Survived parental visit

I took the parental unit to the Shedd Aquarium, the Lincoln Park Zoo, I bought them ($340) tickets to see Dirty Dancing at the Cadillac Theatre and we ate in some fabulous restaurants!

Other than that, not much new to report. Finished unpacking to the point where I would allow people into our apt. And I registered with a temp agency. Just waiting to be placed in some fabulous J.O.B.

Here's some Halloween pictures. I was Paris Hilton's new BFF and Razz was the Brown Knight from the movie "Murder Party."

Walter the Model

Did a professional photo shoot with Walter Pants!

Paris Hilton's new BFF

Happy Halloween!

Pictured here is Chamonix. He's part of my "Paris Hilton's BFF" costume. Did you hear that there is actually a reality show to find Paris a new BFF? Ridiculous!

Cabbing it home from a Halloween party last weekend.

 
So, the dreaded winter in Chicago has arrived. The last two days I could see my breath. 

Other than that, I finally am re-treating my infamous bad back by seeing a chiropractor 3 times this week and now it hurts worse, awesome. And still unpacking...

dead rats, broken into car, life in the city

• Moved into new 2 bedroom place. Found dead rat in ceiling. Still unpacking...

• Job - still looking. Am still nannying right now for these guys. Gabe on the left, Nate on the right.

• Traded in minivan for 1994 Jeep Wrangler. Got screwed at the dealership - broken brake light, key doesn't work in driver's door...

Then...the Jeep got broken into right in front of my house. Broken window, yet didn't steal anything. 

just an update

In my quest for a job, I now have a nanny gig, in which I babysit for two boys, Gabe, who is 10 and Nate, who is 12 and has Down Syndrome. I nanny for them every Monday and Tuesday afternoon/evening and every other weekend for $20/an hour.

They are great kids, but the Down Syndrome part definity complicates things with their rigid schedule (and comes with many crazy stories). They live in this fabulous 3-story mansion townhome and their mother is really cool. Not only did she start her own jewerly company like me (and just stopped this year, as I), but she founded two nonprofits - one for domestic violence victims in a hospital and one in Chicago to integrate children with Down Syndrome into the regular school system. Her personal shopper also stocks her kitchen with fabulous goodies :)

I am also kind of doing freelance design and writing work for that famo celeb photographer Marc Hauser (www.marchauserphoto.com) and just beginning to do some freelance writing work for Jim Finkl. Love the name Finkl. His father is some billionaire that owned steel companies or something and he runs a tons of different companies.

On of his ventures is starting a new televion network with rapper Master P, called BBTV (Better Black Television) to complete with BET, so write now I am writing bios for his partners and he wants me to write his biography which will be combined in a book with Master P's biography. So, we'll see if that happens...

If you didn't read the last post, Razz and I found an apartment for Oct. 1 that has two bedrooms - one of which will be an office for me and it has a mini (and when I say mini, I mean mini) "backyard" for Walter. I can't wait to move so I can unpack all my crap.

I also put my mini-van up for sale, in hopes of then buying a very old and cheaper Jeep Wrangler so I can use some of the money to pay off my moving and Chicago shopping debt.

So, that's life in the big city. Got another parking ticket and am not quite still learning my way around.

Fun with "sick" Walter

Besides Walter eating poop (don't worry it's fake), the poor little guy has a skin rash all over his body. I took him to the vet and found out that he is allergic to Chicago. The vet said that he has environmental allergies...but he is still having a great time in the big city as you can see from the photos.

In other news, we got an apartment for October 1!!! Two bedrooms with a W/D and a MINI backyard for W!!! Yeah!

working with famous photographer

Ever heard of photographer Marc Hauser? He's photographed these guys and Jim Morisson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bill Gates...he was working full-time for Playboy at age 15 and has photographed for Vogue, Rolling Stone Magazine...

Well, now I am doing graphic design for him. Got hooked up through a neighbor. His prints are worth $5,000 and I already have one signed one and hopefully will be paid for my design work. I am next on his list for a new personl assistant and hopefully this little job will lead to bigger and better things...

This is him.

Other than that, looking for an apartment and still looking for a job, and hanging out on the boat-

wedding, piercing, car repair, unemployment blues and I got the BOOT

Went to a fancy wedding last weekend with the BF and his close friends Brooke and Halpan.
Brooke and I were smitten by the lobby of this hotel, so we had to strike a pose.

But this fake pose below was just to show the one dress on earth that gives me cleavage! I bought the dress the day before the wedding for $10, but it actually turned out to be $125 because I got the BOOT on my rental car because apparently I parked in the wrong spot and was not allowed to shop across the street.

The boys.

Yes, I said I have a rental car. It's a 2009 Dodge Avenger that I have until tomorrow when my car is done being fixed. That gigantic dent in the side of my car is being fixed my my friends at Progressive. (It randomly appeared after I walked out of City Market one day. Weird.)

No jobs yets. And I finally sunk to the level of applying at 2 restauarants today. But guess what? They aren't hiring either! Plus that would not be good for my feet :(

Oh, and I got my belly button repierced because I lost my original piercing of 13 years during a Steamboat Dance Showcase rehearsal. I will post a picture of it soon, but it is actually a surface piercing with an opal that just covers up the scar left behind from the other one. It's super cool.

