Greta, the crossing guard who brightens my morning

In one of my first posts, I talked about my drive to work and the crossing guard that stands on the corner of 107th and Sanganon.  Every morning I drive by, stop at the stop sign that is across the street from her post, wave and smile to her.  I did this for the first five months without knowing her name or saying hi until one day this changed.  It was a day in January when I decided I was going to stop and introduce myself.  It had been a rather cold week so I decided I would bring her some coffee as well.  So one morning I asked MC to make extra coffee and I filled up my AV travel mug with coffee for the crossing guard and my Yankees travel cup for my coffee.  As I drove to work that morning I thought to myself, does she even like coffee? What if shes not there? Fortunatly I was wrong with both of these questions.  As I pulled up to the stop sign at Sanganon and 107th, I waved to the crossing guard and then made a left turn onto the street instead of going straight on like a normally do.  I parked on the side, grabbed the AV cup full of coffee and got out of my car with a smile. 

"Hi, I drive by you every day and we wave so I figured I would come introduce myself."
The conversation then went on to introducing myself to my new friend and asking about herself.  Her name is Greta and she does like coffee.  So I handed her the mug and told her to keep it as a gift from me to her.  I knew I had a couple minutes to spare so I stood and talked to her for a minute.  Greta asked where I was from and I explained to her what I was doing here and that I had just graduated college in May.  Greta said that she went to college as well and now works three different jobs including two crossing guard jobs before and after school and another job during the day (I can't remember what that one is).  We had some small talk for a while until I had to leave for work.  It was a great little conversation and I'm glad I stopped to introduce myself and get to know a little more about her.  Funny thing is we continue to wave to each other each morning but I haven't stopped to talk to her again.  Maybe I will do that soon. 

Greta really is the one who starts my morning off right because she is one of the first people I come in contact with besides my roommates and by the time I get to her the car is heated up so I'm not feeling miserable from the cold.  It is great to smile and wave to each other each morning and its sad when shes not there or I drive by late and miss her for the day.  Even though I don't know much about Greta, I do know that she is an amazing person who I look forward to seeing each and every day.  God puts people in your life for different reasons and apparently Greta is one of those people.  Her wave and smile make me smile every morning and I hope that she enjoys our little meetings as much as I do.  Take time to appreciate those people in your life that you see each day but might not notice or think too much of.  Maybe its the janitor at work or a shy kid in your class.  I challenge you all to find these people who are in your life everyday and say hi to them.  Introduce yourself and ask them to tell you about them.  You might be surprised how good it makes both of you feel to know that each day you are brightened by each others presence.

Chicago fact:  The snow storm that caused the city to shut down for two days and streets not to get plowed for two days gave the city about 2 feet of snow on average (about 3-4 feet in our driveway becasue of the wind go figure).  This snow storm made it the citys third largest snow storm on record.  The last time it snowed close to this much was in 1999. It was great to have two days off from work but I do have to say, wake up Chicago and come to New England to experience real snow storms!!

"Have a blessed holiday"

Blessed
adjective

consecrated; sacred; holy; sanctificed; worthy of adoration, reverence, or worship; divinely or supremely favored; fortunate; blissfully happy or contented; bringing happiness and thankfulness

These are the many words that define the word blessed.  This word has multiple meanings that are unique, special, and important.  "Blissfully happy" and "worthy of adoration"are probably my two favorite definitions of the word because they have important meanings in my life both as a person and as an AV.  Since I began working at Catholic Charities, I have been blessed with amazing coworkers who are supportive and helpful in anything that I need.  Ms. Tyson is one in particular who has been of great inspiration and help to me.  Ms. Tyson sits in the cubicle directly behind me and we are constantly talking to each other over the wall of our cubicle.  We say good morning to each other and talk each day while working and serviing our clients.  Each day Ms. Tyson answers the phone "Ms. Tyson" as someone on the other end asks how she is and she replies with an "I'm blessed and how are you?"  I'm blessed. What a wonderful phrase that is full of meaning and "blissfull happiness."  To Ms. Tyson, her life is blessed.  She is blessed with a good job, a wonderful family, and health and happiness.  Some days Ms. Tyson answers she is blessed to every phone call and other times its only once a day.  Ms. Tyson and all my other coworkers believe that we are blessed to be here and to be working for our clients.  I personally feel blessed to be working as a case manager in Chicago and living the life as an AV.  I am blessed to have a wonderful and supportive family, boyfriend, and friends who will support me in all my crazy life adventures.  I am blessed to be healthy, happy, and to be alive this holiday season.  I am blessed, like my coworker Ms. Tyson, to be living in Chicago and working such an amazing job by helping unwed mothers, pregnant women, and their babies.


