One Wild and Crazy Girl

Whew...it's been one crazy Friday night at 187. It all started with a trip to McDonald's for a QPC, followed by a few episodes of Sex and the City. Then I decided to go upstairs and jam to some tunes while attempting to clean my room...but I got side tracked and painted my nails instead. I did manage to pick up a little bit...but my room still needs more TLC. To close out the evening, L and I decided it was time to whip out Guitar Hero.

Yep...that was my Friday night...fml.

25 Things You May Not Know About Me

One of my favorite articles to read in US Weekly is the "25 Things You Don't Know About Me" where a celebrity creates a random list of facts about themselves. So I thought I'd write a list of my own.

1. There are several movie series I've never seen - Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Rocky, Harry Potter.
2. I do not like when people spell my name with an 'h' (Nichole)
3. I was the salutatorian of my high school class.
4. I hate the sound of my voice.
5. I have sprained both of my ankles a total of 6 times...once was so bad they put a cast on my leg.
6. The first concert I ever went to was Sheryl Crow...I was in 8th grade.
7. I hate getting up early but also hate to sleep the morning away.
8. I played the piano for 8 years and now looking back, I wish I never stopped playing.
9. I love scary movies but cannot watch one by myself.
10. I have a bad habit of picking at my nails when I'm nervous or bored.
11. I love the word parched.
12. If I could pick a talent it would be to sing.
13. My favorite holiday is Christmas.
14. One of my pet peeves is when people refer to their pets as their children. (sorry to any readers who do this)
15. When I was 2 I beat up my cousin for his Christmas present - a Snoopy stuffed animal....my parents took back the Sesame Street character I got and got me the Snoopy doll I so honorably fought for...I still have him :)
16. I have never been ice skating.
17. I am scared of birds.
18. I like Pepsi better than Coke but Diet Coke better than Diet Pepsi.
19. I have never lost at Friends Scene It.
20. I don't like milk.
21. I am directionally challenged and am terrible at reading maps....mapquest is a life saver.
22. I've spent more than one Friday night staying home sipping hot cocoa while knitting.
23. I do not have patience for ignorance.
24. My favorite T-shirt is a navy blue sports camp shirt that I've had since the 4th grade.
25. One of my favorite qualities to see in a person is his/her thoughtfulness.

Try Saying

Working in an office environment, I am highly entertained by office-related humor, i.e. Office Space, The Office, and the occasional forward. Here is one particular forward that is one of my favorites....

From: Human Resources
To: The Supervisors

Dear Supervisors:

It has been brought to management's attention that some individuals
throughout the company have been using foul language during the course
of normal conversation with their coworkers.
Due to complaints received from some employees who may be easily
offended, this type of language will be no longer been tolerated. We do
however, realize the critical importance of being able to accurately
express your feelings when communicating with coworkers.
Therefore, a list of "TRY SAYING" new phrases has been provided so that
proper exchange of ideas and information can continue in an effective
manner without risk of offending our more sensitive employees.

TRY SAYING:
Perhaps I can work late.
INSTEAD OF:
And when the f**k do you expect me to do this?

TRY SAYING:
I'm certain that isn't feasible.
INSTEAD OF:
No f***ing way.

TRY SAYING:
Really?
INSTEAD OF:
You've got to be sh***ing me!

TRY SAYING:
Perhaps you should check with...
INSTEAD OF:
Tell someone who gives a s**t.

TRY SAYING:
I wasn't involved in the project.
INSTEAD OF:
It's not my f***ing problem.

TRY SAYING:
That's interesting.
INSTEAD OF:
What the f**k?

TRY SAYING:
I'm not sure this can be implemented.
INSTEAD OF:
This s**t won't work.

TRY SAYING:
I'll try to schedule that.
INSTEAD OF:
Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?

TRY SAYING:
He's not familiar with the issues.
INSTEAD OF:
He's got his head up his ass.

TRY SAYING:
Excuse me, sir?
INSTEAD OF:
Eat s**t and die.

TRY SAYING:
So you weren't happy with it?
INSTEAD OF:
Kiss my ass.

