 of "Sofi Needs A Ladder" (are you noticing that the camera stability keeps declining as the night goes on...)

Clip 2 of "Sofi Needs A Ladder" --- Drop you like a needle on the record, scratch my itch...

Clip 3 of "Sofi Needs A Ladder" (I love how she's holding the mouse head!)

And Sofi sings for another song called "One Trick Pony" which is really cool too:

Over all we danced alot, drank alot, and had a bunch of fun!

Ya, looking back at the videos I can't believe no one had a seizure! But in the moment it was all too awesome.

And then of course after this super fun night I had to customize my Facebook profile too, but I probably won't leave it this way for too long. It's not like I go to these kinds of show every night :)

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 2

2011-10-21T22:02:00.000-05:00

Monday, October 17, 2011

Lesson 6: Who You Were Meant to Be - Everybody Has a Calling
Every single person who is born has a purpose, Oprah says in tonight's episode. In this class, she shares real-life stories of how she, Lady Gaga and others found their callings. As they show us, sometimes, your calling is right in your own neighborhood.

Today's Question

When you connect with the place of stillness at your core, what do you feel you're meant to do with your life?

Lady Gaga!!! I love her so much so it was great to see this show because I never saw the original interview when it aired on Oprah. There was only about 5-10 minutes of her interview but it was great. Others featured were people who created businesses out of following their passions.

Favorite things from today's class:

Celebrate all the things you don't like about yourself to become truly happy inside - Lady Gaga
Your life is messaging to you all the time. Doing what you don't want to do is a message. Knowing what you DON'T want to do can be a path to knowing what you DO want to do. Find little pieces of your life that brings you joy and use that as a start because that will help you build the foundation to get you to a place to when you CAN do what you want to do all the time.
How can I be used in service, to myself first, and then how can I use that service to serve the world. Use your life to serve the world and you will find that
"Regret Minimization Framework" - Jeff Bezos. When I'm 80 I want to have a few regrets as possible about the way I lived my life. No worries about trying and failing, but regret for not even trying. Choose actions that create the fewest amount of regrets.
"Maybe I'm put on this earth to do more than just make myself better off." - John Wood, Philanthropist

PS: I want a mustard pot!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Lesson 7: Aging Beautifully

Some of the most glamorous women to ever grace the screen—Cybill Shepherd, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ali MacGraw—reveal how they really felt about being defined by beauty. Find out what they learned, and how you can develop an inner self—which is key to aging beautifully.

Today's Question

What's the best thing and what's the hardest thing about the age you are now?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Lesson 8: When You Know Better...
Tonight's class focuses on one of the great lessons of Oprah's life, which she learned from none other than Maya Angelou. Relive some of Oprah's most difficult moments, from confronting skinheads to acknowledging a major faux pas. Plus, find out how to respond when you do something you wish you hadn't done.

Today's Question
What do you know better today than you did a year ago?

Wow! Even without seeing the show this is such a powerful question because when you think about it, it really shows how we grow so much even in one little year. "When you know better, you do better" is such a freeing concept. Really, it's okay that we did things wrong. What are we going to do now? And of course Oprah learned it from Maya Angelou and we all learned it from Oprah.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Lesson 9: You're Responsible for Your Life
Since she was a young girl, Oprah has known that if anything were going to move forward in her life, she was going to have to be responsible for making it happen. She and others show how they've taken control of their lives to force change—and how this principle can come into play in your life.

Today's Question
Where are you waiting for someone else to create what you long for?

My favorite quote from today: "Take responsibility for the energy that you bring" - Jill Bolte Taylor

Friday, October 21, 2011

Lesson 10: Joy Rising (Flash Mob)
Every Friday, Oprah wants to bring you a little bit of joy. And in her 25 years of doing The Oprah Winfrey Show, there's never been a better example of joy rising than the Season 24 kickoff party, which featured one of the biggest flash mobs in history. Watch, and get happy.

Today's Question

What's the one thing you know for sure about joy?

Bonus Live Webclass
Iyanla Vanzant was the teacher again tonight.

Other Weeks of Class:
Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 1

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 3

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 4

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 5

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Buddha Standard Time

2011-10-15T20:30:00.001-05:00

Tricycle Magazine choose Buddha Standard Time by Lama Surya Das as the Community Book Club selection for October, 2011 which is why I am reading this now. I usually like to listen on audiobook but this one I purchased in hardcover so I can highlight and take notes. My favorite quote that I read today:

"There is a simple practice I do every day whenever I can, which I call WOW: Wishing Others Well. Whomever and whatever I meet - person or animal, male or female, old or young, human or otherwise - I wish them well. Make this your mission and delight from moment to moment."

In general the book looks at slowing down and how to be present in today's fast-paced, over-stimulated world. Lama Surya Das claims "it's not time we lack, it's focus." With the launch of Playing Internet last month I got sucked back in to multi-tasking a million things at once and not feeling as I accomplished anything so it's really good to take a step back and be reminded to breathe :)

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 1

2011-10-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

Monday, October 10, 2011
Tonight was the first lesson in Oprah's Lifeclass and I've really been waiting for this! I absolutely loved when she did a class with Eckhart Tolle for "A New Earth" and learned so much during that.

Lesson 1: The False Power of Ego
It was one of her biggest regrets. In a candid hour, Oprah reveals what she now thinks about one of her most talked-about moments. Plus, she offers advice for knowing when your ego is getting the best of you and ways to help set yourself straight.

Oprah discusses the show where she revealed a big weight loss and came out looking all skinny. She had about 60 lbs. of fat on a wheelbarrow and then she even tried to pick it up to emphasize how heavy it is. I didn't see that episode but I remember seeing re-caps on the news during the time.

Today's Question
Where does your ego get in your way?

My Answer
Sometimes my ego keeps me wanting to do more and be better... it's exhausting.

After the TV show aired, Oprah had Eckhart Tolle on for a livestream chat and it was so good to listen to the two of them again. And fun to watch the Twitter and Facebook streams of all the others watching too. At the end Oprah read this amazing poem:

Love After Love by Derek Walcott

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tonight Oprah reflected on her interview with Terry McMillan who wrote "How Stella Got Her Groove Back". I didn't enjoy this one too much because it was kind of stressful watching all the anger!

Lesson 2: Letting Go of Anger
Oprah looks back on best-selling author Terry McMillan's riveting appearances on The Oprah Show and explores how McMillan's intense rage almost destroyed her. She also examines how anger can stand in the way of the life you were meant to live.

The webinar was great though. She had Iyanla Vanzant as the teacher and there were some good real life examples of her walking through people see past the anger.