The mothers and pregnant women we work with are also blessed and some of them even recognized that. Right before I travelled home for the holidays, I went on a home visit to one of my clients who is a young pregnant woman with her first child.  She was very kind and attentive during the interview and shared her personal information with me.   At the end of the interview, I left the house and on my way out I said "Happy holidays, Merry Christmas" and she responded by saying, "Have a blessed holiday."  The phrase was amazing and made me smile from ear to ear.  I didn't know how to respond at all so I just said you two and smiled as I walked outside and got into my car.  It is days like this when I love my job and appreciate it when people say "thank you" and think about what we are doing for them.  This year I have learned so much about the appreciation and gifts we are given.   How blessed we really are.  To hear a client say "thank you" and bless me for the things I am doing, its truly an amazing feeling.  Some of my clients are the most faithful and inspiring people not only because of their faith and love for God but for their appreciation for their lives and the things they are blessed with.  My clients may not have a lot of "possessions" or "wealth" but they sure do have a lot of faith, love, and hope.

Even though the holiday season is over, I still hope that you can take this post to the heart and remember how blessed you are each day to be alive, loved, and appreciated.  Each and every one of us is blessed and we have God, our families, our friends, ourselves, and everyone else to thank for that.  So remember to always have a blessed day.

Chicago fun fact: "With more than 159 programs at 156 locations across Cook and Lake counties, we help people of all races and religions move toward empowerment and self-sufficiency. Last year we touched the lives of more than 1 million parents, children, seniors and individuals, helping them through hard times."

The Gift of Giving: the most important gift of all

GIVING...

What does it mean to give? Is giving more important than receiving? Of course it is.  Side note: It is now December and I am happy to talk all about Christmas and the season of giving since it is December and not November. Back to my point. 

For many years growing up, I was always for Christmas morning so Stevie and I could run into the "play room" to see our overstuffed stockings and throw back the sheet hanging in the door way to our living room, run in, and see all the fabulous (and numerous) gifts underneath the tree.  Each Christmas Stevie and I would spend a whole 30mins to an hour ripping open our presents just to see what we got.  To see if Santa (and eventually our parents) knew exactly what we wanted.  As we grew a little older, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and would always put Jesus in the Nativity Scene but the main event was always the presents.  As the Christmases went on, the presents kept coming and sometimes we would even compare the amount of presents each of us got.  My parents even have a picture of the Christmas morning with Steven holding his new pair of skis and myself with a pile of presents to represent the comparison in price between our presents.  We appreciated everything we got but from the earliest I can remember, my favorite part of Christmas was shopping for my parents and brother and then giving  them their gifts on Christmas morning.  I always loved to play Santa, deliver their gifts, and wait to see their reaction.  It was always a joy to see a smile or a shocked face when they opened the gift because not to toot my own horn but I'm really good at picking out gifts for people. (Although this year, sorry to say it family, my budget is a little small because of the volunteering but you will all get something I promise!)

  The Gift of Giving...the most amazing and important gift of all

Now doing a year of volunteering is all about giving but this week we did something special for the Christmas season that was another great giving experience.  About 20 years ago, a husband who worked at St. Rita and his wife found themselves falling a little short on money and gifts around Christmas time.  Friend's of the family graciously helped them out and they were able to give their children gifts for Christmas.  The following year when they were in a better place, they made a vow to help one family in need each year with Christmas presents, clothes, food, etc.  Well one family became three, then 5, then 10, and now they serve about 25 families a year.  The organization is called Angel's Touch and we were lucky enough to help out with their service this year.  Angel's Touch delivers food, winter coats, hats, gloves, toys, and presents to all the families in need.  Tuesday and Wednesday night the four of us went to the warehouse and helped wrap presents and fill food boxes for each of the families.  Then today, MC and Molly helped deliver some of the gifts and food to the families while I helped out at the Catholic Charities Christmas Party for our clients, another fun way Catholic Charities gives to our clients.  Tuesday and Wednesday were such great experiences where over 20 volunteers came together to wrap presents, and gather food for families in need.  The unique part about Angel's Touch is the organization serves mostly middle class families who are struggling for the year.  These families have either lost a family member recently, most likely a parent, or a parent has lost their job.  Pat and Georgette, the two co founders of the organization in Chicago, stated that there are a lot of families in need around Christmas but the families who usually don't get the help from other organizations are the  middle class families who are struggling.  This organization is amazing and I was so happy to be a part of it.  Molly and MC said delivery was amazing today and it was great to see how happy the families and kids were when receiving their gifts and food.  People were so grateful for the gifts Angel's Touch gave them.  There are more gifts to be given next weekend so hopefully I will be able to help deliver next weekend.  

