The Weekly Happy Hour: Parkside

I just wanted to thank you guys for your supportive comments on the 'What's the Point of Blogging?' post. Like a lot of you guys, I resist the idea of blogging being 'dead' because I resist the idea of losing this space where I can talk about important things and also, fun but probably less important things (in the grand scheme of the world). Even though, I'm not sure that spending time with friends is ever unimportant. Goodness knows I would go crazy without midweek socialization.

This week, it was my turn to pick the happy hour and because I missed last week, I was eager to hit the ground running. The website for Parkside immediately drew me in. Fries? Cheeseburger? Mac and Cheese?? It seems like the perfect, warm place to take refuge on this dreary, almost rainy day.

Park side is on Dirty 6th, a place I'd been a thousand times before but I'd never noticed the little restaurant tucked away on the corner. At 5:30, the place was already popping and the atmosphere was fun and Friday-esque.

I got a drink that was part strawberry Stoli, part champagne and part sugar and it was so, so good. For most of my of-drinking-age life, I've tended to stick with the same things so it's a nice change of pace trying drinks I wouldn't have otherwise tried.

Having been put on notice that there would be cheeseburgers, I tried to eat healthy during the day which meant I was starving when I got there. I got the cheeseburger, Karlz got the fried egg sandwich and Ferj got the ceviche and it was all so tasty. The fries were those crispy, wonderfully salty kind and were served with a garlic aioli. It was the perfect offset to the sweetness of the drink. Like, I'll be honest, I wish I was eating it right now.

We were tucked in a corner booth and it was the perfect place to talk about our jobs, the holidays and the very real stress of waiting for Bar results. 

I'd definitely come back with friends, with J, or even with a good book. Such a delicious, well-priced and centrally located place! Plus happy hour, which runs till 6:30 is half price off of cocktails, beer and the bar menu! 

Like with all happy hours, I was sad to see it end but I did see this really strange thing outside of Roppollo's, a drunken night out institution on 6th. Not surprisingly, there was a massive line of people waiting to take a picture with it. Oh, Austin. 

Here's to hoping the rest of the week flies by! 

Overall rating: 4/5

What's the Point of Blogging?

Today is National Writing Day! A fact that was lost on me until I saw it trending on Twitter. I don't know what this says about me as an aspiring writer but I find it fortuitous that National Writing Day falls on the same day I read a post declaring that blogging was dead.

It came as kind of a blow to me. My first thought was, "But no! I'm just now starting to meet these super interesting people and I love reading about the things that are important to them." I'd be pretty bummed if all of the blogs I read just up and vanished. Where else do you see people talking so openly and passionately about the things that matter to them?

Then I thought, maybe some kinds of blogging are dead but community-based and community-minded blogging isn't. And hopefully it never will be. I have met so many people from all over the world I know I wouldn't have met otherwise through this blog. On a daily basis, I get to learn about how lives are across the oceans. I see coats and shoes I might have missed in my own online shopping. I learn crafts. I pick up recipes. Having access to blogs is like having access to a repository of people who know things and who like sharing what they know. And that's awesome.

I know blogging is sometimes likened to shouting, "Hey look at me! Look at what I have to say!" to which I respond, what's wrong with that? What piece of literature out there exists for a purpose other than "Hey look at me! Look at what I have to say!" Even the seminal works like Frankenstein, 1984, and Great Expectations exist because someone had something to say.* Writing is writing. Ideas are ideas. And yeah, maybe some blogs are up to their metaphorical eyeballs in RStyle links or are so carefully curated, they give the Louvre a run for its money, but again, so what? Issues of non-disclosure, tax, etc. aside, it's just a more prettily packaged Amazon and I, for one, really like Amazon.

And this whole train of thought got me thinking: why do I blog? Why put in the effort day in and day out for what essentially amounts to an Internet window display? Part of it is because I like to write. I like sitting down at the end of the day and verbalizing how things went. I like to put down on (virtual) paper the things that do and don't make me happy at this very moment in time. It helps me make sense of myself and the world around me. The other part of it is that I like a ton of things. I like TV shows, movies, books, shoes, makeup and recipes and I love meeting other people who love those things, too.

On that note, I know I follow a lot of you already, but if I don't, I'd love it if you'd drop me a link so that I can see what you have to say. And I want to thank you guys for taking the time out of your day for reading what I have to say. Writing can be a very solitary thing and blogging makes it just a little less so.


*Totally not comparing blogs to 1984, just trying to make the point that writing is writing, no matter the form. 

Survey of Fall TV

So I was down with some funky bug this past week which meant that my productivity took a nosedive but my TV watching increased exponentially. For most of the evenings, I posted up on the sofa with a big fleece blanket and the pups and caught up on a ton of shows that came out this fall.

Overall impressions:

I know this show gets flack sometimes because it went through a decidedly unfunny period but the end of last season and the beginning of this season (so far) are as good as the series in its prime! Besides, truthfully, I never stopped loving this show. I've got a thing for crazy, quirky families.

I'm admittedly a BBC fan girl and have been watching the Doctor Who reboot for a few years now. I found the first few seasons on Netflix and it's spiraled into the obsession it is today. I love how sassy this new Doctor is though this season has sort of thrown me for a loop. I have faith in Peter Capaldi, though. You show those aliens who's boss!

