King for a Day!

I am so grateful today is Friday!  I am pooped out.  I had an eventful week and I’m glad it’s almost over.  I am also proud of myself.  I managed to get some things done for my upcoming trip.  It’s nerve wrecking everytime I have to fly out.

Last weekend Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby was going on.  And I didn’t do a thing.  I was not in the mood to deal with overly drunk people.  I skipped out on the day parties and enjoyed my usual Saturday routine.  I cleaned up my apartment, did some French lessons, and read a chapter on a book I’m trying to finish up.  I also had the chance to lay out on my balcony.  I missed being under the sun.

Sunday I had a birthday party to attend to.  My friend’s son was turning one, and she threw a big soiree for him!  He was calm throughout the party despite being around so many people.  We were impressed!  It was nice to see my friends together.  It’s getting harder and harder to catch up with one another.  I had a good time until someone let the yorkies out.  My allergies started right away and I left shortly after.

With all of us moving in different directions and dealing with personal struggles of our own, I think the importance of being kind to one another is more important than ever.  I’m stressed out as well and my anxiety is not helping the situation.  The countdown has begun…

Happy hour and Housemusic

Now that the weather warmed up a bit in Chicago, people took the opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves.  I got a chance to see my friends on tax day Tuesday for happy hour at Union Sushi.  My friend will also be in Europe the same time I will be but traveling in different locations.  It was nice comparing notes.  I am reminded how fortunate I am to go once again.  We ended up at Concrete Cowboy to check it out before we all jumped in our Ubers.

Inside Concrete Cowboy 

That Friday I found out that one of my favorite djs had passed away.  I was quickly saddened and decided to play his music all weekend at home.  Avicii brought a different element to edm that was recognized throughout the dance scene.  I was going through my breakup when he was at the top of the charts.  His music helped me cope with the sadness I was dealing with.  To hear that he is gone too soon shook me.

A few days later the media announced that his family implied he might have taken his life.  NOW THIS HURTS.  I had watched his documentary Avicii True Stories at home earlier, and to hear this news brought a new perspective on what was going on in his life.  He was exhausted about his work schedule, but his management team would not lay off the grueling tours he had been committed to appear in.  Eventually he took some time off to recoup, but reports suggest his management team were continually pestering him about returning to work.  

It made me think a lot about what success means to people.  For some, it’s having a lot of money.  With that in mind, it gives off the notion that you would be free to do whatever you want to because money would be there to provide for you.  But is that true?  Avicii employed a crew for his tours and business.  He was the talent of course, and without him involved, how would the business survive?  There is speculation that Avicii never liked the spotlight, and had anxiety whenever he performed live.  He just wanted to make music behind the scenes.  

I have my struggles too, on “Meaning, Life, Happiness”.  I sometimes look back on my life and see the mistakes and wrong turns I’ve made.  They lead me to a different path that was not what I expected.  I can’t help but feel responsible about the outcome, but I try not to beat myself up too much about it.  

For Avicii, I pray that he didn’t suffer much on his final hours here.  I can’t help but wonder if people would have left him alone this all could have been avoided.

RIP Avicii 

Friday the 13th weekend

Hello everyone!  I AM NOW SUPER EXCITED!!!  The countdown to my next adventure begins today!  T-minus 16 days until I board another plane (ok nerves are slowly creeping in) to head back to Italy.  I’ve been in contact with my friend more frequently to brainstorm some ideas, but other than that, I think we got enough information on what’s ahead.  I have yet to talk to the girl I will be meeting up with in Rome but she was busy this past weekend.  No worries.  In the meantime I have to buy another carry-on luggage for this trip.  The wheels on my suitcase have practically disintegrated.  So much for cobblestone roads!

Back to recapping my events.  The following weekend was Friday the 13^th, and although I try not to step out on bad luck days, a friend asked to meet him up for a cocktail at Latinicityafter work.  I’ve been curious to see what he’s been up to and how his new restaurant is coming along.  He will be opening up another location soon and I wanted to hear the details.  He was super helpful loaning out his area when we threw that baby shower a while back.  Luckily he was doing well and we got a chance to catch up.

Happy Hour at Latinicity 

The next day my little brother had tickets for a comedy show out in Schaumburg.  My older brother and step brother were coming as well.  It was going to be a family affair.  My older brother ended up inviting his girlfriend along and purchased a ticket for her to join us.  We decided on having dinner first at Westwood Tavern before heading to the show.  It was nice to see everyone.

