Boys and summer.

Friday night I went to Willie Nelson at Rivenia with Jason's crazy but fun co-workers/friends. We drank amazing wine and were pretty obnoxious on the train ride back to the city, as you can see. (Jason and Crescent not pictured.....we were on the other side of the aisle)

Saturday we got up super early and went to Jason's softball game and then right from there to Madison for a delayed Father's Day. I would like to be back on the road looking at this exact sky again. The ipod was playing the jams and besides Jason almost falling asleep at the wheel it was a lovely drive.

Once we got to my sister's Jason and my brother-in-law went to play golf. When they came back we all had a giant rib dinner. Jason tried the sauce called Devil's Spit which grosses me out for some reason. Maybe because it's called SPIT!?? Sick.

Then Sunday we had the Katzfeys over for an afternoon bbq and tried not to get rained on but did anyway.

Elizabeth practiced for her senior pictures in front of this window. Doesn't it look like a senior picture backdrop? If only we would've coaxed her into the famous back of hand on side of face pose it would have been perfect.

MATH!

Look at those two trying to convert tablespoons to cups or something. They were huddled over the cook book like that for about 30 minutes. Eventually they figured it out and went on to make the best hot wings on the grill of all time! (hot wings not pictured)

Also, it's been a stressful week at work and yesterday I took a break (for once) around 2:00 and went to the park across the street. It smelled like flowers and had a fountain. Jason can attest that that is a magical combo for me. I am going to go every day now. well until they shut off the fountain.

Ouch! That's my artery you're clogging!

Jeeze, Jason. Next time you buy steaks for dinner at your boss's's's's's house could you not be so stingy and get the large size? All sarcasm aside, that was one amazing steak.

My Weekend Was A Zoo....hardy har.

Saturday - Jason and I volunteered at Chicago Cares Serve-a-Thon. It was so much fun. We worked on a mosaic (the letter "e"....it was a part of the school's name). We helped paint the USA map on the playground and we even dusted and sorted a room in the library. Then we were bused back to Grant Park for the after party which was a blast.

the e in progress.

Complete! (Starring Graham and Joe and Jason)

The Ethadoth Unidoths.

LOOK OUT! They've gone crazy with caring! (private jokes.....not to be confused with jokes about privates.)

Sunday - Jason, Fred and I went to the zoo. Highlights: a cougar wanted to eat this one baby. We rode the carousel. Talked to some ducks.

Then I had off yesterday and spent most of it hanging out with Calaban watching movies. It would've been more fun if he would've just found SOME way to get comfortable and relax a little. That cat has some major stress issues. (PS - he slept like that for a solid hour without moving)

Sometimes My Job Rules.

Lunch at the Library

I finally ventured into the Harold Washington Library yesterday over lunch. It is large. LARGE! I got lost a couple of times but finally found my way to the 7th floor and they had both the Tom Perrotta novels I've been looking for. It ruled.

Being in there made me so homesick for my mom though. She is the queen of the library. Any library. She took me every Saturday when I was little. We knew all the librarians and would spend HOURS there. I have a vivid memory of listening to a tape of short ghost stories at a table in the children's section during thunderstorms. It was my favorite thing to do. That and there was one stone structure in a stairwell that I used to either sit on or lean against. I can't remember which, but it was always cool and I loved it.

A fireman looked up my mom's skirt at a library when she was younger so the first thing she always tells me when I go to a new one is "Look out for perverts." Then she tells me the fireman story again. It kills me every time. I always wonder how she knew he was a fireman but I always forget to ask.

GI Jason

Jason's latest half awake morning conversation with me.

(I walk into room to put on shoes and perfume like I do every single day. Jason JUMPS straight up and gasps with fear)

Crescent: Jason! It's just me!

Jason: Whoa. Dude. I thought you were Kobra Kai. I had him wrapped around my arm and was trying to karate chop him off.

Crescent: Nope. It's just me honey, you are safe.

Jason: Kobra Kai!

Crescent: Kobra Kai.

Jason: Yeah.

Crescent: I dreamt an entire novel about these older women looking for love at their condo swimming pool and the main lady finally did with a french guy who said he was thirteen but was obviously in his 60's.

Jason: Whoa!

Crescent: Yeah and OH! I dreamed we were taking care of a little gray puppy and he was so sweet but too scared to tell us that he needed to go out and no one had taken him out in days so he peed on his leash.

Jason: Nope! If he does that again you tell him we'll have to send him on the ROAD!

So apparently we can't keep dream puppy after all.

hello.

Look who I met this weekend....

It's Chester the hedgehog! He hissed a lot but had the cutest nose I've ever seen.

