march photo challenge, a recap

Back at the very end of February I decided to take on the March Photo Challenge. Since the only thing I do on a very, very regular basis is breath, I figured making it through a full month of posting daily photos would be quite the accomplishment.

And for me, it is.

Well, for the first 25 or so odd days.

There may have been a couple of snafus in there, and then there was the whole leaving for vacation thing (which had not been decided upon at the beginning of the month, otherwise I doubt I would have tried to tackle the challenge, given that I would have, at best, intermittent Interwebs access while lolling about on sandy beaches, am I right?) but overall, it was a month of learning for This Girl. In no particular order:

Lessons I Learned While Participating In the March Photo Challenge:

• There are only so many objects in one’s house that you can shoot and then somehow twist their symbolism into something of a deeper meaning than simply being a photo of Mr. Coffee.
• And I don’t even like coffee. Mr. or otherwise.
• My camera phone takes surprisingly decent pictures.
• Granted, those pictures were then typically heavily edited, but decent base pictures nonetheless.
• Sometimes I am forgetful, and posts would not happen until the absolute eleventh hour.
• Wait, no, I already knew that. Scratch this one off the Lessons Learned list.
• When you take pictures of your shoes while sitting at an airport bar, people start looking at you a little funny.
• I am no Ansel Adams or Annie Leibovitz. I will never win a Pulitzer for photography. (Or anything else, for that matter.) But that doesn’t mean I don’t have a love for photography all the same.

Would I do it again? Yes, yes I would. I like forcing myself to think and see things around me in different ways. And then again, some days you get lucky and the perfect photo opportunity presents itself, which is a pretty cool feeling.

Did you participate in a March photo challenge? What was your experience like? 

singing, couponing, and taxes: the life of the unemployed

I’ve recently found myself on the short end of the employment stick, and while there is much to dislike about unemployment, there is much to rejoice in. Here, a top 12 list of Good Things, re: Unemployment:

1. More time to research the actual words of songs, rather than what I think they are and have been singing for some time now. For example, the correct lyrics to the Four Tops’ song are actually, “ain’t no woman like the one I got,” NOT “ain’t no woman like a one-eyed slut.” Tell your friends.
2. When I go to the public library, I don’t feel so greedy when I check out seven books at once; now I can actually make a valiant attempt—and succeed—at reading all of them in the allotted two-week checkout time, instead of pretending like I have such exceptional time management that I can work, cook, eat, clean, exercise and read multiple books in as many weeks and don’t actually need to sleep.
3. I’ve always wanted to take up knitting.
4. No I haven’t.
5. More time to become the extreme couponer I’ve always wanted to be, even though those people terrify me.
6. Particularly because now that I ain’t got no job, saving money is more important than ever.
7. Except that, even in lean times, do I really need 1,247 packages of ramen noodles that I bought for -$5.22?
8. Finally a chance to dedicate more time to my passion: writing the next Great American Haiku.
9. Well, it is tax time….
10.   One word for you: Pinterest.
11.   I can finally go through the boxes I stashed in Swede’s basement a year ago and hopefully find my snowpants, even though apparently Old Man Winter is on vacation and was last seen slathering on SPF 75 and making a run for the beach.  Also, maybe I can find my salad spinner and bring it back to Chicago with me. I miss my salad spinner. Do you need your salad spun? I could do that for you. First spin is free, but after that, I’m charging. Gal’s got to make a living somehow, you know.
12.   More time for prayer. Because Holy Jesus I need a job if for no other reason than it’s been a week and a half and I’m already bored.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have some very important things to handle, such as making a nuisance of myself at the public library and manically pinning more things to my “Stuff to Wear” and “Wall Hangings” boards. For serious, people, it’s my busy season.

mcpolish summer reading list: recap #1

Contrary to popular belief (my own), I did manage to knock a couple books off the McPolish Summer Reading List. Thanks to the book club I joined when I moved back to Chicago, one of those books was The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, by Alexandra Robbins.

I was excited about this book. I’d heard good things. I dove in eagerly. And then….huh. It was good. Engaging, for the most part. But ultimately, it fell a little flat for me.

