Hot drinks have such an inviting essence.

people are typically lying when they say 'no pun intended.' it is almost always followed by a ha ha ha. they clearly meant to say it.

Caution Falling Ice signs are a bit of a contradiction. They exist to warn people of falling ice but when you look up to look for it, you run the risk of impaling your eyes.

Teenage girls have mastered smacking their gum distinctly

I just called my cell phone from my work phone and was perplexed when my cell was ringing with a number I didn't recognize...

Just saw a North Face advertisement "Give the gift of staying out longer." Genius.

sometimes when I'm walking to work I feel like singing 'the ants go marching one by one hoorah hoorah' at the top of my lungs

I was just made aware that there is a common pattern entitled hound tooth

somedays I forgot how completely revolutionary it is that a piece of plastic suctioned to my eye gives me sight

bundled up = limited peripheral vision

I love watching all the "cold, it's windy, this is painful" facial expressions on the passer-byers.

You know it's bad news when you wake up in a haze on the train thinking you are on your way home and not on your way to work. W
Alas, the 'now approaching Western Avenue' perplexed me greatly.

Multiple's are funny.
If you have multiple backups of something, it is almost guaranteed that you will loose all of them at once.
If you buy more than one of something as a, just-in-case-one-breaks-or-gets-lost-kinda-thing the first one you use lasts forever.

Being warm is a much higher priority than being fashionable.

I feel a bit like royalty when the conductors on my train come by to collect tickets and just nod in my direction. It is like they are saying 'no sweat, you're a regular.'

IT IS SNOWING!

No Dumping signs intrigue me. Does anyone really ever stop, read the sign, then decide to not proceed with the dumping they had planned to do?

there is an awkward time of day that is neither good morning nor good afternoon.
alas, i have resolved to say good post-morning.

I find it fascinating when the express line more than triples the normal lines in length. Sometimes I have the urge to inform people that the sign does not say 'ALL 15 items or fewer shoppers have to wait here.' But yet they do.

soup tastes way better with a metal spoon, plastic spoons ruin soup

shoulda worn rain boots

I appreciate what the strategy, but I find the tagline 'America runs on Dunkin' to be a bit far stretched. I do not know of any American runners who say 'let me just fill up on some coffee and donuts before my run!'

One of my neighbors thinks that we have a trash shoot for dog poop bags. We don't. Instead, I get the privilege of having my yard littered with tied up bags of dog poop.

I just found out that there is a knitting store called hooker's nook? Reeeally?

I am not the only crazy sleeper. My friend's husband woke up with her hand in his mouth.

Today I experienced a mini shower during my lunch date-much thanks to the cute old lady sitting next to me.

Is it possible to sprain your nose? If so Sally claims to have done it.

Today I raced a stranger to the train station.
I won.

this morning I had a crafty opportunity to tie-dye my black and white mittens with coffee

"i've realized something, uncomfortable shoes make me more tired"

pancakes fried in bacon grease are crazy delicious, and unhealthy

when I eat tuna out of a can I feel like a cat

note to fellow new home owners: timed heaters work better when the current time is not set to 12 hours earlier and 2 days late

Running gear is officially expensive. Grrrr.

cutting through newspaper is super satisfying

12 foot Subway at 8:54 in the morning, really??

I find the phrase interesting dynamic to be a bit redundant, because dynamic in essence is the opposite of static -sally

Is having a Segway in a crowded train station really that helpful for a cop?

my neighbor has a stroller that she walks her dog in

it's hot pink

coworker "clearly i shouldn't pour my coffee until i have my coffee"

if I could pick my phone number I would pick 847-90210-10

I just received the kindest 'bless you' from a stranger.

according to people's magazine fat cats are out

when we read we read the top half of letters

this morning I discovered that jumbo headphones can double as ear muffs

"it's kinda like skiing, the shorter the skis the more control you have."

these are a few of my union-station-at-rush-hour things:
•people using their hand like it is a fish to navigate through crowds
•newspaper sales guys
•sweet smell of chocolate coming from Blommer's down the river
•crochet angel sales lady (no one knows if she actually is selling them or just hanging out in a high traffic area making them)
•the faithful sax player
•monthly sighting of the Amish
•giving a salute/wave to my favorite conductor

"high buildings do complicate life"

I would love to see how people would react to someone in foot traffic with car sound effects blasting from a hidden speaker that correlated to speed and quick movements

Screeching, fast turns, slamming on the breaks, gear shifting. The possibilities are endless!

somedays I have the strong urge to start dancing along with the music that is being blasted out of unaware-loud-music-listeners' headphones

I am happy to report to everyone that it is officially knit accessories time. of course there are those of us who wear knit accessories all your long.

the inside of bananas are fascinating

you can take the girl out of the forest but you can't take the forest out of the girl

I just saw a gradient car

you get the donut and the donut hole! -sally

I so do not love tourists. But yet I love being one. How odd.

walking up an escalator feels like magic

"it's a comfort to know that i am a beacon for plastic"

yesterday I fell asleep on the train. when I awoke my neck was sore so I started stretching. a guy starts talking next to me, rather loudly, 'don't you just LOOOOVE tuesdays? Aren't they just the best day of the week?'
yes, I do love tuesdays. and most days of the week for that matter...

today I was ordering a latte. this is how the conversation went: no sugar? no. no syrup? no. no splenda, no nothing? no. are you sure? yes. wow, that is going to be a really strong latte.