My three favorite things from Oprah's Lifeclass tonight:

Forgiveness = giving up the hope that the past could've been any different.
"The best students get the hardest tests." - Iyanla Vanzant
"You're never angry for the reason you think you are..." - Iyanla Vanzant

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Lesson 3: You Become What You Believe
Oprah talks about the importance of having faith in yourself. She interviews former guests Jim Carrey, J.K. Rowling, Ralph Lauren and others about the nature of our beliefs and how they affect what we can achieve.

Again the television show didn't resonate with me that much. I think because I spent most of the past 6 months working through things and I'm in a really positive place right now and I already believe everything Oprah was pointing out.

Today's Question
How would you fill in these blanks? The one thing I wished I had become is _____. The one thing I will become is _____.

But again there was still a bunch I took away from the webinar. Oprah's guest teacher was Cheryl Richardson and she talked about looking in the mirror and doing affirmations. Oprah made fun of her a bit, especially when she said she sends loving messages to herself via text every hour like "you're such a cutie pie" or that she thanks the bed in the morning for getting a good night sleep, but in general I can see the power of some of what she was talking about. Cheryl did have an affirmation that I really like:

Abundance flows into my life in surprising and miraculous ways.

I just love that! I like the "surprising and miraculous" part of that because it's true! You have to have your eyes open, but little things, like catching a clip of something while flipping through the channels, seeing an article in a magazine, or receiving a gift, can really have an impact.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Lesson 4: The Truth Will Set You Free
Oprah remembers her controversial 1997 interview with Ellen DeGeneres and discusses a bedrock belief.

I was shocked seeing how hateful people were about Ellen. I didn't watch Oprah back then, a time without DVRs. It's wasn't Ellen's part that resonated with me, but the last segment where she had a woman who's bought a home with an ARM while she was pregnant with her 3rd child (I think her name was Erica Sharp) and now 5 years later her home is in forclosure and her husband left her. Suze Orman was a guest on that show and Suze showed her how to change her perspective and look at her situation as a blessing. Don't worry about her kids seeing her be put out, but let her kids see that a home is a family unit and not a place and that their mom is a survivor. It was really great.

And my favorite thing from the show was when one of the guests said that Gail once told her what makes Oprah special is that she climbs the ladder to success with one hand and uses the other hand to bring other people with her. That just gives me chills :)

Today's Question
What secret are you sick of keeping? When are you going to free yourself by telling it?

It's kind of frustrating that I don't have any secret so I can't answer this question. I've resolved and faced everything that would ever have been considered one. But then I was wondering if really I do have some kind of secret. I'm digging down deep and can't find anything. Guest teacher Martha Beck said that something like working out when you really want to be watching TV is a little lie. That you are lying to yourself. And I do stuff I don't want to do all the time! I have been working on a good balance though. And on the webinar there was a good example of a daughter and a mother where the both were pretending something so Martha explained that it was the pretend daughter having a pretend relationship with the pretend mother! We do become our pretend selves sometimes so it was quite interesting how she worked through that.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Lesson 5: Joy Rising
In an hour full of surprises, Oprah reveals how she really felt, moment by moment, in what would become an episode of The Oprah Show that people couldn't stop talking about.

I couldn't help but smile during most of this show. It really highlighted what a great woman Oprah is and how much she helps people truly from her heart. It started with the show where she gave away the cars to the whole audience. I didn't realize that her staff researched the audience and those were people who all really needed cars! And then she followed up with some clips of her "Wildest Dreams Come True" tour where she went around the US granting people's dreams. And by the end of it I had tears in my eye because of what Oprah was able to do with Bernedette and her kids. She had a total of 9 kids because 4 of them were her brothers in a tiny apartment where everyone had to share beds.

Today's Question
What brings you joy? What steals your joy?

Iyanla Vanzant was the teacher again tonight. The thing she said the most that I really enjoyed is if you want to help someone, don't help them, serve them. Oprah also commented about the intention of everything she does. I like that. I hope to keep doing that. And at one point she cracked me up because she told someone to "let God be your sugardaddy"! Too funny, but good point.

Iyanla also had some a good response to someone on the webcast who mentioned that he had a fear of failure and the fear of disappointing others:

When you don't show up as who you are, people fall in love with who you are not. Then, when they find out who you are, that's when they leave. So don't allow people to fall in love with who you are not. Be fully present all the time.

Three questions that recap the week to ask yourself when something is going on in your life:

What is this here to teach me?
What am I afraid to lose?
Am I being real in this moment?

So overall, it was a really good week. I worked though a lot of things she mentioned during a "Fear Cleanse" I did this past summer with Christine Arylo and Gabrielle Bernstein, but it's still good to re-examine things. I guess she's changing it up a bit next week. No live webcast every day, it will only be on Friday. And then on Friday that will be on TV too.

Other Weeks of Class:
Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 2

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 3

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 4

Oprah's Lifeclass, Week 5

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

My Custom Facebook Cover Photo

2011-10-12T18:49:00.002-05:00

I'm having fun playing with the new timeline on Facebook. I took a picture of my little work area at home and wrote in some of my favorite things about it on top of the picture. I like my setup and have a lot of things I enjoy surrounding me there so I thought it was a neat thing to use as a cover photo. Fun!

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Atlantic City 2011

2011-10-10T22:06:00.000-05:00

Atlantic City 2011, a set on Flickr.

We went on a family trip to Atlantic City to celebrate Dick's 70th birthday. My mom and sister stayed at Trump's Taj Majal and I stayed at my Wyndham Skyline Tower timeshare which is just two blocks away.

Our first afternoon we wandered the boardwalk. It was hot out and we were all pretty tired from traveling. We met for dinner at the Knife & Fork Inn (where I head a really great pineapple martini!). We later went for drinks as the Irish Pub and then went over to Resorts for some gambling. I was way up in craps but then lost it all even faster than I won it.

My second day in Atlantic City I rested a bit. Some people went to brunch and out shopping but I slept in and then caught up on a Real Housewives of New Jersey marathon (which was funny since I was in Jersey). This is because we were going to have a little party at my place in the afternoon so it didn't make much sense to run out for only an hour when I had to set up. So Dick was surprised and we all hung out and had a few drinks. Dinner that night was at Dock's Oyster House and, those of us who were not too drunk by then, went back to Trump's Taj Mahal to gamble a bit. But it was a holiday weekend and the tables were packed.

We all had a lot of fun and I think the birthday boy was very happy.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Philadelphia 2011

2011-10-08T20:55:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia 2011, a set on Flickr.

We flew in and out of Philadelphia on our way to Atlantic City to celebrate Dick's 70th birthday and I went a day early since I had never been to Philly before. I spend an entire day wandering around Reading Terminal Market, Independence Hall and National Historic Park, and Washington Square. In the evening I went on the Murder, Mystery, and Mayhem of Philadelphia tour and then had dinner at Morimoto.

My mom and Dick met me on Friday and I did a Phildelphia city tour with them and we had a beautiful day for it. Then we went to Dinardo's for a snack of oyster's and crab. Our dinner was at Fish which I highly recommend!

