I’m a Writer.

No, seriously. I am officially a “writer.” One of my long-time dreams has finally come true!

I was recently promoted at work and my new title is Associate Writer/Editorial Services. I can now tell people on the street, “I’m a writer” and not look like a crazed coffee-house addict.

Though I’m very experienced in working with publications, I still have a lot to learn. For a long time I was in a dead-end job and I thought that I’d never be able to have a career as a writer or editor, so I stopped writing. I haven’t really written for a long time. (As seen by my steady drop-off of blog posts.)

But that has all changed because I’m now a writer!

I have many goals for this new position. As a “writer,” I’m going to write them down here:

• Get a firm grasp of AMA (American Medical Association) style. I work at a medical advertising agency and while I’m familiar with Chicago Style, I will need to become bedfellows with the AMA Manual of Style.
• Take courses and become involved in membership organizations to improve my writing and understanding. A colleague recently forwarded a set of classes and conferences that all appear to be very helpful.
• Become intimately involved in the accounts I work with so that I will be seen as a resource for that product or marketing goal.
• Most importantly, write! It’s incredibly nerve-wracking to put my work out there, waiting for it to be criticized. But that’s the only way to learn, right? Right.

Signing off from my throne (before the reality of hard work sets in),
Claire

Bicycles... and life

About a month ago I bought a brand-new bicycle. It was pretty and shiny and expensive. 

My new Trek 7.3 FX

Remember when you first learned to ride a bicycle? That sense of freedom it gave? That’s how I felt with my new bicycle. Since I was no longer living downtown, I was restricted to the trains and buses---which were sometimes a huge pain. If I had a late soccer match, I would spend more time on three busses just trying to get home than I did playing the game!

I loved my bike. It was great. And then I locked it up outside my apartment rather than bringing it up two flights of stairs. (Note: want a lesson in physics? Try carrying a bike up flights of a winding stairwell) My bike got stolen. I only had it for three weeks.

Want to know the saddest website in the world? The Chicago Stolen Bike Registry. Some of these people had their bikes for only a few days before they were stolen!
The theft bothered me, but everyone's self blame bothered me the most. I met up with a group trying to track down our stolen bikes and everyone in that group had locked up their bike. But everyone still said, “It’s my fault that the bike was stolen.” We all had excuses: We had either left it in an alley, or left it outside, or it only had one lock on it instead of three…
NO! If you locked up your bike, it’s not your fault! You didn’t steal your own bike. It bothers me how we all instantly blamed ourselves when it’s the crime that’s the problem. There should be a special place in hell reserved for bike thieves. 
The good news is that my friend Sean and I went Craigslist hunting (I HATE Craigslist, but that’s a rant for another day) and I found a new, better bike!


My new bike is a road bike---something I thought I was never “good enough” to be able to ride. Turns out that they’re just like every other bike. You just hop on and enjoy yourself!
Here’s a picture of my new baby:

Women's Cannondale Synapse 7

Maybe the new bike is a blessing in disguise since it works much better for my needs, but I still wish I wasn’t out $800 in the process. Stupid thieves.

Sailing

One of my primary goals when I moved to Chicago was to go sailing on Lake Michigan. I’m very happy to say that I scratched this off my list last Monday!

The experience was... AMAZING. The night couldn’t have been better! It was in the 80s with a breeze from the south. In our captain’s words, it was a “powder day” for sailing.

Our instructor's name was Captain Kirk (insert Star Trek joke here). He has been sailing since he was a boy and currently owns a sailboat with a partner. He spends his summers sailing on Lake Michigan and his winters being a ski bunny in Colorado. Must be nice! In any case, he was wonderful. His love and enthusiasm for being out on the water was contagious. We all got a chance at the helm and practice turns since sailing is really all about geometry.

I grew up with motorboats so the first thing I noticed once we turned off the engine was the silence. It is just you and the boat gracefully cutting through the water. Absolutely beautiful.

We were also blessed with an incredible sunset. One of the best I’ve seen in Chicago! I grabbed a million pictures, but below are just a few.

Sailing is expensive. Very expensive. When I saw the Groupon for sailing lessons over the winter I jumped on it. I’d love, love, love to get out on the water again, but at $250+/lesson I think I’ll be waiting a while. Where’s that money tree? Or money mast, perhaps.

New Haircut

I’ve blogged before about hair. Women and their hair is a very important subject.

