Monday, February 27, 2012

The Salad Days

For those of you unfamiliar with this term it refers to the most youthful time in one's life. When they were at their fullest with enthusiasm and idealism.

I'm there. I realize I am not as youthful as I once was but I hear 30 is the new 20 so by those standards I'm the new 18. I also use it as a term for being fully incapacitated by love. I was married in early December and I feel like we should refer to the honeymoon years as the salad years. I feel so fresh and alive every morning that I wake up looking at Peter's face. Like I'm at the peak of my physical, and emotional ability. I hope that it is not down hill from here but if it is it was a fantastic ride.

OK enough lovely dovey stuff, I can hear you all groaning on the other end of your monitors. More tomorrow not revolving around my love life.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

My Lastest Artistic Endeavor

Earlier this week I found a car bumper on the sidewalk. Of course I brought it home. Peter being the understanding husband that he is knew I would make something awesome for the apartment out of it. And I did.







I started by sawing off the broken pieces on the ends. Then I spray painted the whole thing gold. When life gives you lemons you know ;-).  Then I made the letters by decoupaging torn up road maps. Perhaps a close up of one so you can see.





Next the mounting to the wall which I admit was stressing me out a bit, but as you can see I pulled it off.

Why Love City? You may be asking. Peter and I live right above a convenience store called Tobacco City and we often joke that everything on our block should be named something City. Food City for the grocery store, Movie City for the movie rental place, Alcohol City for the bar, and we live in ...you guessed it LOVE City.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Whew!

Log time no blog Eh?!  I have been busy celebrating V-Day with Peter, working on V-Day at the restaurant, and just general fun goings on around town.

Last weekend Feb 11-12 Peter and I celebrated Valentine's day by going ice skating downtown and seeing a light and sound installation at Millennium Park.



After the ice skating there was a heated tent with a winter dance going on. We took a tango lesson and had a few cocktails.

Then went to the light and sound installation called Luminous Fields located at the BEAN. It was amazing but most of photos didn't turn out very well.









We capped off the evening with dinner at Park Grill with some delicious grilled octopus. MMHHH!!!

Sunday Peter had planned surprise day for me. We started our morning having a nice brunch at a Mexican restaurant in Old Town. Then we went to the winter farmer's market which they hold at Congress Theatre. Peter had 5 recipes he had chosen and we spent most of day gathering ingredients. The highlight of our meal that evening were the wine poached pears with nut encrusted brie cheese.





The rest of the week was mostly spent working ...blah ...I know. I will have more to share later this week.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Fall Leaves

I awoke this morning cold and alone with thoughts of you.
My heart is buried deep within your apparel and I inhale you deeply.
Bukowski chuckles and I weep in the absence of your arms.
Do not forget me in your beautiful fallen leaves.
The leaves around me cling to their branches, they are extracting the last bit of life out of the fall.
They are fleeing from the cognition of cold unable to embrace the frost.
I welcome change and the return of you.
Bare the cold on your back return to me with gusts of snow.
No matter what the weather I am warm in your arms.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Smoothness Evaporated

Everything WAS going so swimmingly with my name change business. I went to the DMV today and had a lovely 15 minute experience. (better than any postal involvement I  have ever had) I don't know why the DMV gets such a bad rap. My new photo is fantastic and I was in and out with a quickness. Second task of the day was the bank to change the last name on my account. That is when the other shoe dropped.

Let's take a step back to 2001. Fresh out of High School, going off into the world, a sweet Katherine and her darling mother go into a Bank of America in Lufkin TX to start a new account for the budding college student. My mother was the co-account holder. Things were different back then. I was going to be in college and my parents wanted access to drop loads of dough into my account at any time I needed it. No not for keg parties and weekend trips to Galveston but for books and other collegiate expenses.

Jump forward to 2007. I am living in Chicago and receive a credit card offer from BOA with a larger credit line than the amount of money I had made that year. The name on the card is of course my mother's and they are trying to send the card to her. I call the bank and ask them to remove my mother from said bank account as it is no longer necessary to have her as my co-account holder. The glorious college days when mom and dad were still taking care of me being over, there was no reason she needed access to my account. I am informed that we both need to be present and sign a number of papers to remove her from the account. I tell them I don't want the credit line and make a mental note: next time I visit my parents to take a trip to the BOA branch in Lufkin. I of course, forget this mental note 10 minutes after my phone call.