As one of my book club cohorts put it in her post-meeting wrap-up email, “the book itself sparked a lot of dialogue. In the end, most everyone agreed that while the author had the best of intentions, and introduced us to some great characters and interesting storylines, her overall message of ‘it will all change after high school is over’ was not exactly accurate. Our conversation about the book, and high school, lead most of us to the conclusion that cliques can and do still exist after high school; but no one really cares about them anymore.”

Well said. And true. I liked reading the stories about the “cafeteria fringe” as Robbins labels them, and getting to know them through their likes and dislikes, and see how they feel when it comes to interacting with their peers that they themselves deal with via labels—normal, popular, goths, weirdos, etc. But I never felt like Robbins was delivering any information that I hadn’t already heard, and most perplexing is that the book stops while the kids are still in high school. I don’t know if Robbins is going to do a follow-up on these kids in a decade or so, but I would hope she is. After all, this book is based on the premise that the “geeks” and “outcasts” and other kids defined (by their peers and adults) as not being in the “normal” crowd are the ones who do better in life. But these kids are only just going off to college in some cases, and in other cases when we leave them they still have a year or so left of high school. We have no idea how they will fare in life. We cannot determine as of yet if their “geek” status was a help or a hindrance.

The End.

Final grade: B

Have you read the book? What did you think? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

five pieces of top parenting advice

I’ve had a lot of baby-related interactions lately. A few weeks ago I flew out to California for a mini-college reunion/baby shower for one of my college gals (and former post-college roommate yes, that’s right, she’s TOTALLY LUCKY that she got to spend two years living with This Girl who WOULDN’T be?), and then the weekend after that The Swede and I watched the Chicken Nugget overnight while my sister and brother-in-law were in Milwaukee.

Because of these events—being around children both in utero and on this earth—I think it’s safe to say that I am now an expert on parenting. Added to that fact that A) I was once a child, and 2) I have parents, I thus feel it is my duty to offer up some helpful parental advice to those in need.

You’re welcome in advance.

1. Give your child junior golf lessons. Because if your other children got junior golf lessons but then one child doesn’t, you’ll have to listen to her whine about it for the next 25+ years, and, when she really gets on a tangent, why this is the reason that her short game is for shit. Not, you know, because she rarely plays golf anyway. I’m just saying. You’ve been warned.
2. If you leave your child in my care for more than two hours, please bring a bottle of wine and/or gin with you upon your return. I’m not saying it’s because your child is a holy terror who drives me to drink after two hours alone with him/her, I’m just saying it’s common courtesy. And because whatever you did have to drink in your house is gone due to the “tea party” your kid hosted. That Mr. Bear can really knock them back, am I right? Also, don’t expect junior to wake up until Tuesday. You can thank me later.
3. Let your kid run around naked. What kid have you met who doesn’t love a little naked time? And look at it this way: It’s less laundry to do.
4. Don’t freak out about your house being messy and/or covered in toys when I come over. You have kids. It goes with the territory.  And if other people start giving you shit about it, fuck ‘em.
5. Don’t throw away that faux-mosaic Miller Lite chandelier you stole from the bar five years ago—hang some mini stuffed animals from it and call it a mobile. I’m all about repurposing.

book by book: summer 2011 reading list

Thanks to all of you who hooked me up via Facebook and the comments section and Gchats with ideas for this year’s McPolish Summer Reading List. There’s definitely a good mix of light, fluffy reading and some serious thinky books in here, which I totally appreciate. (And yes, of COURSE there are romance novels on the list!) Anyone want to take a guess on how many of these I will finish? Someone want to put out an over/under?

I’ll keep you posted on my progress, and in the meantime, if you’re looking for something to dive into this summer (rather than your local watering hole), maybe you’ll want to check out a few of these tomes yourself.

