Technology: 1 | Megan: 0

Currently our office is going through an email migration in phases. This morning I discovered that I have not been receiving emails from a handful of people internally since last Saturday. And yesterday, a few more people got added to that list on Tuesday. 

But I had no way of knowing that the emails were not going through because they were getting my emails and I was getting external emails and some people's internal emails. 

So really I'm just playing a high stakes game of email roulette. Not knowing what emails I'm not getting and what I am... 

#30before31: 2 Good Ideas in Chicago

Apologies for already falling behind... family time during the holiday sometimes trumps blog posts. ;) 

So for yesterday & today's post are two really simple ideas that solved a problem in Chicago and made me say, "why didn't I think of that?" 

Idea Post 2

Chicago Parking Meter App

2-hour parking in Chicago was always such a joke because it practically takes two hours to get to your destination. But for most Chicago parking meters, that's how long they allow you to pay for at one time, or if you are lucky you might find one for 3 hours. Or if you parked after 10pm (for free) you would have to refill the meter or move your car promptly at 8am. 

But with the parking meter app, long gone are the days of running out in the middle of dinner or drinks to pay the meter or trudging through the snow in your PJ's on Sunday morning to prevent getting a ticket. 

With the ParkChicago app (available at the AppStore or through GooglePlay) you can pay for your spot and/or extend your time through your phone. Just remember to record the zone number on the Pay Box sign and your license plate number so you have that off hand when. 

And there is no transaction charge for renewing or paying for parking for 2 or more hours. And only a 35 cent transaction fee for less than 2 hours, a much cheaper choice than your alternative - the $40+ parking ticket. 

Idea Post 3

Turning Vacant News Stands into Healthy Food Kiosks And Giving Jobs to Less Fortunate

If you are a Chicagoan, I'm sure you've seen the old yellow newsstands nearby the "L" in the loop that have sat vacant over the past several years due to the decline of physical newspaper sales. A few of these vacant spots are now being transformed into healthy, hip food stands thanks to a local entrepreneur, Ken Waagner. 

Waagner's "eat spots" are an extension of his e.a.t. (education, agriculture, technology) non-profit organization. Not only is the food healthy and designed by former Frontera Grill chef, Shaw Lash, but the stands are operated through Streetwise, an organization that enables the homeless of Chicago get jobs. 

I personally haven't stumbled upon one of these "eat spots", but (as soon as the weather gets a bit warmer) I'll definitely have to check them out! 

Chicago 1: Megan 0

So Chicago won today. 

It all started when I was on my way to work (already late) and discovered I had forgotten my laptop bag. 

And ended with a trip to the Western Union because someone had wired me money there (don't ask). And after a 40 minute trek (that should have taken 23 according to Google Maps) I found out that their Western Union service was down. And then found out I could have gone ANYWHERE in the city that has a Western Union - I mean how would I know? 

BUT the lady at the desk directed me to a TravelEx that was still open AND right around the corner. So I rushed over to find out that they actually DON'T have a Western Union and by this time anyone who did Western Union would be closed. 

And then my phone died. 

Lessons Learned in Chicago

Fact: don't wear a fitted skirt if you are walking to work in the winter... unless you want to end up wearing it like a backward-fitting tube top. 

Well Hello, Monday...

...whatever I did to piss you off, I'm sorry, please forgive me. 

What happened, you ask? 

Well let's just say if you had seen me on the corner of Huron & State you would have had a good chuckle. That's where I lost an umbrella (after it got caught in my hat), the curl in my hair, [almost] my phone and my dignity. 

The struggle is alive & well. 

Day 1: NO M&M Challenge #30before31

Well let's just be thankful that I didn't challenge myself to 1) stop complaining about the weather or, 2) stop drinking wine for a month. Because I would have already failed...  

Anyway, for my first challenge, I've decided to test myself to a month of NO M&M's. That's right, that includes any of the peanut, almond, peanut butter (need I go on?) varietal. 

You may laugh, but I don't think you know how hard of a challenge this will be for me. Especially if you consider my co-workers made about 6 jokes this evening alone regarding my habit of frequenting the candy drawer at work. [I mean who doesn't love the luxurious taste of milk chocolate and the satisfying crunch of almonds - all wrapped into one delightful bite?].

But I'm going to do it. And I've successfully made it through Day 1. Only 29 days to go. 

Unfortunately - much to my chagrin - I don't think this will actually help me lose 5 lbs. as I originally projected. You see, this cold weather here is Chicago is driving me to find refuge at local waterholes on the route home from the office. Where the thought of dropping a pretty penny for a glass of wine & eating fried pickles is ten times more appetizing than going back out into the winter tundra. 

Regardless, stay tuned for the next episode of this epic battle between MEM (these are my initials) and the M&M's. 

#30before31

Now that I'm 30 (and single), I can't think of a better time to challenge myself to do something new. Or 30 new things. All to be completed before I turn 31 (#30before31). 

My stipulation for these 30 things is that they need to 1) challenge me, 2) put me out of comfort zone and 3) are overall positive in nature (ex. taking 30 shots in 24 hours would not be a good example of this).  

