The Good, The Bad, and The Pathetic

Some of you may have noticed I added a new blog to my list of favorites. That's because Jason has recently joined the blogosphere with his new song-a-day music blog: The Good, The Bad, and The Pathetic. Check it out! He's a few days behind because of our family trip to Arkansas, but keep checking in for what he calls, "A daily taste of music to wet your lips and get you to shake your ass." So far so good. I'm loving the Black Angels Boat Song he posted Fri before we left.

In honor of Jason's new blog, I'll leave you with this--a song that never fails to make me happy--California Stars (lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music by Wilco):

Molly is a trooper

Well, we've been sitting on the tarmac at O'Hare for 2 and a half hours now, waiting for a gate to open up. That's on top of an hour and forty five minute flight, a 2 hour delay, and an hour and a half drive from Hot Springs to Little Rock. Not the best way to end a wonderful weekend with family, but we'll survive.

Molly is pretty exhausted. It's 9 pm and she is usually fast asleep by 7:30. But there's plenty to look at and she's made friends all over the plane. Jason is attempting to rock her to sleep now. I hope he succeeds. Who knows how much longer we'll be stuck on this plane!

As I mentioned, we did have a wonderful weekend in Arkansas with the O'Grady clan. Jason and I both golfed in the family scramble ...my team came in last and Jason's was right behind. I also came home with the prize for the shortest drive. Kind of embarrassing :) It was fun though. And I'll never get better if I don't practice, right? Pics to come!

Anyway, the rocking didn't work, so I should take my turn. Wish us luck getting home!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

A weekend of bday fun

I love having a birthday on a Friday because it means I get to stretch out the fun.

On Thursday, I went to Korean BBQ at San Soo Gab San with my coworkers, 3 of whom are Korean, so it was an authentic experience with plenty of Soju and a ridiculous amount of food. Dinner wasn't for my bday, but it was an excellent way to kick things off:

Ji flips the meat

Damage done

On Friday, Jason and I went to Leopold, a new Belgian restaurant on Chicago Ave. One of my former coworkers is the owner, so it was nice to see her and also taste all of the yummy food and craft beers. Mmmm.

Then Jason totally surprised me with a Nook, the Barnes and Noble eReader! I am SO excited about it. I think Bossypants by Tina Fey is going to be my first download. I'm also on the waiting list for a couple of eBooks from the Chicago Public Library. I am a total library junkie, so I'm very happy that the Nook allows me to download library books for free.

The birthday fun officially ends tonight. My sisters and Sean are coming over for dinner, gifts, and the Bulls/Heat game. Go Bulls!!

Guest post--A Night with Oprah

I asked Janet to write a little bit about her experience at Oprah for the blog. Enjoy!


It started with a call from Jason, "Grandma,  are you busy May 17th?" 


"No."


"Can you come to Chicago?" 


"Yes..." 


"I have tickets to the Oprah Show."


ME? I GET TO GO TO THE OPRAH SHOW ( The Oprah Spectacular Surprise Show)?! I've been trying for years to obtain tickets to one of her shows, fantasizing with crazy formats that would somehow get attention and maybe be a method to secure a ticket to one of HER shows. Success, because of Jason and Maggie. Kathy and I just recently thought up this wild premise--lesbian sisters who wanted to be married on her show. We were desperate and seemingly too late, as her show ends this week, May 25th.


My odyssey began last Sunday, in Chicago, before the Tuesday show. Being with Maggie, Molly, and Jason for a couple of days was frosting on the cake. Molly, so much fun!!!


Tuesday arrived and Jason and I were off for the adventure of my dreams. The United Center, 13,000 lucky people in blocks of long lines, all happy to have a ticket in hand to see Oprah. And I was one of the lucky people, not a VIP, just a regular person.


Our seats were in section 310---FRONT ROW. How great was that?!!! We were in our seats from 6:30-11:15 and as all wonderful experiences,  the time flew by. One mega superstar after another until it took my breath away!! And the performances, WOW!!!


Oprah was astounding and she was astounded by all the tributes given to her. The love from the 13,000 was palpable and I felt a few tears running down my cheeks. Aretha's "Amazing Grace" was the ultimate. No, the ultimate was being there with Jason.


I love you, Jason, Maggie, and Molly. Thank you for giving me another wonderful adventure.


PS. I can now cross off another line on my bucket list.

The stage

So happy to be there

Tom Hanks, Oprah (in purple), and Madonna (the blonde)

Same crew, with Madonna trying to give Tom Hanks a smooch

The crowd

Enjoying every second

A symbol for the 25,000 oak trees Oprah donated (1,000 for each year)

Living vicariously

Jason has been sending me texts from the Oprah Farewell Spectacular show at the United Center:

• 7:28 Hanks and Cruise
• 7:35 Patti LaBelle and Josh Groban
• 7:39 Madonna
• 7:55 Dakota Fanning...not kidding
• 7:56 Beyonce (to da left)
• 8:30 Diane Sawyer
• 8:42 Queen Latifah, Halle Berry
• 8:43 Katie Holmes and her weird smile
• 8:57 Rascal Flatts
• 9:32 Will and Jada...and oh yeah...Michael Jordan
• 9:33 Jamie Foxx
• 9:35 Stevie Wonder
• 9:46 Seinfeld
• 9:58 Simon from Idol
• 10:00 Rosie O
• 10:01 Dr Phil and Nate? (I'm guessing he means Nate Berkus) and Dr Oz
• 10:09 Maria Shriver
• 10:36 Alicia Keys, Maya Angelou
• 10:50 Stedman
• 10:54 Aretha...wow
• 11:06 Usher, and the crowd goes bananas

