Illinois Politics and Government

I really have no words to write about what's been happening in Illinois recently. But I received the following in an email, and wanted to share.

The Illinois Christmas Song
To the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"

Get packin', Rod Blagojevich
The state's in disarray
The Tribune wants you unemployed
At least by Christmas Day.
The TV pundits want your head
Could there be pay to play?
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Save Illinois!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

Good riddance Rod Blagojevich
Your Elvis look's inane,
The Senate's mad, so's Lisa's dad.
You drive us all insane.
Our transit's broke, the state's a joke,
The Tollway's one big pain.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Save Illinois!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

Good luck old Rod Blagojevich
The feds have quite a place.
Fitzgerald's poked his nose around
And if he has a case,
George Ryan's moving stuff around
Creating extra space.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Save Illinois!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

First Bears Game for Nikki Z

Cold, Thursday evening.

Wearing my many winter layers.

(Thank goodness I grew up in MN and know how to dress for the weather).

Joined by my fun coworkers.

45 yard line...7 rows up.

Priceless.

November visit to Los Angeles

I had a nice break from the chilly Fall, and spent a few days in Los Angeles. I was able to visit my brother, Christopher, and meet his partner, Dustin.

We had a very fun day at Disneyland.

We even got out one night for some Southern cooking, arcade games and bowling.

And my final day was spent with Christopher at Laguna Beach. It was VERY difficult to get on a plane and fly back to chilly Chicago after spending a day here.

History in Grant Park

I've had a lot of people ask me if I was in Grant Park for Obama's acceptance speech. Sadly, I wasn't. I know it was history in the making, and it would have been so moving to have been there. But no, I preferred to be in my pj's on my couch.

Our offices actually closed at 3pm, as they encouraged us all to go home to avoid the traffic and crowds. Anyone that was in Grant Park that Tuesday night had purchased tickets 6 weeks beforehand. The tickets sold out in about 2 minutes. Anyone else that was down near Grant Park that night was ushered to another section of the park to watch the speech from a jumbotron.

240,000 people.
Those were the estimates I heard from the night. So yes, I appreciated that I could curl up on my couch and watch history in the making.

Universe Turned Upside Down?

Well, when your universe is turned upside-down, what does a girl do to cheer herself up? She takes it back old school and goes to a Madonna concert!
"You Must Be My Lucky Star!!!"

Let's just say...that 50 year-old can steal a show. Not to mention that she's in better shape than most of her 20 year-old dancers. Ridiculous.
"Strike a Pose, There's Nothing To It"

Definitely one of my top concerts! She played a lot of new songs, but also brought out some of the good IC tracks. While the gospel choir was missing, 'Like A Prayer' was the BEST song of the night and actually gave me goose bumps. Sounds corny, but it was a spiritual moment.

If your universe is off its rocker, just find your peace.

Recession...now slight Depression

I didn't get a chance to blog last weekend as I was working (boooooo), but yes, a slight depression has hit north Chicago. Last Saturday the Cubs failed to show up to play baseball and lost their chance for a miracle season. The whole series against the Dodgers was not pretty and not at all how the Cubs played their regular season.
At any rate, the mood will start to lift here and before we know it Opening Day will be here again.

The Deck Crawl

Yes, you've all heard of a Pub Crawl, but a Deck Crawl? My best friend lives in a mid-size condo building here in Chicago and this past weekend was their 3rd Annual Deck Crawl. This is where they wander around to each other's decks - eat and drink themselves silly - and just be good neighbors.
They pulled out all the stops this year and had themes to each deck:
Deck #1 - Wine, Cheese, Italian music. Great way to start the evening
Decks #2 & 3 - International House of Mystery - Ambiguous Beer, Suspicious Spread, Mysterious Meatballs. You get the idea. Not to mention cool glo-sticks as party favors.
Deck #4 - South by Southwest. Fabulous margaritas, taquitos, chips & salsa & guac. Awesome.
Decks #5 & 6 - It'll Shoot Your Eye Out. Holiday themed decks with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, hot buttered rum (that I burned my tongue on) and pomegrante champagne mixer (which I proceeded to spill all over my jeans...so not drunk either).
Decks #7-12 - College theme. Lord help us. Beer and wine funnels, jello shots, White Castle sliders, shootin' beers, and all 6 decks were streaming with toilet paper. Ridiculous.
Decks #8 & 9 - Fire and Ice. Hot spicy food and cool soothing drinks (including some great sangria). What a great way to end the evening!