And - because of the nature of these challenges - I could really benefit from a successful challenge. Or crash and burn (literally or figuratively) from a not-so-successful one. But regardless, I hope to have fun, learn a lot from these challenges and get some good content to post about from these challenges. NOTE: I'll do my best to use pseudonyms if you are a part of the documentation if it might compromise your reputation. ;) 

I debated whether or not to document the list on this blog (because it could be very obvious what I am doing if people know) but decided to go for it. 

So here's officially the #30before31 list: 
1. Take someone "important" to lunch/happy hour/dinner and listen a lot (this makes me so nervous)
2. Publish a piece of content (book, poem, article)
3. Actually date someone for real - this one's going to be interesting to document & actually do if anyone knows my track record lately 
4. Go skiing or rock climbing - Denver
5. Apply for a job that would be "so cool" but is a "stretch" (shhh keep this one on the DL)
6. Go to an event where I know no one and leave with at least one contact
7. Get out of credit card debt by end of 2014 (if possible or if not by end of 2014, ASAP)
8. Run a 10k
9. Give someone a heart-felt surprise 
10. Start a business, or co-start a business, or help someone else start a business 
11. Travel to a place I haven't been - Seattle
12. Buy someone else's drink or lunch that I don't even know because it looks like they are having a hard day
13. Set someone up with someone else (be a matchmaker)
14. Unplug for 48 hours (note: I'll have to #laterblog for this one)
15. Create something (art or poem) and hang it in my kitchen or living room (main area) 
16. Get a tattoo (OMG I can't believe I'm actually putting this one down because I am so terrified of needles!)
17. Go to a wedding as someone else's guest (I'm a really good date, I promise!)
18. Write about a new idea or solution to a challenge/problem for 30 days. 
19. Write a love letter (and give it to the person) - yikes, I better work on #3
20. Enter a piece of art into an exhibit or a contest 
21. Join a yoga or workout class in Chicago 
22. Go on a brewery tour in Chicago 
23. Change my stock portfolio - either buy or sell
24. Read 5 books
25. Try something I've never eaten before 
26. Smoke a cigar (okay, I know this one isn't super positive, but I got to do it once)
27. Golf 18 holes (could be best ball) 
28. Go one month without eating M&M's - you might laugh now but you try to go that long in the Chicago office. 
29. Lose 5 lbs. (likely this will occur following the month without eating M&M's)
30. Do something impactful in Chicago.

Also I'm open to suggestions if you have better ideas. 

No.

It's just too cold. Seriously, I signed up for zero degrees but not in November.

I am pretty sure the cold is freezing my brain cells. For instance, today I left the office all bundled up and still wanted to cry by the time I got home 20 mins later. Mostly because my hands were so cold. And I arrived home only to find hand warmers in my purse. Well damn.

Chicago, you'd better #getittogether if you want me to stay.

Royally Proud

It's a little delayed (and cliche), I know, but I had to post about how proud I am of the Royals and the city. I couldn't have asked for a better October. And I am so lucky that I was able to hitch a ride back and experience it. The K, the plaza, P&L, downtown, and being back with all my friends... it was an experience I'll never forget. 

I've gone back and forth quite a bit over the past few months even though I now live in Chicago. And now that the post-season is over, I'm excited to focus on discovering Chicago. Stay tuned for more Chicago shenanigans and restaurants reviews. 

#TBT

Throwback Thursday to Droid Razr's and flip phones. 

Or if you are my brother, it's not a throwback at all. He actually is almost 25, lives in downtown Chicago and owns a flip phone. Like he literally has no data on his phone. 

Unfortunately I couldn't get a better shot of one of these rare finds - he was annoyed that I was taking any pictures at all. But I had to document one in the wild. 

Sorry

Just realized how long it's been since my last post. 

One might think that my lack of posts means that I've adjusted well & managed to stay out of random debacles. Unfortunately that's not really the case. I've just been busy. 

Sorry, I will get back on the posting bandwagon this week. Please accept my apologies.  

Earlier This Week...

... I got jazz fingered by my coworker and roommate. At work. Stepping on the elevator with a bunch of my coworkers. 

It was awkward. 

#youneverknow

Edamame Brought to You By the VML Chicago Office

What can you make with edamame? Juan asked after Day 3 of eating edamame for lunch. I gave a few suggestions and then tried to investigate. Well it turns out that you can almost make this recipe using stuff we have in our Chicago office! 

I’ve annotated it to demonstrate. Will check back if it actually comes to fruition. Or perhaps try it out at your office and report back. 

Rainbow Peanut Noodles

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: About 4-6 servings

Ingredients

Rainbow Pasta Ingredients:

• 12 ounces whole-wheat pasta (I used DeLallo whole-wheat linguine) - You could use the Ramen noodles instead
• 1 Tbsp. peanut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and julienned (thinly sliced)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and julienned – you might have to bring your own peppers, can’t help you there. 
• 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned – I saw some carrots in the second drawer
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shelled edamame – well obvi you have this 
• topping: thinly-sliced scallions (green onions), toasted sesame seeds (sesame seeds you can dust off some sesame seeds from the frozen bagels from breakfast a few weeks ago) and chopped peanuts (I think there were a few peanuts left in the cupboard from the Peapod order)

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter – we should have this if Cloud didn’t eat it all 
• 1/4 cup soy sauce - I think a saw a soy sauce packet mixed in with the taco bell sauces on the counter 
• 3 Tbsp. water – just don’t use the bottle water in the drink fridge 
• 2 Tbsp. honey – I think I saw some of that yesterday 
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar 
• 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled - ?? 
• (optional) 1 tsp. sriracha hot chili sauce, or more to taste – got it 

#NailedIt... or Plugged It In, Rather.

