BLVD

My big trip is tomorrow and the nerves are kicking in!  Not to mention, it’s been storming a lot here in Chicago.  Yikes.  My anxiety comes and goes, but I think the fact that I finished up a book about Jesus over the weekend has helped me out a lot.  Think about it.  Anxiety stems from “fear of the unknown” but I’ve learned through reading self-help books and practicing my faith that I have to believe in it as well.  It’s all about trusting yourself that you will be fine.

Easier said than done of course.  Especially when you can counter up endless questions of “what ifs” in your head.  I managed to clean up my apartment and do laundry all weekend and started to pack my luggage.  Our softball game was cancelled due to rain last week.  Softball season officially started the week prior but we lost terribly.  Since our game got rained out, my co-workers decided to walk over to our bar and enjoy the night off.  I decided at the last minute to head out.  I figured I could purchase my new luggage down the street in order for me to pack.  This suitcase is a bit SMALLER than my last one so it will definitely be challenging to get everything inside.  Today I laid out my toiletries on my bathroom counter while I got ready for work.  This has helped me in the past by actually going through my morning ritual and setting everything aside.  Hopefully today I’ll get my belongings IN MY LUGGAGE to finalize my packing, but we’ll see.

Back to recapping my week!  After Sunday’sbirthday party, the week was filled with appointments and obligations.  Tuesday I finally had my dentist appointment.  It was brief but we opted to file my front tooth a bit to smooth out the ridge.  It doesn’t look TOO BAD but I now have one front tooth longer than the other one.  UGH!!

Later that day I made plans to catch up with a friend at BLVD restaurant.  We lucked out with the weather.  It was gorgeous that day.  I had never been to BLVD before, but this place was super fancy!!  I felt underdressed when I walked in.  A gorgeous crystal chandelier draped over the restaurant.  There were no windows to peak out of.  It was very dark inside which made it feel much later than it actually was.  It was a little after 6pm when we walked in, but to me, I thought it was nearing11pm!  Lol.  

Despite the intimidating ambiance, we had a good time.  I love discovering new spots.  My friend really loved the place, but that’s more his style.  He felt the darkness was cozy and intimate.  For me, I haven’t been out in a while, and it was nice catching up over cocktails.  It got my mind off my trip. 

Rooftop Action!

Hope everyone had a great Memorial Weekend!!  I've been M.I.A posting because I've been a little busy.  Plus, it's summertime in the city so you know how that goes.  Time to have some fun in the sun!  lol.  Let's recap:
After my weekend with my friend's holy communion for her daughter and the twins'  Hello Kitty birthday party, softball season officially started.  We finally had no rain!  We made our way out to Grant Park for our first game.  We lost, but by 2 runs.  It was a good time to see how well we played with one another now that there's some new faces.  We will resume playing next week for the rest of the month with a couple of double headers to make up for the two games that got cancelled out.  Can't wait to play ball!
The following weekend I stayed in and did some spring cleaning.  My friend from Italy was making her way to Chicago, so I wanted to run some errands before she got in.  I missed her so much!  We made plans to meet up on Monday after she spent time with some family.  I had no idea we were going to experience a mini heat wave that was coming for us right after!  My friend asked me why didn't I warn her about the heat but I had no idea.  That's the problem with Chicago weather.  Summer hits you out of no where. 
We met up in downtown late afternoon and decided to hit up some roof top bars before the rush hour sets in.  We figured we could get a head start.  The last time my friend was in Chicago was two years ago and a lot has changed since then.  Rooftops were not a thing for us back in the day.  With more opening this summer, it's definitely an added bonus for people to enjoy the outdoors.  We made our way to Loews hotel but unfortunately, the rooftop was set to open Memorial Weekend.  We missed it by a few days.  Oh well.  A worker there suggested we hit up the Sky Terrace at the Ivy boutique hotel by Streeterville.  We made our way up to the 16th floor and checked it out.  We had paid for two hours of parking at a meter, so we wanted to squeeze out as many places as we could before we met up with a friend for dinner.

Catching some rays at the Sky Terrace...