That's all I got today because I'm heading out early. I also feel like I have some turkey stuck in my throat so hopefully I won't have to give myself the maneuver on the train.

Have an exciting and fun Monday. right.

Summertimes.

What a fun weekend. Saw a movie. Had a good friend from NYC in town. Had a giant BBQ. Spent Monday with my friends and their adorable baby girl. I WANT ONE!!!!!!! NOW!~!!!! YOU HEAR ME BABY GODS?????

whoops. Sorry. Deep breaths. Back to the weekend.

Here is the BBQ on Sunday in a nutshell.

Here is Monday in another nutshell. Again I say....I.....WANT..........ONNNNNEEEEE!!!!!!!

PS - Summer blockbuster season is almost here and I must urge ALL of you to be first in line to see.......Matt Katzfey in:

MOUSTACHE! He just wants peace on earth and to get it he'll blow up anyone who gets in his way.

Friday Jams.

HATS.

Jason let Matt borrow his new ball cap last night but told him he HAD to give it back at the end of the night. So after the art show Jason sent us to Gannon's for eats and ran home and came back with MATT'S hat on as collateral. They then swapped hats and the order of the universe was restored.

Then I tried on both hats and they hardly even fit over my very head top. I hope our kids get Jason's normal sized head and not my outlandishly large one. Otherwise it will be Freak County, population yipes.

dog

this is my friend's dog, Guinness. I love him so very much.

I wish I had more to say today but my brain and heart are completley consumed with thoughts of the long weekend and BBQs.

Hopefully I will have pics and stories after the weekend. Good ones. Not lame posts like this.

I lied. The Guitar Hero/Rock Band Megamix

Last one for today

A tape for Jason

test

A Very Dororthy Gale Weekend

Being home was so so great. I had such great talks with my sisters and brother in law and a really funny time with my parents. I didn't get to play as much Rock Band with my nephew as I'd wanted to but still just an all around great visit.

I had a cold the whole time but honestly there's no better place to be than with family when you are coughing up lungs and what not. My oldest sister took such good care of me.

I came home to an empty house. Jason left me.

JUST kidding. He went to see his parents in Wisco for a few days. I must say I already miss him in an unhealthy way. I thought I would really enjoy the quiet time alone but by 9:00pm I was totally bored and ready for him to come home. Alas, alack, I have to wait until Wednesday. WEDNESDAY! I have plans the next two nights though, so that should help.

Wow. Whose totally bored off their ass with this post? Me too. Let's just look at a couple pictures.

The Original Allen 5. I love how hard my mom (in red) is laughing in this pic. I think I was pinching her butt maybe.

Here's Kendra trying to open an umbrella that two seconds earlier had dropped a dead spider on me when I tried to open it. That's why my mom is laughing so hard in THIS pic.

Annnnnd here is my dad's new truck. Those of you that know my dad will understand why this is the most hilarious and out of character purchase yet totally right on at the same time. Those of you that don't know him, trust me. It's hilarious. And yes....somewhere in that truck I'm sure my mom is still laughing hysterically.

Shhhicken

Jason made baked chicken for the first time last night. It was a big event and very chicktastic.

Unlike my stupid lunch today. I just had one of those "I have no idea what I want so I'll accidentally buy and eat totally sick food."

I walked outside and was cold and decided to get a sandwich from 7-11. I know. Brainiac. So I got a chicken salad on whole wheat, a string cheese and a pack of cup of soup (actually we have this for free at work). I got to the check out and looked up and there are five....FIVE pigeons INSIDE the 7-11. Well that got my bile a risin'. As I walked I started trying to imagine myself eating this sandwich I just bought at the pidge pidge house and realized it was going to be tough. BUT I had no more cash and didn't want to take more out so I just tried to tough it out.

With my last dollar I figured I would get some Baked Lays out of the machine to go with my powder soup and bird flu but what happens? Well I put in my quarters and hit vend and the bag gets stuck. I did a backwards 5 count to avoid a kick fit and put in two more quarters and hit vend thinking I'd end up with two bags of chips. Second bag gets stuck too. So I gave up. Not just on the chips, on everything. Just kidding. But I thought about it.

Soooo I ended up just eating the crust around the chicken salmonella sandwich and my soup. It was all just as sick as you imagine.

That a part of my personality I just will never understand. It vexes me daily. Why do I do stuff like that? Like what goes through my brain that makes me think that will be a decent lunch? And old sandwich and hot water and salt powder? I could've done so much more with that $5. But there's some weird spazzy part of my melon that leads me to make such weird decisions for myself. This is why I don't really like too much alone time. I simply can't be trusted.