 The McPolish Summer 2011 Reading List: 

The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay—Michael Chabon

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth—Alexandra Robbins

A Thousand Acres—Jane Smiley

The Known World—Edward P. Jones

The Bridge of San Luis Rey—Thornton Wilder

The Duke & I—Julia Quinn

Pride and Prejudice—Jane Austen

Left Neglected—Lisa Genova

The Weight of Silence—Heather Gudenkauf

Hunger Games Series

Into the Woods—Tana French

Paradise–Judith McNaught

Perfect–Judith McNaught

JD Robb Series

Bossypants—Tina Fey

All the Pretty Horses—Cormac McCarthy

Freedom—Jonathan Franzen

since the rapture never showed, now i can get back to my to-do list

So on Mother’s Day, as I was sprawled on the cold, tile of the bathroom floor, having just barfed up the contents of an earlier Mother’s Day brunch, it occurred to me that maybe I take on too much at once.

Not that I’m saying the stress of everyday life made me toss my cookies (or rather, my cheesy hashbrowns), I’m just saying that it gave me time to think.

And it’s true. I take on too much sometimes. Often. Whatever. I like to think that I am Super Girl who can do Everything At Once. And yes, I am Super, and I am a Girl (and I do like to wear tights) but no, I really do not have to do everything at once PUT DOWN THE COOKBOOK WHILE YOU’RE TAKING A WRITING WORKSHOP AND JUST STARTED A NEW JOB FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY AND DECENT.

Right?

Right.

Anyshoes, so the past couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about what I have going on and prioritizing. Some things have gotten pushed to the side to be saved for a few months from now when other projects have settled down.

But some things have stuck around.

Which is where you all come in.

Yes, you.

And you.

And over there in the corner—you.

One of my goals for the past couple of years has been to run a half-marathon. I’ve even attempted to train for one once or twice. Or at least I’ve certainly thought about training for it quite often.

But to be honest, I don’t particularly like running. I like the idea of running, and even more I like the results.

(It makes my legs and ass look terrific.)

(Oh, hello, I’m McPolish. Nice to meet you. On occasion I can be very, very vain. And you?)

And besides the physical results, I can honestly say that after every race I’ve run I’ve felt phenomenal. Like I am a fucking rock star. I think a lot of that elation stems from simply A) finishing something, and 2) making something I really don’t care to be doing my bitch.

So the half-marathon goal remains on my current, immediate Want To Do list.

(As does making a Target run for Qtips, but that’s neither here nor there for the moment.)

And that’s where you all come in, as I need you, dear Interwebers, to hold me accountable, and hold my hand as I go through training, and bearing with me if/when I post droning musings about training. I’m very good at giving myself a goal then never following through on it because no one besides me knows that said goal exists.

But now you know. And now you can bug me about it, and I will stay on top of it because I know you’ll be watching. I’ll keep you posted on my training if you promise to pinch me through the Interwebs’ ether when I don’t seem to be holding up my end of the bargain.

Game on.

The race is Sunday, August 14.

T-minus three months and counting.

5 things i’ve missed about chicago

It’s just short of a month that I’ve been back in Sweet Home, and it’s been, well…it’s been.

Moving home to a city I love, but where I haven’t lived in six years is nothing short of: wonderful, confusing, intimidating, challenging, comfortable, uncomfortable, and exciting. All rolled up and mashed together, like a complex and strange—yet very tasty—burrito.

And who doesn’t love a burrito?

Yeah, that’s right. I just compared the city of Chicago to a burrito.

Though I’ve only been here a short time, and though I do miss DC quite a lot (except when I don’t), I’ve quickly realized that there are things that I’ve missed so much it makes my head spin in glory that I don’t have to miss them any longer.

In no particular order:

WXRT: Putting aside the fact that I interned for this station the summer between my junior and senior years of college, I can honestly say that this is the best radio station I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. The DJs seem to actually like the music they play, and if you’re a musicphile XRT is one of the best sources for new and interesting bands and songs that span the gamut of genres.

When I smile at people they actually smile back and sometimes even say hello and in general do not act like my smiling at them is a precursor to me shanking them or stealing their wallet: Take note, East Coasters.

