Just Like Jesse James

Good eeeeeevening, my darlings.

As you can see (or maybe you can't), I've titled this post in honor an American artist I'm truly thankful for on this day, the legend herself, Cher.

Today is Thanksgiving, and this year, as Google says, I'm feeling lucky.

I'm pretty damn lucky, looking at my life. Right now, as it stands, there are a lot of things I have that I've worked hard for, but there are also a lot that have practically been handed to me. Like, say...my rights? My passion? My family? The fact that I have not only a house, but a home?

You bet your ass I'm thankful for those things.

One thing I'm particularly thankful for, this time around, is my will to keep going. As fortunate as I've been, things have also befallen me that have at times made me feel like quitting. Whether I'm struggling in my lessons, or in a friendship, or in any kind of relationship at all, there always seems to be a little extra boost somewhere in the vast abyss of my emotions, something that tells me "What the hell are you doing?? You can't just bail, suck it up!!" This little hypothetical voice sometimes comes from within, or from someone in my life...and before you say anything, please, no references to schizophrenia. Quit it. I'm serious when I say how thankful I am for my resilience. I'm bouncing back from a huge-ass sophomore slump right now, and it's the tits.

Pardon my momentary relapse in profane blog language, it had to be. It just had to be.

I've just got to get this out there...this year hasn't exactly been a picnic. Sure, I'm not taking that many classes, and some people might claim that gives me no right to be stressed. Before you go thinking your thoughts, there are OTHER reasons I may have been dumpy to be around. My relationships with people have become more strained, because of various factors I don't believe are blog-appro. To whom it may concern, regarding these issues: slowly but surely, I'm comin' back. I figured out what needed to be done, and I don't know if you've noticed but I'm through messing around. I'm gonna get better, dammit. To quote a famous proverb, shit's gotten real.

I've been feeling a whole lot of confidence lately. Whether or not it stems from my elimination of certain bad behaviors, I can't say. But I can tell you, it's a great feeling.

Aight. Now that that's done...

I'll tell you about my Chicag - o - rama!!

So my family and I were there from Saturday to Tuesday. For the first time in a reeeeally long time, we didn't take anyone else with us - no exchange students, no family friends, just us. And it was awesome.

Normally, we like to do the museum thing while we're there. We try to go to a different one every time, although we're members at the Field Museum so we go there the most. This time we hit the Planetarium, which was pretty cool...conclusions I drew: Space is neato, and it would be really really hard and frightening to go to the moon.

Things that really wowed me at the Field this time around: Chocolate exhibit. Who knew people had such fervor for the history of a damn bean and its products?? Shoot. Also, the Mammals of Asia exhibit...saw some things that brought out the WTF in me. Let me tell you, you'll never catch me walkin around in the jungles of India. Not a sane or coherent version of me, anyway.

Also cool:

~The Noble Horse Theater. What in the sam hell is it? Well, it's people doing plays on horseback, like it's nbd. We saw them do The Nutcracker - it wasn't your average boring-ass Nutcracker. Nah, we're talkin' people flipping themselves all around, standing up on horseback, jumping through stuff, running around...I didn't know which was a more talented bunch, them, or the horses. TALENT. Whooooo-weeeee.

~Comedysportz. Live improv comedy, in the style of "Whose Line", only a bit tamer. Not as raunchy or off-the-chain as it could have been, but still neat!

~The Michigan Ave. Lights Parade. Or so I think it's called. It's the one where they light up all the lights on the trees along Michigan Ave. Anyway, jeeze...I come from Cedar Rapids Iowa, where we have a very different view of parades. I mean little groups of people walking and not even waving, politicians, no crowd barriers, people crossing the street between floats...then I get here, to this huge-ass ordeal, and it's like JIOHHHH - REAL PARADE! This thing had to be like 2 miles long. What?!? Call me a fool, I had no idea. Mind blown.

~Pizano's. If you haven't eaten there, or any Chicago-style pizza, you can't die happy yet. Of course, after tasting a few, I still say Giordano's is my fave.

Stories...

~The Mexican Grandma. Along the way, we decided to stop in this giant thrift store, just for funsies. We walked inside, having no idea what to expect. Almost immediately, a large group of Hispanic children runs in, followed not-so-closely by their slow-walking, fast-talking mothers and abuelas. A voice came on the intercom: "Attention, all children must be accompanied at all times. If your child is found unaccompanied, you will be asked to leave without purchasing your items. Attencion, los niños - ". As I stood there casually browsing the large selection of eclectic winter sweaters, a little old lady shuffled up to me, pointing at a price tag. She looked at me, uttered some Spanish, and - having no idea what to do - I began to read it to her. "Uhh...$7.19?" No response. "Large?" Blank stare. So I told her "Lo siento..." and she walked away. Had she mistaken me for someone else? Was there something else on the price tag I wasn't seeing? Clearly, I need to learn more Spanish, for the benefit of abuelas everywhere.

~The Awkward Family. So we're shopping at Watertower Place, and I had just left Forever 21. I sat down on a bench to wait for Lucy, who had just gone to the bathroom. A ritzy-looking old lady walks by with her iPhone, fur coat, and granddaughter, who couldn't have been older than 3. "Smile, I'll take your picture and show it to you!" She snapped a pic, and the little girl harmlessly sat down on the other end of my bench. Her grandma followed, only sitting about a foot away from me, close enough to be considered inside my personal space. Before I knew it, two loud little boys ran up and pounced on the bench next to her, one of them landing square on my left leg. The boys were followed by a particularly large couple who were clearly tourists, the woman in her pink pants and the large man in his green Izods, pushing a double stroller with more children in it. They almost closed me in, parking it directly on my right. None of them acknowledged that I was there. Instead, they went about their wild rumpus as I sat there looking alarmed, excused myself, and went to sit on the floor outside Wet Seal. Not a single one of them said anything to me. "Excuse me. Sorry my smelly son sat on your lap. Mind if we sit here?" Nah. None of that....WHAT. THE. HELL.

Oh, the things people do. Hohohhohhhhhh. My heavens.

Cool things other than that:

~I played a recording gig! A friend from HS, who's a senior at Coe College, wrote a piece. I had alto, and got to play with such cats as Stella Hart, Emma Azelborn, Shanley, Eric Thompson, and Al Naylor. Fun times? Totes magotes. (Bass player, I'm sorry, I don't know your name...aieee)

~Dyed my hair dark reddish-brown. It's kinda neato. It's also getting pretty long!

~I have a pretty great boyfriend, who likes me for me, when I'm just being me. He's a sweet one, he is! I'm thankful for you today and any other day, Joel :)

~Clarinet studio recital is Tuesday night, which means the debut of the Urban Legends Quartet!!! Heyohhhh!!!

~Performing with UNI Vocal Jazz on the Glee Club Christmas concert this weekend!!

~MASHED POTATOES AND CREAMED CORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now go, yall. Eat some turkey, or don't if you're vegetarian. Be merry, and for God's sake try to have a lovely time.

As Tracy would say, peace and blessins!