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Frightful Fall Read-a-Thon

2011-10-03T00:52:00.000-05:00

Only 29 days until Halloween! And this year I'm going to participate in the Frightful Fall Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle, the True Book Addict at Castle Macabre.

The scary book I picked to read this year is "Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill (a/k/a Stephen King's son). Named after the Nirvana song, supposedly there are a bunch of rock, metal and punk music references in the book so I'm sure I'll love that part of it. It's a ghost story published in 2007 and made it to #8 on the New York Time Bestseller list. And it won and Audie Award for best Thriller/Suspense, 2008 so it should be a good listen.

Description from Audible:

Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals...a used hangman's noose...a snuff film. An aging death-metal rock god, his taste for the unnatural is widely known. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, a thing so terrible-strange, Jude can't help but reach for his wallet.

I will sell my stepfather's ghost to the highest bidder.

For a thousand dollars, Jude will become the proud owner of a dead man's suit, said to be haunted by a restless spirit. He isn't afraid. He has spent a lifetime coping with ghosts: of an abusive father, of the lovers he callously abandoned, of the bandmates he betrayed. What's one more? But what UPS delivers to his door in a black heart-shaped box is no imaginary or metaphorical ghost. It's the real thing.

And suddenly the suit's previous owner is everywhere: behind the bedroom door...seated in Jude's restored vintage Mustang...standing outside his window...staring out from his widescreen TV. Waiting - with a gleaming razor blade on a chain dangling from one hand.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Ken Burns's Prohibition on PBS

2011-10-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

The first episode of Prohibition by Ken Burns and Lynn Novak aired tonight and it's so good! I didn't realize how much the growth of the women's movement was so interconnected with Prohibition. Two more nights left in the series.

My tweets during the show:

Watching #Prohibition Night 1: A Nation of Drunkards on @PBS by @kenburnspbs and Lynn Novick

"It was a time when women found their voice... and our greatest heroes were also criminals" #Prohibition

Ha! My mouth is watering a bit when I see all those barrels of beer... #Prohibition

George Washington made sure his troops had a half a glass of rum each day, and a half a cup of whiskey when the rum run out. #Prohibition

Bartenders who were prohibited from selling alcohol sold expensive salted crackers and threw in a beer for free :) #Prohibition

Um... I'm seeing some similarities on the propaganda methods we taught our children about #Prohibition with how the Nazi's taught

...raising the age of sexual consent from 10 to 16. 10?!?!? #Prohibition

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

The Wedding of River Song

2011-10-01T21:59:00.001-05:00

Tonight's Season 6 finale of Doctor Who was an episode called "The Wedding of River Song". Since the departure of David Tennant as the 10th Doctor, I think Alex Kingson, who plays River Song, is my favorite character in the Doctor Who series. I definitely have a girl crush on her.

Steven Moffat has been an absolute genius with everything he has done with the series since he took over two years ago. For both the 5th and the 6th season finales he had the last episode wrap up the whole entire season. It's really great when it all comes together like that.

Of course some people may be disappointed with this episode. While it did tie up a few loose endings if left us with many more"questions to be answered" (pun that you'll only get if you watched the episode). But at least we know we can expect the story line to continue for the next season and I already can't wait!

Below is the trailer for the episode:

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Testing new Flickr Droid Camera app

2011-09-30T18:20:00.001-05:00

Testing new Flickr Droid Camera app, a photo by rachel.rubin.chicago on Flickr.

Testing new Flickr Droid Camera app

Playing with the new Blogger

2011-09-30T01:41:00.000-05:00

All right, I've pretty much ditched this blog in favor of Facebook... but I saw that Google came out with "Dynamic Views" for blogger blogs and that they will be making lots of other new updates soon too.

So I switched over Rachel's Bite because I really do want to catch that one up and keep it going and then I started to play with this one... and I forgot to back up my old template. So I lost all the customization I had on there. Oops!

Lollapalooza 2011

2011-08-09T19:21:00.000-05:00

Another great year at Lollapalooza! On Friday we started at Foster the People, but thought we were at the stage for Smith Westerns, oops. I think we made it over to the other side and saw part of The Kills. Back to Perry's for Skrillex and Afrojack. Then caught all the closing acts, Muse, Girl Talk, and Coldplay.

Saturday I didn't attend because my mom fell and broke her back. But here's are the highlights of what I missed, including Eminem.

Sunday was one of my favorite days of the whole year! We met up with some friends at The Cars. Then we headed down to the other side and on our way to Flogging Molly it started to rain. Not just rain, it poured. And it was amazing. We hung out for some of Cage the Elephant but then went back over to Perry's, which was CRAZY. It was even muddy INSIDE the tent.

We stayed at Perry's for a while and caught the sets of Busy P and Modeselektor before we headed over to Deadmau5 for a rave in the rain! It was perfectly times that he came on just as it started pouring for the second time that day.

The rain maid the bathroom lines super long that day. But there was tons of good music and fun people. We did catch the end of the Foo Fighters on our way out, but it was too much of mud pit and we couldn't get to them.

See our pics from the Lollapalooza 2011 weekend set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

My mom fell out of a tree!

2011-08-06T18:43:00.004-05:00

Well, she was up in a ladder in the tree but she keeps telling people that she fell out of the tree. What a nightmare. We got SO LUCKY it wasn't worse, but she did end up quite injured. I skipped Lollapalooza of course because she fell just before I was heading out for the day. We spent the day at the ER instead. The final diagnosis is compression fractures in two vertebrae, a broken hand, 4 stitches and cuts and bruises all over her body. So I'm hoping for a healthy recovery but realistically know it will be about six to eight weeks before she is back to normal and able to do most things for herself. So please send some good ju ju her way!

Flux Americana: Tramps and Hoboism in American Culture

2011-07-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

Took a class this summer at the Newberry Library called Flux Americana: Tramps and Hoboism in American Culture. It ran Wednesdays from 6/8 thru 7/27.

We will explore the shifting cultural attitudes toward the American tramp and hobo as represented in literature, film, and music. Resources include those by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Jack London, Alison Murray, Ben Reitman, Jean Toomer, and Walt Whitman. How do these writers help explain the tramp’s transformation from outcast to everyman? We will also draw upon the John Drury, Dil Pickle Club, Charles Kerr, and Industrial Workers of the World collections at the Newberry. A walking tour of Chicago’s "Towertown" is part of the course.

We really enjoyed this class. I learned a lot of random stuff but mostly I learned how some little things fit in with the big picture. Like all the people after the Civil War who really didn't have any place to go home to. And how Chicago played a big part in the labor movement of the nation. But most of all I loved to find out about this "secret" area in my city that I never knew of before! I have no idea that Chicago was known for hobos, bohemians, and artists in the early 20th century.