TRY SAYING:
I'm a bit overloaded at the moment.
INSTEAD OF:
F**k it, I'm on salary.

TRY SAYING:
I don't think you understand.
INSTEAD OF:
Shove it up your ass.

TRY SAYING:
I love a challenge.
INSTEAD OF:
This job sucks.

TRY SAYING:
You want me to take care of that?
INSTEAD OF:
Who the hell died and made you boss?

TRY SAYING:
I see.
INSTEAD OF:
Blow me.

TRY SAYING:
He's somewhat insensitive.
INSTEAD OF:
He's a prick.

TRY SAYING:
She's an aggressive go-getter.
INSTEAD OF:
She's a ball-busting bitch.

TRY SAYING:
I think you could use more training.
INSTEAD OF:
You don't know what the f**k you're doing.

Thank You,
Human Resources

Blast From the Past

On my way home today, I heard this song on the radio...totally forgot about Tripping Daisy. Definitely have this cassette tape floating around my room back at home somewhere!





Here is another one off their album, I Am an Elastic Firecracker. Listened to this one quite a bit too back in the day.

Sweet Home Chicago

I took a little weekend get-a-way trip to Chicago to visit my best friend Sarah this past weekend. It had been about 3 years since my last time there so I was excited to visit again. Another good roadtrip for the memory books...

Dinner and a Movie Friday: I arrived to the Naperville train station and rode the rails to downtown Friday evening. After arriving, we quickly changed and headed to P.J. Clarke's for dinner and drinks. Afterwards, we had every intention of walking around and hitting up a few hot spots until we walked outside and realized it was raining. So, instead we made the trek back to her place, drank some wine, and watched a movie. (It got pretty crazy as you can tell)

Exploration Saturday: We had every intention of relaxing on the beach Saturday but Mother Nature had other plans...the unseasonably cool temps put our beach plans in the garbage. But, it was still sunny and made for a perfect day of walking around. My feet were hating me and my flip flops by the end of Saturday, as we walked all over the place. I told Sarah that I wanted to stay away from shopping - but in true Nic fashion, we just happened to stop into Urban Outfitters...and American Apparel...and Northface...and Water Tower...and Adidas. I did purchase a couple things at Urban Outfitters and came very close to getting a pair of shoes I had my eyes on at the Adidas store but decided at the last minute to wait on that purchase. After our slight shopping detour, we stopped at Eduardo's Natural Pizza to refuel for our afternoon adventures. After eating a few slices of the spinach pizza, we headed back out and went to Millenium Park, Grant Park, and Wrigleyville.



In front of the Cloud Gate, aka, the Bean




My own version of Fear Factor - A massive amount
of birds at Grant Park. This picture does not quite depict
just how many there were. Needless to say, we didn't hang
out here too long!




Go Cubs Go!

Saturday evening we went to Big Bowl for some delicious Asian cuisine, then headed back to Sarah's to enjoy in some drinks and fireworks on her rooftop deck.

So Long Sunday: And today, after grabbing a coffee, I made the long journey back to the dsm. It was kind of a whirlwind weekend, but so glad I went!

A special thanks to Sarah for being an awesome hostess! Can't wait to return to the windy city!

What I Did

For those of you dying to know what I chose to do last night, here it is: option #2, the movies.

500 Days of Summer is a great flick and I highly recommend seeing it. I laughed, I cried, and enjoyed the insightful storyline. What I liked about the movie was just how real it seemed - it wasn't a fairy tale love story, where the prince rescues the princess, but a story of what love and relationships are like in the real world. And there is even a bonus dance sequence in it, which had me rolling with laughter.

I'm sure the fair would've been entertaining, but I'm happy with my decision.

What To Do

I'm currently weighing my options for what I can do tomorrow night.

Option #1: The Fair - Great people watching, interesting exhibits, and I can sample some oh-so-bad but oh-so-good food, including mini donuts, fried pickles, and pineapple on a stick.

Option #2: Fleur Cinema - Air conditioning, popcorn, and a couple of hours of cheap entertainment in a usually less-than crowded theater, which leaves room to stretch out a bit.