In other news, I finallly applied for 3 jobs at Columbia College which I would love to work out so I can go back to art school on the side!!!

And I applied for a Domestic Violence Advocate at the Children's Advocacy Center that primarily helps children who are victims of sexual abuse.

Bonding and Pondering

Walter and Razz

So, I went to my interview for the vet tech pose-ish last night and was interviewed by 2 veternarians. It went well and they told me they would let me know in 2 weeks after they finish the rest of their interviews.

...5 minutes after I left the animal hospital, I got a five minute long message from the vet about how they they were very impressed with me and definitely want me to be part of the team and didn't want to wait to tell me!

Now the problem is, the job starts at $9. They said they could offer me $10 and the more I learn, the quicker I will make more money. Plus it's quite a long drive to get there. So, now what do I do??? I have 3 days to give them an answer.

On one hand I have been offered a job where I get to help and work with animals (huge plus) and get free vet services for Walter...but I would be making nothing and wouldn't even get health insurance until I've been there for 3 months...

And no one else has called me yet for an interview from all of my resumes out there...

Any comments or suggestions?

Hi. I've got my first interview tonight at the Midwest Bird & Exotic Animal Hospital for a vet tech position. Sounds good, just worried that the pay won't be much because vet techs don't make much...but it's a start and finally someone responded to one of my billion applications!

And last weekend we took the boat out to see the Air Show with Razz's boss, his son, another co-worker and his daughter. Here's some pics.

The excited Captain!

The wavy city.

Cute

Amos Lee

Got to see Amos Lee for free at this sweet venue in Chicago Monday night. Can't you tell from this fabulous photograph?

Chicago West Fest, still unemployed...

There was a street party on our street this weekend with vendors and bands and stuff. Fun. Got to dance to some real DJs on the pavement, 2 minutes from my apartment.

This is Halpan and Razz preparing our illegal beverages in our apartment.

This is Brooke. Mike "Halpan's" wife. Preparing with an energy bev.

"Sorry for partying," as Razz would say.

But more importantly, I'm still desperately on the job hunt. I've applied at the The Chicago Science and Industry Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, the Peggy Notebeart Nature Museum, Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance, Emergency Exotic Vet Clinic...I even applied for 3 jobs with Miss Oprah to appease my mother :)

But no calls or interviews yet :( This is my biggest source of stress. So, back at the supermarket on the internet, continuing the damn job search...errr.

Still Jobless, yet Boat Friendly

Last Saturday I attended my first Chicago Scene Boat People. Everyone ties their boats together and inflates things and parties hard. These pictures of are the par-tay and our Razz's awesome friends. Oh, and lots of T & A.

Operation Relocation a rough sucess!

Hi. Made it to Chicago after losing my car at DIA. It was parked in 4E West, not 4E East. Learn from my mistake!

Got a late start on Monday because of my lack of packing and had to pull a 14 hour driving day on Tuesday with Razz getting one speeding ticket, I got one warning for following too close, and we only lost one UHaul side mirrow. Not bad.

My new street.

The apt. building.

My new Sex and the City steps. Who wants to quit smoking went you have city steps that take you to your apartment?

(random neighbors pictured here form my Memorial Day Weekend trip)

So, motivation has been tough because it is so cold in Razz's apt. It took me 'til this morning to figure out that the cold air coming out of the vents is..air conditioning. WTF is that? And apparently we have no control over that.

Other than that, the people here seem really nice, except when they get in their cars. Chicago has taken road rage to a whole new level that scares this little ski town girl. Need to trade in mini-van for mini-cooper stat. Parking's a bitch.

In other news, my BF is a bad ass kickball player (watched his game on Wednesday night where he caught many fly balls and made a home run!) He has also been phenomenol with this moving operation. I definitely got me a good one.

And I hate to stereotype, but I'm using the wi-fi at the local supermarket/Starbucks combo and I've already withnessed 2 African Americans chillin here, eating fried chicken. Come on, I want the diversity I deserve!

And Prince Walter is doing well. It takes about 10 blocks of walking before he finds some grass patch worthy of his colon. This is not good for my right foot, which I decided to injure again Wednesday some more and am in a world of pain.

But back to Walter. He's a total dude magnet in the ci-ty. And he has evolved his bedside manor into this subtle "don't worry about me, I will take over the entire bed within the next hour and you will like it."

K, I gotta get on this job searching thing and stop procrastinating.

Miss you all more that you know you lucky ducks. "If you are lucky enough to live in Steamboat, you are lucky enough.!"

leaving steamboat on July 28

Hil, 

This post is for you because you are the only one who knows about this blog! 

See ya tomorrow and Steamboat...

sigh, I love ya!

surg

I am currently in post-operative hell/I mean healing. I had the oh so glamorous bunion surgery last Thursday and yes, it is as painful as everyone says. They had to shave off bone on either side of my foot and then break the toe bone, take a piece out of it, realign it and stick a pin in it.

So, if I'm not returning your phone calls or something, don't be mad. I try to sleep as much as  possible so I feel less paining than in the waking hours :) 

And in 6 weeks, I am doing the other foot!

Feel sympathy.

PS - the picture is of my friend Kate and I who were both having the same surgery the same day by the same doctor. Cool.

31 degree water. YaHoo! 

Ski Mountain Closing Day 2008

Best day of the year. Party at Gate D!