Ay Ay Picante

I’m semi-feeling better.  I’m worried because I finished taking my antibiotics but I still have a cough.  It’s not as bad as it was but still.  Regardless, I had another fight with my mom.  I’m getting concerned about this.  Normally it takes A LOT for me to get angry, but ever since she put the house up for sale, we’ve had 3 big arguments.  I feel guilty for yelling at her sometimes, but she’s so stubborn and to make matters worse, she does not want to hear what you have to say if you do not agree with her.  What kind of disagreement is that?  You have to hear both sides but she insists on hearing her own and then she does not want to continue talking to me.  I hate that she doesn’t stick up and fight.  She leaves and like I’ve said before, we’ve had bad fights where we would not talk to each other for years.

What was the argument about?  She wants to agree to a low offer on the house so she could finally get rid of it.  I, on the other hand, think it’s been on the market for barely 4 weeks and she should hold out for a better offer.  I mean, summer hasn’t even started!  Oh boy!

This past Sunday for Mother’s Day we had a good time at Ay Ay Picante.  I wanted to pick a restaurant in our neighborhood so we all decided on that one.  It’s been around for a while and I was hoping because it’s tucked away, it wouldn’t be so busy.  Yeah right.  We waited close to 2 hours for our food.  I completely understand considering the occasion, and unlike the night before, they brought out our appetizers out early in the evening.  Everything was delish! 

During our wait, me and my brothers were goofing around.  It’s rare that all 3 of us manage to get together.  Eventually they brought out our main dish and we ate like kings!  My mom loved it and my brothers completely devoured their plates.  It was worth the wait!

Now here we are, back at square one arguing.  I’m getting tired of this.  Until next time.

My mom and my little brother.

Me and my older brother goofing off.

My brother's steak.

My salmon and shrimp skewers.

90 Miles Cafe

I got my meds from the doctor Thursday night, but my first official day on them was Friday.  I had them send it to my pharmcist near my job.  It’s the one where I usually get my meds from, so I figured it wasn’t a big deal to wait on one more night without them.  But that Friday I ended up leaving early from work.  I had too many sleepless nights that week and I was plain tired of being sick.

The following day Saturday, I had a birthday party to go to in Lincolnwood.  It was for my friend’s mom.  She had turned 60 years old!  What a milestone!  They chose to celebrate it at 90 Miles Café.  Another plus?  They were going to have a live band as well!

My friend and her boyfriend came to pick me up.  We quickly went to grab some flowers and balloons for our friend's mom.  Of course, once we got there, our other friends had not arrived.  Luckily the host showed us to our table.  Other family members were seated along with the birthday girl.  We were greeting everyone when the rest of the party showed up.  Like I said, I’m glad the restaurant had showed us to the back room where we had reserved our tables.  It’s hard to coordinate this stuff with such a big party.

It was nice catching up to everyone, although my voice was still hoarse from my cough.  I noticed that the place got slammed and that’s when our waiter notified us that the restaurant was running behind on all orders.  Yikes!  It was the night before Mother’s Day, so maybe they were not expecting to be so busy.  Regardless, we chatted away.

The samba dancers came out and were very friendly to the customers.  They even let us pose with them for pictures.  I was impressed how they got the crowd going.  Everybody loved them and the band was exceptional.

We were getting to the hangry stage when the food finally arrived.  Nonetheless, we were drinking by then so we got over it pretty quickly.  Lol. 

Sicko de Mayo

That Monday when I went to the Violet Hourfor cocktails, Chicago was experiencing some beautiful weather.  Eventually it dipped back into the 50s as the week progressed.  I kept it low key for the rest of the week because the weather was just plain awful.  The rain came and didn’t stop for days.  I suspected that’s when I started to feel blah.  I could feel something was happening, but I really thought through tea and chicken soup I could defeat this.  I was wrong.  By Sunday I knew I felt off, but  figured it was just allergies.  