Reading
The Road, Jack London
Hobohemia, Frank Orman Beck
The Rise & Fall of the Dil Pickle Club: Jazz-Age Chicago's Wildest & Most Outrageously Creative Hobohemian Nightspot, Franklin Rosemont
Sister of the Road: The Autobiography of Boxcar Bertha, Dr. Ben Reitman
Cane, Jean Toomer

Week 1: Hark! Hark! The Dogs Do Bark! The Coming of the Tramp
In Week 1 we will talk about the emergence of the tramp in the late nineteenth century. We will examine how this figure was initially regarded as a social problem but quickly became a source of romance and adventure for a variety of audiences. Murray's film (Allison Murray's Train on the Brain, 2000) shows how this spirit of romance and adventure associated with tramps and tramping survives into the twenty-first century.

Week 2: From Coast to Coast with Jack London
In Week 2 we look at the career of the first "celebrity" hobo, Jack London. In the early 1900s, London produced a series of essays that offer a DIY approach to tramping. London was one of the individuals responsible for rehabilitating the tramp in the essays he wrote for popular magazines.

Week 3: Hobohemia
Week 3 brings us to Chicago, which became the Hobo Capital of the United States in the early 1900s. We look at the response of the Chicago School of Sociology to this new subculture of tramps and hobos taking shape on West Madison Street. We look at the career of Frank Beck, theology professor and minister, who built upon Chicago School's work and began giving tours of "Hobohemia" for a curious public. We will look at original pamphlets and broadsides from Beck's "Reconcilliation Trips" preserved in the John Drury Collection at the Newberry.

Week 4: The Dil Pickle Club
Just off Washington Park, aka Bughouse Square, was located the Dil Pickle Club, which combined intellectual debate and avant garde art with a particular hobo sensibility. In Week 4 we will examine the Newberry's extensive collection of Dil Pickle-related materials and consider how hobos, bohemians, and academics all shared a space and a forum in the 1920s.

Week 5: Tower Town
After two weeks of talking about Hobohemia and the Dil Pickle Club, we will use the work of John Drury, Chicago Daily News reporter, ad a guide for our own walking tour of the Towertown neighborhood. We'll drop by Bughouse Square, the Dil Pickle Club, the Wind Blew Inn, and the Radical Bookstore among other locations. We will visit the sites where hobo culture linked up with bohemian culture.

Week 6: Sisters of the Road, Women Tramps
In Week 6 we look at "women adrift." Anti-tramp laws passed in the 1870s often defined the tramp as a white male over the age of sixteen, although minorities, women and children all took to the road. Boxcar Bertha's autobiography offers a rare account of a woman's experiences on the road - but like most hobo tales, it can't be trusted entirely. We also look at the career of the "King of the Hobos," Dr. Ben L. Reitman.

Week 7: Hallelujah! I'm a Bum
Chicago sociologist Robert Park claimed that the tramp's greatest contribution to our culture was his poetry and song. In Week 7, we trace a long history of tramp and hobo songs and consider how they inspired the labor movement. In our discussion we will draw upon materials in the Newberry's Rosemont-IWW collection.

Week 8: The Great Migration
Tramps and hobos weren't alone in their migratory movements. After the First World War, an immense number of African Americans moved from the South to cities in the North, including Chicago. The seminar ends by looking at the relationship between the Great Migration and the movements of the tramp.

The Big Rock Candy Mountain is a hobo song we learned about which really says it all.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Pitchfork Music Festival 2011: Sunday

2011-07-17T23:47:00.000-05:00

Pitchfork Music Festival 2011, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Train on the Brain

2011-06-09T23:25:00.000-05:00

Train On The Brain from TrainOnTheBrain on Vimeo.

Taking a class at Newberry Library called "Flux Americana: Tramps and Hoboism in American Culture". Our teacher was going to screen this movie during the first class but he just showed us the trailer instead. It's about modern day "hobos" who ride the rails.

Las Vegas for Casey's 21st

2011-06-01T19:43:00.000-05:00

Las Vegas 2011, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Springfield, IL 2011

2011-04-24T19:58:00.000-05:00

Springfield, IL 2011, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Washington D.C., December 2010

2010-12-19T20:05:00.000-06:00

A trip to Washington D.C. was my Christmas present! I'd always wanted to go and roam around the museums of the Smithsonian and that's what I got to do. We stayed at my timeshare out there but it was kind of out of the way and not very convenient to get back and forth to the city. So if I go back there again I'll definitely stay at the one in Alexandria.

The first day we went to the National Portrait Gallery which was fantastic. Then we wandered over to Ford's Theater and took a tour there. We were the last tour of the day and we got to go really close into Lincoln's box. After that we went into the Spy Museum, which you may think is for kids, but it was one of my favorite museums of the whole trip. A really great museum filled with all sorts of neat stuff. We'd probably have like to stay at least and extra hour, but it was closing time so we had to rush through to the end.

It was the American History Museum that I couldn't wait to see and it didn't disappoint at all. We went through the entire place. Since we were right there and had a bit of time left before the museums closed we went to the Natural History Museum too. We did see the Hope Diamond and the entire gem section was really cool.

It snowed while we were there and the entire city practically shut down! I guess they don't have salt and plows like we do in Chicago. It really was beautiful though, and nice to walk on the mall in the snow. It wasn't too crazy cold.

We also ended up taking a night tour of the city. Unfortunately the pictures didn't come out that great, but it was really nice to ride around and see everything all lit up. And we even got to see the National Christmas tree!

Washington D.C., December 2010, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T23:06:00.000-05:00

At the last minute we decided to go to a party, the Black and Boo Ball, for Halloween. I was already invited to a party at my friend's house so we did both. I love my chef costume. It was SO COMFY! Best costume I've ever had.

Halloween 2010, a set on Flickr.

Margaret and Adam's Wedding

2010-10-15T23:30:00.000-05:00

Margaret and Adam got married at Fulton's on the River by Judge Murphy. It was PERFECT weather and we were able to enjoy the patio outside. The city lit up beautiful at night and we also went to Navy Pier to take some pictures before the ceremony.

This is the video the photography put together...

And of course I took lots of pictures throughout the whole weekend! See more pictures of Margaret and Adam's Wedding, a set on Flickr.

Visit me on Google+.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Movie: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2010-06-03T23:40:00.006-05:00

Tonight we finally saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. One of my friend's hadn't read the book and the other one both read the book and already saw the movie. All three of us loved it! The next one comes out on July 2nd and we are going to make sure to see it opening night. They are making a Hollywood version of this movie and I know it can't possibly be nearly as good. This one was perfectly gritty! I think they did a great job of bringing the book to screen.

Vegas 2010

2010-04-30T00:26:00.000-05:00

I went with some friends for a long weekend in Vegas. I have a timeshare and she works for an airline so we didn't really have to pay for airfare or lodging. Four of us went in total and it was a blast.