Hmmm, maybe a way to spice up your next neighborhood gathering!?!?
Cheers!

It's Janet, it's Jackson, if you're nasty!

Yes, I once again was able to see Janet Jackson in concert. Her "janet" tour was the very first major concert that I attended - back in '93. I can still remember us at The Target Center - rockin' out to her dance moves, picking up oh so cool tshirts, and getting lost on the way out of Minneapolis.
The old girl is now 42 years old, and let me tell you that her latest concert is worth every penny. She brought out all of her hits, sang for 2 straight hours, and not to mention threw out all of her old and new choreography moves. To use my favorite line, "It was ridiculous!".

Guinnikki Fest

This past weekend was the Guinness Oyster Fest in Roscoe Village - one of the final neighborhood street festivals of the season. I saw this festival on the calendar of events about a month and a half ago and spread the word to my friends in Chicago that this festival SCREAMED my name. Oh, and the headliner at this street festival was Everlast. Are you kidding me? I've been following him since the House of Pain days. Ridiculous!
Anyway, as my coworker and I were sipping Guinness and waiting for Everlast, we decided that the festival should really be renamed the Guinnikki Fest. So I'm going to put my bid in for next year. hahahaha
BTW, had a fabulous time at the Festival and Everlast did not disappoint.

Labor Day Weekend

I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. I'm a little jealous of those that were able to enjoy the great MN outdoors, but I did have a very nice weekend in the city.

Starcom closed the offices on Friday, so I took the morning to pamper myself with a mani & pedi. Ladies, when you come to visit me, Pinky's Nail Salon is a place to stop. It's about 8 blocks from my place, really good pedicures and manicures, and to get both is only $40. Such a steal!
And Friday afternoon I focused on weddings. I visited St. Clement and spoke with the wedding coordinator and am actually headed back there this Friday to see how they lead rehearsals and then on Saturday I will be there to see how they run weddings. Obviously I'm well versed in both, but every place has their nuances. I'm hoping to be leading rehearsals and day of coordination by the end of the month. Exciting! After my meeting with Cathy, I then went and visited the Nature Museum as a location for potential clients. Very nice space that is right by Lincoln Park.

Saturday kicked off my favorite season - college football!! Woo-hoo! I met some friends at an Ohio State bar - McGee's - and it was MADNESS. I don't think I've ever been in a bar where the people are all fans of only one school. It was a sea of red and grey....and already ridiculous by 11am. For those that saw, it was a blow out, so I left before the 4th quarter and met some other friends at one of my favorite bars in Wrigleyville - Vines. We grabbed some food at Vines and got in line for Standing Room tickets to the Cubs game that afternoon. I will have to yell at all of my Chicago friends, because this was the first time I had heard of Standing Room tickets...and they're only $15!!! Seriously! Needless to say, I left the game in the 6th inning, as I had had too much sun, the beer isn't all that at Wrigley, and the Cubs were losing. But still a very FUN day!

On Sunday I met another friend out for a late lunch after church at another one of my favorite restaurants, uncommon grounds. It is near Wrigley, but not IN the chaos of it all. I love my Cubs and the fans, but sometimes I need a break (and they had home games all weekend!!!). Anyway, I swear I saw some of my Chicago friends more when I lived in MN, but such is life, so it was nice to connect with them this weekend. And then Sunday night I got my coworker to get out on the town with me and while we behaved ourselves, I wasn't sleeping in my bed until 5am on Monday! Definitely have not done that in awhile. And of course I paid for it on Monday by sleeping all morning and about half of the afternoon. But that is what long weekends are for!