Below is a poem I found on their blog that someone wrote about the organization:

AN ANGEL'S TOUCH

The tender touch of angel wings,
Brush softly past your face;
Summoned by soft spoken prayers,
To stand here in this place.

Called to keep and guard you,
To touch your heart with love;
Sent as special messengers,
From a holy place above.

Sent to whisper words of peace,
To calm a restless soul;
Sent to watch you as you sleep,
Their angel wings unfold.

They cover you with tenderness,
They watch your slumbering face;
They call you into peaceful rest,
As they stand here in this place.

They walk beside you every step,
As you go about your day;
Their mission is to guard you,
As you travel on your way.

So if you feel a tender touch,
A breeze upon your face;
Just know I prayed for angels,
To keep you in this place.
Allison Chambers Coxsey
©1994

My day at Catholic Charities was another great example of the giving season and the wonderful things Catholic Charities does for our clients.  Clients and staff came together for a fun afternoon of food, games, activities, and pictures with Black Santa (aka Hot Dog).  My station was temporary tattoos which was I became an expert at by the end of the day.  Even though the tattoos would ware off in a couple of hours, it was great to see the kids smile with excitement as the tattoos magically stuck to their skin.  There were also raffles, toys and other prizes given out throughout the day which was great for all of our clients to get a little something extra before Christmas.  Some of the Christmas presents we sent in for at the beginning of the year have started to arrive and have slowly started to take over my cubicle. I am very excited to be able to give out these gifts and toys to my families in need because everyone deserves to smile during this season of giving even if they can't give something in return. 


Thanks for reading and remember to ask yourself: What/how have you been giving this season?

Chicago Fact: Chicago’s first municipal Christmas tree was lit in 1913 on Christmas Eve by Mayor Carter H. Harrison in Grant Park. The tree was a 35 foot tall Douglas Spruce which was decorated with 600 multi-colored lights and topped with the Star of Bethlehem. In December 1956, the City’s Christmas tree was in fact one large tree that had been created from many smaller trees.

Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful

My last post was a bash on how Chicago has totally skipped over celebrating
Thanksgiving but I want to take part of that back by telling you my Thanksgiving
experience in Chicago although the Christmas decorations are still up and have now
multiplied since my last post. As mentioned before, Thanksgiving is a very special
holiday to me and perhaps in my top three favorite holidays (Christmas and my birthday
are up there too :) ) so when I found out that I wasn't going to be able to go home this
year for Thanksgiving I was bummed but also excited to spend the holiday with my
family and community here in Chicago, including my roommates and our neighbors.

A week before Thanksgiving Day, the Doulas at my Catholic Charities office hosted
a Thanksgiving dinner for all of their clients and their families to come and celebrate
together. Griffin was on Kairos that week but Molly and MC came to my office that night
to help me and the other staff serve the dinner. As we all gathered in the dining room,
one of the girls gave a wonderful blessing and Ms. Wilson, the Director of the Doula and
Teen Case Management programs, explained the activity for the night. She had set up
a Tree of Life and cut out a bunch of leaves for the girls. Each girl was given a leaf and
asked to write what they are thankful for. Then each girl stood up said what they wrote
and brought the leaf up to the tree and taped it on. Here are some of the responses
from the teen moms:
"Hi My name is _____ and I am thankful for my family."
"...I am thankful for my son."
"...I am thankful for life."
"...I am thankful to wake up every day."
"...I am thankful to find out today that I will be graduating on time."
"...I am thankful for my education and all the support I have in my life"
"...I am thankful for my daughter and the baby that is on the way."
"...I am thankful to be alive!"