Today marks an epic day in technology history. I finally am able to access wifi internet from my apartment in Chicago (that I have been living in since June 9).

Kattie & I finally ventured out and bought a new router en route to the beach & I used my techie skills to hook it up! 

Technology 0, Megan 1.

However, I've come to find out over the last several hours that just means I am 1) now never really to use the fact that I don't have internet as an excuse, 2) more distracted by Facebook, Gmail & other things (like this blog post) on my computer when I work after-hours. 

Technology fix potentially turned #technologyfail 

Chicago: Where Dreams Come True

When I envisioned my future when I was a kid, I imagined myself living in the city, single, really successful at my job and enjoying every second of my life.

I never imagined the string of events that would lead me here. But I am so glad I made it.

And I couldn't have done it without all the support from my friends, family and coworkers. So thankful for everything!

So I am excited to be here in Chicago - where it's teaming with opportunities (and unicorns on top - that goes out to Nick).

Playing with Fire

So Chicago is really a great place to meet people. But that doesn't mean it isn't fun to Tinder every once & a while. 

On literally my second time Tindering in Chicago, I came across this guy's profile picture 

The girl in the left is my best friend, Claudia, from high school. I literally almost fell of of my air mattress laughing (I believe this was before my bed arrived). 

She is married. 

Has a son. 

And she has lived abroad for the past 6 years. 

LOL. Oh Tinder. 

This Happened - #youneverknow

I set my alarm early to go running along the lake & woke up to a notification on my phone - "Tornado Watch". Well I guess I'll skip running on the lake & go back to bed for a few minutes, I said.  

So then woke up way more than a few minutes later... in a rush, I threw on one of my go-to outfits & was zipping up my skirt when it got caught. So naturally I just tugged harder and I zipped it closed. 

Turns out that both technology & zippers are against me. 

Ten minutes into my 18 walk to work, a girl tapped me on the shoulder and told me she thought my skirt might be opening in the back. Okay, thanks I said. Sometimes it does that at the top. 

What I didn't realize was that the "split" wasn't just at the top. It wasn't until a second girl tapped me on the shoulder to say, "Um your skirt is splitting down the back, like the zipper is split open" did I get it. It was in fact, splitting completely down the back. 

I ducked into Starbucks where I was supposed to meet my boss, untucked my shirt around my skirt & cinched my belt tight to keep it up. Meanwhile, I crazily was dialing my roommate to see if she could grab an alternate bottom for me to wear the rest of the day. 

Luckily, she came to the rescue. Morale of the story - bring a second set of clothes to work and/or have awesome roommates. Because #youneverknow

Brunch Series: Episode 1: Milk & Honey

Our first weekend in Chicago wouldn't be complete without an epic brunch. Our goal is to try a new brunch spot in a new neighborhood every week. 

This past Sunday after dragging ourselves out of bed from a late night. "You texted me at 4am" my friend said, "Are you still going to make it?" Yes. I insisted. We're on our way, I stated as I rolled out of bed.  

So we walked up to Milk & Honey in Wicker Park ready to plop down in a bench with a mimosa or greyhound to cure the hangover. However, unbeknownst to us we had to stand in line (practically around the corner) to place our order. 

In that time, I managed to talk myself into a not super great choice - a BLT & a blood orange mimosa - which were mediocre at best. 

And then we strolled down the street and stumbled across Big Star - a must-try place on my list. However, we were so full from brunch that all I could choke down was an ice cold Chilada*. Okay, It's no Mint Julep**, but I'm not complaining because it was delish. 

I just need to find a chance to go back to try their famous tacos. ;) 

*An amazing drink generally made with beer, TEQUILA & salt, but in this case - and better for me - it was made with beer, LIME & salt.  

**A drink associated with the Kentucky Derby - not to be mistaken for the Masters. 

What? We Don't Have a Microwave??

That's what my roommate told me yesterday.

My response may have been a bit dramatic... "We don't have a microwave?? How am I going to cook?" 

It's Day 3 in Chicago. And we are missing more than a microwave. I'm jonesing for wireless internet. 

Or lamps. "Don't let me scare you that I am sitting in the corner connected to the internet cord in the dark." My roommate said as I walked in the front door last night. 

Or a bed. #thankgodforairmattresses. "Did you hear me blowing up my mattress after it deflated slightly last night?"

Well by August, we'll be up and running... 

But seriously... cooking without a microwave? How do you cook potatoes or popcorn or Easy Mac? Turns out when we get some cooking supplies my roommate will teach me. Until then I am taking home the asparagus from the company happy hour.