We did get to see a show, Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soliel, but unfortunately I got sick halfway through the show and then was sick for the rest of the trip.

But we did a bunch of fun things before then. The first night we went out to dinner and walked around Downtown Las Vegas before we picked up the 4th guy who was on a later flight. The next day was the Kentucky Derby which we watched at Caesars Palace which was alot of fun. I didn't win but one guy got a few dollars for something. I still don't get horse racing.

That night we went to Mirage for a yummy dinner at the wine bar and then to hang out at the Revolution Lounge (Beatles theme). We were nice and drunk and had fun dancing. We went back to the timeshare and the boys made mojitos which we took down to the pool and hot tub. So fun!

Vegas 2010, a set on Flickr.

Droid Incredible

2010-04-27T14:50:00.003-05:00

I so excited! Today I ordered the HTC Droid Incredible and it will be ready for me to pick up at the store on Thursday, the same day it's released. I've been waiting for a smart phone since I refuse to switch to AT&T and this one got really good reviews and is on Verizon.

Dark Lord Day 2010

2010-04-24T23:11:00.000-05:00

Luckily my soon-to-be brother-in-law was able to get us tickets to Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds. This is an annual even where the Three Floyds Brewery launches it's special batch of Dark Lord beer. People come from all over to get their hands on some. I think they sell for about $100 a bottle on eBay.

I confess, we cut in line. The line was CRAZY long and when were were checking it out someone came out with their beer and told us to cut because that was what he did. So the boys went and got the beer and then we went back to watch the Blackhawks game.

Dark Lord Day 2010, a set on Flickr.

This ended up being a really traumatic day though. The guys were taking turns on an ATV and one of them got really hurt with a bad head/brain injury and we spent most of the time in the ER. It was horrible.

UPDATE: Our friend is okay. A few weeks in the hospital and few months of rehab, but luckily he'll be fine.

Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour

2010-04-10T18:59:00.008-05:00

My addiction this week has been Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour. I missed it when I came to Chicago back in 2008, and in fact I somehow never have been to a Madonna concert. But last weekend VH1 aired part of it and as I watched each new song she performed I became more and more amazed. I know I'm probably the last to realize it, but she puts on one hell of a show! I mean, she was jump roping while singing "Into the Groove" - and double dutch too!

The tour was recorded for video in Argentina, and I was really blown away when she performed a few Spanish type songs. She had a really cool routine for "Spanish Lesson" and then she followed it up with a whole new version of "La Isla Bonita". There's a male gypsy singer who is singing with her and it is so neat. So it was with that song that had me hooked. The whole show was amazing, with the lights and graphics and colors... but I especially loved the dancing.

So of course I immediately ordered the DVD and downloaded the album that came out on Tuesday. I don't even usually like live music unless I'm at the concert, but these songs are all so amazing and even more fun live. I guess it's because I'm hearing them in a new way. She also re-worked Borderline with more of a heavy rock guitar in there and there is a club version of Like a Prayer. It's just all so much fun. This has been my workout soundtrack all week and I'm loving it!

Oh, and I still have the behind the scenes featurettes to watch - I've been too busy watching her performance over and over.

Johnny Weir at Ice Dreams 2010

2010-04-02T00:47:00.010-05:00

We were lucky to see Johnny Weir skate in the Cutie's Ice Dreams 2010 show. He has been my obsession these past few months, ever since I saw him skate in the Olympics. One of the fans made a bunch of "We love Johnny Weir" buttons and she gave me one.

Dorothy Hamill was there too, but she was the host so she didn't perform. As the show started, all the skaters came out one at a time and did a short mini-routine. And each skater was better than the previous one so I was excited that the people were really good and entertaining. After quite a few of them came out we noticed a guy wearing a silverish mesh top with HUGE shoulder pads. They were full and kinda see through. Yup, that was Johnny Weir. We were all so excited when we realized it was him! But that was just a little intro and he was off the ice before we knew it.

Several skaters then did their thing. They each did full routines and there wasn't one that was disappointing. One guy, Dan Hollander, dresses up in costumes and he was actually really funny. There was also another Vancouver 2010 Olympian, Rachael Flatt, and she was really good too. I was watching the doorway where they entered the ice and I saw sparkles. I saw lots of sparkles. And the next skater up was Johnny Weir! We weren't expecting this because it was still early in the show.

There was a cute exchange between him and Dorothy Hamill. She was still introducing him and he just walked over to her and gave her a hug and stuff. Then he stood there and waved to everyone. I wonder if he's ever met her before... it seemed like he was kinda honoring her a bit. He skated to a Russian composition called "I Will Never Forget You" and he dedicated his skate to the families who lost loved ones in the recent tragedies in Moscow.

By the way, a "cutie" is a Mandarin Orange. Who knew? Oh, and I discovered it's REALLY hard to take pictures of ice skaters. So I decided to take a videos of Johnny skating.

One of the nice things about this show is that they combined all these performances of Olympic skaters with local talent. So there were also kids skating and they were so adorable. They were good too!

Johnny did perform a second number. And this was the one he tweeted about and the reason I bought the ticket. He skated a new routine to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". I loved it! And he wore a fabulous new costume too. It was black and had a huge gold collar up one side - very Gaga. There were little feathers for a tutu kinda thing of the back too. It's really cool.

We didn't hang around to see if we could get pictures or autographs. I heard you could pay $100+ to do a meet and greet with him but I'm not sure if that's true. He seems so nice. He hung out on the ice signing autographs and taking pictures anyways.

Also, he had some camera following him around (off ice) that we could see, so I'm hoping it's for a second season of Be Good Johnny Weir. So maybe we'll get to see a professionally filmed version that routine sometime too. Maybe even some of his experiences at this same show!

See a few other pictures here. And professional pictures here. And official Cutie's photos posted on their facebook page here.

Love is all around you...

- Rachel

Twitter: @RachelRubin
Connect with me on Facebook
Visit me on Google+
Network on LinkedIn
Watch me (or my pets) on YouTube
Eat with me on Yelp

Marketplace takes over Times Square

2010-04-01T09:59:00.004-05:00

Okay, this is kinda cute. The project I've been working on for the past year is a Marketplace at Sears. We went live with the whole thing sometime in January. So now marketing is picking up and it's kinda fun to see the stuff I worked on getting advertised.

To build awareness and create excitement for Marketplace, we launched a fun marketing campaign in New York City yesterday. Marketplace at Sears.com took over Times Square with 5,000 posted “SALE” tags on several iconic New York City items including a NYC Taxi and the Midtown “LOVE” sign.

Some of the tags had cute sayings, like "okay, this item's not for sale, but you can find what you're looking for at the new marketplace at Sears.com."