The following week was the first week of May.  My friend invited me to go with her to the Kentucky Derby, but I declined.  I was coughing too much and knew sitting in a 4-5 hour car ride was not going to happen.  I had a routine checkup with a doctor coming up and thought to myself, I’ll ride this out and wait then to have it checked out. 

Well I survived the weekend.  It sucked not being able to join in the festivities of cinco de Mayo or the Derby.  On Sunday I was having cabin fever so I took a walk to a café and tried to brush up on my Italian.  I don’t know how people could study in there.  I grew frustrated after an hour and a half and went home.  But at least I left the house.

I went to my scheduled appointment this past Monday and was praying she would be able to prescribe me something for my cold.  I told her I’ve tried everything, from zyrtec to cough syrup, advil for my migraines and more chicken soup.  Nothing seemed to work.  That’s when she told me, “It’s because it’s not your sinuses.  It is your asthma.  It has nothing to do with your nose.  It’s your chest and something is making it act up.”  Unfortunately, she could not prescribe me something because it’s not her specialty.  UGH!!

Tomorrow I have an appointment with my internal doctor.  I have not seen her in years, because I have not been sick.  Yeah I’ve caught a cold here and there, and rode them out for the most part.  I’m getting worried because I don’t want to have problems with my asthma.  It’s scary not being able to breathe.  But waking up coughing and not getting enough sleep throughout the week has got me exhausted. 

Meanwhile, my mom has had a ton of people come by and see the house.  So far she’s had two offers, but they did not pan out.  I’m hopeful once the weather cooperates, more people will be house hunting. 

I miss my healthy life.  Two weeks being sick has left me irritable.  Until next time.

The Violet Hour

I’m still sick as a dog.  More details to come once I figure out myself what is going on with me.  All I can say is I’m so over this.

After my Guy Gerber no show on Friday, a friend of mine invited me over her place for some wine and light bites.  I have not caught up with her since her wedding back in November.  She went on her honeymoon and then that was it.  Around March is when she announced her pregnancy on social media.  I’m ecstatic for her.  This is what she’s always wanted and it’s all falling into place. 

She had another friend over and we all started chatting away.  Another friend came by later on and we stayed up talking past 1am!  It was a different scenario for me because it involved a different set of girls.  I loved it because I needed to hear another perspective on things; on life.  So many changes in my inner circle has had me bummed out for some time.  I’ve been feeling out of place for a while.

I wish things would stay the same but they wouldn’t be called growing pains if they did.  The next day was church and I went out for brunch with my friend and her family.  I wish my family were like hers.  They know how to have a good time.

The following Monday turned out to be a really nice day.  I told myself I wanted to visit a friend of mine who was messaging me when I was out in Amsterdam.  He travels a lot too, so I wanted to talk to him about my trip.  I would tease him that I wished he would be more descriptive when it came to his trips.  I’m a Gemini and we’re super curious about everything!!  Unfortunately, he’s a Scorpio and they’re super secretive about everything.  Lol.  Regardless, it was nice being out.  I went to the Violet Hour in Wicker Park and was surprised at how busy it was inside.  I’m guessing the weather had a lot to do with it.  We Chicagoans jump at the chance when it’s a nice day out.

I had their Go Fast Boat cocktail

Guy Gerber No Show

Despite my unfortunate incident the night before, I woke up troubled in the morning.  It was Friday and I had bought a ticket to see a dj perform that night.  I was pretty excited about this weeks ago when I first bought it.  Now I felt terrible and I knew I had to push my feelings aside.  I didn’t want this to ruin my evening.  I went to work and came home to rest up.  I slowly got ready and did my usual routine of calling up my mom before she went to bed.  I invited a friend to see if she would be interested but no response.  Looks like I’m going solo!