Unfortunately my younger brother forgot to send the email to rsvp and they were not going to honor the tickets.  We had to pay for them at the door.  So much for trying to have a freebie night out!  My older brother and his girlfriend decided to skip the show and we bought out the ticket he had purchased for her.  Now our group dwindled down to 3, but we had a great time anyways.  I would definitely recommend trying to catch a comedy show once in a while.  It dawned on all of us that we probably haven’t laughed like that in ages.  Sometimes the routine of work and home gets the best of us. 

I’ve had this long denim jacket for 14 years!  I’m glad it still fits.

Made You Look

I’m still trying to play catch up.  For the most part, I’ve been laying low for a bit.  I DID get sick from that weekend I went to the 90s Block Party concert.  I woke up with a sore throat, but didn’t want to miss the show.  The following day, my throat hurt even more.  I went to service for Easter, but came home and nursed myself with hot soup and tea.  Luckily it went away for a few days.  

Nothing eventful happened the first week of April.  I really wanted to stay in the following weekend so I could deep clean the apartment.  With me being away, and then getting sick, my place was in need of a wipe down.  I missed my place.

That Sunday I wanted to see if I could visit the exhibit in Wicker Park of 1979.  MCA museum was promoting the artist Howardena Pindell through this experimental pop up.  I went to church and rushed home to have a quick brunch.  I didn’t want to get there too late since I had dinner plans with my family.  I rushed out of there only to trip and fall on my face.  Literally.  I ended up chipping my front tooth.  It looks horrible!!!  Despite hurting my pride more than anything, I was extra cautious the rest of the day.  I knew in my heart that this could have been much worse, yet I couldn’t help but slow down my stride.  That’s what I get for rushing out of the house, I thought to myself.

I made it to the show but it was a small exhibit.  I did get a free graphic T-shirt which made my day.  I got a chance to spend the rest of the afternoon window shopping in Wicker before I headed back home.  It killed some time before I met up with my dad’s family again for dinner.

This time, dinner with Dad was more sad than usual.  We were celebrating the birthday of a relative, but she looked pretty miserable.  I almost felt the family received some bad news.  Regardless, we all sung happy birthday to her.  Hopefully that made her feel a little better…

In hindsight, that weekend taught me to slow down and not to get worked over my appearance too much.  I have an appointment (finally) next week to see my dentist.  Most people don’t see my chipped tooth right away, but if there’s something my dentist can do, I’m open to hearing some options.  Until next time.  

Chicago 90s Block Party

I jumped into work once I got back from my trip.  Despite seeing my Dad and his family on Saturday, my mom wanted me to come by on Sunday.  I got a chance to give her the souvenirs I picked up for her.  She loved my gifts.

Work came and went but I was already pooped out from not resting much.  I wanted to do laundry but my friend reminded me that she got tickets for us for Chicago 90s block party at Wintrust.  I’ve never been to that venue.

I woke up with a sore throat, but I knew I didn’t want to blow off my friend.  I quickly came home and changed into my Aaliyah t-shirt.  This was the perfect place to wear it!  Lol

I took the blue line down to Jackson and jumped in a cab right away.  Both of us were running late.  I felt bad because I didn’t want to miss any of the show.  Luckily I got there before the line to get inside was long.  It seemed that my friend was running super behind so I went to get a glass of wine at the bar.

My friend bought tickets right smack in the middle on ground level.  I made it to my seat and waited for her to come.  Faith Evans was off the hook!  She looked beautiful.

Up next was SWV.  It was amazing seeing them after so many years.  They were huge when I was in school!  My friend finally showed up and we danced the night away.  112 and Jagged Edge blew us away, and Teddy Riley sang all of his hits afterwards.

They finished the concert with Guy.  The crowd would not stay in their seats.  It was a night of non-stop dancing.  I decided to hang out with my friend at her place and told her the details of my trip.  I needed this girl time.

Birthday Bash for Pop

I’m still recapping events in March.  I can’t believe I’m going to be traveling again in a few weeks.  In the meantime, to keep myself busy (and not spend money on nonsense) I’ve started some weekend projects in my apartment.  The sun is finally shining here in Chicago, and I’ve been in a cleaning frenzy ever since.  It’s amazing how much dust is around when you do not have good lighting at hand.  For now, I’ve decided to tackle my cube bookshelf little by little.  I have so many papers, magazines and catalogs I need to clear out.  It’s ridiculous, but I’m excited to see how much neater my shelf will look.