Gold Diggers of 1933

2010-03-31T15:31:00.012-05:00

I think I just had my first experience with Busby Berkeley... And I want more. Gold Diggers of 1933 is pure eye candy!

Still reeling from last night, I decided to turn on some movies I have saved on my DVR while working today. TCM selected Ginger Rogers as the Star of the Month for March, 2010 and therefore they have aired lots of her movies. Who knew she made so many movies that don't involve Fred Astaire? In fact the majority of her movies had nothing to do with dancing. She's FUNNY! Really, really funny. So I have loved watching some comedies she played in - like Stage Door and Bachelor Mother. So today I turned on Gold Diggers of 1933 in which she has a small part. I thought I'd have it on as background noise but it was so good I needed to pay attention and it took me about 6 hours to watch this thing! But that's okay because while I was looking for Ginger, I fell in love with so many others! Dick Powell was fabulous. So were Joan Blondell and Guy Kibbee.

Oh, and did I mention it's sexy too? I was definitely not expecting that. Some of the dresses had these super plunging necklines! And there were little touches here and there... and the fabulous use of women's silhouettes!

Pettin' in the Park was my favorite number in this film. In fact, it's definitely one of my top five musical numbers of all time. It starts off with a couple singing and it keeps growing into a series of incredible sequences. When camera would pan back, and it would keep going and going... I literally had my jaw drop open. It's too hard to explain, and just something you need to experience.

My North by Northwest Adventure

2010-03-30T23:31:00.003-05:00

After winning our VIP passes last night, my friend and I headed out to enjoy the evening. The passes not only included entry to the screening of Hitchcock's North by Northwest, but special seating and a meet and greet with Eva Marie Saint and Robert Osborne prior to the show. The Music Box Theatre is in a cute area on Southport that has lots of little restaurants, shops and bars. So my friend and I met up for a light sushi dinner at Sushi Mura. We then went across the street to Blue Bayou where the meet and greet event was being held. It was convenient for me since I live and work in the city, but some of the other winners that we met came from much further away and drove for several hours to get here. A set of sisters who won (twins actually) came from southern Illinois which was about four hours away. And another guy came from Detroit! But we were all excited for the event.

Eva Marie Saint was actually the first person I met as soon as I walked in. There were only about twenty of us so it was real easy for us all to mingle and get to talk to everyone. Eva Maria looks GREAT and is super friendly. In fact, she is down right adorable. Her husband Jeffrey Hayden (a well known director in his own right) was there as well. She gracefully asked our names and wrote us each out an autographed photo. Then she posed with me, with my friend, all three of us, with us and her husband, etc. She posed for as many pictures as we wanted and patiently re-took photos and waited for people to do it with their cameras, their phones, etc. There was also a professional event photographer there so I hope we will eventually get to see the pictures somewhere. We chatted with them for about five minutes before someone else came up and I walked further into the room. It was then I heard Robert Osborne's voice.

Now don't get me wrong, I was very happy to meet Eva Marie Saint, but I was really, really looking forward to meeting Robert Osborne. He's the one I spend all my time with afterall... He's the one who is on my television each week. He's the one who gives me all the extra tidbits about the movies I watch. He's the one who interviews all the movie stars in his own special way that is both interesting and funny. So he's the one that I wanted to make sure to talk to. One of the other gals was gushing over him, telling him how she grew up watching him and how special it was for her to meet him. So I didn't want to interrupt her and was just hanging around by the sidelines. But he saw me and graciously came over and introduced himself. I helped take some pictures of them and then he posed for a few pictures with me as well.

We talked about Chicago a bit. They arrived the previous day and spent that day itself doing some exciting things. He mentioned that he spent a few winters and summers previously in Chicago and we both agreed that we prefer even the coldest winters to how awful the hot summers can be. He told me that he was meeting up with Roger Ebert the next day for some special programming they are preparing for in October. I think various film critics will be picking films. Then my time was up and I moved on to talk to some of the staff. I found out they were having dinner at Graham Elliot after the event. I was so jealous that they were going there for dinner because I really want to check out that place.

Update: Ebert tweeted about it today and here is what he said: "Taping TCM segments with Robert Osborne on "The Lady Eve" and "The Sweet Smell of Success." Two absolutely great movies."

I went back to the front and one of the girls was getting some additional pictures with Eva Marie Saint and she mentioned that she was going to send the picture out over twitter at that moment. It was SO cute how Eva Marie acted... she doesn't know alot about twitter so she was asking really cute questions about it. So we will still in the middle of discussing twitter when the staff gathered all the TCM people together for their own photos and they advised us to go across the street because the screening was going to start soon.

Some people were waiting in line outside the Music Box Theatre for two hours before they opened the doors. Seats at this theater are all general admission so people got there extra early to get a good seat. Us lucky winners however had seats saved for us! They were really great seats too... about 10th row back and right in the center of the theater. When the theater was built, talkies were new so it was built with speakers to support those types of movies, but also a pipe organ to support silent films. An organist was playing these amazing songs and it set the mood perfectly! Then Robert Osborne was announced and of course got a standing ovation. He told us all about the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and it sounds so amazing! I'm glad I got to partake in this event, but I wish I was also able to go out there for that.

While he was talking Eva Marie Saint walked down the isle. But she wasn't announced and it made a commotion. It ended up being funny too because since she mistakenly entered too early she had to walk back to the back of the theater so she could re-enter at the appropriate time. But eventually she got it right and everyone applauded when she took the stage. Robert and she had a Q&A session. He asked her several things about her career and filming North by Northwest. My favorite was when Robert Osborne asked her about her favorite part about making North by Northwest and she replied that it was jumping into bed with Cary Grant! (She's awesome.) "That story is for another time. For twitter" And of course all us twitter winners loved that! Oh, and then she mentioned that Hitchcock making her into a sexy spy lady was really great too. She commented about having to go back and re-record the "I never make love on an empty stomach" line. "Make love" was the original which got replaced by "discuss". She said something like "See how times have changed... thank God!" After a ten minute chat they took some questions from the audience. Nothing was too exciting but one lady was tacky enough to ask Robert Osborne what he needed to do to get her resume to him for a job. Are you kidding?

We were all excited when the movie started. There is something so amazing about seeing this movie on the big screen. Especially when the theater is packed with old movie buffs. Everyone cheered three times: 1) when Eva Marie Saint's name appeared in the beginning credits, 2) when Alfred Hitchcock showed up on film trying to get on a bus, and 3) when Eva Marie Saint first appeared on film. Its was great. But I saw the movie with different eyes or something. I had no idea how FUNNY it was! Of course I saw it before, but I was laughing with a theater full of people at things I missed when I watched at home alone.

Overall, an amazing night. I am so thankful to TCM for hosting an event like this and coming to Chicago. And also that they are playing with social media and twitter! It's truly a night I won't forget. AND it has me wanting to see more films on the big screen so I'll be keeping my eye open for that. I already bought tickets to a silent movie event the theater has coming up soon...