Restaurants: Sometime in the last five years Chicago’s restaurant scene simply exploded. Well, then again, I think this actually happened in a lot of cities. Or maybe I just started paying attention. Either way, what I love about Chicago’s restaurant scene is that it—much like my beloved Baltimore—doesn’t give a flying fuck what LA or New York seem to be doing. Chicago’s restaurants are doing their own thing, taking chances and creating a gastronomic wonderland in the city jungle. It’s scintillating and enticing and I want to go everywhere at once.

Lower Wacker Drive: I will master this Bat Cave-like thru-way during my living here this time. I will. I will be that knowledgeable citizen who can maneuver through the underbelly of the city with ease. Because I’m all about avoiding the absurd traffic.

Gary Glitter*, The Fratellis, and Journey: If you are from Chicago, you understand completely the swell of pride I feel when I hear these songs. Last week when I was driving up Lake Shore Drive after work, the city skyline stretched in front of me when Gary Glitter came on the radio. And if you think I didn’t start clapping my hands over my head in time to the music and almost drive my car off the road in the process, then clearly you don’t know me at all.

*Though some may find this one to be more appropriate than Gary. But to me, Gary Glitter is Michael, Scottie, et al., through and through.

10 things about dc, or: i’ll miss you, our nation’s capital, except when i won’t

In no particular order…

10 Things I’ll Miss About DC:

1. Metro. I realize Washingtonians’ eyes may be bugging out at that answer, but it’s true. I don’t care about the delays or waiting for the trains, and usually I have a reverse commute, so it’s not often I am wedged into an overcrowded Metro car. And despite my proneness toward mild motion sickness, my commuting has always been my time for a little quiet, decompress at the end of the day. And when I am coming and going on Metro from The Swede’s it’s always such a pleasure to see the city waking up or powering down for the night, the sun on either side of the tracks, rising or setting. (To get to The Swede’s house the Metro goes above ground, whereas to and from my house it’s all in the underbelly tunnels.)
2. Vinoteca. How can it not be something I’ll miss? It’s where I re-met and fell in love with The Swede. Plus, they have an amazing happy hour. Which may or may not have had something to do with me falling in love with The Swede.
3. My apartment. Holiday brunch. Chatting into the wee hours of the night with my gals, with The Swede. Tuesday Night Dinners. Oh, if these walls could talk. Actually, you know what? It’s probably better that they don’t.
4. Baltimore. Yes, I realize it’s a separate city. I realize that very, very much. But if you know me at all then you know that Baltimore was one of my happiest discoveries when I moved out here, and where I met some of the most awesome in my life, and I’ll miss living so close to it. Baltimore: you’re not even bored.
5. Pat Brogan. HI PAT BROGAAAAN! *waves at radio as if Pat Brogan can see it*
6. Rock Creek Parkway. OMFG, it was like a whole new world opened up when I learned how to make Rock Creek work to my advantage. And in the fall, the beauty of driving under an orange and gold canopy of changing leaves is nothing less than stunning.
7. The GW Parkway. Apparently I have a thing for parkways. (Then again, apparently so does DC. This city is rife with parkways.) But there’s a stretch (that’s mostly under construction right about now) that takes you from National Airport to the GW bridge (also something that I will miss) that parallels the Potomac. You’re on the Virginia side, and the view as it stretches across water is of the monuments, each in a row down the line. Magnificent, day or night.
8. Vace Deli. Best. Frozen. Lasagna. Also, Best. Pizza. Dough. It is because of Vace that I concocted one of the Tuesday Night Dinner favorites, “The Classic” pizza with tomato, fresh mozz, and prosciutto.
9. Wegmans. It is, far and away, the best grocery store in the universe, and they just opened one up about 30 minutes from my apartment. And if you think I won’t drive 30 minutes to do my grocery shopping, then you clearly do not know me at all. My only stipulation is that I’m allowed to eat lunch in the café before or after shopping. I can’t help it. I love their Asian bar.
10. My roofdeck. Okay, so it’s not mine alone, technically any resident can partake of its wonder. But people don’t often go up there. I, however, frequented the roofdeck enough in the warmer months for my share as well as that of the entire fifth and fourth floor residents. I love the view that stretches out in front of you, like you’re sitting on top of the city.

