Flashback Friday

I read recently that your can give new life to old content by reposting something with a new twist. I love how this is totally effortless and also gives me an excuse to browse through the archives.

So, in celebration of today's date, 8/8 — the anniversary of Wrigley Field getting lights (8/8/88) — I thought I'd bring up any other posts I did on Aug. 8 over the years:

2008: Sweaty Elvis
That time I ran a 5K is an inflatable Elvis costume. Much like the Cubs' first night game, I finished the post the next day.

2006: Enclosed in a Veil
Back when I blogged frequently, was prepping for my wedding, and I participated in the now-defunct photo blog Self-portrait Challenge.


Man, life pre-kids was different.

SPC: On the street, at a bar, under the L

It's been a while since I've done Self-Portrait Challenge. Probably because I haven't been able to find my camera charger since the move. But this month's topic — on the street — was just too good to pass up for a second week. I guess I'll have to make due with my camera phone until I find/replace that missing cord.

Anyway, here's a pic taken at this bar by my new place that's right at the bottom of the L platform. Like, if you get off the train after work, and you can't fathom the idea of taking another step without a drink, this is where you go. It's got a nice outdoor area and a pretty sweet beer selection, too.

Cheers!

Chicago's It Girl

Last week, I convinced myself to go out one night, alone. Mediabistro.com and Oprah.com hosted this networking event for folks who work in Web publishing. I do a little Web publishing at my job, but mostly, I was digging the free drinks and totally wanted to meet Oprah.

She wasn't there.

Jerk.

Anyway, although I didn't get to meet The Big O, I did get to meet Laurel Touby, founder of Mediabistro.com. I even got her business card. So we're like, best friends now.

Don't believe me? See for yourself!

Here's Laurel...




and here's me, doing what I do best...




...staking claim to the food table.

You see, the quesadillas we're REALLY good. And, well, I knew NO ONE and I felt super awkward. Me and small talk do not get along. This is why I can't make new friends. What am I supposed to say? "Oh my god, you have brown hair?!?! Me too! What are the odds? Want to be my new best friend? ... Please?..."

But after a glass of wine or three, I opened up and started chatting up some people, got some cards, did the whole networking thang. I even ran into a woman I used to work with when I interned for a local athletic magazine. I don't think she remembered me at first, and for some reason, I could remember every little detail of her life that summer, so I'm pretty sure I freaked her out.

But hey, at least I made some headway on a New Year's resolution. (Be more social? Check. Eat more vegetables? Eh, not so much...)

Self-Portrait Challenge: Red, Red Wine

This month's Self-Portrait Challenge theme is RED. So, I was going to write a little tribute to red vino for this post, but after this little exchange with Chris, I had to change it all:

Chris: What's the theme of this post?

Me: It's Red, so I decided to go with Red, Red Wine.

Chris: (singing) Red red wine, you make my feet so fine...

Me: Wha?? Feet?

Chris: Those are the words, right?...

Me: Nooooo! (laughing hysterically) It's you make me FEEL so fine.

Chris: .....um, please don't put this in your blog.


Sorry honey. But to make you feel better, here's an equally embarassing photo of me:

Self-Portrait Challenge: Imperfect Halloween Costume

So this year for Halloween, Chris and wanted to go as something fun. Something that would rise to the level of our costume last year when we went as Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone. Something that would, at the very least, make people laugh.

So here was our idea: We both dressed like we were about to go to the country club. I wore plaid pants and a polo with a sweater tied around my neck. I donned a white visor and carried a tennis racket. Chris dressed similarly, with a green polo and a sweater tied around his neck. He also pulled off a nice comb-over that made him look both like he was the president of his fraternity and also running for political office. We went by the names Porter Wellington III and Miffy Carter Wellington. We talked about our make believe kids named Cole and Preston, and theorized that our housekeeper Guadalupe was secretly making long-distance phone calls to her family back in Honduras or Argentina, or where ever it is she’s from.

Then to top it all off, we wore bug antennae. Why?

Because we’re WASPS!