I haven't received one in a while, so maybe that means the show is over. Can't wait to find out more! Maybe I'll even be able to convince Jason or his grandma to do a guest post? Stay tuned :)

Breathing a little more life into the work-life balance

The word is out at work, so now I can blog about it... I'm switching to a 90% schedule starting in June. Woo woo! What does that mean, you ask? Well, for a 10% reduction in pay, I get to stay home every other Friday and play with my adorable little girl. No work, no plans, no appointments, just me and the Molls. Heaven.

Clean and cute

Molly was looking adorable in her bathrobe this evening, so I thought I would share :)

Longman and Eagle

I'm definitely not a food blogger. For restaurant reviews written by someone who knows her stuff, visit my friend Jennifer's blog: Chicago Culinary Docent. But when I try a new restaurant that I think is worth checking out, I do like to spread the word!

Last night, Jason and I met Lindsay, Robbie, and Carrie at Longman and Eagle right on Kedzie next to the Logan Square blue line stop. It's a little off the beaten path (no offense to my Logan Square friends!), but well worth the journey west.

By 6:15, the restaurant was already packed, so we had about a 30-minute wait to get a table for 5. No big deal. Longman and Eagle has an enormous beer and whiskey menu, so we grabbed a few barstools and enjoyed a couple of drinks before sitting down. So far so good.

A little before 7, we sat down at a charming table set with vintage silver and mismatched chairs and began perusing the menu. Everything looked good, so we ordered a random assortment of appetizers and small plates to start. The first course was fantastic. Pear salad with Stilton cheese, shrimp and grits, meatballs, roast lamb. Every bite seemed better than the last.

Our entrees were a bit hit or miss. The soft shell crab was deep fried in a sweet batter and it tasted a little too much like funnel cake for my liking. Don't get me wrong, I love funnel cake...just not for dinner! But the roasted chicken, pork shoulder, and wild boar sloppy joe were all well prepared, thoughtful dishes.

Clockwise from the top: soft shell crap, wild boar sloppy joe, pork shoulder, roasted chicken. Yum. The chicken and the sloppy joe were the winners in my opinion!

The meal was very rich, so I'm glad we split 4 dishes for 5 people. And of course we had to order dessert. The cheese donuts with maple syrup were a big hit with the guys; the girls were all obsessed with the pineapple upside down cake. Yum.

The restaurant has a comfortable, laid back vibe, with nice little touches, like warm plates and expensive soap in the bathrooms. Our server was great -- friendly and knowledgeable, but totally unobtrusive. Overall, it was a really nice night out with friends. I would definitely go back. Anyone want to join me? :)

My first official Mother's Day

Today was a good day :)
I played with Molly; worked out, showered, and curled up with my book while Molly napped and Jason played tennis; played with Molly; went to lunch with Jason at Bin 36; got a pedicure with the B; played with Molly; put Molly to bed; tried a new Thai place for dinner; read the paper; and now I'm watching the Bulls and blogging.
Yeah, I gotta say it was a good day.

Molly's new look. Just call her "Pebbles"

The sly dog! Those who know me well have seen this face before.

Mom and daughter. The bib is covering up Molly's special onesie that says, "I love mommy."

I tried to get a good Mother's Day photo... shouldn't have let Molly have her bear. No way she was going to look at the camera with that thing in her hands. 

Ha, I just noticed that I started yesterday's post with the same line. I must have Ice Cube on the brain! 

Couch potatoes

Today was a good day. I got to sleep in until 8:30 (thanks to Jason) and our new couch was delivered. Woo hoo! I am extremely excited about this couch because it has a chaise lounge extension -- perfect for cuddling up with a good book -- and a huuuuge storage ottoman. As you can see, Molly has already discovered the joys of cruising, and drooling, around the edge.

4 months after placing the order, our couch is finally here!

I haven't been very good about blogging lately. Molly had the flu last week and it took a lot out of us. But life is back to normal now, so here's a quick update on all things O'Grady:

• Jason started tennis lessons at Midtown Tennis Club and is loving it. I was his guest last night at a cardio tennis party and was very impressed with how quickly he seems to be picking up the sport. I have a feeling it won't be long before Jason is kicking my butt around the court.
• Molly is in a big climbing phase. Forget about crawling, she just wants to pull up on whatever she can find so she can stand and bounce, or creep around the room on 2 feet.
• Molly has also been very vocal lately. If you sing to her, she will try to copy what you say, which is kind of fun. Of course, nothing is better than when she looks at me and says "mama." But I really only seem to get that when she's in distress.

Speaking of being a "mama," tomorrow is my first official Mother's Day. We don't have much on the docket. Aunt B is coming over so Jason and I can go out to lunch. If I just hang with Molly for the rest of the day and get a chance to curl up on my new couch and read a few chapters of my new obsession, A Clash of Kings, I will be happy.