Once I returned from Paris, the following day I had a dinner to go to for my dad.  We were celebrating his birthday at Tequila CJ Grill restaurant on Archer Ave.  It happened to land on the weekend for March Madness.  My brother asked if I could accompany him earlier so he could watch the game nearby at a bar.  I was fine with it, but as luck would have it, our dinner was pushed back an hour later.  Oh well. 

Me and my brother decided to go to the restaurant once the game was finished and hangout at the bar until everyone arrives.  We were not aware of how packed the restaurant could get!  The line to get inside was out the door!  It was cold outside too, so me and my brother waited in the car until the rest of the family showed up.  I couldn’t believe it, but our 7pm dinner was now reaching to 9pm and my dad and his wife was nowhere in sight.  They finally showed up when the restaurant was clearing up and we all grabbed a table by the stage.  There was a live performance that night.

My dad recently suffered an accident at work and was currently not working at the time.  I’m glad we had the chance to celebrate his birthday outside of the house.  I hope he enjoyed himself.  He’s hard to read sometimes.

Paris jour deux!

I finally made plans with one of my friends in Paris.  She suggested I check out early out of my hotel and stay with her later on.  She wanted to meet after 8pm.  I told her I will message her once I get back from sightseeing.  Today on the agenda was the Montmartre neighborhood  to visit the Sacre Coeur.
AGAIN another hour and a half commute to this area.  What I found interesting this time is that I had to ride the bus to another train station altogether.  This bus stop was at a bus terminal which multiple buses passed through.  My bus ride took me on an expressway!  It’s amazing being able to view the Eiffel Tower along the horizon.  Once I got off, I went downstairs to catch my train on the metro.  I had to ride that line for 18 stops and then exit the station altogether.  Then I had to walk a couple of blocks before jumping on another line on the metro to head to Montmartre.  I was lost.  This part was frustrating for me because I felt I was not close enough to the area.  I contemplated on jumping on a cab to head towards Sacre Coeur but the Uber ride estimated this to be around 18 euros.  I figured a regular cab would have been over 20 euros and decided to save my money for later on when I would see my friend.  After a frustrating 30 minutes of walking in circles, I walked into Printemps department store to use the WiFi.  I had a migraine and decided to have a latte so I could calm down.  After carefully examining Google maps, I walked out and found the metro line I had to take.  5 stops later I exited  and saw a carousal.  I made it!!  What a relief!

I found the “wall of love” and joined the other tourists snapping away with pictures.  I immediately knew the neighborhood had a distinctive feel and started going in and out of boutique shops and specialty stores.  Once I found some stairs, I knew I had to hike upwards in order to get to the Sacre Coeur.  Luckily I was heading in the right direction and found it in time to join the line forming.  There were a ton of students around but I managed to walk in within a 10 minute wait.  I was completely blown away by the huge mosaic mural inside on the ceiling.  There was Jesus, extending his arms out!  I was moved.

I stayed and prayed for about an hour before I decided to venture out again.  This time when I exited, the line was wrapped around.  I did some souvenir shopping for a bit.  Unfortunately, it was nearing 7 pm and I knew I had to leave.  I had to meet up with my friend and in order to see her at 8pm, I had to leave now.  Another hour and a half later I made it back to my hotel and started packing my bag. 

I let my friend know I was running behind schedule and checked out of the hotel.  This time, I had to take the bus again, just like my first night here, and go back to the same metro line I used when I came in from the airport.  18 stops later I made it to the metro and rode that line for a while before transferring onto another line.  I grew upset when I noticed I was heading towards the wrong direction.  I had to jump off and make my way to the other side of the platform.  I was frustrated because this train was taking longer than usual.  It was now nearing 9:30pm.  I was running behind BIG TIME.

My train finally came.  I felt so bad rushing.  Once off the metro I had to jump on a tram for 5 more rides.  I noticed the familiar McDonalds and ran inside to connect to the wifi.  I called my friend to let her know I was near.  She seemed fine when I met her at her place.  I quickly got ready for our night out.

We took the metro and got off at Opera.  We made our way to Harry’s New York bar for some cocktails.  It was nice catching up with her.

Me and my friend went next door to a piano bar.  This place was crazy!  Everyone was dancing and singing along.  We stayed the rest of the night here because we didn’t want to leave.    

I probably slept for an hour and a half.  I was nervous about my flight again.  I decided to play it safe and leave earlier than anticipated.  I figured I’ll knock out on my flight home.  I rode the tram, jumped on the metro and headed towards the airport.

Luckily everything went smoothly on my way back home.  What a trip!  I had some bumps on the road but overall I loved seeing my friends in Italy and Paris.  I also got a chance to experience some new places.  I’m a lucky girl…