Get it?

That’s OK, no one else did either.

We really thought everyone would find these hilarious. Like, “Oh, it’s so funny how you’ve made a subtle social commentary while playing off the term “wasp” at the same time. How clever! And by the way Sarah, you look fabulous in plaid pants.”

But instead, everyone was like, “Oh, right, wasps. Okay.”

Oh well. At least Chris and I amuse ourselves.

Self-Portrait Challenge: Dirty Secret

This month's Self-Portrait Challenge is imperfections and dreadful secrets. I thought I'd go with one dirty little secret: I am one dirty little girl.

Literally. I'm messy.

About half of the fights Chris and I get into revolve around cleaning duties. Or more accurately, his inability to pick up after himself. He leaves dirty socks under the computer desk. He leaves clothing on the couch. He will use the same bath towel everyday for weeks until I change it for him. However, for all my complaining, I'm actually quite messy myself.

Take Exhibit A, for example: The Kitchen Sink. Chris does almost all the cooking, so I'm supposed to do the dishes. And do I complete this chore? Take a look:



Or consider Exhibit B: My Closet. Chris may leave his clothes all over the house, but I don't do much better. I just pile them up in my closet. Sure, they might not be out for everyone to see, but does that make me any less messy? What do you think?



Neither of these examples compares, however, to the horrors of Exhibit C: Our Apartment Post-Wedding. We brought home a stack of presents on Saturday and started to unwrap. And the empty boxes have taken over our living space. While most people would have been driven to insanity by this wasteland of boxes after about, oh, an hour, we've lasted 3 days:



(Since the photo was taken we've clean up about half the mess)

So there you have one of my dirty little secrets: I’m a dirty little hypocrite.

Self-Portrait Challenge

This month's Self-Portrait Challenge theme is "with someone." Because I was gone most of the month, I'm doing my first one the last week of the month. Anyway, after getting married and taking a two-week honeymoon, I guess it's only appropriate to include my new husband as my "someone." I do kind of like him.

I couldn't decide between these two pics, so here you have first, Chris and I at the Englischer Garten in Munich just before we headed off to a Bayern Munich game, and second, the wedding day.

Self-Portrait Challenge: Enclosed Spaces

I’m beginning to think that the nicer your view at work, the less you actually get to leave your office. That’s why you get a nice view: It’s a consolation prize for being tethered to your desk.

For example, at my first job as a reporter, my cubicle — and most of the building in fact — had no windows. However, I was rarely at my desk. Instead, I was out on the street, attending meetings, interviewing people, driving around, looking for stories, etc.

At my second job, there was a window within walking distance of my desk. At this job, most interviews were done over the phone, and I left the building less often than my first job. But I still got to leave every once in a while to go sit in other offices and interview people.

At my current job, I have an amazing view of Michigan Avenue and the John Hancock building. And I never get to leave. When I do interview people, they’re always done over the phone. I don’t even leave for lunch. Instead I eat at my desk. Staring out the window. Watching people do more exciting things. Like shopping.

But I shouldn’t complain. I like my job (even though it’s a wee bit stressful most days) and I actually get paid to work for a magazine. Now if I could only get paid to go shopping on Michigan Avenue…

See more self portraits here.

Self-Portrait Challenge: Enclosed in a Veil

This month’s Self Portrait Challenge theme is enclosed spaces. I decided to do "enclosed in a veil.” Now, I could get all psychological and say that I’m enclosed in a wedding, or about to be enclosed in a marriage. But let's just leave it at "enclosed in a veil."

A really, really pretty veil.

Self-Portrait as a Pole Dancer

There's this very interesting bar in Wrigleyville with batting cages and dueling pianos on the same floor. Yeah, I don't see the connection either. Anyway, on top of these dueling pianos is a pole next to which many people like to dance. A few months ago, after consuming a few too many 7&7s (about two. I'm a lightweight. I also like to blame all my indiscretions on alcohol), I started to fall asleep in my chair at this bar. However, once I heard the dueling piano players begin the tune "Bohemian Rhapsody," I immediately sprang from my Canadian-whiskey-induced stupor and proceeded to dance on pianos. Everyone else was doing it, I swear.