Oh, and if you are interested, you can see additional pictures I took here.

UPDATE: Here's an interview with Eva Marie Saint about this event.

TCM Road to Hollywood Tour @ Music Box Theater (3/30)

2010-03-29T21:36:00.004-05:00

And just to sprinkle a bit of randomness on the week, I won tickets to the screening of North by Northwest at the Music Box Theater. It part of the TCM Road to Hollywood Tour (which is part of their first TCM Classic Film Festival to be held in Hollywood in April.

Not only do I get to see the movie, but I get special VIP pass to meet Eva Marie Saint, who starred in North by Northwest, and Robert Osbourne, the main TCM host. So excited!

Andy Warhol's People Factory

2010-03-27T22:19:00.006-05:00

I am fascinated with Andy Warhol's People Factory that is airing this weekend on Ovation. I saw some "American Masters" on him earlier this year and I feel compelled to keep watching things about him. It's always the same: full of eccentric people acting out at his Silver Factory. But it's also always different and I'm drawn to these people's stories. This one was three hours long but I ate up every minute! I highly recommend it for people interested in art, or specifically the pop art counter-culture.

(video below is supposed to be silent for the first twenty seconds or so...)

Chicago's Billy Elliot

2010-03-25T23:44:00.002-05:00

We saw Billy Elliot tonight at the Oriental Theater for my birthday. I loved it! The music isn't really anything I'd want to listen to over and over, like Chicago or Cabaret, but I'd really loved to story and I've love to see it again. The preview shows are running right now, and the cast does need some more practice, but it has a 10-month run here and I highly recommend it.

The video above isn't the Chicago cast. Our "Billy" was Tommy Bachelor.

Birthday Drinks @ Tilted Kilt

2010-03-24T23:53:00.000-05:00

Went with my co-workers and a few friends for birthday drinks tonight at Tilted Kilt. This place is basically a Hooters with kilts, but it would be a good place to catch a game because there are a ton of TVs and it's close to my office. When we got there we sat at table which for me sucked because I ended up not being able to visit with everyone unless I kept switching seats. But it was still a fun birthday night!

Full set of pictures are posted here.

Alice in Wonderland - IMAX 3D

2010-03-05T13:23:00.003-06:00

Going to see Alice tonight!

The Postmistress

2010-03-03T13:32:00.002-06:00

Just finished The Postmistress. I decided to read this book because Amazon did some promotion where the author of The Help, Kathryn Stockett, recommends this book and the two authors interviewed each other or somthing like that... I loved The Help and this one, taking place during the WWII era, reminded me of another recent favorite, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And I'm happy that I took the chance on this one because I really enjoyed it.

Out of the "three very different women" the book description specifies, I found the story to focus mostly on one woman, Frankie. But maybe that is because she was my favorite. I loved following her around Europe during the years before the US joined WWII. The descriptions this author provides are so amazing it felt like I was right there with her. This book is definitely one I highly recommend to friends.

Parrots Bill Of Rights

2010-02-25T11:32:00.001-06:00

Someone tweeted about this post on a message board...

Parrots Bill Of Rights
by Stewart A. Metz, M.D.

1. GET TO KNOW ABOUT PARROTS BEFORE YOU BRING ME HOME - I am not a domesticated pet like a dog or cat. I still have the spirit of the jungle in me. I have special needs which you may find it hard to fill. Please don't learn these too late for my well-being. And please don't acquire one of my cousins wild from the jungle, it will jeopardize his survival and well-being, and that won't be a party for you either!

2. GIVE ME THE LARGEST HOME POSSIBLE - I am used to flying through rainforests or savannas. I have given up this great gift for your pleasure. At the very least, give me enough room to flap my wings and exercise. And I need toys for my amusement and wood to chew?otherwise, I might confuse your Home with the forest and its trees.

3. GIVE ME A NUTRITIOUS DIET - I need a wide variety of fresh and nutritious foods, even if they take time to prepare. I cannot survive on seeds alone. Take time to learn what my needs and preferences are.

4. LET ME HAVE A 'SOCIAL LIFE' - I am a gregarious flock animal, but I am not one of you. I need lots of socialization to learn how to act with you, and with my siblings. I also need to have adequate quality time with you every day, no matter what your schedule or other needs are. I am a living,feeling creature. Above all, I need to be able to have complete trust in you, and count on your predictability in looking after me, every day.

5. LET ME BE CLEAN - I may like to drop food or even throw it, but I need meticulous cleanliness to be healthy. My skin itches without frequent showers, the barbs of my feathers won't seal if they become oily and, worst of all, I may become ill if my food or water is not always sanitary.

6. I NEED MY OWN DOCTOR You may not understand my physiology and therefore you may not recognize it early on when I get sick. And it may be too late when you do, because I hide my illnesses (remember what I said about my being an animal of the jungle, where there are lots of predators). And I need an avian vet?a specialist (no HMOs for me please). If you can't afford one, perhaps you shouldn't have taken me home.

7. PLEASE DON'T PUNISH ME - Just as I don't always understand your peculiarities, you may not understand mine. I don't TRY to get in trouble, remember, a house is not the jungle. If I do screw up, don't yell at me and never hit me. I have sensitive ears and I may never trust you again if you strike me. Hands are sometimes scary things to us (why in the world would you not be zygodactylous like us?). Even more importantly, we don't learn by punishment. We are gentle creatures who only strike back to protect ourselves; we learn through patience and love.

8. SPEAK MY LANGUAGE - I know you get upset with me when I knock over my water bowl, throw food, scream or pluck my feathers. I don't do these to annoy you?I am probably trying to tell you something ( perhaps that I am hurting, lonely , or sad.). Learn to speak MY (body) language. Remember that I , alone of all creatures on this planet, learn to speak yours!

9. SEE ME AS AN INDIVIDUAL I am a unique and feeling being.. No two of us are alike. Please don't be disappointed in me if I don't talk like you wanted, or can't do the tricks that your friend's parrot can do. But if you pay close attention to me (and I always empathize with you, whether you know it or not), I will show you a unique being who will give you so much more than talking and playing.. Give me a chance to show you who I am; I think you'll find the effort worth it. And remember?I am not an ornament;. I do not enhance ANY living room decor. And I am not a status symbol - if you use me as such, I might nip at your up-turned nose!

10. SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME - Above all, please remember that you are my Special Person. I put all my trust and faith in you.. We parrots are used to being monogamous.(no bar-hopping for us!).So please don't go away for long periods or give me away, that would be a sadness from which I may never recover. If that seems to be asking a lot, remember, you could have learned about my needs before bringing me home. Even having a baby or taking a new job isn't a fair reason, you made a commitment to me FIRST. And if you think that you must leave me because you might die, provide for me forever after you leave. I may live to a ripe old age but I can't provide for myself. Remember I'm in a small cage amongst people who are not of my blood.