With each of these responses, my smile grew bigger and bigger. Everyone in the room
was clapping and smiling knowing that even though these girls may not have planned
to get pregnant and be a mom at this age, they are thankful for the life they are living
now and the child they have. As this exercise went on, I looked around the room to see
the smiling and loud cheers of the Doulas and staff that supported these clients and
helped them to become the women and moms they are today. It was a pleasure for
my roommates and I to experience this exercise and be able to see the great work of
Catholic Charities. After all of the leaves were on the Tree of Life, my roommates, my
coworkers and I lined up behind the buffet table to serve out Thanksgiving dinner. It
was great to see how many people we fed and to be able to do some extra volunteering
during this great holiday. I really enjoyed serving and sharing a meal with my co-
workers and were glad that Molly and MC were able to experience this time at Catholic
Charities and its amazing staff.

As the dinner went on and as I drove home, I thought to myself, how can people that
are struggling always be so positive and thankful? I know this may seem like a silly question to ask because everyone deserves to be positive and thankful but I
cannot imagine the hardships these teen moms have gone through in the past
and maybe even in the future. My favorite part about this night was seeing how
blessed and happy the teen moms were. Maybe the best gift of teenage mothers
is their baby. Over the months I have worked as a Case Manager, I have met
moms of all ages and all of them love their children very much. Some are more
scared then others; some are a little depressed because of other things that are
going on in their lives but all of them love their babies and want to do everything
they can to give them a loving and beautiful life. After I came home and again
on Thanksgiving Day, I prayed for my clients and all of the single moms in the
Chicago area that they will always be safe and healthy no matter what life brings
them.

Thanksgiving Day for me was another great day in Chicago. Even though I didn’t
wake up to the smell of turkey cooking in the oven, I did get up and watch the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade with my roommates as I called and talked to my parents on
their way to New Jersey. I also did make ambrosia to bring with us to our Thanksgiving
dinner which everyone enjoyed. It was definitely a bittersweet day for all four of us at
times but we had each other and helped each other through the sad times. Molly and
I got to Skype with our families which were quite the situation to figure out but it was
great for all of us to meet and see our families over the internet. Even though it would
have been nice to be home, it was still a great day filled with food, laughs, love, and
family.

After watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade and Skyping with our families, JBird picked
us up and brought us to his brother Bob’s house who graciously welcomed us into their
house with his wife Carol and their son Bobby. All four of us, JBird and his son Paul
spent the day with their family lounging around the house, eating, drinking wine, and
watching football. It wasn’t the typical loud, Moretti/Burns family Thanksgiving but it
was very nice to be with family and share in their traditions. After dinner which included
delicious stuffing and turkey but no brussel sprouts or the other 10 sides Mom makes,
my roommates, Paul, and his cousin Bobby all took a nap beside the fire in their living
room which is a tradition I would like to start at our house Mom and Dad although our
couches are really comfy in the living room! After our cat nap, we enjoyed another
glass of wine, watched TV and went home to go to bed. It was sad not to be with the
family at Uncle David’s house but it was great to have a family Thanksgiving in Chicago
with our community and family here. The rest of the weekend included watching Elf,
relaxing, and going ice skating in Millenium Park which was a lot of fun. So the holidays
are here and I can’t wait to go home to see all my family and friends. Sorry Mom
and family that I wasn’t there for Thanksgiving but thank you to JBird and his family
for having us as part of their family for a great Thanksgiving meal and day with great
people.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to take time to thank God for
all of the wonderful people and things in your life this holiday season. My roommates
and I are truly blessed for all the amazing people and opportunities God has given us
and we thank Him every day for all He has done for us, all He is doing and all He will doing in the future.

Chicago fact: The game of softball originated in Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, 1887

Tis the.....umm not yet!!!

For many people the Christmas season is a time of joy and love shared with family, friends, and loved ones.  Don't get me wrong its the same for me but in December, not November, not before Thanksgiving.  The stores are already playing Christmas music (I'm sure Price Chopper is) and there are already decorations going up around town.  As I drove down my Michigan Ave the other day on my way to a home visit I saw Christmas Candles and Candycanes hanging from the street light. "You have GOT to be kidding me!!" I said as I stared in confusion.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm no Scrooge but honestly Christmas in November and before Thanksgiving?! Not ok in my books.  I feel like these premature Christmas and holiday decorations are taking away from the great feast day that is Thanksgiving.  I would understand if they were doing Christmas early in Europe, Africa, and any other place besides the U.S. because they don't celebrate Thanksgiving but for us to overlook Thanksgiving, I think its rather rude!  Maybe I'm being way to overdramatic but I don't like to do anything Christmas or holiday related until December 1st.  