Anyway, following this evening of pole dancing, Chris decided to tell everyone (including my parents, his parents, his employers, etc.) about my activities. I denied, denied! DENIED! that it ever happened. But alas, my soon-to-be husband captured the event on his camera phone. (Hence, super-low-res photo.)

So there you have my first forway into pole dancing. I'm pretty sure I have a future in this: I hear that sneakers, baggy jeans and green t-shirts are what all the successful pole dancers wear. Get out your dollars, fellas.

Self Portrait Tuesday: Introduction

My name is Sarah Ashley Stone

But my full name is Sarah Ashley Stone Fauver Salted Peanut Sassafras

But soon I will be Sarah Wunder

My friends call me Stoner

Or Stoney

Or Stonehenge

Or Stonezee

Sometimes my family calls me Sarafina

But usually they call me SAS

Or Sassy

Or Sassafras

Aunt Jackie calls me Goofy Kid

Aunt Jill and Uncle Rich call me Kool Breeze

Aunt Mary calls me Salted Peanut

Jack will call me Aunt Sarah

Jack's grandma calls me Sarah-bellum

Chase calls me Snotty Pizza Tush

Or Grandpa

Or mise-en-scene

My editor used to call me Lois

Christopher calls me Sarahpher

But sometimes he calls me crazy

Or Smelly Pirate Hooker

Soon he will call me wife

Someday, I will be called mom

But for now, you can just call me Sarah.

Self Portrait Challenge: Welcome to My Wallet

For this week's SPC Introduction, I thought I’d take you all on a little tour through my wallet. You won’t find much money in there, but here are a few things I carry around (or at least I used to).

1. My license: I think of all my license photos, this one is my favorite. It's much better than my New York license. The photo was OK, but I made a clothing error and wore a tan v-neck. Tan shirt+super bright DMV flash=Sarah looking nekkid.

2. My old student ID: I still carry this around to score student discounts from time to time. That’s not the only thing I still carry with me from Mizzou. Let’s see, I’ve got my journalism degree, a few good friends, some toeless feet and a very worn hoodie. Oh yeah, and that fiancé guy.

3. Another student ID: This was the ID I carried around in London for the school I sort of went to. (Basically, we used their classrooms, but all the students and instructors were from the U.S.). This university had pubs on campus. I think Mizzou could learn a thing or two from them.

4. My old press pass: Ah, my first job. There were so many places I almost didn’t get into because this press pass looked totally homemade. But I like to think of it as a beginner’s press pass because I was just as beginner as well. I miss that job. I wish I could have taken it with me to Chicago.

5. Chicago Card: Speaking of Chicago, this is how to get around these days. In fact, I’m going to sell my truck in the very near future because it’s just living at my parents' house. So sad.

6. My business card: This is where I take the bus to everyday. I really like the location, and there’s a gym in my building, which has made….

7. My Bally Total Fitness card pretty much useless.

8. My passport: This little booklet has taken me to 10 different countries. And in about four months, it’s going to take me to Germany and Spain. Hooray!

Self Portrait Challenge: 10-Second Introduction

I like wine.

See more self portraits here.

Self Portrait Challenge: Introduction

This is how I look when I’m blogging. It’s also how I look when I’m working, watching TV, hanging out or just thinking about stuff. Always the same pose. Always one arm flung over my head.

I didn’t realize I did this until I was in college. In some of my more laid-back classes, we’d be sitting around a table, discussing stuff, and without thinking about it, over my head my arm would go. Apparently that’s how I think best. Unfortunately, flinging your arm over your head also looks a lot like raising your hand. Hence, I got called on a lot in class.

I know where I got this arm-flinging tendency. My dad always sits like this. I remember when I was little, he would sit like this when he was watching TV, and it gave the perfect spot to curl up next to him. His arm would go up, and I’d rest my head on his side. Sometimes as a joke, he’d quickly lower his arm again and trap me, basically with my head stuck in his armpit.