Speed bumps are always too bumpy

It fascinates me when peoples frustration rises so high that they feel the need to get everyone around them just as annoyed.

the capacities of the human eye far exceeds any camera lens

Today I saw two women wearing short shorts with cowboy boots, no socks

I just encountered a 5 foot 40 year old woman walking through the train station with rap music playing loudly on her compact speakers

bees typically have their stingers retracted

water fountains and book stores are amazing

I just heard someone say 'yo madre'

autumn chill has a distinct silence to it

electrical pencil sharpeners are loaded with instant gratification

word of the day:
proofalanche.

genius.

what was lost has now been found.
gone are the days of fork paranoia.

I have found my long-lost fork.

Zippers. That's my favorite part of camping. The sound of zippers.

I can't help but smile when I see someone wearing a big backpack and all you can see from the back are legs. If backpacks were people.

Complaining is very much like offering someone else verbal toxins. Who does it really benefit?

The air in chip bags is there to protect the chips from breaking. Hearts should have bags with air.

Reflections are trippy. Especially standing water. When the water dries up, no reflection.

Crispness is in the air.

Public facilities are cleaner in the morning.

This morning I discovered that in the middle of the night I unplugged my camera battery and woke up craddling it.

umbrellas are majestic objects

there is a fork thief at my work.
this has led me to some unhealthy fork paranoia.

plastic forks and carrots do not mix well

i have a random, but very vivid memory of the day when i first received glasses at the age of 9

this morning: girl riding her bike with an unbuckled bike helmet. what's the point?

i can't stand when people claim my niceness as flirting. if niceness is extended to a cute boy does it realy automatically mean that i am being a flirt?

I just ate a cookie that featured "100% butter" on its packaging.
Does that mean that I just ate a stick of butter?

string cheese makes me oh so happy.

today I was put on hold. instead of playing elevator music they educated me with some news radio.

I saw 13 skateboarders. Skating in the loop. Weaving in and out of cars.
As they approached it sounded a like a stampede. A very young, not-so-smart stampede.

I get very frustrated when I cannot speak to a real person when I call a place that I am paying money to. It is even worse when they say "we are currently experiencing higher call volume than normal." Is it really uncommon if they have that recording at all times?

I love tea cups and tea saucers.

on my way in today i was informed that it is blonde week in chicago

cheese curds are more squeaky when warm

i just discovered that it is difficult to spell my first name out loud - not because it is difficult to spell but because no one ever asks

outdoor street chess always signifies summer to me

I love when I put down an iced beverage with beaded water coming off of it and it ends up dancing on my desk.

this morning I imagined everyone around me with bald heads. if this ever turned into a reality, everyone would look a lot more alike.

this morning a woman walked like she was about to exclaim "hail Hitler."
alas, she was just hailing a cab.

who chooses to start hailing 6 yards before hitting the curb?

sometimes I feel like phrases like, "life is good" and "don't sweat the small stuff" need to be stapled to my hand as reminders.

labeling CDs is very satisfying. there is just something about the sharpie gliding onto the shiny CD.

Today I was struck by my daily 'familiars.' My daily life consists of hundreds of familiar strangers.

the woman who has worked at my favorite coffee shop for years
my train mates that i see everyday
the woman with the blue backpack that often walks in front of me on my way to work
the homeless man who greats me every morning with "good morning beautiful lady!"

So many faces, so many lives, so many stories to be told.

I saw a skyscraper window washer this morning. Talk about an adventurous job!

a co-worker today almost wrote man thanks, instead of many thanks. 2 phrases with very different meanings - with just a one letter difference!

I think that pulling up knee socks that have scrunched to my ankles is very satisfying

coffee just splashed onto my desk in the shape of a duck

it's official: i am declaring today as a day to jump in puddles, NOT a rainy dreary day

somedays I just need to create something tactile

today a stuffed animal cat purse was sited at adams and wabash

choir is chair with an o

today we discussed blue raspberry artificial flavoring. i wonder who first said "let's call this blue raspberry."

today i heard a group of men call out to a woman "hey buddy!" just seemed a bit odd.

a man on a roof fixing the letter y waved back with a smile when i waved to him this morning

I just discovered the crazy beauty of frothed milk on oatmeal!

does hot soup fill me up because i have to eat it so slowly or because it truly is filling?

whiteboards have a lovely depth factor when doodling

what a morning.