10 Things I Won’t Miss About DC:

1. Walking to the metro. Do you know how many bags and other sundry items I carry with me on a daily basis? My average is 5.64. Plus, I am a sweat-er. The littlest movement and I’m perspiring, which is just uncomfortable when you’re trying not to be sweaty. Add eleventymillion bags and that equals not cool.
2. People who don’t know how to drive. Specifically, merge onto an expressway. Seriously, people? Are you waiting for a goddamned engraved invitation?
3. My apartment. Damn, this place is small.
4. Arlington. I’m sorry, Arlingtonites. I really am. But I get lost every fucking time I go there. I like Old Town, though. Does that count for something?
5. Alarmist weather behavior. Listen, I know this metropolitan area does not have the resources to handle bad weather (see: Snowpacolypse 2010). I get it. But I rejoice in the day when I wake up to a half inch of snow and turn on my local NPR station and do not have to listen to 15 minutes of school delays and/or closings.
6. Cupcakes. I’m over it. This city is saturated with cupcakeries. Please pass me a bag of chips.
7. The Redskins. Holy Christ, listen, Redskins fans: your team sucks. Accept it. Give up the ghost, you’re not going to be good for a very long time. Trust me, I’m a Bears fan, I know these things. Sure, we’ve had a pretty good team lately, but there was a span of many several years when we sucked beyond sucking.
8. Lack of good gyros. It’s probably a good thing that I’ve lived this long without easy access to perfectly seasoned, compressed lamb meat hot off the spit and wrapped in a warm, buttered pita then slathered with tangy tzatziki sauce. But really, it’s not something a girl can go without forever, and after the past few trips home, well, DC, you just don’t compare, or even come close, to Munster Gyro.
9. Having separate grocery and liquor stores. It’s inconvenient. Period. I look forward to one-stop-shopping at The Jewel or Chez Dominick’s.
10. People who wear hats, gloves, and scarves when it’s 50 degrees out. It’s not that fucking cold. Grow a pair.

listical

I love this time of year because it means all sorts of lists.

And damn do I love a good list. Christmas lists, book lists, grocery shopping lists, give me a list and I’m all the freak over it. I especially love the lists that magazines and newspapers and VH1 put together on the top events over the last 12 months, because I love remembering all the things that I’ve forgotten happened 11.8 months ago.

(And that is often a lot.)

(Hell, I’ve already forgotten what happened 11.8 seconds ago.)

(What?)

(Right.)

(Anyway.)

What I wonder is if these news/entertainment outlets keep track of these things throughout the year? Like maybe they have a pad of paper next to their computers, or a big bulletin board in the conference room where they jot down major events throughout the year, or funny sayings, or dumb quotes, or maybe just a Ziggy cartoon they found particularly inspirational. (Sadly, Ziggy does not often make any of these lists, does he? Poor Ziggy.) This, of course, would be the smart thing to do, but probably if I were in charge of putting one of these lists together, this time of year would be a flurried frenzy of research trying to remember what the shit happened in March.

Of course, I’m all about making my own lists this time of year. I just checked out the goal list I set for 2010, and I’m happy to report that I accomplished very few of my goals I’d stated before you all. That sprint-tri I was aiming for? Never happened. It vaguely crossed my mind on occasion, but I never put on my big girl chonies to try and make a play at that one, let’s be honest. Though on the other hand, of the 5, 8 and 10Ks I wanted to run this year, I did run the 8K, and this Sunday I’m running a 10K.

(I say two out of three ain’t bad.)

AND ALSO, I accomplished with flying colors my goal of visiting two new states: Delaware and Alaska.

WOOT!

Looking ahead to 2011, I don’t really have anything that most people would find all that interesting on my Goal List, unless you are a runner or a traveler, in which case I will tell you that I have a goal of running a half-marathon in 2011* (which of course is something I said I’d never do, that I’d only ever do as much as a 10K), and a goal of visiting two new states. But other than that it’s a lot of projects that require a lot of discipline, projects I want to throw myself into and projects which frankly aren’t interesting now but certainly could be at a later time.

Which is kind of depressing. I feel this list…this list lacks the fun.

And 2011 cannot lack the fun.

