Thursday, July 19, 2007
I saw a bunch of old friends this week, and again and again, they commented on the tan. In fact, one friend even said “I keep looking over at you and thinking….is that really Becky?”
Another friend said I should keep wearing white to show the contrast and my old boss said I must have brought the sunshine home with me from the cruise.
I fear I’m getting a little tan-obsessed…but having a tan is almost like having a baby or a dog—it’s an icebreaker, especially when I’ve been pale for so long.
And since many of these people are also seeing my co-worker/longtime friend Lauri, who is 8 months pregnant, it’s nice to bring something to the conversation.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Crew to Crew
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
I finally got to see Homer Monday night. I was in my work top and summer pj shorts, doing laundry when he and Andy burst into our front door, bristling with enthusiasm to go out. So, I put on some jeans, they changed from their show clothes and we headed out.
Only today, when he called to say hi did we remember that the first place we went after last seeing each other in Crew Bar on the Spirit was……Crew.
This Crew in Chicago is a gay sports bar, and the drinks cost a lot more then $1/bottle.
But when I’m there, I get to hang out with Andy, Cyndi, Paul and many more Chicago-based friends.
But man, I miss being able to walk down 7 flights of stairs to get to Crew Bar and not having to work in the morning.
Three times denied
Sunday, July 14, 2007
Rural Michigan--tan-ied
I headed up to Pinckney, Michigan, to get some face time with a friend’s new baby, hang out on her deck and play with her kids. Amy P and I headed out together and had a very relaxing time.
My friend, Jenn, has known me since high school. I was high on the many tan comments I had gotten since my return, and faithful readers will know that I’ve been working to keep the tan. Jenn, never once mentioned my tan, though she’s seen me pale every summer since the late 80s.
I finally asked her if she noticed my tan—and she said not so much. I then jerked down my t-shirt to wow her with my shoulder tan and she remained non-plussed. Amy even asked her privately, “You don’t think Becky is really tan?” Jenn denied me for a third time. She is my tanning Judas. Or is that Simon?
Rural Michigan--tan-ied
I headed up to Pinckney, Michigan, to get some face time with a friend’s new baby, hang out on her deck and play with her kids. Amy P and I headed out together and had a very relaxing time.
My friend, Jenn, has known me since high school. I was high on the many tan comments I had gotten since my return, and faithful readers will know that I’ve been working to keep the tan. Jenn, never once mentioned my tan, though she’s seen me pale every summer since the late 80s.
I finally asked her if she noticed my tan—and she said not so much. I then jerked down my t-shirt to wow her with my shoulder tan and she remained non-plussed. Amy even asked her privately, “You don’t think Becky is really tan?” Jenn denied me for a third time. She is my tanning Judas. Or is that Simon?
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Back to life...back to reality
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Back to work again.
After 5 months of not working in an office, I’m back to a desk job.
As desk jobs go, this is a really good one. The commute is easier then I remembered, I really dig my workmates and they were nice enough to take me back after the cruise.
But, my favorite thing is being downtown again in the summer. I’m right on the river, across from the Wrigley Building and next to the Tribune Tower.
It’s been lovely this week, and lovely to be back in the action.
Even if my tan is fading.
Friday, June 28, 2007
I’m home in good old Elyria, Ohio.
We went to Cedar Point, a lovely amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.
Once you enter the park, there are photographers waiting to take your picture to sell to you later. It felt like the cruise all over again.
I almost said “No thanks, I’m crew” as I walked by. At every gangway at every port on the ship, the photographers would await your exit and try to take your pic with a dolphin (for Dominican Republic) or a gnarly pirate (for all Virgin Islands) or a creepy faux-astronaut (for Port Caneveral). These costumed guys would man-handle you into the frame pretty quickly, so we’d scoot around them saying “Crew! Crew! No thank you, Crew!” to keep their mitts off of us.
My favorite ride at Cedar Point was the Millenium roller coaster. The first hill was tremendousouly steep and long.
Cedar Point is really great as far as theme parks go—it’s perched on a peninsula in Sandusky Bay, surrounded entirely by the blue waters of Lake Erie. When you ride a ride, you don’t see a highway and boring burbs and outlet malls, instead you see water and trees and a beach. I really love it there so much.
Here’s some rugrats who came along with me.
I’m home in good old Elyria, Ohio.
We went to Cedar Point, a lovely amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio.
Once you enter the park, there are photographers waiting to take your picture to sell to you later. It felt like the cruise all over again.
I almost said “No thanks, I’m crew” as I walked by. At every gangway at every port on the ship, the photographers would await your exit and try to take your pic with a dolphin (for Dominican Republic) or a gnarly pirate (for all Virgin Islands) or a creepy faux-astronaut (for Port Caneveral). These costumed guys would man-handle you into the frame pretty quickly, so we’d scoot around them saying “Crew! Crew! No thank you, Crew!” to keep their mitts off of us.
My favorite ride at Cedar Point was the Millenium roller coaster. The first hill was tremendousouly steep and long.
Cedar Point is really great as far as theme parks go—it’s perched on a peninsula in Sandusky Bay, surrounded entirely by the blue waters of Lake Erie. When you ride a ride, you don’t see a highway and boring burbs and outlet malls, instead you see water and trees and a beach. I really love it there so much.
Here’s some rugrats who came along with me.
Ad it up
Saturday, June 22, 2007
Last night, I met out some old advertising friends for Happy Hour at Pontiac in Bucktown. A lot of musicians and artists live in Bucktown, and then a lot of yuppies who gravitate towards those areas, because it’s cool, hip and they like to be around artistic types.
The Pontiac has a big outdoor patio with great people watching. A middle-aged man with a scowl on his pucker and a parrot on his shoulder walked by on North Avenue. Another lady walked by with a young man—who was either her son or her young lover.
I had a great time re-connecting with some of the advertising folk. They work really long hours and remind me a lot of the crew on the ship---they are in this career, and don’t see another option that involves a bit more work/life balance. When I worked in advertising, I regularly worked 12 hour days, for multiple days in a row. That’s how it is for the crew on the ship, too. Even though they’re dressing up in their little 70s wigs and churning out theme parties, they are still working a ton of hours.
Consequently, in both industries, they embrace the idea of “Work hard, party hard.”
It’s also tough to grow older in both industries…it’s very rare to find someone over 50.
And they sure all like to drink.
I left after about 2 hours to ride my bike home. Sober.
Last night, I met out some old advertising friends for Happy Hour at Pontiac in Bucktown. A lot of musicians and artists live in Bucktown, and then a lot of yuppies who gravitate towards those areas, because it’s cool, hip and they like to be around artistic types.
The Pontiac has a big outdoor patio with great people watching. A middle-aged man with a scowl on his pucker and a parrot on his shoulder walked by on North Avenue. Another lady walked by with a young man—who was either her son or her young lover.
I had a great time re-connecting with some of the advertising folk. They work really long hours and remind me a lot of the crew on the ship---they are in this career, and don’t see another option that involves a bit more work/life balance. When I worked in advertising, I regularly worked 12 hour days, for multiple days in a row. That’s how it is for the crew on the ship, too. Even though they’re dressing up in their little 70s wigs and churning out theme parties, they are still working a ton of hours.
Consequently, in both industries, they embrace the idea of “Work hard, party hard.”
It’s also tough to grow older in both industries…it’s very rare to find someone over 50.
And they sure all like to drink.
I left after about 2 hours to ride my bike home. Sober.
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