1. man on the lower level of the train brought his new iPad in the box, with the plastic coating. either it is very new or he is a bit proud/over protective
2. couple on the lower level of the train were fighting and neglecting their 8 month old baby. thankfully the baby fell asleep but the fight ebbed and flowed as we made our way into the city
3. man had some fresh cut purple flowers from his yard stuffed into his roll-along briefcase
4. man had some packaging stuck to the bottom of his shoe. he stopped to take it off but it was really stuck so he kept walking pretending it wasn't there
5. a couple was having a fight on the street - yelling and cussing each other out, assuming everyone in the one block radius wanted to know about their conflict

never a dull moment.

spaghettio's has a deficiency of e's. the adult version should have all of the letters.

they should make spaghettio's for adults.
tagline: "for the refined child in you"

yesterday there was a very specific placed piece of trash on my way home. i guess someone wanted to expressing themselves through their littering.

this morning i saw eighteen - EIGHTEEN! - buses in a line on adams. it was three blocks long. buses buses buses.

acoustic guitars with vocals sometimes causes my eyes to well up with tears. beauty.

today I was drinking tea and after taking a sip the tea splashed back into my eye

today a on older lady exclaimed "you look so pretty!" as I walked by. we should tell strangers that they are pretty more often.

it never ceases to amaze me how many people that dislike their lives try to convince me to dislike mine. i mean really?

I just had a moment. I really like my name.
Call me crazy but I feel like after 24 years I have finally begun to feel like an Emma. Thanks for the name mom and dad.

it's official. i love vegetables.

this week i am struck by Jesus' willingness to die on the cross. he could have run away. he knew it was coming but yet he stuck it out.

creation

the action of creation is spectacular. creating something out of nothing. i mean really? crazy cool when you strip it down.

I've decided that I like shabby chic

note to self: couscous has explosive qualities when placed in a microwave

note to self: frozen milkshakes are not as good as fresh milkshakes

today I made a new friend on the train.

if I had to play any instrument I would pick the contrabassoon. Even if just to be able to say "I play the contrabassoon"

i've recently discovered that coffee lids are froth killers

fill me with popcorn and call me cracker jack

yesterday I saw a man walking with headphones belting out the song he was listening, for all to hear

not having something makes me appreciate it so much more.
like scarves.

"It's not that God speaks louder in nature, it's just that it's easier to hear him in the silence"

money money money. must be funny. in a rich man's world.

Violet coat. Green and yellow scarf. Lime green beret.

Lovely.

The site was beautiful. A little boy holding his mothers hand, skipping along, ready to take on the big city. Proclaiming: "I saw the top of the tower!"

I could hear the conversation from their morning in my head as I walked beside them. "Okay honey. Today is a very special day. Today you will be coming with mommy to work and see all the big buildings and wear your Bears hat and pack all your treasures in your special cubs backpack."

I saw colleagues with matching winter coats. I wonder what the story is behind that.

I wish we still had balls and dance cards

I think it is a bit heartbreaking when someone compliments me while simultaneously tearing themselves down

my eye just has a run in with an eyelash. the eye won.

i love snow boots

classical music inspires and refreshes

this morning I saw a woman carrying a watering can to work

yesterday I saw 2 dogs running their human

going to work in a snowstorm. simply delightful, I pretended I was downhill skiing.

this morning the river was wearing a stained glass winter jacket

i'm thankful for teeth that can eat carrots

Taking a different route to work this morning gave me a sense of adventure.

I even cut through the lobby of the beautiful Palmer House.

Computers are fascinating. So much going on in such a small space.

Today I saw a donut crossing the street.

Where in the World is Carmen San Diego

listening to Sofia Karlsson with headphones takes me to a different world.
A cheery, contemplative, happy world.

I saw a businessman wearing a fedora. I love fedora's.

I have decided that snowflakes are like instruments in an orchestra. They each play their own song, up / down, fast / slow, big / small. They are each unique but together they make one big beautiful symphony.

 

Or perhaps every snowflake is listening to headphones with the exact same song and dancing. Today they appear to be listening to Mendelssohn.

A woman on the train kept saying to her husband. "What else...?" Over and over and over.

He really didn't have much to say.

the sun is shining.

the what?
THE SUN.

One man's trash is one women's treasure. Lived out in its glory.

Today I wondered: how do you cross out an x?

I guess scribbles.

Today I saw a back-lit deer. 

Today there was a world being constructed on my way to work.
Today they added Europe.

Today I saw a woman wearing a yellow and black wizards cape. With yellow fringes and all, even a pom-pom on the end of the pointed hood.

Today I spilled coffee and creamer and it looked like a bull's head, with horns and all.