Somewhere growing up, I started sitting like this, too. So did my sister. You should see the three of us watching TV together. All three of us in a row on the couch, all three with our arms flung over our heads.

I’m not sure why we do this. It serves no purpose. But for me, at least, it’s extremely comfortable. It helps me relax and clear my mind. I guess sometimes I sleep like this, too. According to Chris, it looks really goofy. Whatever. As long as I’m comfy and sleeping, I don’t care how I look.

Anyway, I thought this might work as an introduction. So when you read my blog, you know what I look like when I’m reading yours.

Self-Portrait Challenge: Introduction

The theme for this month’s Self-Portrait Challenge is “Introduce Yourself.” (By the way, Self-Portrait Tuesday is now called Self-Portrait Challenge. So I'm not late, I swear.) Anyway, I thought I’d start with the basics, for example, my job.

I am a copy editor for a group for trade publications. My job is to fix grammatical errors, check for libelous or untrue statements and basically make your writing sound pretty.

So, what happens is you turn in your carefully crafted prose to me, and I do this to it:



Then you read it in the magazine later, and you don’t realize I changed a thing. Why? Because generally I don’t change what you say. I just change how you say it.

For example, you say: “The performance management initiatives are managed by the leadership development team.”

And I say, “Your passive voice hurts my eyeballs. And how many times can you use some form of ‘manage’ in one sentence?" And I change it to: “The leadership-development team handles the performance-management initiatives.”

Then you say: “To properly manage talent, executives must …”

And I say, “Split infinitives? Hell no.” And I change it to, “To manage talent properly...” Or sometimes I delete your adverbs all together because most of the time they’re useless anyway.

So yeah, that’s what I do, ALL DAY. I also write a little bit and post some magazine content on our Web sites. But pretty much, I copyedit and proofread.

Unfortunately, copyediting full time has turned me into one of those people that corrects other people’s grammar. I hate those people. You know, the ones that say, “No, you tell the dog to go lie down, not lay down.” Yeah, that’s me.

I also yell at the television a lot. When the idiot newscaster says, “There are over 100,000 immigrants literally filling the streets right now,” I yell back, “Over 100,000? What, are they somehow suspended over the streets? Learn about prepositions, moron. There are more than 100,000 immigrants in the streets. And you don’t need to say literally filling the streets. We know they’re actually there. We can see them on the television thanks to Chopper Live. It’s not like we thought they were just pretending to fill streets. Oh, and by the way, that fuchsia pantsuit you think is so cute makes you look fat.”

Yep, that’s my introduction. And that word you’re looking for right now? I believe it’s “nerd.”


I’m sure at this point many of you are scouring my blog looking for grammatical errors. You’ll probably find a ton. I don’t copyedit my blog because you’re never supposed to copyedit your own writing. That, and I’m a huge hypocrite.

Puppy Portrait Tuesday: Silly Pet Owners

So, I could post a self portrait today, or I could post pictures of my puppy. What would you rather see? Stinky, post-workout me, or puppies. Puppies? Oh goodie, me too.

OK, so remember how I said I have noisy neighbors? Right, well part of the joy of having loud neighbors is also having a 100-pound rottweiler that has to investigate every bump in the night. With every crazy neighbor noise at 3 a.m., Rosie runs to our window to investigate while making little sleepy woofs, like so:



This investigation tendency led Chris to name her "DSI: Dog Scene Investigator," which led me to take the joke too far and dress her up as a cop, like so:

Special Agent Rosie examines the victim's home.


Agent Rosie secures the perimeter.


Agent Rosie takes extra time investigating the bedroom.

Self-Portrait Tuesday: Silly Renters

Not long after Chris and I moved into our apartment in Chicago, we were unsure about what to do with one, giant white wall. So one day, using a broomstick as straight edge and nickels for circles, we sketched out the CTA “L” system on our wall. Then we forgot about it for five months.