I thought I had my mind made up earlier today - option #2. I've been waiting to see Paper Heart, and it'll be much easier on the pocket book than the fair. But, as I did my research this evening, I found out that this cinematic adventure will not be playing at a theater near me until August 21st.

So, you say, I guess that leaves option #1. Not so fast! Fleur is featuring the "now playing" 500 Days of Summer, another flick I've been wanting to see.

What to do, what to do...

A Mid-Summer Night's Treat

As L and I were driving home from a quick trip to Target, I suddenly became hungry for a summer treat. DQ Blizzard perhaps? Peanut Buster Parfait? No, too heavy for what I was in the mood for. How about Tropical Sno? Yes please! Although I've indulged in many slushies in my day, I had never experienced the Hawaiian shaved ice that Tropical Sno has to offer, until this evening. My flavor of choice? The Peach Razzmatazz - peach and red raspberry flavoring. The colors were pleasing to the eye and the combined flavors made for a delightful and refreshing treat on a hot summer night.

Birthday Weekend

It was a great weekend for celebrating! L and I, with the help of our friends, celebrated our birthdays in style.

Friday night was girls night. We dressed in our best and headed to Trostel's Dish for some good eats, followed by Blue Moon for a few drinks.


The ladies of the evening


Saturday we had more birthday fun at Big Creek for Booze Cruise '09. L and I couldn't have asked for a better group of 'crew members' to be aboard our ship. The sun was shining, the music was playing, the alcohol was flowing, and a fun time was had by all! It was another birthday for the record books. A few pics are below:





Booze Cruise '09 Crew members - Love you all!


The boys demonstrating safety while at sea


Making our Birthday wishes



Fun in the sun


Thank you to everyone who helped make my birthday so special. I was reminded all weekend long of how truly blessed I am. I've said before that it's the little things in life that truly count for me and so to everyone's text messages, facebook postings, phone calls, and visitors - thank you! It means the absolute world to me! I have some of the best friends and family a girl could ever ask for!

A Year in Review

Today marks my 26th birthday...seems like just yesterday we were dressed to the nines in black and white to celebrate my quarter of a century of being alive.
I thought it would be fun to write about a few of this year's life highlights in my posting today. *Blog it*

New Addition: I'm going to cheat a little and go a few days before 8/9 - traveling back to 7/24, the day the Harms clan grew one more. I cannot imagine life without my 'lil peanut, Regan. It is amazing how one little person can influence you in so many ways. I first realized this several months ago. We were all heading to C-town for a weekend at home. I had one of those days where nothing seems to go right, so needless to say, I was a little irritable when I arrived. But the minute I went over to Regan and held her in my arms, my spirits were immediately lifted. I've enjoyed watching her grow and see her personality develop over the past year and cannot wait to see her continue to grow!

Three's Company: After living by myself for 2 years, I decided to make the move to 187 and live with roommates again. It was one of the best decisions I've made. I not only gained roommates, but lifelong friends. Although she was only with us for a short time, it was great having Katie Mc around and getting to know her better. I definitely miss having her around but so happy that she is doing well in O-town. After she moved away, a close college friend of mine moved back from Florida. It was great having Diane back and was so glad it worked out for her to move into casa de 187. Unfortunately, Florida beat out Iowa in the fight of keeping Diane. She just arrived in Orlando yesterday. Glad you made it safe D! We miss you! And then there's L. L has become one of my closest friends. We started our bond early on - through late night chats, we came to learn that we have been through a lot of similar experiences and we share a lot of the same values. This provided us with the foundation of what's turned into a great friendship. Oh, and thank goodness she is fluent in sarcasm! I am so glad I've had the opportunity to get to know L and so grateful she's in my life. She has been nothing short of a thoughtful, supportive, and awesome roommate and friend.

Goodbye Bonnie: In October, I returned my '93 Sandalwood-colored Bonneville to my parents and upgraded to a '07 Toyota Camry. CD Player, keyless entry, Aux hookup, oh my! I still walk out to my car everyday and think how pretty it is! Love it!