It goes against my nature.

So I’m opening up the floor to suggestions. What fun and adventurous things should I strive for in 2011? If I take your suggestion and actually follow through with it, there’s a batch of my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in it for you…..

 

*What the shit am I thinking?

 

merry new year

Oh, hey! How’s it going? Good, good, glad to hear…what’s that? You’ve been wondering where I’ve been? Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. I was very busy being in Chicago with my family and friends and eating my weight in egg dishes and (of course) pizza.* So busy, and with not so much regular computer access, that I didn’t even have time to blog.

I know.

You missed me.

I promise it won’t happen again.

Well, unless I go on vacation again. Which isn’t until March.

So we’re good until March!

Unless I get distracted.

Shiny things!
What?

SO! It’s 2010, and wee-haw, that means it’s a hella new year, people. This is a good thing. 2009 was kind of, well, it was kind of…kind of. For me, personally, it was not the best of years, nor was it the worst of years, but it certainly was A Year. A lot of it involved many several things that were not full of The Awesome but more happened around me than to me, and that I didn’t (and probably won’t) talk about on this here blog for many several reasons, but trust me when I tell you two things: A) The end of 2009 was much better all around than the beginning of 2009, and 2) Looking back over the last 12 months, there was a lot that I let slide, including – and especially – my Fantasy Football league. And I’m not happy about that. (Mainly because at one point my lack of involvement in my team resulted in consternation for the rest of the league, and I do not like being the cause of consternation.) So, my dear Interwebers, I shall declare right now that barring extenuating circumstances, I will Try To Do Better This Year. And I Am Determined Not To Let Things Slide. And I will start by NOT joining a Fantasy Football league next season. It’s for the best.

Every year I like to write up a list of things I’d like to accomplish…goals, if you will. (The term “resolution” is just something aching to be broken and defied, in my opinion.) I accomplished with flying colors a whole lot of very little when it came to the goals I’d set for myself at the beginning of 2009. The goals I did manage to punch out mainly revolved around the financial sector of my life, which, really, let’s be honest, is pretty fucking awesome, if I do say so myself. And I do. Though of course, there is still more work to do, new financial goals to be had, but that’s good. Those kinds of goals are incredibly satisfying. To me, at least.

(And in my opinion, there should always be more work to do, in general, otherwise This Girl gets B.O.R.E.D.) (Which is really not good. REALLY.)

For 2009, one of the goals I had that I had a decidedly flagrant disregard for accomplishing was running a 5K, 8K, and a 10K. I did none of those things! In fact, I bailed on every race I verbally agreed to run with friends of mine! I am awesome!

So what have I done for 2010? Yeah, that’s right, I put that goal back on the list.

And then decided to also add the goal of doing a sprint triathlon.

BECAUSE APPARENTLY WHEN I AM ON VACATION I GET BORED AND GET DRUNK ON DEEP DISH PIZZA AND COME UP WITH INSANE THOUGHTS THAT I THEN TELL THE INTERWEBS.

What else is on my list? In my quest to visit every state in the U.S., I also want to cross two new states off my “Visited” list. I’ve already got half of it planned with a trip to Alaska in March. I’m hoping state #2 will be Delaware.

Who doesn’t love Delaware?

I don’t know.

Because I’ve never been there.

There are a few other vague thoughts I’m considering adding to my list of goals to accomplish, but I’m just not sure that I really want to commit to them just yet. So while I ponder those over, why don’t you tell me what’s on your list of 2010 goals?

If you need me, I’ll just be over here, signing up for free brochures about The First State and asking myself who the shit I think I am because what makes me think I can swim  half of a mile in open water when I can’t even get out of the swimming pool at my gym without injuring myself?

Welcome, 2010.

Welcome.

*In general, if ever there is a long absence of me blogging, it is probably safe to assume that it is because I am in Chicago and very busy doing Chicago-y things like yelling “DA BEARS!” at passersby and staring at my nephew. Not that staring at my nephew is a Chicago-y thing, it’s just my latest form of entertainment when I come home for a visit.

What?

Oh, right. Like you wouldn’t stare at him either.

DA BEARS!