At the old, ball game...

As spring rolls around and Wrigleyville becomes crowded with out-of-town visitors and Chicagoans wearing red, white and blue, and sporting baseball gloves, I find myself wishing I had the dedication of a Cubs fan. The team has a less than stellar record and a small field, yet people from all over Chicago (well, it's probably safe to say not from the South Side) clamber to Addison Street to suffer through rain, snow and heat to watch their beloved Cubbies play (and most likely lose) another game.

According to legend, the Cubs' perpetually bad seasons are due to a curse that involves an annoyed tavern owner and his goat. It's obviously not a lack of support that causes the Cubs to do so poorly - so, I'm beginning to think this curse just might be true.

It seems as though Cubs fans have a perpetual optimism about their team. They could be facing imminent defeat in the bottom of the ninth inning, and still Wrigley Field and the rooftops of apartment complexes overlooking the field will be filled to capacity. Cubs fans wait outside in the freezing cold before the season even starts just for a chance to get a few season tickets - probably not even in seats worth the wait. Yet, like the devoted fans they are, they take the red line religiously to this northern neighborhood to feast on overpriced hotdogs, slightly warm beer and sit on rickety old chairs that have been around since the curse was initiated.

It's suffice to say that Cubs fans are a rare breed - they know the agony of defeat, yet still have complete faith in their team. So often we let defeat overcome us - we give up and simply believe that something can't be accomplished because of what often is only a minor setback. Perhaps if we took a little advice from the example Cub fans set (they are winning the pennant this year, right?), we can better achieve the goals we set for ourselves. And if not, there's always next season... right?

An ode to Google maps

I inherited many wonderful traits from my mom (quite a wonderful woman, I might add), but luckily one of them wasn't her sense of direction. She's known for getting us lost more than a time or two on the family camping trips we used to take when we were younger - so much to the point that my brother started navigating the map at a very early age. I was reminded again of this last week when she came to visit me over her spring break. After thoroughly explaining which stop she should get off at on the El and which direction she should head to meet me at my building downtown for lunch, I got a call about 10 minutes before we were supposed to meet. She explained which intersection she was at and wondered if she was heading in the right direction. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized that my mom - who has visited this city more times than I can count - had walked west instead of east.

Having lived in a few big cities, I've learned that you need to know your way around for a few key reasons:

• Native city dwellers have very little patience. If you're slow or act like you're lost, you're automatically branded as a tourist.
• One wrong turn can land you in a scary neighborhood.
• Having a general sense of what's around you impresses your non-native friends.
• It just makes life a whole hell of a lot easier.

So, even though I tend to learn cities fairly quickly by just walking, I've come to depend on Google maps. Although not always accurate, this little feature has saved my life on more than one occasion - and has helped me find an ever elusive Starbucks (who would have ever thought you wouldn't be able to find one close to your apartment?).

Now that I'm searching for an apartment in a city quite a few miles away from me, I've come to depend on these maps even more. In a city like Washington, D.C., knowing your streets is crucial - particularly because of one of the reasons I listed above. Some streets are meant to be avoided - and Google lets you know whether you're too close to a sketchy neighborhood - a nice little tidbit that saves you from wasting time looking at an apartment in a neighborhood you would never walk in alone. In daylight.

I often wish I could tap some people on the shoulder and offer this key advice to finding your way around the city. I like to think that I have a little more patience than most, but nothing ruins your day more than when you miss your train because someone stopped right in front of you because they weren't sure whether they should turn right or left at the intersection.

In general, Google maps are a great resource for acquainting you with the city. And, like I mentioned before, can really impress your out-of-state friends.

Bringing creativity to the cube

One of the things I love about working in public relations is the creative working environment. Not only does this produce some amazing interior decorating in the office, but it also allows some leeway for more inspired dressing.

I'm not exactly adventurous in my clothing choices - I love the look of freshly ironed black pants with the simplicity of a solid-color shirt and a pair of ballet flats. Like I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the old standbys and don't often venture outside that realm.

However, now that I've been working in a fairly large firm (completely unconnected to this blog - I work in corporate PR, which means I have little say on the consumer end) with an abundance of snazzy dressers, I've found that my wardrobe has expanded to include some items I probably wouldn't have dared to wear before. This isn't to say that it's work inappropriate - just a little trendier than my budget normally allows. I'm not ashamed to admit that I purchase most of trendier pieces from Target or Old Navy - I'm not all about splurging on an item that will be out of date before I've gotten a chance to wear it for a second time. So, after some of my coworkers provided some great inspiration for some accesories and great versatile pieces, my wardrobe has a few more exciting things in it.

For example:

This babydoll dress from Target is more work-appropriate than some of the tank-top versions. I'm not in any way, shape or form comfortable wearing this as a dress at work (or in general), but paired with a crisp pair of fitted khakis or some timeless capri-length pants or - if you look good in them - some of those footless tights, this dress adds a little sophistication to this popular trend. And for $18, it's a much more afforable option.

I love classic button-down shirts. Nothing makes you look like you know what you're doing more than a crisp, freshly ironed shirt. Yet, I find that they can be a little boring after a while. Old Navy offers an alternative to this old standby - minus the buttons - for only $18. I've hesitated buying shirts like this before because I feared they would make me look pregnant - fortunately, this style does no such thing.

Gap also offers a fresh take on the classic white shirt - Capitol Hill Barbie offers her perspective on the new designer collection.

