Archive for March, 2007
Flyin’ and Singin’ in Pairs, OH MY!
Jonathan will be coming to visit again on Easter weekend. 14 Days, 4 Hours, 47 Minutes according to my countdown Google gadget. We’ve got a lot of plans made so far, so I may as well relay some of them. He’s flying in Friday afternoon, getting in just when I get off of work. Since All Tile is so close to O’Hare, I can pick him up right from work and take him to his hotel. We’re planning on picking up Steak ‘n Shake for dinner, since he’s never had it before. Saturday, we’re going to wake up relatively early and head downtown. We’ll tour the city, since he’s never been there, and then head over to Blue Man Group for the 4pm show. Afterwards, we’ll pick up Lou Malnati’s and have a pizza and Arbor Mist night with Renee, and then head over to karaoke with Michelle & Jake at the Neighborhood Inn. So, as you can see, our Saturday is pretty booked. Sunday, we’ll be going to my family’s Easter party, which looks to be dinner at some sort of restaurant, but we have no idea what time. I took off from work on Monday, and we have plans to go to Claim Jumper for lunch/late dinner before his flight leaves. Also, Lexi and Scott will be in town that weekend, so we might try to see them.
Karaoke should be fun again. Last time he came to visit, we went with Michelle, Nicole and Renee. I sang my song (“All that Jazz” from Chicago, a real crowd pleaser), and Jonathan did a very spirited rendition of “Baby Got Back” (a very good crowd pleaser… so good in fact, he had a few guys come hit on him afterwards). The place was pretty crowded, so we didn’t get many more songs in. I went up with Michelle, Nicole and Renee to sing a song, but I don’t think we stayed much longer than that.
For whatever reason, Jonathan wanted to buy me stuff. He bought me three Karaoke Revolution games, an idea he came up with on his own. It’s funny, because I’d had two Karaoke Revolution games on my Amazon Wish List for something like two years and had recently taken them off of the list, assuming I’d never get them because they were out of print (at least the versions I was looking at). He got me the Country version and the American Idol version (complete with two microphones) when he saw me a few weeks ago, and he has ordered the Party version, which I’ll probably get the next time I see him. Renee really likes playing these games, which is great, because the two player modes are a lot of fun – particularly the “Sing Off,” where you both sing a song at the same time and try to out sing the other person. You can adjust for different skill levels, too: Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert.
I’ll be going to Maryland April 20 through the 22nd. I’ll be going to O’Hare straight from work and coming home late on Sunday. So far, we’ve got plans to have dinner with his friends on Saturday night. After this visit, we’ll likely go to the wonderful Hamilton House Bed and Breakfast. I went there in probably late summer 2003, and the rooms are just as beautiful as the pictures let on. I’ve wanted to go back for a while, but it is on the expensive side.
Feeling: Very, Very Glad it’s Friday
Listening to: My iPod at Work! Woo! The Ataris – San Dimas High School Football Sucks
March 22, 2007
Kicking Boxes and Taking Names
One thing I forgot to mention in my major update post is kickboxing. I’ve been going to kickboxing twice a week since July 27, 2006. It’s not sparring or anything crazy, but it is taught at a karate school by a third degree black belt, JR Hutson and occasionally his wife, RC Hutson (pictured at right). It’s a very upbeat class, and JR in particular is very motivational. We do a lot of punching and kicking, but there’s also a cardiovascular component and even some basic strength and core training.
I started going to kickboxing because Renee wanted me to come. Renee started kickboxing because JR owns the restaurant she works for, Pilot Pete’s, and he recommended it to her. Now, Michelle comes as well. The classes are at National Karate in South Elgin (yes, there are closer National Karate schools that teach kickboxing, but the instructors aren’t as good) on Tuesday & Thursday nights. There’s also a Saturday morning class if you’re insane enough to want to punch things at 8am.
Feeling: Sore from yesterday’s kickboxing :-/
Listening to: Carrie Underwood (yes, again) – Starts with Goodbye
1 comment March 14, 2007
Major Update #4
[Boyfriend]
To the surprise of many, Alan and I broke up after nearly five years. As with many relationships that end after such a long time, it was ugly and painful. After a week, I started eating again. After a month, I made significant progress on self-discovery. After a month and a half, I found myself in a relationship with Jonathan.
Jonathan has been very supportive throughout this whole ordeal, and he honestly wants what is best for me. I could babble on about how wonderful he has been, but instead I’ll just sum it up. He’s the most sensitive and thoughtful guy I’ve ever met, and every day I find some other hobby/preference/bizarre quirk that we have in common.
So um, there is a catch. He lives in Maryland.
After talking to him for about 2-3 hours a day on the phone for over a month, he came to visit me this past weekend. We had a wonderful time going to karaoke, two fantastic dinners (plus some great lunches and a tasty breakfast), watching movies and playing the Karaoke Revolution games he bought me. We’re still planning where/when our next visit will be, but I imagine it will be finalized in the next couple of days.
[WoW]
I’ve significantly reduced the amount of time that I play WoW. Since it was an activity that I primarily participated in to have more in common with Alan, I am trying to determine whether I actually enjoyed it or not, and if so, what did I like doing. Do I like raiding? Do I like leveling? It seems that more than anything, I like playing with friends. If nobody is around to play with, it just isn’t that enjoyable for me. Oddly enough, WoW is where I met Jonathan.
[Betta Fish]
Chris (aka Fishy #3) is doing well. He is still one of the most active fish I’ve had, which is surprising considering that he came from a Walmart. Every once in a while, though, he seems to get really jealous that I spend more time staring at the computer than him.
[Car]
My Eclipse is running well, in spite of many projections that it would be kaput by now. I have the thought in the back of my head that I will need to replace it eventually, but I’m not actively seeking a car or even actively researching a car.
[Job]
I’m still working at All Tile. I recently went on my third Vegas trip for the Surfaces 2007 convention. The trip itself was fantastic, considering we were having our typical Chicago winter and Vegas was having its typical February spring. It’s always refreshing to go from seeing snow everywhere to seeing palm trees and sun. Our Sell-A-Bration show went very well. Since the show, however, we’ve been pretty busy playing catch up with all of the important things that were put off to make sure the show went off without a hitch. I still don’t think that we’re fully caught up.
Feeling: Tired. I’m still not caught up on sleep from the weekend.
Listening to: Carrie Underwood (yes, country, sadly) – Before He Cheats
March 13, 2007
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