The temperature dropped down to the 40s in Chicago after a 60 degree week.  I decided not to wear a coat since I was going to uber it there.  I wasn’t too worried about it, but was surprised when the uber driver showed up with his dog sitting in front.  At first I thought I got into the wrong car.  He apologized right away and asked if this would be a problem.  I told him I’m allergic to dogs, but he again apologized that his dog wasn’t feeling too well.  He didn’t want to leave her alone at home since he was monitoring her.  She might need surgery, but for now she was on antibiotics.  I felt bad.  I could tell he loves his dog very much.  He put down the front windows for me and we talked about her situation.  It hit home hard since I knew how my mom loves her dog (even though he drives me crazy).  A pet is a member of the family who brings so much joy to the people they love.  I told him I would pray for his dog that night.  I hope she’ll be ok. 

Once I got to Spybar I noticed how dead it was inside.  I figured it was a late night spot and it would get better later on.  I waited and waited and still nothing happened.  They had two djs spinning and they were ok.  As the night went on, the crowd got bigger and bigger but still no Guy Gerber.  I was enjoying myself nonetheless.  I haven’t been out in months and I miss dance music so much.  It’s the only other place besides church where everybody is in harmony.  Eventually a girl started talking to me and then mentioned how Guy Gerber was not coming.  “What??”  I shrieked.  “Yeah, he couldn’t get in the country.  Visa issues.”  Oh my goodness.

I was frustrated, but what could I do?  I was out already, I might as well enjoy the most of my evening.  I stayed out as late as I could.  Then I grew tired and went home.  Sure enough I checked on Facebook to see if there was some sort of announcement about him being a no-show, and there it was.  I blame myself for not checking since these things do happen from time to time.  Until next time Guy Gerber.  You are still on my dj bucket list.

All black 

Spanish Square for Tapas

The day after Easter my mom invited me and my brothers to come by for ham.  I felt bad because I told her I had plans that Easter Sunday to go to the Baby Sprinkle.  I guess she really wanted to do something with us.  I need to be more aware of her needs.  She gets lonely and it’s hard trying to fit some time with her especially when the weather has been all over the place.  So far this spring, Chicago has had its nice days followed by 4-5 days of consecutive rain and showers.  I feel bad for those who are suffering with flood problems.  This rain won’t give.

That same week one of our friends was visiting from California.  She set aside to catch up on Thursday since she was also working while she was here.  Me and my friends all came together to see her.  Unfortunately, the bar that she wanted to meet up at didn’t have a working kitchen due to construction.  We decided to go to Spanish Square across the street for some tapas.

We didn’t realize we walked into their weekly wine tasting event that takes place every Thursday.  Of course me and my friends loved that!  We had a ball that night.

I ended the evening on a high note, but what happened afterwards had me troubled for a bit.  Looking back this past month was a bit difficult for me.  I’m usually optimistic but with so much tension all around, I’m hoping things will start looking up soon.  I’ve been under the weather and it’s wearing me down.  I’m looking forward to taking it easy this weekend.

Baby Sprinkle

Still trying to catch up on April events.  I’ve been sick for almost a week now.  After a while it starts getting to you.  I don’t know what I have.  Cold, sinus infection, allergies, wheezing, fever, migraines.  It goes on and on.  Not to mention, I’ve been having trouble sleeping because of it.  I have a checkup coming up on Monday and if I’m still sick I’ll ask her to prescribe me something.  I thought I could ride it out but it’s starting to interfere with my life too much.  I’ve become irritable because of it.

Last night I yelled at my mom pretty bad.  I’m ashamed of it but she had me so frustrated.  I just don’t get her sometimes.  I cannot figure out what she’s thinking because she changes her mind too often.  Do you know anyone like this in your life?  How do you handle this person?  For me, it’s hard because I do not know what this person is thinking or where they are coming from.  I am not a mind reader and for me to guess what someone is thinking is very hard.  How would I know what your perception is?  Why should I figure out the clues?  Wouldn’t it be easier if you tell me what you are feeling?

The thing is, I never really know what my mom is feeling.  I think she goes with whatever the majority rules, and I’ve never been that way (or I try not to be).  I want to look after her best interests but with these mind games, I’m afraid I won’t know how to help her. 

The following day after the Davis Theater was Palm Sunday.  I went to church that afternoon and found out one of my friends went on a cruise for Spring Break.  Nice!  I’m curious about vacationing on a boat.  Who knows?

