Monday, December 19, 2011
Kayla's Trip, a Precursor
Kayla and I have been traveling all over Chicago the past few days, and we have one more day left tomorrow, so I haven't been able to post anything, but I plan on writing a very long post soon with pictures of our adventures and everything very soon. I'll just say that we got to do everything on the list and more, so it's been a really fun couple of days. We've traveled all over Chicago and the Chicagoland area in search of fun things to do, some of which have been Christmas related. The snow on Saturday was a lot of fun, I got to stand at the bus stop and listen to Christmas music as the snow fell from the sky, and it was amazing. Now I know what all those Christmas songs are about! I think it's going to snow again tomorrow, and possibly on Friday and Saturday right before my mom and brothers come. Anyway though, like I said, I'm going to post a novel here pretty soon about everything we did, and Kayla took a whole bunch of pictures so those of you who don't like to read can still follow along. Expect that soon! Time for bed, I'm exhausted from all the things we've done. Goodnight!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Kayla
I'm about to leave and head to the airport to "pick up" Kayla (ride the train with her), and it couldn't possibly be more picturesque outside. It snowed overnight so the ground is covered in perfect white snow and it's still falling lightly to the ground. I hope this is what it looks like on Christmas Eve, when I make the same trip to pick up my mom and brothers. Anyway, I've gotta put all my good winter clothes on and head that way! Wish me luck, y'all.
P.S. - Kayla (back when we hung out all the time) generally has a camera on her, so there will definitely be pictures from our mini-expeditions over the next few days. Stay tuned!
P.S. - Kayla (back when we hung out all the time) generally has a camera on her, so there will definitely be pictures from our mini-expeditions over the next few days. Stay tuned!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Winter, Here I Come
I'm finally prepared for winter. This past Sunday (Dec. 4), we were given our manager's discount (which is equal to cost + 10%) for anything we wanted at Sports Authority. Luckily, we were also able to get as much as we wanted, so I went on a little bit of a spree.
I bought things that I have never owned in my life: gloves, a beanie, thermal underwear things and compression wear (a shirt and pants) for running outside in the cold. I also bought some general things that I figured I'd pick up while they were cheap: sweatpants, a hoodie and a pair of socks (regularly priced $13.99 a pair) that are really padded and great for running. That one was just a little extra I added because I wanted to find out for myself why everyone liked them so much and why they would be priced $13.99. Apparently they're better than buying insoles.
The huge deal that would make every bargain hunter proud of me was a North Face coat that'll be my savior from the snow and wind this winter. Regularly priced at exactly $300, I was able to purchase it for $125. The coat that got me through my last Texas winter was generally laughed at when I would explain to Chicagoans that it was, in fact, my heaviest jacket. I knew I would need something heavy and snow-proof, and this was the perfect time to buy something both warm and (relatively) cheap.
Overall, I spent about $330 on $700 worth of merchandise, which I couldn't possibly be happier with. Because of price mark-ups, I was able to get the high quality brands like North Face and Under Armour, and so far everything has worked out really well. Although it's my coldest winter yet (it snowed last night and stuck for the first time), I'm actually surprisingly warm walking in the cold winds. I ran outside for the first time the other day and all of my compression gear kept me really warm, and the socks kept my feet warm and helped with the impact on the sidewalk. I'll have to try them some more before I invest in another pair, though. My favorite purchase (besides the jacket) was the leggings that I can put on under my pants. In Texas, it was so rare that I needed to have something extra on, that I would just wear pajama bottoms under my jeans. Trust me, this is much better.
Hopefully all of my purchases will keep my warm this winter, because if they don't, then it's back to San Antonio! Kidding, of course, but I think I should be just fine. I still can't figure out how to keep my face warm, though, besides those full face masks that I'd rather not wear. I'm sure I'll find a cure soon, though!
I bought things that I have never owned in my life: gloves, a beanie, thermal underwear things and compression wear (a shirt and pants) for running outside in the cold. I also bought some general things that I figured I'd pick up while they were cheap: sweatpants, a hoodie and a pair of socks (regularly priced $13.99 a pair) that are really padded and great for running. That one was just a little extra I added because I wanted to find out for myself why everyone liked them so much and why they would be priced $13.99. Apparently they're better than buying insoles.
The huge deal that would make every bargain hunter proud of me was a North Face coat that'll be my savior from the snow and wind this winter. Regularly priced at exactly $300, I was able to purchase it for $125. The coat that got me through my last Texas winter was generally laughed at when I would explain to Chicagoans that it was, in fact, my heaviest jacket. I knew I would need something heavy and snow-proof, and this was the perfect time to buy something both warm and (relatively) cheap.
Overall, I spent about $330 on $700 worth of merchandise, which I couldn't possibly be happier with. Because of price mark-ups, I was able to get the high quality brands like North Face and Under Armour, and so far everything has worked out really well. Although it's my coldest winter yet (it snowed last night and stuck for the first time), I'm actually surprisingly warm walking in the cold winds. I ran outside for the first time the other day and all of my compression gear kept me really warm, and the socks kept my feet warm and helped with the impact on the sidewalk. I'll have to try them some more before I invest in another pair, though. My favorite purchase (besides the jacket) was the leggings that I can put on under my pants. In Texas, it was so rare that I needed to have something extra on, that I would just wear pajama bottoms under my jeans. Trust me, this is much better.
Hopefully all of my purchases will keep my warm this winter, because if they don't, then it's back to San Antonio! Kidding, of course, but I think I should be just fine. I still can't figure out how to keep my face warm, though, besides those full face masks that I'd rather not wear. I'm sure I'll find a cure soon, though!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
My First Visitor!
So, I thought my first visitors would be my mom and brothers, but actually, I have a friend coming up to see me on the 17th!
My friend from college, Kayla, (pictured above) is coming up to see me! I'm really excited for my first visitor, and I requested the days off so we could go do a bunch of Chicago stuff while she's here. We're going to try and go see the Home Alone house, because it's about that time of year. It's only about 20 or 30 minutes north, and I'm pretty sure a train goes there. It's for sale, check it out: http://homealonehome.coldwellbanker.com/
I also want to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo (downtownish) because they have a cool Christmas set up called Zoo Lights. I went the other day for the first time, but the lights weren't on, and I think that would be pretty cool to see. The zoo is completely free, and I didn't even see a gate, so I guess everything is open 24/7, except for the exhibits that are indoors. They have lions and gorillas and everything, but it's located in the middle of the city. It's the weirdest thing.
I'm excited to have someone from Texas coming to see me, and I'm sure some of my homesickness will disappear for a while. It should be a lot of fun! I'll let you know, of course.
My friend from college, Kayla, (pictured above) is coming up to see me! I'm really excited for my first visitor, and I requested the days off so we could go do a bunch of Chicago stuff while she's here. We're going to try and go see the Home Alone house, because it's about that time of year. It's only about 20 or 30 minutes north, and I'm pretty sure a train goes there. It's for sale, check it out: http://homealonehome.coldwellbanker.com/
I also want to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo (downtownish) because they have a cool Christmas set up called Zoo Lights. I went the other day for the first time, but the lights weren't on, and I think that would be pretty cool to see. The zoo is completely free, and I didn't even see a gate, so I guess everything is open 24/7, except for the exhibits that are indoors. They have lions and gorillas and everything, but it's located in the middle of the city. It's the weirdest thing.
I'm excited to have someone from Texas coming to see me, and I'm sure some of my homesickness will disappear for a while. It should be a lot of fun! I'll let you know, of course.
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