Thanksgiving, in  my opinion, is just as important of a holiday as Christmas is because you get to spend time with family and friends in addition to eating delicious food.  I really enjoy Thanksgiving and am sad that I'm not going to be able to be home with my family this year but I am thankful for J Bird and his family for inviting us to their dinner.  Thanksgiving is really a time to give thanks and be grateful for what you have in addition to helping others in need.  My roommates and I have talked about doing a soup kitchen or dinner of some sort around or on Thanksgiving day to serve people in need and enjoy the company of other people in addition to the ones we will be eating with.  Also Catholic Charities is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday at our office that me, Molly, and MC are going to go to.  I don't think many of my clients are going to be there but there will be many other pregnant women, babies and other people there to share in a great dinner together.  I am excited to be able to show my roommates more about my work site and to get to know more people that I work with in addition to the clients we are serving.

Christmas is a special time of year as well where everyone gets to spend time with family and friends in addition to eating meals and giving and receiving of presents.  Since I can remember I have always enjoyed the giving of presents more than the receiving.  Giving involves thinking about that person and finding something special for them that is both meaningful and significant to both you and the person you are giving the gift to.  As most of my family and friends know, I love to give gifts no matter how big or small.  Christmas is a time of giving and I think many people forget that sometimes because of all the hussle and bussel of having guests and making sure everyone gets what they want.  As time comes closer for me to go for Christmas I have been thinking about what I want my Christmas to be like and if there is anything I want.  Honestly the word want is one that is both significant and challenging in many instances.  Want can mean a dream or something that you desire whereas need is something that is closer to a human need or necessity like food, water, shelter, etc.  So the only thing I want or would like for Christmas are some TOM shoes other than that I honestly don't need anything else.  I really just want to spend time with family and friends and talk with them about my AV year and the service I have been doing.  

A challenge: Take time this holiday season both Thanksgiving, Christmas, and whatever other holiday you celebrate to volunteer and give back to some part of that community.  Whether that is donating to a toy drive, donating can food, helping out at a community dinner, singing Christmas carols, or just spending time with family and friends who you haven't seen in a while.  Take time to reflect on your life and the things and people that matter the most.  I can almost guarentee that it will make your holiday season that much more special when its all over. 

Chicago Fact: Chicago also has a tree like in NYC that they will be lighting November 24th.  At least they wait until the end of November to do the major decorating!

Why...

Why is a big question to ask.  Take some time to ask these questions to yourself, to others and to God.  Ask yourself Why.

Why are there so many injustices in the world?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why are some kids forced to grow up so fast?

Why do some teenage girls get pregnant?

Why do some people have no support system at all?

Why do we have daylight savings?

Why are so many people unemployed?

Why are so many people living below the poverty line?

Why are there child soldiers in Africa?

Why do some people get a second chance when others don't?

Why am I so blessed?

Why am I here?

Chicago Question: Why do Chicago public schools have to suffer from budget cuts when they are the ones who need the most time/resources?

 

Friends and Family are amazing

People say that you can pick your friends but not your family.  This is true but I wouldn't change anything about the friends and my family today.  Even though I am far away from them, they are still a big part of my life and I try to keep in touch with them as much as possible.  Whether its a phone call, an email, a Facebook message, a text or this blog, I have tried to keep up with as many friends and family members as possible. (Side note: I know I am slacking on keeping in touch with some of you so I will try my best to get better at this)  While these ways of communication are good at times nothing beats seeing your friends and family in person and getting a huge from them.  This exactly what has happened to me the past two weeks and what is going to happen again this weekend.