That was the madness of this Labor Day weekend, and now I must turn my attention back to the Cubs game. They need to get back on their winning streak and I'm hoping tonight the tide will turn.

Cheers to you all and here's to a short work week!

I Found a Church!!!

Some of you know that I was struggling to find a new spiritual home in Chicago. Well, today I found it. I went to a Celebration at St. Clements Church and instantly knew that I needed to be a parishoner here.
http://www.stclementchurch.org/index.php
I happened to run into the Directory of Liturgy, and introduced myself. God is watching out for me, as they need female lectors and volunteers to help with weddings!!!

Ironically, this is a church that was recommended to me by someone I knew at the Basilica of St. Mary. I just had not yet visited the church until today. I struggle with patience, but sometimes the best things happen when you wait and follow God's pace. I didn't even realize that I had a a weight on my shoulders during my search, but I feel so refreshed and at peace now that I have found a home.

Thanks for all of your prayers!

Celebrate good times, c'mon!!!

As I listen to the Blue Angels rip it up in Chicago, I think 1) one of these times they are either going to come through my living room or 2) the noise from their engines will blow out my windows and 3) of skywriting.

So think of a big Happy Birthday in the sky to:
Mama Z, Shaun and Christopher!!
my Grandpa Zumwalde
my cousins - Bailee, Ian and Tim
my godson Quinton
and friends - Craig, Rebecca, Kathleen, Leah, Annita, Helge, Jay and Renee
I hope you all had a wonderful day!!!

And don't forget a big Happy Anniversary in the sky to:
Tim & Evie, Jen & Peter, Shaun & Andrea, Jenny & Ramzy, Michelle & Andy, Renee & Armand and Kris & Craig. May the year ahead in your marriage be full of blessings!

Blues Fest 2008

Fun was had by all as we celebrated our 9th anniversary of attending the Bayfront Blues Fest in Duluth, MN.

The weekend started with no O'Hare delays that got me into Mpls at noon on Friday. Kris, Craig, Rina and I made a brief stop at Great Water Brewing Co in St. Paul, and then we were on our way to Duluth. I do believe this was the first summer that 35 was not under construction - amazing!

Once in Duluth, we met up with Lorrie & Chad and Dawn & Helge and we headed to the Anchor Bar in Superior, WI. Amazingly, the tucked away table we love so much was open and we all gathered 'round. Beers and jalapeno burgers were ordered and we attacked everything. I love the Paul Molitor burger at the Nook, but this jalapeno burger is to die for.

Saturday brought all of us out to the Bayfront Blues Festival where we relaxed, listened to some great music, ate, told stories, teased each other relentlessly, ate some more, oh and of course drank ourselves through the afternoon. And we had a surprise guest - Mama Z!!!

Saturday evening brought us out to the Saratoga to listen to Big John Dickerson. We got in before the show and had really great seats. Big John did not disappoint, and even worked the pole a little bit. We ended our night with a trip to yet another strip club (what!??!) to hear Davina and the Vagabonds. Classy night! :-)Sunday was even more relaxed as we gathered for brunch at Pizza Luce for arguably the best Bloody Mary's in the Midwest, and then we said good bye to a few couples, and Lorrie, Chad and I headed back to the Blues Fest.

To the attendees: it was so wonderful to see all of you and keep our tradition alive. I miss you all!

You'll be missed, Maddie!

July Happenings

I cannot believe that July is almost over. It has been a whirlwind month filled with a trip to MT to see family, a visit from one of my best friend's, a few Cubs games, and many many Chicago street festivals. I can't believe where the summer has been going, but I have been enjoying every moment of it.

I spent the long July 4th weekend in MT visiting Shaun, Andrea and little Colter. I probably shouldn't say "little", our Mister is growing so fast.

And when Lorrie visited Chicago a couple of weeks ago, we hit up the Chicago Architecture tour. Check out my new home!

60 Magical Years

Last weekend was spent with my family in celebration of my grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. Can you even believe it!?!?