Our next stop was Cerise at the Virgin Hotel.  We walked all the way over there by the river walk and settled in there for a bit.  At that time, a rush of people walked in since it was close to 5pm.  It was nice catching up with my friend.  So much has happened since I last saw her in Italy last summer.  We obviously lost track of time and had to run out of there to get the car.
By now we were hungry and found our friends on State Street once they got off of work.  We decided to eat at Bar Takito in West Loop for dinner for a change of scenery.  It is patio season after all.  Our friends are getting married and it was interesting to hear how the wedding was coming along.  They are going to be super busy since it's a few months away.  Me and my friend finished up and headed back north to my place.

I ordered a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon at Cerise on top of the Virgin Hotel...

Bar Takito's coconut shrimp and octopus ceviche...

 

Fish tacos!!

Pork belly tacos...

Bar Takito is located in the West Loop off  the Morgan stop on the Green Line...

Good times with the lucky couple!!  I wish them well on their upcoming wedding nuptials...

We freshened up and decided to head out since I requested the following day off.  I wanted to spend more time with my friend.  We headed towards Logan to Masada.  They had a rooftop as well.  It was a beautiful night and we had so much fun.  I miss her right now.  I hope to see her again soon...



Masada's rooftop is so pretty!!!

Throwback Thursday to my BIRTHDAY!!!

One of the things that bother me about my birthday (besides getting older) is the fact that it falls in June.  Although I DO love the summer, it is a gentle reminder that half the year has gone by.  Up to this point in 2015, my mom was taking care of her sick husband, who eventually passes away, resulting in her depression.  Yeah, so far I wasn't enjoying this year.  I was trying my hardest to get out of this funk.  My mom went into therapy with the suggestion of her doctor, but soon quit after a few weeks.  I wasn't expecting her to quit so soon.  I really wanted her to talk to someone about her emotions, mostly because I was feeling depressed myself.  I couldn't help her feel better.  I was failing.  I was not good at this.
It was a tough situation to be in because I saw no way out.  All I could do was try to visit my mom once a week, as well as call her every night to make sure she's ok.  I felt my brothers weren't doing enough to help me deal with her.  I felt I was taking it all in more than them, and it was making me upset.  I needed some time for myself. 
I joined my Firm's softball team.  I needed to do something to keep my mind busy and not have to worry so much.  They've been asking me for years to join, mostly because they need players badly.  I'm terrible when it comes to sports, but I agreed to do it. 
I learned a lot about sportsmanship.  I also learned I should have been doing this a long time ago.  When you're in a team, you NEED TO WORK TOGETHER, and a lot of people have a hard time doing this.  They don't "play nice".  I loved our pep talks before each game, as well as our talks afterwards recapping the plays.  We supported one another, and it's something I needed at the time.
I am doing the best that I can, given the situation at hand.  I tried my hardest not to let my teammates down.  And if we lose, we got another shot at it next time.  Plain and simple.  It reflected what I was feeling with my mom, and it made me feel better.  Not to mention, swinging a bat whenever you are mad at the world DID was pretty therapeutic.  There's no doubt about that. 
So once my birthday came knocking on my door, my friends wanted to do something special for me.  I just wanted to hangout with them and catch up, but they insisted on taking me out to dinner.  We went to Sunda and had sushi and then afterwards, went all over the place.  lol.  We stopped by Hubbard Inn, then finished off at Room 7 for some non-stop dancing.  I loved my birthday!  I forgot all my troubles and just focused on me for one night.  It was perfect.  I don't think my friends understand how much it meant to me.  Especially now with our busy schedules, it's getting harder and harder for us to get together.  The one thing that does matter is that we check up on one another from time to time.  If you wonder how someone's doing, give them a call or a friendly text!  You never know if they need a little pick me up.   

Wearing my birthday-gift-to-myself

Good times at Sunda!

Hubbard Inn for some champagne!

The next day we headed down to the Taste of Randolph fest!

Goofing around while waiting for the rain to stop...

Found a birthday party to crash ...

Another birthday wish...

LOVED my flowers and balloon!