And the award for...

best email from a coworker, goes to: *******

"All,

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I need a haircut. I hate getting haircuts and usually wait until I can pass for the Yeti to get one. Or, when someone says something. So, I implore one of you to confront me saying, “*******, unless you’re auditioning to play Björn Ulvaeus in an ABBA tribute band, you need a haircut.” I may lash out and become agitated but it’s what needs to be done. Thanks."

Leisure and...

Where to even start?

I had such a lovely weekend and stellar birthday. Exactly what I had hoped for. Not too planned, but enough activity to make a boy feel like an old man.

Friday started with a bang, literally, as I dropped my cell phone and it snapped in half. Yes, completely in half and as I stared at the ground looking at its broken self, the only thing I could think to do was take a picture... so I pulled out my camera, opened it up, and realized it too, was broken. Yes, both Robin and I came away from the beach last week with sandy/broken cameras. So, Friday seemed a little less than stellar, but I decided to do my best embrace my unreachability and let the wind take me where it would. Two galleries, some Mediterranean food, a party. It was good beginning to my weekend.

Saturday was on the low key side. Laying out in the sun, picking up around the house, and putting the finishing touches on Taylor's going away present. The party that evening was a blast, but at the same time very sad. It feels especially odd that this friend is moving because she has been here since the beginning of my time in Chicago. When Jarrett and I first moved here, she was the first person we really hung out with and we really explored our first days in the city together so it seems to signify something that she is leaving... I mean, a lot of people have moved since I've been here, but this is the first long term mainstay.















Sunday, I got up and packed a backpack that would prepare me for most any situation. I headed off to sing at church and then let the day take me away. It was an odd day as the weather seemed to sporadically change from beautiful to ominous, but I embraced it and walked for quite a few miles ending up with friends and strangers along the way. At one point I was at a house party with some strangers who told me they were going to vote for McCain to spite the way the democratic party treated Hillary and I nearly lost my birthday bliss. Then I scurried home to get gussied up for my fancy dinner with the ladies. We enjoyed one of the better meals I have had in a long time at the Green Zebra.











After the Zebra, I headed home... only to be coerced into heading out dancing until the wee hours. I told myself that if you don't do these things on your birthday, when will you do them?

It was really quite a wonderful day.

And this week? I expect it to be more of the same.
Remember my committment to leisure and the Benjamins this summer? Well, I'm doing a good job on the leisure part, but I need to kick it up with the Benjamins. Maybe next week I'll get working on that...

Before and After

This is a preview of what I imagine my birthday will or should look like.

and this is a preview of what I will look like after I turn 27.



I think this sums it up.

Have a happy weekend.

Quick thoughts.

I saw another fantastic movie on Tuesday evening. The Last Word is the story of a guy who writes epitaphs for persons who are going to commit suicide. It is dark, but has some points of humor and Winona Ryder really blew me away. I thought she was great and it is unfortunate that all I could think of most the time was the surveillance video of her shoplifting. I know, I know. It is an addiction.

Yesterday I was on the bus and I noticed this woman was in front of me reading a text book, so because I am nosy I was trying to figure out what it was. Then I noticed that it had two pictures of Britney spears on the page and I was wondering if she was reading US weekly inside a textbook, but no it was actually a text book that had used Britney as an example. I think it was some sort of developmental psychology thing because it said that Britney getting married and having a baby was a sign of her "growing up" to the public eye. Umm. Someone needs to send that textbook back to the manufacturer, stat.

My mother left a message on my phone yesterday. She and my father are on vacation and we have been playing phone tag because I can't seem to catch them when they are not either eating or lounging, so the message said "Daviiiiiinnnn. It's mother. (she always says this with the exact same inflection) We have been playing phone tag, but I thought maybe I could catch you. Well I will try again later. Oohh. Don't forget what is happening in a few days. I think it might be someone's birthday. I love you. Bye." Ha! I love that she is reminding me of my birthday in case I might forget? I have to figure out a way to save my parents phone messages because they are really priceless. My Dad's always say "Davin, it is you Dad. Everything in general. Nothing in particular."