11. YOUR RIGHTS - You have lots of rights, but I can only assure one. And that is, if you treat me the way I described above, I will reward you with unwavering love, humor, knowledge, beauty, dedication-- and a sense of wonder and awe you haven't felt since you were a child. When you took me home, you became my Flock Leader, indeed, my entire universe - for life. I would hang the moon and stars for you if I could.

We are one in Heart and Soul.

Lady Gaga @ Rosemont Theater (1/10)

2010-01-11T01:27:00.005-06:00

Lady Gaga is amazing!!! We had a fabulous time at her Monster Ball Tour. She played all the songs we love. We had fun as soon as we walked into the theater because all her little monsters (fans) were dressed up and they were great to watch.

And it was almost like a flash mob at our seats. They were blasting Michael Jackson over the speakers while we were waiting for her and almost everyone jumped up out of there seats and were dancing in the isles. It was really cool.

Her entire show was amazing. She had fabulous costumes and sets and dancers. It really was a SHOW, not a concert. And the crowd had a good range of different types of people. Older thirty-somethings like me, lots of gay guys and tons of young kids.

Setlist
Dance in the Dark
Just Dance
Love Game
Alejandro
Monster
Teeth
Speechless
Poker Face (Acoustic)
The Fame
Money Honey
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
Boys Boys Boys
Poker Face
Paparazzi

Encore
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)
Bad Romance

See all the great pictures from the show here.

New Year's Eve 2010

2010-01-01T02:18:00.003-06:00

Rang in the New Year with Shawna, BJ and several of their friends. Realized we are starting a new decade and had fun making a playlist for the night containing songs from the past ten years.

I'm looking forward to 2010. I have a really good feeling about there year. And I have my mind and getting a few things settled so hopefully it will be a year of good change.

See more pictures here.

The Pixies @ Aragon (11/20)

2009-11-21T20:10:00.004-06:00

Last night we went to see The Pixies at Aragon. It was supposed the be the first night of a two show gig but that added a third show - on Thursday. There were a good mix of people, six of us in total. We met up at Marigold for dinner. We had a bunch of yummy Indian food and were drinking Delirium - which apparently has a super high alcohol content because we were all feeling SUPER good after we walked out of there.

We had perfect timing when we got there, but the place was packed so we were stuck in the back where the vibe wasn't as good. We had fun anyways. The band sounded great! They played the full Doolittle album and then followed up with two encores. "Gigantic" is my favorite Pixies song and I saw it on the setlist for the previous night (first show in Chicago which was booked third) so I was hoping to hear it but they never played it. We got "Nimrod's Son" and "Veloria" instead. Those both rock so that's okay, but still, I would have loved to hear Gigantic.

All pics from The Pixies here.

Setlist
Dancing the Manta Ray
Weird at My School
Bailey's Walk
Manta Ray
Debaser
Tame
Wave of Mutilation
I Bleed
Here Comes Your Man
Dead
Monkey Gone to Heaven
Mr. Grieves
Crackity Jones
La La Love You
No. 13 Baby
There Goes My Gun
Hey
Silver
Gouge Away

Encore
Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)
Into the White

Encore 2
Isla De Encanta
Nimrod's Son
U-Mass
Velouria

Tristen after surgery

2009-10-23T22:44:00.003-05:00

I visited Tristen today. He seems alot better... he perks his ears up and is alert to sounds. But he still can't walk, is on IVs and has a cafeter. Maybe it's the pain meds that make him seem a bit better. He's still not eating or drinking but hopefully I can bring him home tomorrow. He might just be nervous being there all alone. I'll go visit tomorrow and if they say I can take him I'll learn all I have to do to take care of him.

Tristen's Ruptured Disc

2009-10-22T21:29:00.003-05:00

What crazy past 24 hours... came home from work last night and poor Tristen couldn't walk. I was up with him all night because he was crying in pain every time he re-positioned himself. I had to carry him from one place to another and he couldn't even use the bathroom. Ends up that he has a ruptured disc and it was so severe it caused paralysis. This article gives a pretty good description of what happened to him.

First thing this morning I took him to the vet and spent $400 there for them to tell me he probably needs surgery and that I should take him up to Veterinary Specialty. Well, they did more than that - they emptied his bladder and gave him some pain meds, took x-rays and did blood work too. So up to Buffalo Grove we went. It was pouring rain and people were driving like idiots and he was in a lot of pain sitting uncomfortably in the front seat.

I felt better once we got there because I know how good they are. He needed an MRI ($1000 plus vet analysis of another $600 or so) and they pretty much knew from their experience that he'd need surgery. I waited up there until all day waiting for them to squeeze him in as an emergency MRI but it ends up that they had to put him under to do the MRI so that needed to be coordinated with the availability of the surgeon so if we decided to go ahead with surgery they could just continue on with that while he is still under the anesthesia. We did decide to go ahead with the surgery and the entire day cost me about $6000... so far. He has a hospital stay for a while before I can take him home and I'll get the final bill then.

No vacations for mama next year! But it's okay because he was fine one night and then the next night I had to decide if I wanted to let him die of pain or go in debt. It is a very shocking choice and of course I didn't really have to think too hard of which one to do. But I can't believe how expensive it all is - what do people do who can't afford it, don't have credit and can't borrow? Just watch their pets die? I can't imagine how dreadful that would be.

Anyways, surgery is successful. The next few months will be a big challenge for me because he will still be immobile while he heals and I'll have to carry him around, feed him, even "extract" his bladder and who knows what else. I've never taken care of a person or pet really that immobile before so it is going to be really tough. But that's what we do for our babies!

PS - an interesting story of what another pet owner went through with this same thing here.

Shadia's Baby Shower

2009-10-17T23:09:00.005-05:00

Today was Shadia's baby shower. I still can't believe that she's preggers and going to be a mama in a few more weeks! The shower was at Sip and Erin, Yasemin and Shadia put it all together. It was the perfect place for us to hang out together. Erin brought some awesome coffee from Colorado and put it in plastic bottles as favors. That and tea bags. They put baby pictures of Shadia and Jeremy as tags on them too. It was super cute. And one of the neatest things they did was buy a bunch of white onesies, bibs and hats and they put them out on the table with markers and asked the guests to draw on them. I made a funky onesie with a purple monkey and a bunch of my scrapbooking swirly doodles.

More pictures from the shower are here.

Dick's Birthday

2009-10-09T23:05:00.003-05:00

Tonight we went to the Chicago Firehouse Restaurant to celebrate Dick's birthday. They say it's a steakhouse. It's build in an old firehouse and even has the pole they slide down next to the bar. There are awesome old lights and an old tile floor too. This is a really neat place to bring people who visit from out of town.