The weekend was filled with B-I-N-G-O, a trip to the Red Carpet, Up & Down the River, fireworks, Cold Spring Brewery Tour, a fish fry, too many stories to count, too many beers to count, a round of Scooby Snacks for the entire family, lots of laughter (and a little crying - Mary Kay), hundreds of mosquito bites, a few burns and bruises, a couple of cheers, and two wonderful people looking at the family they have made over the past 60 years.

Congratulations Grandpa and Grandma!! Hugs and Kisses!!

And Up Yours!

Celebrations

While I'm sitting here with my bottle of wine watching the Celtics clinch the NBA Championship (fingers crossed), there are some other celebrations that have occurred over the past few months.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my cousin Johnny, cousin Eli and cousin Bjorn. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jen, Nora, Kris, Joe, Rea, Izabela, Matt, Sarah, Pam, Scott, Zoe and Kerry!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Colleen and Peter, Kerry and Arturo, Shannon and Kent and Kerry and Dave!! Whether it was your 1st year anniversary or 9th year anniversary - congrats to you for your commitment to each other!

I hope you all enjoyed your special days and have a wonderful year ahead!

My MN Fix

It really was so wonderful to be back in MN a couple of weekends ago. It was great to see all my favorite neighborhoods, and more importantly, to see some best friends. The weekend started out interestingly enough. My flight was supposed to leave at 2:30pm, and I was finally in the air at 6:45pm . Just a slight delay. But then, maybe it was supposed to happen that way so I could run into Shannon at O'hare. Maybe next time I will actually be on your flight, Shannon!!

A HUGE shout-out to the crew -- Dawn, Helge, Kris, Craig, Lorrie, Chad, Jessica and Scotty -- for starting without me and making the sacrifice to hang out at Town Hall on a Friday night. I know it was tough! I miss you all alot, and am glad we had even a few hours to catch up over a few beers. I'm looking forward to BluesFest in August! Kris and Craig - thanks for letting me crash at your place.

Saturday brought a beautiful summer day to Minneapolis and I was so blessed to have the time to catch up with friends. Christine and Cara - I'm glad we could catch up over juice and "puppy dog tails". I miss working with you both, but am so proud of what you've accomplished in the year since we parted.

And then I ended the day with my college crew and all of us celebrating Nora and Chris' wedding! I am so happy I could make it back for this event, as it was fabulous to see each and every one of you. Nora, you looked so radiant!! And your wedding was exactly how I pictured it would be, and that is so special.

Kerry - we missed you and your family. Hopefully you can get back to MN to see all of us soon! Erin and George - thanks for letting me crash at your place.

Could it even be possible that Sunday was another beautiful summer day in MN? I was able to enjoy breakfast with my godson Quinton, and then visit with Leila, Aaron and Gabe who took me to a "new" part of town for lunch. Really? I haven't covered every area of the Twin Cities? Apparently!!! My visit to MN ended with my time with my 2nd family - Renee, Armand and The Girls. I'm living how many miles away and you still spoil me!?! Are you perhaps trying to lure me back to MN?!?!

To all of you that I saw a couple of weekends ago, you don't know how much the visit meant to me. It was SO wonderful to spend time with you...even if it was an hour or two. I love Chicago, but I still miss my "family" in MN. To all of those that I missed visiting, I hope to see you soon!

Happy Father's Day!!

When am I ever up to date on this blog? So I'm late in wishing all dad's a Happy Father's Day. Most importantly a Happy Father's Day to my dad. I'm bummed I couldn't see you, but a phone call is a good 2nd choice. Can't wait to give you a hug this weekend!
And of course a Happy Father's Day to my brother. I STILL can't believe you're a dad!!! And then there is a Happy Father's Day to all my friends/family that are fathers, uncles and godfathers.
I hope you enjoyed your day and realize how special you are!

Happy Mother's Day

This post is so late!! But I hope all of you mother's enjoyed your special day a few weeks back. My mom and I enjoyed the day together by walking in the Race for the Cure. It is so inspiring to be with the tens of thousands of people gathered to celebrate the survivors and remember those that we have lost to breast cancer.

