41° 47' N 87° 45' W

Yay! My place is completely painted and it only took the crew two days instead of the estimated four. The experience overall was really great. I'm glad I went with a company that was high end and professional, after they were gone there wasn't even an ounce of dust from sanding. I'm loving the color choices as well.

While the painters were here I was around a lot of the time since I work from home. At one point I had my music playing on my laptop while I stood in the kitchen (no where else to sit) and my iTunes playlist was on. iTunes started going through my collection of Shakira's "old stuff," pre-crossover to English. I'm a big ole' fan of Spanish music but I also realize that I look about as Latino as a red-headed Irishman. The painters, on the other hand, were Mexican.

I didn't want to turn my music off, I LIKE my Piez Descalzos album, but I was starting to feel like the painters might assume it was a strategic move on my part. Like "Look! The music of YOUR people!" So I turned it down each time they were in the area because I felt like a kid trying to show off to the older boys by pretending to drink alcohol or something.

This past weekend I went to NYC to visit lauren and had a nice time just relaxing and spending good quality friend-time together. And, of course, eating at S'mac which I do every time I visit. S'mac serves a billion different varieties of gourmet macaroni and cheese and I'm seriously considering stealing the idea and opening one of my own in Chicago. I probably wouldn't let anyone in the door though, I'd just sit in the restaurant and eat all the macaroni myself.

I love Chicago so hard. I think it's a good sign when you return from a trip and feel so ecstatic to be back. Not because you didn't have a good time, not because you didn't enjoy where you were, but because you're exactly where you want to be. It's like coming home to a lover after having been away from them for a few days. Actually, I sort of hate the word "lover," it sounds creepy but for this example you get it. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting lauren in New York (her city lover) and got excited to be back in the arms of Chicago, my city lover. Wait.. is that sad? My lover is a city. Oh well, I am happy in my relationship with Chicago.


M.db