Big dreams.

Most young adults, I think, don't get to be too picky about their first apartment. We focus on what we can afford in a location near our job or where employment options seem good. Hopefully the neighborhood isn't too shady and there's a grocery store nearby. From my perception at least, the details don't matter too much.

My apartment was more or less chosen for me. I didn't look at a single place in the city and committed to living here before I even saw it. But we worked with it, and these days it doesn't look too shabby, if I do say so myself. The location is even substantially better than I originally expected. All things considered, I've got a pretty sweet deal worked out.

Still, living independent from my parents in a real adult apartment has taught me many things to be aware of when considering living arrangements in the future that I otherwise may not have considered (run-on sentence? Sorry). A lack of the following items will more or less be deal-breakers when I'm ready to make the next move:
-a very large kitchen sink
-a garbage disposal
-substantial bathroom counter/mirror space (double sinks would be magic)
-storage, storage, storage
-a foyer/mudroom area
-normal sized ceilings so I don't have to pull a ladder out every time I need something on the top shelf

This is sort of a boring list. It's not like "a breakfast nook" or "rooftop access" or "a jacuzzi bathtub". I expect to have plenty of time later on to be picky about those things. For now, I would just die to be able to wash a pot without constantly bumping the faucet.

The Mayan's were lyin', nobody's dyin'.

Thanks for those words of wisdom, Justin Biebs.

I want to write a New Year's post, perhaps to formally acknowledge the season, but I'm not sure what to write. I feel like I had a bunch of good ideas late in December, but I've either forgotten them or realized they weren't so great.

So what am I doing here...

Well, I think I'll just say that I believe this year will be wonderful and exciting. I've already started out with a trip to Miami Beach. Currently I'm on day 3 of a post-holiday cleanse that requires me to eat nothing but fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and plant oils. I probably gorged too much on trail mix yesterday, but technically that's not cheating and I'm proud to have come this far. Other things I look forward to:

• My sister Michelle is having a baby :) another girl according to the sonograms, to be named Abigail. I love babies.
• I will finish grad school! It's an odd thought, being done with school forever, since that's all I've ever done. I'm fairly confident that I'll be able to find a job, but I'm nervous that I won't find one I really love. The biggest plus to all this: income. (Which of course comes with more bills...meh). 
• I'm determined to become a better runner. I've been stuck at 3 miles for over a year, but I'm hoping to do the Soldier Field 10-mile in May. Injuries and laziness beware, I will overcome you.
• I really really really hope to have some time off after graduation to visit my dearest friend Linda in Boston! This year will be a year for traveling.
• Thomas has some big work ideas. Before the holidays he had his first appointment as an official stylist! Let me know if you need one...
• My other sister Anna plans to get her own apartment (fingers crossed...you can do it Anna!)
• My mama will get a part-time job after leaving her career last year. Hopefully one she loves!
• Drew and Maria are getting married! I love weddings about as much as I love babies.

I just have a good feeling about 2012. I love to see things working out for everyone. Keep on the up-and-up, folks.

Decembrrrrrr.

Starting December off on a good note: by skipping my last class of the semester.

Okay maybe not. I feel kinda lame about it. My logic was that I have a paper due Monday and I really need to just take a break before I dive into it for the entirety of today, Saturday, and Sunday. I also haven't run in a week because I've been too busy. So skipping class would give me time to do that. Furthermore, my professor doesn't take attendance and we're not having a real class today.

The downside? 1. I paid for that class. 2. It just feels like a weak finish.

Oh well.

So what's in store for December?

Holiday party! Museum of Science and Industry Christmas trees! My cats in sweaters! Maybe my sister and niece visiting! Actually being able to afford gifts this year! Books!

And one thing I'm quite excited for, I'm taking the Runner's World challenge to run at least one mile every day in December. One mile is nothing, it's just carving out time to do it. I think the only days I'll struggle with will be the days I have my internship (MWF through the 14th). But it's no big. I'll do it.

And now if you don't mind, there's a needy cat on my lap trying to hijack my hands for petting.

Finale

Well, by Wednesday I was too excited about taking a small Thanksgiving break from the semester that the last thing I wanted to see was a computer. Thursday again there were clearly way better things to do. Finishing out this series seems a bit anti-climactic now that it's officially the holiday season, BUT I'll send this off right. I do think it's helped a tad; I'm still quite worrisome but occasionally I've been comforted by thinking about what I have to be grateful for. Here are some overarching ones that I am always thankful for.

Thomas, our apartment, our kittens, and my life in the city
having transferred to UIC
incredibly wonderful parents, the kind who call their vegetarian daughter the night before Thanksgiving and ask "would you like me to bring you a spaghetti squash?"
my grandparents' house
that many of my really great friends wound up in the same city and that those in other places are still just as great of friends

Day 13

This morning I woke up planning to run before work. This is probably the 12th time I've planned this since I started running again in September, and I've never accomplished it. Today I did! As soon as I got out the door it was rainy and cold and I resigned myself to giving up after a mile. But I didn't! And then I got to work and wasn't bored all day because there was actually plenty for me to do. And then Thomas and I went out for a lovely dinner. And then I ate too many cookies.

Today I am thankful for:
getting my butt out of bed
days at work when I can listen to my ipod and mindlessly enter data
my thoughtful mommy (who is making me spaghetti squash for Thanksgiving)
yummy Thai food
tea

Day 12

Today was interesting. I got up to go to my internship, and halfway to the train I realized that Thomas had borrowed my UPass yesterday and I had forgotten to get it back. I decided withdraw some money from the ATM; since that would require walking back in the opposite direction, I decided to take the bus and transfer to a train rather than my usual route. Then I realized I'd have to pay twice as much for the transfer, and decided just to double back and go to the original train route. I got to the ATM and first had to transfer money to the right account via Chase Mobile, but logged on and found out that the service was unavailable. I went home and gathered up the change in our coin jar and there was enough to get to the work but not to make it home.

So I resigned myself to calling in.

Luckily my class tomorrow was cancelled so I'll just make up my hours then.

I spent the day getting a lot of homework done and finished a final paper (which means I'm totally done with 2 of 4 classes!).

Funny how things work out.

Today I'm grateful:
for a very generous and kind boss
for discovering that i like split pea soup! vegan and lots of protein.
that my class is cancelled tomorrow
that all the people who thought the new experimental poverty measure would prove that poverty isn't as big a deal as bleeding hearts make it out to be were proven wrong and it's actually worse than we thought (not that I'm grateful for more poverty, I'm grateful that there's more evidence that something needs to be done). check it http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/us/poverty-gets-new-measure-at-census-bureau.html

Day 11

Today I am thankful:

for pumpkin candles
for homemade pizza co
that I can write a good paper
that i dont own a car in the city