I'd like to poison your mind with wrong ideas that appeal to you

kind of cold outside

hmhaines@gmail.com (Holly) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:25:00 +0000

Winter has arrived like an uninvited guest who espouses wackadoo political and social opinions and eats all your food and goes into the bathroom for a 45 minute shower just as you're climbing out of bed because your bladder has finally become more important than sleep. Winter, you linger too long.

I spent the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Michigan without internet and got a lot of quality time with my niece. She's in the hilariously floppy stage of infancy where, if you're me, you make the baby pretend to punch herself in the face while saying, "Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" I am the model of maturity.

Oh, and tomorrow Fuse.tv is airing Fall Out Boy: Live From The Chicago Theatre. I was at that concert, and it was awesome. I can't wait to see the footage! I'm pretty sure that I'm going to recognize half the people at the stage barrier.

happy birthday, ava!

hmhaines@gmail.com (Holly) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 01:12:00 +0000

After waiting over a week past her due date to be born, I finally have a niece! Welcome to Earth, baby Ava Justine:

I have butternut and acorn squash, garlic, onion, carrots, and kielbasa roasting in the oven. This soup is gonna kick ass.

i voted this morning

hmhaines@gmail.com (Holly) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:03:00 +0000

fivethirtyeight.com on the left, puppycam on the right. The puppies are a cuddly distraction.

And now, we wait.

retail therapy

hmhaines@gmail.com (Holly) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:09:00 +0000

In honor of getting a paycheck once more, I went on a shopping trip in Lakeview this afternoon. I somehow managed to time it just right to avoid the worst of the crowds for today's Cubs game. It is a tricky science that involves remembering to check the Cubs schedule for home games and then doing some fast and loose math as to when you won't be crushed to death on the Red Line by enthusiastic sports fans.

I scored three pairs of super cute shoes for under $100! And a pie plate. For pie. As it is difficult to make blueberry pie without a pie plate, as I realized when I was compiling ingredients for said pie.

My very favorite purchase today was the black patent peep-toe spectators:

View from Atlanta

hmhaines@gmail.com (Holly) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:33:00 +0000

I've been back in Chicago for a few weeks. I started a new job on the 2nd and have subsequently spent all of September thus far scaling the learning curve, taking a lot of naps, and filing an epic amount of paperwork.

The view from my hotel suite in the Atlanta Marriott Marquis over Labor Day weekend.

Homework

hmhaines@gmail.com (Holly) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:37:00 +0000

Currently attending job training in Mountain View, California. There are mountains and legal U-Turns. Really good sushi. People whose faces I'm glad to see.

Back in Chicago on Monday. I miss the marble and wind that swirls the hair on the back of my neck, and the way the clouds huddle around skyscrapers as if they're seeking the first cup of caffeine at the office coffee machine.