Verbal Vomit--with Pictures!

DISCLAIMER: I have a nice verbal vomit making its way up to the surface. This is just a warning; you might want to grab a poncho or umbrella before reading on.

First, I fully realize that I have nothing about which I can rightfully complain. My life is fabulous and I asked for this chance to prove myself. That's not the problem...it's back to that same old dichotomy. I really do have two hats that I wear, my "executive" cap and my "crazy" cap (as my mom calls it). We had early morning coffee on her deck today and she brought up that topic. She (and everyone else) seems afraid that I will soon lose the "crazy" cap and only have the "executive" cap. While I appreciate everyone's concern, I really can't see that happening....because I like wearing the "crazy" cap!

Like this weekend, I did my usual drive home, through Friday evening, summer-exodus traffic from Chicago. It frazzles my nerves each and every time. But I'm able to flip some switch when I cross the timezones, from CST to EST. It's like I'm on "home time" as soon as I cross that EST marker. It also works the other way, when I cross the CST marker, I'm back in "B.A. mode." Anyway, I pull in the driveway and Jack and I always go for a long walk. One, we like to catch up on our conversation and two, I need to work my legs after that drive. So the transition back home is pretty seamless. Plus, I have such a darn good time with everyone...how could I NOT want to go home for the weekends?! My "crazy" cap is always waiting for me.

But today, Jack and I spent the entire day at SkyBlue and Lou's. We had a wonderful time in the pool, playing heated volleyball matches and randomly splashing each other with frisbees full of water. Except that "go" time quickly approached, when I had to say my goodbye's, pack up my stuff, and hit the highway again. Weekends go so quickly and I soon have to hang up my "crazy" hat and pick up the "executive" cap again. And it's not that I don't like the "executive" cap; I do. It's just tough to transition when everyone else seems to have a lot more time in which they can wear their "crazy" caps.

All caps aside, I really wish I could figure out the best time to return to Chicagoland. Last week, I left later on Sunday evening and was literally in wall-to-wall parking lot for a half hour. Today, it was only a little better when I left an hour earlier:

Still nutty traffic! I quickly determined that it wasn't that I had a case of the Sunday's...I plainly dreaded my drive. This two-time zone existence is awesome and interesting, but for the hours I now spend in my car. I don't want to wish my life away, but I DO wish there was a way to speed up that drive...short of beaming myself home or parachuting out of an airplane.

Despite my Sasquatch-sized carbon footprint, I must admit that it's fabulous to be able to eat in Chicago. On Thursday, Steve was in the Chicago area for business and we were able to meet up for dinner. We dined at Aurelio's in Homewood, IL which was the Best. Pizza. Ever. We decided that we're going to become pizza connoisseurs while we have so many opportunities to try out Chicago pizzerias. This was our sausage and mushroom pie. Okay, HALF our sausage and mushroom pie!Thank you for listening to my verbal vomit about my "caps," which did morph into a therapeutic exercise! [Therese: it reminds me of your fat girl/hot girl dichotomy.] Now if you'll excuse me, I made myself hungry and need to go heat up one of my mini-pizzas for a belated dinner!