--147 days.
--Really, I'm trying to post a little more than once a week. It just hasn't happened yet, what with the new gig's demands, the wedding planning requirements and the Christmas present hunting (and constructing). At risk of giving away what I'm getting for someone who I'm sure doesn't read this, but may, I've actually spent a couple evenings working on a model car for that person for Christmas. I love building models, both cars and trains and the assorted buildings and crap that go with those trains. Kinda makes me long for my own house where I can set up a little "workshop" in the corner somewhere, with an exhaust fan for airbrushing/spray-painting, and can just do my thing down there. But, alas, not until I have a house...
--Speaking of which, I had a pretty wacky dream about my grandparents and their house again a couple nights ago. This is not the first time I've had a dream of this variety. I once had a very, very, very vivid dream, years ago (that I thought I once blogged about, but I can't find it now...), involving my grandparents, their house, and my grandma wanting to tell me something (but then I freakin' woke up). But it was ungodly vivid, that dream, and I still wonder to this day what my Grandma was going to tell me. So, anyway, this dream I had the other day, I know was partially spurred on by Gina and I talking about our future and thinking about houses and things like that. A little background first...
I LOVE bungalows. Chicago-style bungalows, that is. I guess, if there's a "dream" that I have, it's to own a bungalow, in honor of Chicago history and my family history as well. Gina and I have talked about this, and so it's been fresh on my mind. I've told her all about my favorite bungalow ever, my grandparents' bungalow on the Southwest Side, in the heart of the Bungalow Belt (approximately 95 percent of their block was Chicago bungalows). So that's where it came from, really.
Now, in the dream, Gina and I were looking to buy a house, and we were in my grandparents' actual bungalow, looking to buy it. It was cheap as hell, because the family that has owned it since my grandparents died let it get run down and crap. So, we were going through, and I was showing Gina all the awesome stuff, and discovering this "hidden" room and stuff. And I was like, this thing is so cheap, we should buy it and renovate it in honor of my grandparents. But we wouldn't live there, because it wasn't a great neighborhood anymore and it was way down on the South Side. But we'd buy it, renovate it and then go from there. Then I woke up. But the vividness of the dream was actually being able to see all the rooms again, and actually being able to share that, in the depths of my dream mind, with Gina. It was a pretty cool subconsciousness kind of mental high.
--Right now, I'm wasting time though...I'm supposed to be "working" on stories that are due tomorrow morning when I return to work. The problem is for these stories is, one is disorganized as hell as far as the research/interviews I did, and for the other, the research is very lacking because several things fell through. So, writing it, I'm kind of grasping for straws in a topic that I'm obviously still not comfortable in my knowledge in. So it's been a struggle, that's for sure.
--The new gig, by the way, has been tough. It's been a lot of work, which I knew would be the case. I don't mind that, don't get me wrong. I like being busy at work, because then time flies and all that. But, it's been pretty stressful to try to juggle everything and get thrown into the deep end at the same time. I've been thrown into the deep end before with new gigs, but never like this. And the personalities that I'm working with, though not bad ones, are definitely challenging compared to previous jobs. I'm still feeling my way with what I'm supposed to do, what I can do, and what I'm not supposed to do. Once that's clear, it will get much, much easier. But for now, with all this stuff flying around, it's been tough. I've worked late more days in the past week than I had in the previous year. And this is the first Sunday I've worked (not counting traveling or conferences) since PFW. Granted, this is working at home, but it's still working. So, while I'm not happy about it, it has to be done, and I'm just hoping that this is because I'm still "new."
--Gina and I went out to see "Second City" in Arlington Heights last night with a handful of my South Side friends. They do a Christmas Revue that we went to last year. It was funny as hell, but it was also better last year than it was this year. I was jumping the punchlines, as I like to say, and although there were some really funny parts too, it was somewhat disappointing, we all agreed. Making matters somewhat worse, there was this guy off to the left of the stage who was drunk as hell, who, when they brought up the Cubs in a skit, he yelled "Go Sox!" which was funny, and the actors laughed too. But, we soon realized he wasn't joking as he continued to basically heckle the actors. They, of course, improvised things into their repertoire telling him to shut the hell up, but it got old really fast. After the intermission, the woman who was sitting with him originally was not with him. Soon into the second act, they did a take on the old 1950s educational films in schools, this one about Christmas around the world. So, they get to Ramadan, and the narrator guy, in perfect ignorant 1950s style, tries to explain Ramadan and knows nothing about it. Funny stuff, well acted. But then asshole yells, "F--- Ramadan!," in effect ruining the moment. A couple skits later, he stands up, yells, "This sucks." and leaves, talking loudly about how it sucks all the way out. Of course, to spite him, the entire time, the actors were then basically ripping on Sox fans and the White Sox, and it's like, thanks dude, for making us ALL look bad. :)
--Oh, yeah, we ordered our invitations, finally. Next up, honeymoon plans, mate! (that should tell you where we're trying to go...)
--So anyway, I've procrastinated enough...I'll be talking to you all sooner than later...
