I'm back.

After more than four months that seemed to fly by, I'm back to the blog. I've had intentions of posting again for a long time, but never found the time or the motivation. A lot has happened since the last post! Here's a quick summary.

I began and ended work at Red Lobster downtown. The job itself was not enjoyable for lots of reasons, but those agonizing 2-3 weeks weren't completely useless. I met Brian, who I became friends with. More importantly, I met Will! Will is a really great guy, and we have a lot in common.

After Red Lobster, I started work at a Persian restaurant called Pars Cove. It's less than two blocks from my house, and the people there are really great. The downside is the money. I haven't been able to make ends meet without help, lately, which is why I'm in the process of finding a new job.

Tomorrow I have a trial-day as a nanny for a family in Lincoln Park. Three children: 10, 2 and 1. Their mother is a well-known sex therapist. She's written books, runs a center on the Northwestern Campus, and has her own show on Showtime! It's excellent money, but the job isn't guaranteed until after tomorrow. I hope that I do well, but if it doesn't pan out I may continue to search for nanny positions in the area. I'm in a tight spot right now, but I'm finally starting to figure out what my options are and how to pursue them.

Haili visited for New Year's! We spent the evening at the Congress Hotel with Will's friends (Will was working at this restaurant on Navy Pier). I'm not sure that there's a PC way of describing the crowd there. Let's just say we stood out. Perhaps this picture will demonstrate. Haili did her to best to blend in with her surroundings, as you can see, but her white freckly skin and red hair didn't help her cause.

We paid VIP prices and were promised access to all of the rooms and a buffet, which consisted of sweaty cheese cubes and a couple of meatballs. Very posh, I know. On a more positive note, there was a nice little balloon drop situation at midnight, and the Packers beat the Bears that night. We managed to have some fun.



The next day Haili tried sushi for the first time! With chopsticks! She tried the California Roll and the Philadelphia Roll. She preferred the California Roll. That night, Will took us to his friend Pat's place where Pat made us steaks. Delicious. Afterwards, we watched beauty and the geek, played cards, and had a few beers. Haili and I had a great time, and became quite the city girl. She left yesterday on a Greyhound.


I've really fallen in love with the city over the past few months. Now that I've settled into Chicago, I'll try to update more often.