Jump forward yet again to Feb. 2012, today in fact. I saunter into the BOA branch downtown with my fresh new Driver's License, hot off the press and my CERTIFIED marriage license. (Everything needs to be certified these days) Feeling very cocky and ready to smack this name change business on the booty.

I proudly boast to the teller "I got married and need to change the last name of my bank account."

"Right this way." She says as she herds me into a nearby office.

I pull out all of my documentation handing over my bank card first. She swiftly types on her keyboard and then looks at me slowly. A wave of dread has come over her face as she suspects what she is about to tell me will be beyond frustrating. I am not able to change MY name on MY account without my mother present to sign off on it. However I can completely close said account WITHOUT her authorization. My head is spinning. I look at the bank employee who also realizes this rule is ludicrous.

"So you are telling me I could completely eliminate my mother's access to this account without her authorization BUT if I want to change just my last name she has to be here." The bank agent oppressively nods. "I can't close my account because I already e-filed my tax return to be deposited into that account. Also I have automatic payments and countless other financial transactions that are tied to this account number."

I try not to sound irritated but it shines through like a beacon of exasperation. I wanted to scream and jump on top of the desk. Everything had been so easy I should have known something like this would arise but unfortunately I was coddled by the no nonsense splendidly swift experiences with both social security and the DMV. I feel silly even typing that but it's true the ONE institution that I thought would be a breeze is giving me the most agitation.

The only solution for my problem is to transfer most of my funds into a new account with my new name (that I opened today) and spend the next few weeks contacting Blue Cross, Netflix, Amazon, Paypal, Virgin Mobile, Commerce Bank, Discover, People's Gas, and the Chicago Transit Authority to have all of my account information updated. And HOPE that I don't forget anyone because even if the account is CLOSED an automatic payment can still go through and I will be charged a overdraft fee if there are no funds available. Sit on my hands and wait for my tax return to come through and then close that account. Let's hope my mother is not secretly planning to deposit thousands of dollars into our joint account and if so Mom, do it before March 1st ;-)!









Monday, February 6, 2012

A Change of Name

Today my first officious document of my name change arrived. My social security card. Peter and I discussed at great length whether I should change my name or not. We even thought about coming up with a whole new name and both changing our names but in the end it seemed easiest to just change mine. We would have been Mr. and Mrs. Fantastic by the way!
  "Have you met my husband Peter Fantastic?"

I am going to miss my last name. Of course I will still publish under my maiden name so you will not see the name change on this blog. However all official documents and financial institutions will now know me as Katherine Tulloch. It's weird. I have started to practice writing my new name. It helps that there is the same number of letters and three of them even the same letters in the same location. I welcome the change but it will take some getting used to.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Destructo: Greatest game ever played


It is Sunday morning. You awaken in a pool of your own dribble on a strange
couch in an erratic environment. Your eyes rove around the room and you see bodies
strewn about like a Nazi burial ground. The pillow you lift your matted hair from smells
of dog and ganja. The fear sets in. Now you must go eat breakfast with the close to
complete strangers you partied with the night before.

Standing in line waiting for a table at Bite Cafe the conversation is strained and
uncomfortable. Without the added courage of alcohol you lack the confidence to dazzle
the crowd with your amazing verbal prowess. Reach for your trusty moleskin in your
Timbuk2 messenger bag you pretentious hipster. It is now time for you to introduce
everyone to the game of Destructo.

The rules of the game are simple and you explain them thusly.

First: The introduction of destructo.
Second: You will draw an object, abstract concept, or made up character. (really anything
goes)
Third: Thrust the moleskin and pen into the hands of the closest and most anxious
looking member of the group and tell them to draw something to destroy what you drew.

The game continues as such until finally you have crossed the entire gambit of all
meaning of life. Penises, vaginae, the earth, the sun, social order, American economy,
Global economy, sex, love, peace, war, cigarettes, crayons, gorillas, werewolves all
these and more have been drawn and destroyed. While in the recreational process
conversations have been stimulated and furthered to a level of the utmost degree of
superiority. Those other parties around you waiting for their tables have been watching.
They want to participate or at least understand what it is you all are implementing.

Laughter and happiness are exuding out of all in your entourage and you now feel a sense
of armistice instead of your normal public diffidence. This game has elevated you to the
highest brow of humor and intrigue. Congratulations!