Amy's Day Off

Friday I decided to take the day off, play hooky, take a mental heath day whatever you like to call it. I was due for one!  I get a lot of sick days at work and generally I like to plan something for the day that is if I'm not actually sick.  If its winter I like to just stay in bed for a while, watch bad TV, drink tea and read magazines all day.  If its nice out I like to go for long bike ride, read at a cafe outside or go to the beach.  So Friday I decided to first do some garden work-boy does my condo yard have a lot of weeds!


  Then went to my favorite cafe for lunch called Milk and Honey had this amazing cream of mushroom soup with truffle oil and some home made lemonade which went perfectly together.

After I went to go work with my friend Margo at her studio.  She makes these amazing soy/bees wax candles.  I enjoyed the afternoon helping her out boxing up candles for shipping. I love working at her studio is smells so good, in the spring smells like flowers and nature!  Her studio is so warm and inviting with rock posters everywhere and great tunes playing on the stereo. We laugh and sing and talk about life.  I would love to quit my job and work for her..maybe someday!
Tatine Candles

 To end out the day I then meet my friends for Friday drink "meeting" .  They decided to go to this place called Rainbo.  When I first moved here to Chicago it was the bar I went to the most. Its this dark bar with the windows blacked and old stage behind the bar and great old booths to cozy up in.  It used to be one of the smokiest bars around late at night.  Its so much better smoke free!  They change the art work up on the walls and this time they had some strange ventriloquist paintings like Charlie McCarthy and Howdy Doody.  It was so creepy and I felt like I was in some kind of Steven King movie. Was nice to catch up with friends and listen to some old 80's music oh and they have a photo booth!

Sometimes you just need to take a work day off and do something fun! 

Funny

I love to swim.  Its something I've done since I was very young.  I have so many memories of spending time at the neighborhood pool with my friends smelling like chlorine,  getting goggle marks on my eyes and eating ice cream every chance I could.   I was on the swim team when I was 6.

I loved swim meets eating jello out of the box to give us energy. It would turn your fingers whatever the color of the flavor of jello.  My mom saved my ribbons I won and I still have some of them. Now  I swim about a mile a week and its my favorite workout because I don't have to worry about sweating.  It feels like mediation when I'm gliding through the water.  About 6 years ago I discovered a radio you could get that was waterproof so I could enjoy music while swimming.  Then I discovered ipod waterproof containers so I can listen to my favorite tunes while swimming.  It really helps motivate me and I even sing to myself underwater!  Only problem is swimming makes me very hungry so I always want to eat a bag of chips when I'm done!

 

My sister and her kids in Australia don't see to many VW Beatles over there so when they see one they do that whole punch buggy thing.  Being a kid at heart myself several years ago I have been spotting this pink pig bug car and couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it. I told my sister and her family about it and they loved that someone would do that. One time I was on my bike and I heard this oinking sound in the distance and it was the car! I was cracking up and almost fell off my bike.  I finally found this photo on line and wanted to share it.

pink pig car by funnybunnytoes

Has been really nice spring here in Chicago so far. Though we did have a really cold day this week and saw some light snow flakes. Everything is starting to bloom. I love spring here since our winters are so long. Just being outside and feeling the sun is such a gift. For the things that have happened to my family recently I cherish these days even more. When I'm on my runs or bike rides listening to new music I think about how lucky I am to have such great friends and family. Some highlights from the week. Seeing Robbie Fulks play at my favorite venue THE HIDEOUT. He is playing every Monday night at 7 which makes it easy to get home early on a week night. 

 

Tried Bikram yoga which is a series of yoga poses done in a room about 95 or something. Feels like a sauna and its very challenging. I think I like the normal yoga better but good for me to try something new.

 

My friends and I have our after work "meetings" every Friday where we get together at different bars and share our weeks stories and just laugh and have some fun. This week was the Map Room 

 which was packed because a beer convention for craft beers was going on so lots of beer geeks on hand and some free samples and food. We had to leave to relocate because some of our friends couldn't get in because the bar was full so we went to our old standby The Green Eye. My friend Bill will need to scout some new locations for the spring/summer season because we like to be outside. Last night I went the Hideout again and saw a sold out show from a musician Bill Callahan. It was just him and his guitar. Everyone was so into it and not a sound from the crowd. His songs are really sad about loss, love, family and he sings a lot about birds and trees. I enjoyed it though I felt like I needed a shot of whiskey when it was over.  Spent my Sunday going to see my friend Carter who is selling records at this record fair.  I love looking through old albums brings back memories! And ended up at one of my favorite lunch spots Milk and Honey.

Starting a blog not really sure why. I'm a 40 something single person looking for adventures. I don't always know what I'm doing. Gee I need all the help I can get most of the time! I don't think your ever too old to learn something. I'm looking for any inspiration and I find it in everyday people, places and things. Music has always been a part of my life and I try to find new bands and spread my discoveries. My friends and family are very important to me and help me create so many memories and share the good and the difficult times. At the end of the day I am grateful for so many things.