The Mysterious and Elusive Hot Runner Boy

I saw my gym eye candy again today stretching out before he hit the track.. and once again I didn't say a single word to him. He was wearing his skull cap, and his shiny green shoes...
I had just picked up Charlotte from preschool and it just seemed like walking up to talk to him while holding my five year old's hand could make things extra awkward and well... wrong. After seeing him for over a year, and exchanging perhaps three sentences with him (my approach) the longer that time passes, the more difficult it feels to break the ice. But... the eye contact! There is alot of eye contact... Next week, I HAVE to talk to him... introduce myself, give him my digits, pin him against the wall and kiss him or something. Okay, maybe just introduce myself...

I have no idea how I'm going to do that as he's constantly on the move. I mean it's almost like he's only at the gym to work out or something! (the NERVE) It's hard to look cool and casual when you are chasing someone down on a track...

Surely I cannot recall it being this difficult to approach a guy... My friend Kim suggested that I "go to the gym wasted" to head off any sober hesitation and awkwardness. I'm beginning to think that this is not a half-bad idea...

Flirting used to be easier...

Puppy Bowl VII: Win!

After the Chicago Bears defeat against the Green Bay Packers, I officially lost any interest in this year's Superbowl... but that left me 100% available to watch my favorite Superbowl tradition: The Puppy Bowl. Sure, everyone who says they are not interested in the game but "just watching it for the commercials" but let's face it... aren't the commercials more fun to see back to back, the next day without that pesky football in between? It certainly is to me... What is better than this year Shih Tzu twin brothers, the frisky Brownie Sundae and the boxer mix "Two-face" who seemed downright sleepy during the whole "game." Add to that the aerial hamster photogs and the deadpan Chicken Cheerleaders and well.. Oh... they SLAY!

Oh, sure.... so you ARE truly missing the multi-million dollar, real time commercials that were all leaked online before the Superbowl... [cough cough] and you only get these awkward spots about Bissell cleaners and Pedigree Pet food... but still... PUPPIES!!



I outed myself watching this with my innocent Facebook status... this is not unusual. I'm rather prolific on Facebook...[cough] My friend, Brooke, (old time friend, voice of reason, kindred spirit and the only person I claim to "share my brain) told me via text that I was nuts and possibly "hammered" to be watching it... Oddly enough she, too, loathes the Green Bay Packers too and find the game and commercials tedious and boring. She, clearly wasn't at all into the game but was not "desperate" enough to watch the Puppy Bowl. And this from a dog lover! For a millisecond, I did question my sobriety and sanity at watching so much of the Puppy Bowl... which I roughly clocked at about an hour even. I did, after all, have to see the Kitty Half Time Show... am I not human?? Still, I stand by my yearly tradition and went a step further to even regret that I did not DVR it for Charlotte watch tomorrow. Next year: Puppy Bowl VIII! I cannot wait to find out who the Most Valuable Puppy is next year. Suck it, Brooke! ; )

My Girl.

December 19, 2005 8:36am, 8 lbs even: Charlotte June came into this world...

Named after the Cure Song "Charlotte Sometimes" (which was named after the 1969 book by the same name by British author Penelope Farmer...)

She had a FULL head of strawberry blonde hair and was the most lovely, understanding, reasonable baby I'd ever met. (I hadn't intimate knowledge of many, well ANY to note...)

This photo is Charlotte at age 5... February 2, 2011, her very first Snowman under her belt... impressive.

Here we go!

In this new year of 2011, post Chicago "Blizzard 2011," I decided (for better or for worse) that I would try to keep a journal of our life as a single mother of a 5 year old girl in the Chicago area and all of the craziness that goes along with it. I'm eternally trying to make sense of it all. At the very least, I'd like to document our everyday lives to show to my daughter some day, so she knows why and how I've come to the the decisions that I have... So she has an accurate account of events just in case I pull the quintessentially "adult" parental decision to re-write history to make myself look better. The decisions that have brought us to this point have been the hardest I've ever had to make but I believe they were all necessary. With every day that passes I am struck with feelings of being on a path I never thought I'd be on and not knowing exactly where it's headed. It's exhillirating and terrifying but I would not change a thing... I've realized that this period I've always thought "transitional" is really turning out to be the most life-changing yet... and while not defined is proving to be significant in it's own right. Not only for my life, but my daughter's... big stuff. However, with all of these lofty issues, what I am most struck with seems to be the little things that happen to us every single day... friends, holidays, playdates, our conversations while stuck in snowbanks. I never thought I, let alone "we" would be here but am so glad that we are. It's been an amazing journey...

I've never been known for my subtlety, my restraint nor my diplomacy... I'm a Tourette's Syndrome Moment in waiting. This can account for why I am compelled to start this blog. Time shall judge whether this was a good idea or not... stay tuned. In any case, thank you for taking the time to read it....

Welcome. My name is Sarah and here I go...