Weak.

Wow it's been a whole week since I blogged! Matt must be huddled up in a corner shaking and whispering "no no no no no no no" over and over.



I just don't have a whole lot to say. I have a cold. The kind that makes my ears itch and my throat burn. Sexy.



I am going to see my family this weekend for Mother's Day, my mom's birthday and just some needed sister time on Friday night. I've been really homesick so I think it will be the shot in the A I need to perk up a little bit.



So until I have something interesting to say or ponder here are some random cell phone pics.

Blurry church.

Clouds and sun.



Cat from space.

Hump it UP.

The end of hump day is near and I'm feeling much less ragarrific today. I got some rough mixes of the songs I sang back up for on my friends upcoming album. They sounded really great and I'm excited to hear them fully mixed.

My boss called me from her trip to make sure I wasn't feeling dumped on at work, which I'm not, but it is really good for my constitution to work for someone that is aware of that being a possibility.

I have a party to go to tonight for a dear friend from my old job that just got a new job...way to go her. I plan to drink some Makers on the rocks and really give the ol helgado a run for its money.

That's it. But that's not nothing so I'll take the something.

worst. blog. post. ever.

Now...for no reason at all.....my mom in a tree house.

Love,

Crescent

Surly and Pinchy

I feel both of the above. I had to be at work at 7:00 a.m. (as in "am I serious?" yes.) I really was fine until I hit the 1:30 mark and then I became bitter and sleepy. These are the dwarfs in my fairytale. Surly, Pinchy, Bitter and Sleepy. Okay Sleepy is already taken by that pasty uptight Snow White. How about Lethargic. Surly, Pinchy, Bitter & Lethargic the Dwarfs.

Anyway, the fact that my tolerance for people just being people wanes so much during a long day like this is not good. I need to work on that. Someone just offered me a tart (the dessert, not an easy dame) because "Today was extra sweet because of you so have a sweet!". I mean that's very nice right? But for some reason it made me want to karate kick the wall for an hour with just one leg. My right one. It's the strongest.

Good thing I never got a job as like a teamster or something.

I have no picture for today because I'm just too over it. AH! Another dwarf. Over-It.

Okay here's a pic after all.

It means nothing. Just......like.....life. Just kidding. Life means something, don't worry.

Weak N Duh.

Friday - blue cheese burgers at Katzfey's. Watched a beautiful thunderstorm roll in and I was once again amazed at my freakishly in tune weather instincts. What I said as storm rolled in "I bet that will bring in a major cold front behind it and by the time we leave it will be in the 40's." I was right. Yet another career option I overlooked.

I had the bright idea to try and spit into the grill while Jason and Matt were waiting for the coals to heat up but then chickened out and made Anne do it. It was as sizzly and great as I'd hoped. And grossed out the guys which was goal number 2.


Saturday - Gannon's for beer and bloodys with Jason. Then home for some major nap time with Calaban. Again...when will this cat get the stick out of his ass and learn to relax a little bit! GOD! Look how uptight he is?

Happy Admins Day Everyone!

So far I've had the best day I've had in awhile. I got roses and a gift card and a fancy lunch and business cards and a high five.

Diamond Fortune You Say?

I had a dream last night that someone was breaking into our apartment. I was so scared and ran to Jason but he wasn't there so I started saying "Please take anything just don't hurt me.....we are pretty broke anyway I don't really know what to give you but just PLEASE don't stab me!" (I'm really afraid of being stabbed, my whole life. I mean I suppose everyone is. It's not like a fear of mice or something that can be conquered. No one really ever wants to conquer a stabbing phobia I guess.)

The intruder then grabbed a pen (I was assuming he was going to stab me with that) and started to back me into the corner of my dining room. It was all totally movie style with me falling backward into shelves and loudly knocking stuff over. So finally I'm crouched against a wall and he takes off his sky mask (so cliche', I know) and then starts taking off his coat and underneath is a suit! He's a lawyer! He says "Relax! I'm just hear to get your signature on this diamond fortune you've inherited!" and sure enough he was on the level. He had the papers and the diamonds in a wine box.

I was so relieved. I really wasn't up for another nightmare after the "hee hee ghost lady" from two nights ago. There's really not much to tell about that one except that all the lights in my apartment were out and as I walked by the bedroom door I heard a really creepy woman's voice singing/saying "heeee heeee heeeeee". Scared the crap out of me. I woke up with a goosebump suit on.

I don't think I have any pictures for today. I meant to take a pic of the steaks Jason made last night, but again, too hungry.