So, while this is only a simple take on some of the trends (from my own closest, nonetheless!) I've been tempted to try, it just goes to show that you don't have to break the bank to explore some new creative threads.

Oh, this old thing?

Having friends all around the country definitely has its disadvantages. When your closest college friends live in Malibu, Kansas City, Seattle, Wilmington, Orlando and Washington, D.C. (just to name a few), it makes it difficult to keep in touch on a regular basis. (Is there such a thing as a cheap flight to L.A.?)

Luckily for me, a group of us keep up to date on each others lives through regular e-mail conversations and - despite a complete lack of funds - an occasional visit when our budgets allow. For me, this is the quickest way to get a "new" wardrobe without actually having to spend any money.

I tend to get in ruts where I turn to the same old standby outfits when I only have five minutes before I need to be out the door. So, even if I do get something cute and new, I either don't spend the time "developing" the outfit (figuring out what it looks best with, etc.) or wear it so often within the first month of getting it that it loses its charm. Despite this, I find myself excited to bring these items on trips because I'll finally get a chance to show them off in a brand new environment with a whole new audience.

As I'm getting ready to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit my closest and most trusted friend Cindy, I can't help but get excited about all of the fun new things I have to show her. Even though we talk everyday, there are just certain things you can't describe over the phone, in an e-mail or through a text message. Clothes happen to be one of them. Because I live on my own, I don't really have anyone to comment on my outfits in the morning, so I can't wait to gain her approval on some of my favorite things to wear that she hasn't seen yet.

So, while Cindy and I have a lot of catching up and apartment shopping to do for my latest adventure, perhaps some of the most fun we'll have is comparing the fun new things we've found in our vibrant cities.

Celebreality

I have always thought that I wouldn't be the type of person to get necessarily out of control if ever I were in the presence of someone of celebrity. Mostly because my idea of celebrity isn't the same as many others (I get chills thinking about meeting John Dingell, for goodness sake - but Brad Pitt? No thanks.) Yet, when I was in the presence of Mark Steyn today, I felt like a 12-year-old girl with a school yard crush.

Normally neo-conservatives don't get me all hot and bothered, but after I met him at an annual dinner my alma mater hosts in Washington, D.C., I couldn't help but admire the audacity he had to criticize and poke fun at certain situations - as Chris Patten, the European Union Commissioner for External Affairs, wrote, "It's wonderful to find a Canadian warmonger, isn't it?" Plus, any man who writes on a regular basis for The Atlantic Monthly automatically moves to the top of the "Totally Date-able" list (if only he weren't already married with three children).

So, now that my job requires me to sit through one of the most boring trials in the history of the judicial system at least once a week, I find work somewhat more intolerable than it was before (but that's a whole other post - believe me). However, I had a moment of delight two weeks ago when I finally managed to score a seat in the main courtoom rather than the media spillover room - to find a perfectly rugged looking Mark Steyn sitting on the bench across the aisle from me (complete with suit jacket and pocket square - sigh).

At first, I was nonchalant, not completely sure it was him. Then I pulled out my copy of The Atlantic Monthly (seriously - I don't leave home without it!), reread his March obit and - wait for it - swooned. So, today, after texting my closest friend about my second close encounter with Steyn, she told me to introduce myself. But I realized I wasn't keeping my cool like I thought I would - I was too nervous to even say "Hello."

And then I realized that I was a complete lush when we rode the elevator ALONE together and I couldn't even bring myself to tell him I admired his work.

After voicing my frustration about my lack of confidence to my friend, she suggested I try later. Unfortunately, I'm assuming Steyn had a deadline to make as he left before the final witness finished for the day.

This whole lesson reminded me just how important it is to network with those people you respect in your line of work. Who knows what could have come from me re-introducing myself? Probably not a job offer (my new dream at the moment) - but perhaps the ability to meet others through him, or through the story of how I met him.

So while my sense of celebrity isn't the same as others my age, I find I still have a reaction that causes me to be a little irrational. So, perhaps I will finally gain the courage to introduce myself when I'm in court next - and if not, he still provides a little entertainment for the brain-numbing testimonies I have to sit through. At least it's something!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

I was going to write how exciting it was for spring to finally be upon us, but as I drove through a snowstorm in Indiana on my way back to Michigan last night and suffered through another one while tooling around Toledo with my mom today, I realized that spring wasn't quite here yet. So disappointing.

Yet, as I walked through the mall today on a shopping trip I probably shouldn't have been on, I couldn't help but notice that it seems the seasons are all just relative in our minds. I saw young girls with their jeans rolled up to capri length, girls sporting colors I haven't seen since August, and, yes, even some people wearing flip-flops. It's almost as though spring doesn't arrive when temperatures finally hit sixty degrees, but rather when we want it to.

I've had my own bouts of wishful thinking - wearing a cute, spring denim dress paired with a shear cardigan when temperatures in Chicago hit 70 in mid-March, relegating my opaque tights to the back of my sock drawer not to be worn again til October, and hiding my snow/walking boots behind several pairs of flip-flops, hoping that will keep them from coming out again til December. In my mind, it's spring. And it appears from a few others I've seen, it's spring for them too.

Eventually, I think people will realize that flip-flops aren't appropriate in 20 degree weather even though it is April. But, for right now, it's a nice attempt to survive the disgusting weather that is upon us through a few little guilty pleasures (Like how I'm wearing bright yellow right now in order to brighten the mood).

For those of you enjoying cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., and warm weather to the south - consider me jealous!