Out of touch

Well, as if I didn't need another reminder of how out of touch I am with the people who mean the most to me. It's insane how much happens before our eyes. Just because there is a plan on my end. Or I'm checking facebook and myspace doesn't mean the people on the other side really feel you there.

After college I wasn't sure how to be friends with people whose lives seemed father beyond mine. Everyone was moving in different directions and I was unsure of my place in their lives. And so I became distant and focused on the ones geographically close, since that was easiest. Eventhough, at times, I felt like the people who I don't see everyday probably new me better than others. And now I'm in Chicago-and I'm even farther removed. It's no one's fault but my own. But it's a slippery slope on how to fix it. And now I have friends who have kids, spouses and divorces, and I'm not really sure when this all happened...I know I went to couple weddings, but it seems an almost habit to answer my email and find a new notice of a new baby. It's crazy. I prided myself on not taking things or people for granted. And I don't-In my head I'm grateful and aware, but in reality-I'm kind of an empty plate at the table. Hmph....

Where's the bathroom?

Oops I mean restroom-we don't say bathroom here. At certain stores this is the most commonly asked question. At Vernon Hills or Lincolnshire, I got asked that question more than anything else. At Old Orchard, not once. I didn't notice when I got asked it all the time, but I went a whole day without having to think about some stranger's bladder. It was kind of a nice change. Odd, I know, that this would even have a bearing on my day-but really it's insane how people can't read signs-or go before they leave home!

Old Orchard is quite a store. Looks all small and unassuming from the outside and then you walk in and realize that it's the size of a football field and then some. It's quite impressive though.

My last day at VH I got asked about what angels I knew of by a customer. At first i thought we were still talking about books, but he corrected me and wanted to know what angels I knew. It was the first time I was stumped. I later thought of funny answers like: "Los" , or Nicholas Cage, or any other famous person who or sports team who played an angel. And so finally I said-i don't know what angels really exist. And he seemed offended. HE was like-you've never heard of Gabriel or blah blah blah. And I said-well yeah-I was raised Catholic-but I don't know what ones are actually out there-I'm sure there are-but quite honestly, I don't think they're all have names I'm gonna know. He didn't really like that-and I'm sitting here thinkin-I just came to work today! Why do I always get the weird ones? He left in a bit of a huff-maybe because I wasn't salivating at the thought of angels-but I just wanted to help the person behind him so I could go to lunch-I mean geesh! And if that was one of God's messengers (which i'm sure he thinks he was) well sorry God-but you might want to pick someone a little more socially ept to deliver your word. I mean-if Jesus was Jesus he had to be able to rally a crowd and speak in a way that made them believe.

I'm off to finish my Stephanie Meyer book Eclipse-for the 2nd time. I have now read all three books in the Twilight series-and am obsessed. Read them so quickly that I am rereading them. And will now crawl under a rock until August 2nd, whn the fourth book comes out, and when i will, Stephanie Meyer willing, read that Edward makes Bella a vampire and they live happily ever after! Cause if they're not together forever they both better be dead!!! Those are the only 2 options I'm willing to consider-and quite frankly, the latter is only because I'd rather they both be dead than Bella with Jacob. Yes I'm obsessed, but this is how I pass the time and escape this sometimes too stressful world.

And so it begins...

I had this great idea when I moved to Chicago. I was going to keep a journal of my first year-all the mishaps, failures, successes, funny mistakes that first timers make, etc. I wanted to document my first year, truly on my own. In a few years I'd look back and realize what I had overcome and how I'd grown, blah blah blah, remember the first time I drove the wrong way down a one way street, etc. Well, that didn't quite happen. And I'm okay with that. And now that I have to have a google account to comment on Matt's blog, I thought, here is another chance to remind myself, and anyone else who comes across it, what's happened. Plus I work in retail-there are always annoying, funny, frustrating stories about employees and customers. Working in the retail world had reinforced Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage." He was right-it is. We're mearly players trying to get by and make someone smile while we do. And so it begins-my almost first year in Chicago. Girl from the suburbs meets big city and hopefully doesn't end up homeless.