Finally last weekend, we got around to painting the thing. And it’s big. Really, really big. It’s going to be super fun trying to repaint the wall white a year from now when we move out. But hey, you’re only young once. Someday we’ll have a real house and such a thing will be considered “immature.” But today, we have the freaking CTA on our wall.

Chris works on the Green Line.

I tackle the Orange Line.

Rosie finds the whole process tiring.

Did I mention it’s big? O’Hare flies onto the ceiling.

Chris and Rosie relax the next day.

You are here. Now you know where I live. Sort of.

Self Portrait Tuesday – April Fool

I had this great idea for this month’s silliness theme, but I left my camera at my parent’s house this weekend, so I’m gonna have to go with a scanned photo.

Anyway, I was trying to think of some silly photos from my childhood, and lots of Halloween costumes came to mind. Most years for Halloween I dressed up as either a) a baseball player (usually Bill Buckner when he was a Cub, before the ball-through-the-legs unpleasantness), or b) something weird my parents came up with. There was the year they dressed me up as Mac Tonight, the singing moon character from the McDonalds commercials. I wore a giant cardboard moon on my head. All day long the other kids made fun of me and asked me for cheeseburgers. Then there was the year they dressed me up as “William Tell’s First Son.” I had an apple on top of my head and an arrow going through my noggin. But the kicker was the giant, sandwich board I wore that read “William Tell’s First Son.” Considering I had no idea who William Tell was, and none of my eight-year-old friends did either, the costume didn’t go over so well. Yep, lots of kids making fun of me that year.

But to choose one of these pics for my silliness self portrait is almost too easy. Plus, it’s not really me being silly as much as me grudgingly going along with my parents’ twisted sense of humor. (By the way, I don’t blame my parents for these outfits. They were just being parents. You see, this is why you have kids. You get to dress them up in silly outfits and send them out in public, and there’s nothing they can do about because they’re kids. I fully intend on doing the same thing to my children. When all the other first graders are dressed up for Halloween as princesses and superheros, my kid will be the one dressed up as Fidel Castro.)

So, for my self portrait this week, I thought I’d go back farther than grade-school costumes. This pic is from Halloween when I was three and my sister was 10. We’re not even dressed up as anything. But did you look at that pumpkin? What is up with that thing? It’s got green peppers for ears, onions for eyes, chili peppers for eyebrows, some sort of gourd for a nose. That pumpkin has my parents written all over it. When all the other houses on the block featured cute, carefully carved pumpkins, our front porch had a pumpkin that was sprouting salad. It’s when I look at pictures like this I remember why my sister and I never really fit in with the other suburban kids.

Thank god.

Self Portrait Tuesday: April Fools

Oh my, is it Tuesday already? I’ve been busy building what is quite possibly the worst fantasy baseball team ever for the past few days, so I lost track of time. And did I mention I picked Florida to lose in the first round of the NCAA tourney? Me=dumb.

Anyway, this month’s SPT challenge is “April Fool.” I decided to go with some April Fools (plural, not possessive):

A few weeks ago Chris and I visited the Jelly Belly warehouse in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. We thought it was a factory, but it turns out it was only a distribution site. However, they still give you a tour and show you how they make Jelly Bellys. They also make you wear hats and ride a train. This is really fun if you’re an eight-year-old, which is good because there were a ton of kids on the tour. In fact, Chris and I quickly realized that we were the only adults there other than parents. So yeah, we’re dorks, but we had a really good time anyway. We bought a ton of candy and got some free stuff and bought chocolate and a bag of mutant Jelly Bellys and a puzzle and then we ate too much candy and got stomach aches.

Here’s to acting like kids for a day:

Self Portrait Tuesday

I decided to try to follow the rules for this month's SPT challenge, at least the taking-pictures-every-day part. However, instead of a self portrait, I thought I'd show you all what I look at every day. This is what I see when I look out the window at work. It's a pretty good indication of springtime in Chicago: sometimes it's a beautiful sunny day, sometimes you feel like you're stuck in a cloud, and sometimes there's a dude hanging outside your window.