Today really feels like summer. It is hot and muggy and I got off my bike at work in quite a sweat. I stopped by Starbucks to grab an iced coffee and while waiting I overheard the barista say to this "woman" "Do you want me to just remake it?" and she said "Oh, could you? I said tall VENTAY when I meant to say iced VENTAY." He obliged, but I wanted to take her aside and say actually you meant to say Venti pronounced VENTEE.

I think recounting that story makes me an annoying snob.

I will stop there.

Here, Robin and I enjoy our bubble teas.





and these are crabs.

Bart Got a Room

So, the Mardi Gras party was pretty nice.
There were beads and masks and cajun dishes. Crawfish even. Unfortunately, I could only indulge in the corn bread and I didn't win any of the raffles... so I just collected beads (not that way) and watched the many many people who I "work" with.
It is interesting to work for such a large institution.
So many people make this engine run, yet I know so few?
I suppose if I would have taken off my shirt for the beads I might have gotten to know a few more?
















So then after this party, I headed over to the Music Box Theatre (a long and lovely walk) to see the GenArt screening of Bart Got a Room. It was a really nice little stylized feel good movie about a quirky family in south Florida. I really enjoyed it. It was light and funny and it was entertaining to hear the director and actors (just some) speak after the movie. Once it gets picked up by a distribution company, I recommend seeing it in theatres. After the screening, there was an after party at the Ravenswood Billboard Factory, which was also a really nice time. It seems that summer is leading me to a lot of gatherings and parties. I wish I could remember that during winter and do a better job of taking advantage of the time at home.







This is a week of celebration for me, I guess.

I'm headed to a pre-birthday, birthday lunch.
Oh man, literally just as I was typing this my boss walked in the door with a lawn chair.
It is for me.
Ha!
It comes with plastic wine glasses.
It is my birthday present.
Wowwww.
This life I live...

A Single Bid

I ain't gonna lie, I thought my Friday at the beach was going to be a total bust given the fact that I awoke in the morning to the sound of pouring rain and a sky as grey as night, but! in the end, when all was said and done it was a successful day.

After a morning of talk show love and few too many cups of coffee, Robin agreed to meet me up by Argyle street for some afternoon shopping around little Vietnam. I haven't done this very extensively before and I have to say I was shocked by all the fun stores that are along there. We drank bubble teas and played with live crabs that people take out of boxes and eat. Yowzah are they fierce. Then, when the skies cleared for a bit we made our way over to the beach to soak up a bit of sun, but I'm afraid by the time we slathered sunscreen over our underexposed skin the sun had disappeared so we just spent the remainder of the time in the shade yelling and throwing sand at over zealous seagulls.

The remainder of the weekend was mostly spent outside, lounging, enjoying the sun. A street fair, and a cookout by the lake. A night at the Dunlay's with friends in the midst of people yelling at the TV about the Cubs and the Sox.

I had one bit of a shocker on Friday. Well, not a shocker, a long time coming... so long that it didn't seem it would come, but there has been a firm bid on my parents house and it seems as though it will be sold soon. This is the best thing that could happen to them as the house has been sitting on the market for two years (maybe more?) with not a single bid, and given the state of the Michigan economy it is great that someone is interested in buying. It is just going to be a very strange transition. I think in the back of my head I've always thought I could end up back there if I needed to. I probably never would nor will, but it's the idea that my childhood home would just be there if I needed it and now it wont be. There will be a new home and certainly space for me in it, but it's more about the idea I guess. It is a really intense feeling. I just hope to get home often this summer to take advantage of these last days.

More on this later.

Today I will leave work a bit early to go to a staff party with a New Orleans theme. What do you bet they are handing out Mardi Gras beads?

Then off to the GenArt film festival.

I think week will be a good one.

Productivity, especially.

I have been working especially hard today at work.




Yea, summer is terrible. I hate not having students around.