GUYS. This show. In the spring, I went through a rough time and my friends decided I needed a distraction. Enter Empire. It was perfect because it was out-of-this-world dramatic and addicting at the same time. Season 2 has not disappointed. Plus the songs are pretty catchy, too!

Another accidentally-found-it-on-Hulu-now-I've-finished-the-season-what-is-life type shows. It's hilarious and adorable :) A rare combination for the CW. 10/10

I still need to catch up on the last season, so I haven't started watching this one, but the need to know what is happening with the great Olivia Pope is eating at me. For those of you who have seen this season so far, how is it??


Shows I'm Keeping Tabs On:
Heroes Reborn, Scream Queens, and Fresh off the Boat. I'm planning on catching up (or starting in some cases) on these as soon as more free time opens up.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions to add to my TV watching queue! I'm always on the lookout for new shows to take on :)

Spooky Spaces: Halloween Decoration Guide

Guys. I love, love Halloween. Really, I love all of the holidays between October and December to an unhealthy degree and Halloween is the first chance I really have to go all out! Because J and I are in different cities this year, we've gotten to pick two different themes to run with. He is clearly into the Zombie/Scary theme...

J's door for reference. Courtesy of Target Dollar Spot! 

And I'm more into the Spooky/Witches/Black cat scene. (Alternative themes include: Day of the Dead and Slasher Chic of course).

So for the Spooky/Witches/Black cat theme, I'm thinking glittery black candles, gold accents, and some aged-looking wood to give it a Knockturn Alley-type feel.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

When J and I first started decorating for Halloween, I remember a bunch of the stuff available being super cheesy (all orange, black, and pumpkin) so it's been nice to see some variety pop up! I also love the fact that a ton of stuff (the tea light candle holder, the black glitter candle, and even the flask) can be used for other things since they aren't so overtly Halloween-y.

Best of all, this lets me combine my love for Harry Potter and Halloween into one fun theme! I think this'll make the perfect place to post up drinking warm cider and watching Nightmare Before Christmas (Is this a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? I'm not sure we'll ever know).

How to Shake Off the Mid-Day Slump

Hey guys! I wanted to apologize for not responding to your great comments! I've been fighting off a nasty bug and have been spending a ton either sleeping or wishing I were sleeping. I'm heading back to work today and I'm hoping to have at least a somewhat productive day, unlike Tuesday.

On Tuesday, I was at work sifting through cases and writing summaries and I noticed I was working slower and slower. Finally, I just couldn't focus at all. I drank coffee but it didn't help. I re-read the same sentence 10 times and I still didn't fully comprehend it. It was that kind of day. The problem with those kinds of days is that they can derail your productivity for the week. I didn't have 8 hours to lose to inefficient, groggily skimmed work methods. I needed to get my head back in the game.

Whether or not you're sorting through research, studying for a final, or even cleaning the bathroom, we all have those days. These are some ways I've found to shake off the funk and get back on track!

• Listen to upbeat songs. Maybe even dance around a little. Dance can trigger an endorphin release that can perk you up and brighten your day.
• Try on some moves for size. Office yoga might just be the thing you need to relax an work through some of the frustration of the day. 
• Eat a sugary snack. I like to recommend fruit because it's a healthy option as far as sugary things go but some days, you might just need to mosey on over to the store and buy a slice of cheesecake. And that's okay, too.
• Take a walk outside. If you can get out for a bit, the fresh air can definitely liven you up. Coupled with the increased blood flow from your physical activity, it might result in a better mood once you're back on task!
• Read something engaging. Trying to read dense material when your brain is out to lunch isn't helpful for anyone. Instead, accept that these are going to be lost minutes anyway, and take 15-20 minutes for yourself. Read something that interests you or that makes you laugh. It can get your brain thinking and engaging again!

What do you do when you fall into the workday slump? 

Playlist for Fall

I like to make a new playlist every time the season changes. I've read that music is great at invoking memories and I like listening to a song years later and thinking, "Hey, that reminds me of Fall 2008." Plus, I've always liked the idea of creating soundtracks to my seasons. Spring is usually acoustic and mellow songs. Summer brings the party jams. Fall, then, is an interesting hybrid of both. There's the songs that are perfect for sitting next to a bonfire and then there's the songs perfect for dressing up for a Halloween night out on the town. (Winter is just Christmas music added to the Fall playlist).

Though I'm still working on rounding out this season's, I wanted to share with you guys my playlist so far! Warning, though, I have super eclectic taste in music so it's hard to describe what type of music is likely to appear on the playlists. For the most part though, it's just sounds that remind me of the season.

I hope you enjoy!

Life Lessons from the Courtroom

As part of my job, I get to go to hearings a few times a week. The first few times, I was mostly just overwhelmed at the sheer amount of things I'm going to be expected to remember. Then, once it started to feel more familiar, I started paying attention to the behavior of the attorneys and witnesses. What started off as a list of 'What To Do/What Not To Do' became a list of more generally applicable Dos and Don'ts. Who knew life and courtrooms had that much in common?

So without further ado....

1. Be still and listen.
2. People try to help you more often than you think. If you're not careful, you might miss it.
3. Being the loudest doesn't make you the most powerful (or the most effective).
4. Be the river, not the stone.
5. Know before you speak. If you don't, at least think before you speak. If you can't, don't speak.
6. Don't get ruffled by the whispers.
7. Pick your battles. Not everything is a war.