Later that day me and my other friend decided to meet up for margaritas.  We called up our other friend and headed to Skokie to Uncle Julios.  This was one of the nicest days we had in Chicago and we wanted to sit outside.  It was fun catching up with my friends on juicy gossip.  

The Easter Bunny showed up for Palm Sunday.

The following weekend I helped out a friend by keeping him company while he was going through some stuff at his storage unit.  It was another hot day in Chicago, but I needed his expert advice on how to handle my mom with the house situation.  I was still pretty unsure if we should put it on the market or not. After listening to my friend’s advice, I had no choice but to sit this out.  The pros and cons go on forever.

The next day was Easter Sunday and I went to mass in the afternoon.  I then had to go to a Baby Sprinkle for my friend who is going to have her 2^nd child.  A “sprinkle” is a smaller baby shower since nowadays it is more common to have just one shower for a family.  It was nice seeing friends come together with their little ones.  Kids love having fun with other children.

Two friends stopped by later after the party and we headed to Café con Leche for some afternoon cocktails.  It gets harder and harder for all of us to get together.  That is why I jump at the chance to see them when the opportunity arrives.  I just want everyone to be happy, no matter where the road takes us.   

I wore a maxi dress to the baby shower on Easter.

Just hanging with my peeps 

I got to hold my friend's 2 month old son!  He was loving the Paris themed mural!

The House is up For Sale!

I finished up the month of March on my last entry.  As we are now in the month of May I’m aware I’m behind in my posts.  I finally finished reading my  book on Vagabonding, and in the meantime have kept busy practicing my Italian.

April was an interesting month.  It turned out to be a difficult time for me, with friction between friends as well as misunderstandings that created confusion.  I have not felt more out of place in years and feel very responsible for what is going on.  I’m a Gemini and we are the masters of communication!  I thought I was pretty good at making myself clear but now there’s so much uncertainty.  I do not know where I fit it.

Earlier in the month my friend wanted to get a group together for happy hour.  The weather was nice for a change and I was curious about the place they had chosen for drinks.  Ocean’s Cut is located on Kinzie street, and with a quick uber ride from my work, I was there in no time flat!  This particular day fell on a Tuesday, which was their weekly giveaway drawing on a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes!  Needless to say, there were more women present that evening, but the drawing itself was a big hit.  Women love shoes and I think this is a wonderful giveaway to generate business.  It was a fun evening with cocktails and stories.  I also got a chance to give my friend her souvenir gift from my trip. 

That upcoming weekend, my mom had me come over to sign some papers.  She had finally decided to sell the house.  I was surprised she did this, but now it is apparent we have to do something.  She wants a new change and feels this is the best decision for her.  I have to support her no matter what.  The realtor explained how the process will work in order to put the house up for sale and we all decided on the date to do it.  Until the meantime, my mom has to do some finishing touches before the photographer comes by to take pictures.  Everything has to look good by then so they can post it online.

Since it was a tough two hours, once the realtor left, I wanted to treat my mom to the movies to see “Beauty and the Beast”.  She was very excited and we went to the newly renovated Davis Theater in Lincoln Square.  I picked a late afternoon show so we could have dinner afterwards.  I noticed a new restaurant nearby and told my mom we were going to eat there.  It was called Art Tango and she loved her dish.  I just wanted her to get her mind off things before she headed back home.  I know she has her work cut out for her before the listing is posted.  So many changes in such little time.   

Allerton Hotel

The following Thursday I went out for an event at the Allerton Hotel on Michigan Avenue.  It was nice seeing my friends for a bit.  They were introducing other hotels in the company throughout the country and were giving away raffles for a free stay.  Unfortunately I did not win but it was a fun time anyways.  The grand prize was a 5 night stay in Paris!  Oh well.  Better luck next time…

I stayed in that upcoming weekend.  I went over my mom’s on Saturday to drop off the postcards I got for her on my trip.  Luckily my uncle was over too and we all had dinner.  It was nice sharing my experiences with them.  My mom loved the gifts.