about being BACK

Ok, I already failed. I said I would start Saturday, and it is now Monday. We must start by keeping the promises we make to ourselves. I'm sure someone wise once said that. Whatever, get over it.

LIFE: As I mentioned, I'm back in Chicago now. Officially. My sainted parents helped me move into my beautiful new apartment in eclectic Lincoln Square that I will be sharing with two of my dearest friends. Pretty much everything is put in its place, and there are only a few boxes to be emptied and tossed. It's nice to feel settled once more. I also started back at Chicago Apartment Finders, one of those rare corporate jobs that allows me the freedom I need in my "career," while not being a restaurant. I don't do service. Mostly because I'm really, really bad at it. Not the friendly, warm, inviting part, but the actual putting in orders and getting them out in a relaxed, yet timely manner part. This really is an ideal job for me, and the commute is super easy on my favorite of all Els, the Brown one. Life is.....Good!

CAREER: I've got an audition for Avenue Q set up for next weekend. Super excited about that. Plus, I've been browsing at work, and have four submissions to do with my time off tomorrow. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have four more auditions set up in the next month. Let's do this, Chicago.

POLITICS: The GOP candidates are terrifying. TERRIFYING.

FOOD: Haven't really had time to "cook" anything but turkey sandwiches in the last two days, but I did enjoy some tasty Greek cuisine at Melanthios on Broadway last night. Excellent flaming cheese. I've been doing some recipe browsing and am excited to start playing in my beautiful new kitchen.

WEIGHT-LOSS: Well, I stayed in my calorie limit yesterday, plan to today, and I'm taking a yoga class tomorrow night with Kate that should jump-start my drive for working out again. If it doesn't kill me from being so terribly out of practice, that is.

SELF: I've discovered, in the process of moving, what an organized little adult I've become. I thoroughly enjoy making my bed and finding a spot for every little thing. My mother, I'm sure, is fainting from disbelief. Now, if only I could discover the desire to hang pictures/mirrors/towel racks/etc. If you would like to assist me in this, please don't hesitate.

Mostly, I'm just thrilled to be back, starting new adventures and finding new routines. I feel like a healthier happier person (regardless of the extra lbs), so I'm ready to tackle any and everything. And....

Away. We. Go.

about New Beginnings

Seems like I'm always "starting again" on this thing. Maybe it doesn't matter how long of a break you take, so long as you come back? Yeah, we'll go with that.


It's been a whirlwind of a half-year, folks. I moved "homes" four times (number five is this Saturday, back to Chicago), went through a break-up, found some more of "me" in Colorado, added four shows to my resume in my favorite theatre and community, spent a luxurious six weeks in my parents' home in Des Moines, and gained about 10 pounds. Most of these things have in some way influenced me for the better. I'll give you one guess which (10) didn't......

So, here I am again, vowing to be more consistent and diligent, and feeling like this might actually be the one that sticks. As I mentioned, I'm moving back to Chicago to a beautiful three bedroom in Lincoln Square with my even more beautiful friends Christina and Beth. I've decided that I'm going to be utilizing this space as an outlet for my journeys in my everyday life, career, politics, cooking, weight-loss, spirituality and self-discovery. I'll plan on giving a quick update on each topic EVERY DAY. Starting Saturday, obviously. I'm far too busy to try to handle that now. And if you think I'm trying to exercise and eat well in my last few days at home, you're out of your mind.

Wish me luck, and away we go!

xoxo