Are You Ready for Some Football...er, Baseball?

My first Cubs game of the season happened to be this past Tuesday. Little did I know when I agreed to go to the game that it was going to be a balmy 35 degrees out. So I bundled up in long underwear (yes on April 29, I was wearing that!!), multiple layers, and my winter jacket. We all gathered around 6pm and went to Casey Moran's for a pre-game pint. Worst Guinness pour I've ever seen, but at least I was in good company.

Then our group proceeded to our rooftop. That's right, it was my first rooftop experience - which I highly recommend. If you can afford it, this is the way to go....unlimited brews, brats at the beginning of the game, then hamburgers in the 4th inning, and most importantly, private bathrooms! And the view!!!

Here are a few pics from the game. And just so you know, we stayed out on the rooftop the entire game. There were 40+ people in the enclosed room below us during the game. Wimps!

GO CUBS!

Scooters and Silly Sunday's

After my days of riding with friends on the back of their motorcycles, I had to swallow my pride to get on the back of my friend's scooter two weekends ago. But I did it.

Such a beautiful Sunday in Chicago and we drove around taking in the sights around the lake. As we went into Lincoln Park, we decided to stop for a beer.

8 hours later and too many Guinness to count I've had another Silly Sunday! Sorry mom and Lorrie for the drunk call. That definitely was a first for me.

But that is what friends and beautiful Sunday afternoons are for.

Here's to you and your next Silly Sunday!

Oh NO he didn't!!!

50-year-old man wearing a kilt.
On the corner where I live on Friday afternoon.
He's leaning over to make sure all of his packages are on the dolly that he's pulling.

A breeze.

Full shot of the bum.

Too much.
Too much.

Bad Commute

I have had worse commutes, but tonight was up there.

First of all there are no buses in sight on this rainy evening. I decide to take the train.

I get on the train, find a seat, and the horror begins.
The seat smells. Not sure who sat there before me, and maybe it's a mixture of wet fabric, but I am grossed out. Unfortunately, I'm blocked into my seat by a few people and I'm impatiently praying for this train to be the fastest train in Chicago.

Between my gag reflex, I have two people next to me having a debate on physics, mass, matter, theories.

Oh.
My.
Gosh.

To coin a co-worker's phrase, I just wanted to poke my eyes out.
Now, I'm not a superficial person, I am quite serious, and I do enjoy intellectual conversations.
But really? Does this loud debate NEED to happen on my commute home.

At last, a shining moment as the train pulls up to my stop. I get outside and begin to open my umbrella, with happy thoughts of getting home and unwinding, when the entire top of the umbrella pops off.
Seriously.
I try to reattach the top to the pole/handle, but it's an old, cheap umbrella and it is completely busted. Keep in mind it is now pouring outside, and having walked through a downpour earlier this week without an umbrella, I am determined to make this work. So I stuff the pole/handle into my purse, strain my fingers to pry open the umbrella, and briskly walk the 7 blocks home.

Umbrella is now in the garbage, I'm relatively dry, and enjoying a new TV show that my Cousin Jenny found....it's "Three Sheets" on MoJo. Check it out!

And here's to a better commute to all of you!

Recipe: Texas Corn Dip

Here's a light, fun dip for any occasion. This is courtesy of Auntie Linda.

1 can pinto beans
1 can black eyed peas
1 can shoe peg corn
1 large jar pimiento, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
2 tblsp jalapeno pepper, diced

Drain the beans, peas, and corn, and mix all the above.


1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper

Mix the above and bring to a boil. Cool. Pour over the bean mixture and refrigerate for 24 hours.

To serve, use slotted spoon to take out mixture from brine. Serve with Frito Scoops.

Photos from Christopher's ms Ryndam Adventures

For those that know my brother, Christopher, I hope that you have been checking out his blog too. Unfortunately, he has been unable to post pictures. As he has sent me a CD with photos, I've decided to post them on my blog.

He's having quite an adventure on the ms Ryndam, and I cannot wait to see him for the Alaskan cruise in May!!