Two weekends ago, so Halloween weekend, my parents were in town for a conference my dad attended and of course to visit me and meet my roommates.  They arrived on Friday evening and I picked them up, drove them to my house, gave them a little tour and then headed to dinner with my roommates.  We went to a family owned Italian restaurant called Franconello's which is right down the street from our house.  We all enjoyed a delicious dinner and was joined by J-Bird and Julie at the end of our meal.  Then it was time to hit up Western so we went to Rhino bar with all the St. Rita people.  My parents got to experience Rhino bar first hand.  They met all the people who work at St. Rita and my mom  yelled  "Oh my goss This place is so fun!" as soon as she walked in the door so I think they had fun haha.  After the early night at Rhino we went to our hotel in the city for a good night's sleep before our big day in the city.  Saturday morning we got up and did the grand tour of downtown Chicago.  Mom thought it would be a good idea to do her hair as she does every morning until she stepped outside to The Windy City and there was no fixing it.  The tour included a lot of walking to the Bean, Millenium Park, Navy Pier, Michigan Ave, deep dish pizza at Giordano's, and the top of the John Hancock building for an expensive martini.  Then it was back to the Palmer House hotel to rest till dinner at this amazing seafood place called Hugo's Frog Bar which was amazing food but a long wait past our reservation time.  After dinner we met two of my roommates, Molly and MC, at the hotel so we could change into our halloween costume (Ghostbusters complete with backpack :) check out the pictures on facebook!!) and head out on the town for a fun halloween night.  The night was fun and very entertaining, including eating apple pie in the hallway outside my parents room with a cow! HA!  Sunday Mom let me sleep in and we did a little tour of Beverly and my work (she got very quiet when I pulled onto Michigan Ave).  The afternoon we went back downtown to shop on Michigan Ave/the Magnificant Mile which can be drastically compared to my not-so-magnificant mile of Michigan Ave in Roseland.  The day ended with a great dinner at a steak house with my mom, dad, and one of my dad's co-workers.  Monday my dad and I had to work but my parents took a cab to my office in the afternoon and then it was off to the airport to catch their plane home.

Tuesday of that week was also a fun time.  My dad had told me about a jazz night downtown that his company was hosting.  Since my parents flew home Monday night, my dad gave my roommates and I the invite to go.  So we went and had a blast!! I tried to serve as a representative of Dad and NJM/CLI but I didn't know many people there; although I did get introduced to the owner (co-owner?) of the company Michel LaPierre who was very nice and glad to meet me.  The best part of the night was when Marla, who had a lot to do with the set up of the party, gave my roommates and I one of the trivia questions that was going to win a digital camera.  Funny part about this is that MC had lost her camera at a bar a week before we came to Chicago so she was in need of one.  So extroverted Janine marched right up to the dance floor when the guy was going to ask the question and as soon as he said, "What is BB Kings Birthday? Day and Year?" Before he could even get year out, I yelled "September 16, 1925!!!" The guy then gave me a look and was like "how did you know that? can you prove it?" "I just know it!" I said.  Then I was like, "I'm Jim Moretti's daughter I just know it!" Then the response was, "O jeez really? Jim cuts my checks, here its yours!" As soon as he put it my hand I jumped up and down and everyone clapped!" So thanks Marla for giving us a heads up, thanks Dad for letting me name drop, and your welcome MC for the camera that has already been put to great use!!!

This weekend was girls weekend because Griffin was in Milwaukee for a conference so Kerry Wulpern came to visit and Carolyn Bartlett from Merrimack came to visit Molly.  We had a really fun weekend packed with lots of laugher, a fieta night with Margaritas, and dancing.  Friday I had to work but Kerry, Molly, and Caroline came to visit me at the office and I gave them a quick tour/explanation.  After our Mexican dinner on Friday night and then we hit up Rhino bar and some continued on to Brewbakers.  Saturday we slept in and the girls went into the city to walk around Michigan Ave.  I met up with them for deep dish pizza then came home to rest before our house party on Saturday night.  Sunday Kerry and I went into the city and did the boat Architectual Tour which brought us throughout the Chicago River telling us about all of the buildings.  Mom was very jealous when I told her we did this but I told her she can do it when she comes in February.  We had a great time walking around on the beautiful day and catching up on life.  Monday morning I drove her to the airport after an exciting weekend in Chicago.

This coming weekend Kevin is finally coming into town and I am thrilled! I'm excited to show him the sites and where I work.  Were probably gonna spend some time in Wriglyville and around that area cause he is a boy and doesn't need to do the whole shopping on Michigan Ave.  I don't know what hes more excited about, seeing me or deep dish pizza :) I hope its the first one but I can understand his love for pizza.  

Having guests is a lot of fun but tiring as well.  I have enjoyed showing everyone Chicago and letting them experience my new life here. Chicago, Beverly, and Roseland are all wonderful places that are uniquly different and I love showing all my guests their highlights and their struggles.  So if anyone wants to come to Chicago to visit let me know and you can book a weekend!!

Fun fact: Chicago is actually built on a swamp and it got its name from an Indian territory named Chickagou