Happy Holi-Daze

Since this morning, I've been back in town from T-giving break. I decided to avoid the dark and rainy weather Sunday night and brave the dark and rainy inclement weather in the morning instead. Yeah, I traded one for the other. I left around 5am this morning and got to Chicago around 9:30 with enough time to stop by home for a minute and actually make it to work on time by 10. Somehow I even managed to stay awake and not get the shakes despite the fact I hardly slept the night before. I feel myself getting sick again. I don't know why I keep getting sick. My throat has been killing me since Sunday morning. It's really cold out and I think winter is officially here. I guess I should start dressing like it's winter instead of fall and taking my vitamins. Time Out's offices overlook Grant Park and the lake. I remember when I started back in August, you could look out and see all the boats in the harbor. But slowly, the leaves on the tree have fallen off and now when I look out the trees are barren, the boats are gone, and everything looks sorta bleak. Seasons change.

Tonight after work I had to stop by a store and carry a box of toys for an event we're doing tomorrow night a few blocks down the street. This sucked. Toys are surprisingly heavy. Tomorrow night is My Open Bar's big drambuie event. I think we have acquired enough RSVPs and I know like our previous events, it's going to be chaotic. I'm not sure why they decided to have it on a Tuesday night, but oh well. I don't think I've ever had drambuie. What if I don't like it? I have to work part of the event which is never really fun, but oh well. I think a bunch of my friends should be in attendance, so that's cool. I feel like I have so much to catch up on right down. It's the little things like laundry and then bigger things like articles due this week. One of the perks of the impending holiday season is there's always a lot going on. I really want to be busy for the remainder of the year to sorta forget it is indeed the end of the year again and to forget it's Christmas and that I have to buy presents and be in the "spirit." I know there are some Christmas parties in the works for a couple of publications I write for. I'm going to Aimee Mann's Christmas show which will be cool. There are other concerts I want to go to but I'm still waiting to see if I can get on the list. I'm also waiting for some friends school to be done within the next week or two so I can finally hang out with them without them having to forgo drinking or having to stay in and study. Ah, the waiting game. I just want things to be in full-force, already. Busy, but like I said, in a good, productive and fun way. I have no idea what to do for New Year's this year. I was talking to a friend and we were both in agreement how we wanted to do something as long as it was better than the past few years. New Year's isn't a big deal to me at all and you always have expectations about it being the best night of the year, but it never is. There are a couple of concerts I want to go on that night to but I can't decide if I want to go to a show or just get the hell out of town. I will decide this later on. I can't begin to wrap my head around it now.

So, my T-giving was good--nothing eventful. My brother and his family came down and it was nice to see them although as always, it was a brief visit for them. I wish they could've stayed longer. I will see them again around Christmastime. It was sorta nice to be lazy and not do much for four days. I slept a lot, watched movies, ate, shopped, and that's about it. I began to feel very isolated, though. I felt so cut off from my life in Chicago which was good and bad. Sometimes you just have to cut yourself off for a few days and destress. I finally saw the new Coen brothers film which I liked but didn't love. Maybe I need to watch it again or maybe it's just not my kind of movie. I rented I Shot Andy Warhol and liked it a lot. I think I may have a fascination with Warhol and the NY art scene in the 60s. Lily Taylor is badass in it, then again, she's always brilliant. Before T-giving, I went to a screening of Margot at the Wedding. At first I didn't like it much, but the more I think about it, the more I do like it. Its entire theme is you can't escape your family so in a way, it made a lot of sense.

I have also decided to start dieting and/or eating better. I realize I don't eat much and what I do eat is absolutely carb heavy food. It's not like I need to lose a lot of weight, it's just I want to be skinny and not feel bloated all the time. I know if I want to be in better shape I should quit drinking, but seriously, that's not gonna happen. I rather give up food than booze. I know it's stupid to even attempt to try and eat healthy during the holidays, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Well, I better try to go back to sleep or I'll be up all night and then eventually I will get the shakes.