Annabelle Speaks

Soup Aisle Smackdown

Dear small, downtown grocery store,

I understand that as a smallish grocery store smack in the middle of down-town Chicago that you can't carry every product I could ever need or want.  Real estate is expensive and you only have so much space.  However, maybe if you cut down on the dried-bean soup mix collection you would be able to stock one damn bag of dried lentils.

Sincerely,

Anne

How To Freak Out Your Boss In Three Easy Steps

STEP ONE:  Get a college degree in something business-y, and then a related job in business-land where you are required to dress at least "business casual".

STEP TWO:  Be very good at your job and get promoted to a level where you are client-facing and doing sales and bringing in business and other important business-y things.

STEP THREE:  Show up to work on St. Patrick's Day looking like this:

Come on, you know they are fake clip-ins.

I love St. Patrick's Day.  I don't do much to celebrate other than wear green (since I don't like Irish foods like corned beef), but I do enjoy showing my Irish Pride via my clothing and hair.  With a name like Anne Fisher I might not sound like I have a lot of Irish in me, but you only have to go up one generation to my mom and her siblings (Michael, Kathleen, Colleen, and Maureen) to find the Irish names.  And I have green eyes!  That has to count for something.

But even with green hair (for the day), I hardly stand out in a city that does this to their river every March.

The normal shade of green isn't quite this bright.

It's The End Of The World As We Know It (and I feel...lazy)

If you were to listen in on the weather forecasts and news reports and office on-goings around here you would think we have never gotten snow before.  I realize that a foot and a half of snow and crazy wind is going to be highly uncomfortable and inconvenient and gross, but it is likely not the end of the world.  I've gotten email alerts about closed schools, train and bus changes, closed doctor offices, canceled flights - it seems like people are all but evacuating the city.  SAVE YOURSELVES!!!!

Me?  I'm debating working from home tomorrow mostly because I'm kinda lazy.  I mean, if I can stay warm in my house and work in my pajamas, why not?  Then again, if I were motivated and organized enough to work in my house in my pajamas, I'd do it more often.  There is a reason I don't (see: lazy).  So I think it is more likely that I'll be one of four people braving the elements tomorrow morning to commute downtown.  But I think I'll bring a change of clothes in case I get stranded and crash at my friend Jenn's house.  Because at least there I know we'll be stocked with wine.  I've got priorities, people.

Phoning It In

My parents fly in tomorrow for an extended-weekend visit, and I'm a bit pressed for time.  So you'll have to forgive me for totally phoning it in today with an iPhone picture-dump.  The collection of strange crap I come across on my commute sometimes amazes even me.

First up - Bad Idea Jeans:

Those are some special, special pants there.  It amazes me when I see people wearing odd things like this (and there are A LOT of young men in Chicago wearing jeans with elaborately decorated asses) not simply because some particular person opted to buy and wear these pants - but some company designed them and they went through an approval process to be produced and sold in some store somewhere and REALLY?  Those jeans?  Amazing.

Ben Franklin was clearly hitting on me on the subway the morning I took this picture.  What other possible explanation is there?

The sign-hanger was having an indecisive sort of day when he put up these signs.

This car would not be noteworthy at all, if it weren't for the car parked three spaces down.

Now I want to know if the owners of these cars are friends.  In college they were roommates and would trade clothes, now they trade panels of their cars around.  Sharing is caring.

I hate to end with this, but at the same time I can't resist.  I never had nightmares about ice cream until I saw this Dairy Queen truck downtown near my office.  This is like the Wheelers - something I will never quite get out of my head.

I have to apologize in advance for the nightmares that could cause.  That ice cream truck is out for BRAAAAAAINS.

And now you know why I don't actually need coffee to wake up in the morning.  With a commute like this, who would?