Trips, concerts, and more concerts: This past year has been full of excitement in the realm of music and travel. I've been to more concerts this year than ever before. I was lucky enough to see my favorite band, Jack's Mannequin, twice, Ben Folds, Brett Dennen, Santigold, GDP, No Doubt, Coldplay - and still to come - Panic/Blink/Fall Out Boy and B-Spears. I also was able to get away for a long girls weekend in Vegas. It was an absolute blast and I hope to get there again.

Misc Fun: Fun parties and activities have also kept me well entertained this past year. Kicking it off was the Black and White party, then let's skip ahead to football tailgating fun, followed by Halloween '09, Thanksgiving Rehearsal Dinner, the Holiday Party, Naomi's 25th Bday Surprise Bash, VD '09 - It's Our Year Party, the SNL Party, Movies Al Fresco, every Wednesday night at the Sands, and to close it out, Booze Cruise '09.

It has been one hell of a year! I hope my 26th year brings as much happiness and excitement as this past year has.

Guilty Pleasure Confession

There are several ways to interpret the term, guilty pleasure (GP). For me, its meaning is twofold. 1. It refers to those things that you should be embarrassed about liking and 2. those things that you know you probably shouldn't enjoy as much as you do. Below is a list of 6 of my guilty pleasures, in no particular order.

Things that I should be embarrassed about liking as much as I do:

*The Bachelor/Bachelorette - I admit that the concept of finding true love on a reality TV show is asinine, especially when there is nothing 'real' about the show. Well, except for all those all too common dates they go on...I mean, landing on a glacier to have a snowball fight and make snow angels - how cliche. I know I shouldn't waste my time, energy, and brain cells on such garbage, but what can I say, I find it to be very entertaining.

*Britney Spears - Why I know I shouldn't like her - because she is by no means a great singer and over the past few years, she's turned herself into one hot mess. But it goes back to the entertainment factor. There's no denying that she's a great entertainer. And that's why I was okay with spending money on a ticket to her concert. I am well aware that she'll be lip synching throughout the performance, but I'm looking forward to the dancing, the tricks, and special effects of her show.

*Celebrity Gossip - It's important to stay up on current events, right? Whether I get my fix through E! News or Us Weekly, I like to be in the know. Is J Simps still off Tony Romo's access list? Will Jen Aniston ever find love again? These are pressing issues we need to be made aware of!

Things I shouldn't love as much as I do:

*Ben and Jerry's Phish Food - Chocolate, carmel, marshmallows, and more chocolate - what's not to love? It's the epitome of comfort food.

*Peachie O's and Hershey's Chocolate Bliss - aka little bites of heaven. If the B&J won't push me over the edge into obesity, these candies will!

*Shoes - Heels, sneakers, flip flops - I do not discriminate. Some say I don't need as many pairs of shoes as I have. To this I respond with, "It's not a matter of need!"

So there you have it, my guilty pleasure confession. Looking back on the list, I'm okay with my GP's. Sure, it is a compilation of some mind-numbing, unhealthy, and silly things, but that's what GP's are all about.

You Are What You Eat?

Is it possible to get a good read on someone based on what they order at a restaurant? For example, being the shape and size that I am, if I order a salad, am I stereotyping myself as the "salad girl" - aka the girl who eats very little and is weight-conscious? Or what about if a guy orders a rare steak, does this mean he's a "manly man?"

I'm not sold on the idea, however I think given the right circumstance, you should think about your food choice. Examples:

1. First Date:
Ladies - if your date ordered the half chicken salad sandwich and a cup of the soup du jour, with a side order of fruit, would this raise any concern? Would you question his "manliness" or infer he was high maintenance? And gentlemen, if your date orders a salad, would you be turned off by this? Would it lead you to believe she has body image issues?

2. Grocery store:
Imagine you are a check out clerk at a grocery store and someone comes through your line with a pint of Ben and Jerry's, a bag of potato chips, and a container of dip. What goes through your head? "Oh, must've been a bad breakup" or "geez, bad day?"

I think we have all been guilty of passing such judgments, but are we correct? Is it possible that the Santa Fe Chicken Salad choice was simply a matter of deliciousness? Could the Ben and Jerry's purchase be one of sufficing a craving? Maybe we are too quick to judge...just a "food for thought" of the day.