I have been growing my hair out for the last two years to the point that it was longer than I’ve ever had it before. For a while, it was a lot of fun! I felt flirty and feminine. There's nothing better than that sassy little flip of your hair. However, with the hot and humid Chicago summers I found myself pulling it back every day---especially after my 5 am workouts. The last thing I wanted to do then was spend a half hour drying and straightening my hair.

So I chopped my hair and dyed it blonde! The hairstylist took off 11-inches and I will be donating it. Though it is a little weird to be carrying around a chunk of hair in my purse...

Everyone loooooves new my hair. All my coworkers have consistently told me all week how great it looks. How it fits me so well. How chic it is. Hurrah! Except that with all this praise, a little part of me wonders, Did I look that bad before? Was I frumpy and no one said anything?

On the other hand, there are numerous reports, studies, and even hotly-contested debates about how “prettier” women consistently earn more than their “plain” counterparts. New question (filled with vanity and greed): Will I receive a significant raise soon?

The front

The back

Out for drinks with my old friend, Brian (aka Teammate)

Birthday Weekend in Colorado

For my birthday, I went back to Colorado for a long weekend. I was really nervous about going back. I hadn’t been in Colorado for about six months---since Christmas---and I struggled during some of my earlier visits.

However, this trip was 110% amazing! It was a perfect mix of friends, family, food, and fishing. I couldn’t have asked for more.

Andrew and I had a great time together. Because much of our relationship is long distance, I'm always nervous about spending so much time with one another in such a short time. Will we kill each other? Will we find out about some horrible habit that is suddenly unforgivable? This hasn't happened yet, thank goodness!

In classic iPhone Picture Diary form, below are a few captures from my weekend.

A classic Colorado sunset from Coors field. The Rockies won against the Dodgers!

Andrew made marinated london broil, grilled asparagus, and mashed potatoes.  Yuuuuummmm. 

My contribution was a quick and easy Pinterest recipe. 

Here's our view of a big summer storm rolling through Boulder.

I learned the hard way about how a red-head handles, or doesn't handle, the sun. Our cloudless 90-degree day was perfect for fishing but hard on Andrew. I think we'll have you buy some of that crazy safari/desert gear next time I drag him out with me! Poor guy... I felt terrible for him.

Despite torture by sunshine, Andrew sent me flowers for my birthday! It was a gorgeous arrangement of tulips and irises. 

Moving

I recently moved. I am now living in the Bucktown/Logan Square neighborhoods of Chicago rather than downtown.

I’m excited to explore a new part of the city. Since I both lived and worked downtown, I was not venturing out much. I wanted get to know Chicago but all I knew was my walk to work---by heart. The new adventure will be fun!

A downside to moving is that felt like I had finally formed my new life at the old apartment. I had nearby friends that I could easily grab for a cup of coffee or even a long run. While they’ll still be my friends, of course, the ease of living nearby is gone.

Also, my new room has a loft in it. A loft! My first reaction was, “That’s totally sweet!” but then comes my second reaction: “Oh my goodness. I am a professional woman and I am living in a loft. I have a degree and I’m gainfully employed and I have been on my own for ages and this is what I have to show for it? A loft?! I’m regressing back to college. My life is over.” 

A little irrational, I realize. Moving is hard on everyone.

Before shot - with my bed up in the loft. I felt like I lived above a giant walk-in closet.

After shot - the next day I immediately brought my bed down. Much better.

Movie Review: The Avengers

I've heard good things about this movie so on Tuesday night I got 3D tickets and headed to the theater after work.

One important thing to note: Every time I pay extra money for the 3D "experience" and every time I'm pissed off that I fell for their trap... again. I dislike 3D. The picture isn't as clear and you don't get a good feel for the characters or the cinematography because everything is jumping out at you. Perfect example: I saw Jackass 3D and the only thing I remember about the whole movie was a giant dildo flying at my face. Point is, I will not fall for the 3D trap again! I draw the line here!

Despite the stupid 3D glasses and noisy wrappers, I liked the movie. I didn't grow up reading comics but I still feel that the movie gave a good sense of the stories and personalities of each hero. The middle of the movie got a little slow as they were developing the background, but it was necessary for the poor kids like myself who played outside as a child rather than hiding in the basement. We didn't have a basement growing up, otherwise I sure as shit would've been down there.

The movie was long (143 minutes) which meant that I jumped up from my seat as soon as the credits started. I have a hard time sitting still. Apparently there's a teaser scene at the end that I missed. It is supposed to be really cool. Oops! Looks like I'll have to watch the movie again.

The most important takeaway from this film is that I now have a giant crush on Captain America. Yes.