Monday, January 07, 2008

Can You Dig It? (Yes I Can)

This photo was taken in the photo booth at The Holiday Club in Wrigleyville. Neither one of us has a skin condition, it's just the blotchy photo booth ink doing that to us.

I decided to back track a bit now that I have some photos to add. Tonight we're going back in time to last weekend when Erik took me to Chicago. As most of you know, I was born in Chicago, moved away when I was about a year old, moved back to the South suburbs when I was 10 and moved away for good when I was 14. A lot of my family members still live there, and I will always have a little junior high school girl crush on that city. Would I ever want to live there again? I doubt it, but I love to visit.

I know I've already said this, but the 3 1/2 hour drive there and back was almost the best part of the trip. It was a great way to cut all the distractions and talk about a bunch of stuff. One thing I will say about Erik, is that I've never been bored with him or run out of things to talk about. We made it into town around eight o'clock. After getting our Bears tickets, we went straight to dinner, which, as I've said, was all-you-can-eat sushi. You had to bring in your own alcohol, so Erik ran to the liquor store and picked up some sake and Sapporo beer.

After dinner we went to a few bars. Our first stop was the Holiday Club where we took that picture in the photo booth. After that we stopped into some bar that had a country band playing "Redneck Girl" and the owner and his wife were noticeably lacking in teeth. I told Erik that we could just as easily be in Iowa at this bar. We finished up at a sports bar that is probably crazy busy during baseball season, but was pretty tame that night.

The next day we woke up too late for a proper meal. We were going to stop at a Star bucks for caffeine and pastries, but luckily we spied a Dunkin' Donuts across the street. Which made us very happy and gave Erik occasion to flip off the Star bucks as we walked past and say, "Fuck you Star bucks and your four dollar pastries..." Amen to that.

First and foremost, this photo is up here so we can all see how adorable Erik is, but then if you look behind him, you can see DIANE! Unfortunately, we didn't photograph her Bears tattoo at the top of her back.

The game weather started out okay, but then the sun went away and the wind kicked up. The most entertaining part of the game was meeting a woman named Diane - pronounced DIANE! because she was just that loud and larger than life. She loved the Bears more than any person I've ever met and I lived in Chicago for several years. She lost her ear muffs when she first got there and when Erik found them, she kissed him. Later, after she found out that he was a Saints fan, she kept wiping her mouth and complaining of cooties. DIANE! definitely made our Bears experience. She said the f word at least four times in each sentence and refused to sit down during most of the game. I had a hard time choosing between watching DIANE! or watching the game. At one point, the camera guy turned around and we all got on TV. I'm sure the camera guy was just trying to film DIANE!

I got a migraine about halfway through the game, but Erik was really good about taking care of me. He rubbed my back during the ride back on the El and after we stopped to get gyros and tres leches cake, he drove the whole way back to Iowa where we had another great car conversation.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Fuck you Starbucks and your four dollar pastries" it is at this point where I tell you that you've got a good one. A guy named Erik, who hates Starbucks....you got a keeper!

The fact that the conversation does not stop is the best. Long car rides with no distractions and good talking are the best thing. I am happy for you..glad "the quest" came up aces for you.

rel said...

Churlita,
Easy conversation is a sign.
A good sign.
Commonality.
Basis for more,
and better things.

Fuck Starbucks! ;)
rel

Mr Atrocity said...

I love the top photo and its strange inky qualities. It looks like you've both marched up to a photocopier arm in arm and carefully placed your faces down on the glass. Not sure which of you would have been able to reach over and push the big green button though. Perhaps you had an accomplice?

That's a mental image that will amuse me for the rest of the day.

Margaret said...

sushi and gyros and cake tres leche, oh my

Anonymous said...

I just got back and look at you! You have pictures of Erik Erik Erik! Which, by the way, is so a hot name. It suits him ;) You make quite the hot couple, actually *sigh* this post just put a smile on my face :)

NoRegrets said...

I know why Dunkin' Donuts is doing so well... Of course in RI, you can't swing a cat without hitting a Dunkin' Donuts. Enjoy your Erik. He's the best.

Tara said...

I like that shot of him up in the stadium. And of course Diane..er DIANE! :D

DJSassafrass said...

I agree--Fuck Starbucks! When I lived in Seattle, I visited the original, which was marginally cool. Then I walked two blocks down and found two Starbucks facing each other on corners. I haven't bought Starbucks since. Evil empire!

laura b. said...

Erik! He is soooo cute! If I may quote Salt n Pepa - What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man...

booda baby said...

There are no Chicago teams without DIANE!s and yet, I still think of Chicago fans as having a certain - oh, I don't know. Dignity about us.


That's clearly just loyalty talking.

Brando said...

Dunkin Donuts is so football. Excellent way to get ready for the game.

I also dig that top photo. It's almost like a yearbook photo (and I mean that in a good way). It really captures how much fun you obviously are having together.

Anonymous said...

Goddamn Churlita!
Who is this new, cute, and nice guy in your life? HOLY SHIT, that rocks! I decided to check out your blog the other day and see how you are, and there he was. So, I have a pretty good idea how you are now!
Enjoy, you deserve it...
-Colleen Bodeen Coltraine
P.S. This is my first ever post to a blog, so I hope I did it right.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you hooked a nice feller. Y'all make a purdy pare. When'see comin to meet yore kin?

Dooley's Dad

P.S. Whuts Starbocks?

Anonymous said...

What an adorable picture(s)!! What a wonderful account of a wonderful wonderful weekend.

As a fell migraine sufferer, if he really massaged your back in a way that was irritating and actually helped, you may want to consider marrying him now.

The Lady Who Doesn't Lunch: said...

You look gorgeous in the photo booth photo and your man looks extremely happy.

If you can get along in the car you can get along anywhere...

DIANE! sounds a lot like my mother in law only she's a Patriots fan.

dmarks said...

" After that we stopped into some bar that had a country band playing "Redneck Girl" and the owner and his wife were noticeably lacking in teeth"

Q. What hss 200 legs and 63 teeth?
A. The front row at a Willie Nelson concert.

Churlita said...

Evil-E,

I think so too.

Rel,

Yeah. It's a good base.

Mr Atrocity,

I love that image. Maybe we'll try that some time.

Margaret,

We're both big food eaters.

Emma,

Thanks. It sounds like you've been busy too.

NoRegrets,

WE don't have any here in Iowa. So, we tend to get excited about Dunking Donuts.

Tara,

I wish I had a better pic of her.

DJ,

I'm so not into that evil empire either.

LauraB.,

I know. He's totally adorable.

Booda Baby,

She was so friendly and funny and that's what I think of when I think of Chicago fans.

Brando,

I heart dunkin Donuts. So, that and football and I was in heaven.

Colleen Weinie,

I love you. I'm so glad you commented. You done real good, Sis. When you come back and visit?

Bro,

Me and the girls read your comment together and laughed our asses off.

Not,

He was great at it. Mostly, he just let me lean my poor sick head on him and that's what I really needed.

Lady,

Your mother-in-law must be a riot.

DMarks,

The answer that I have always heard to that question is a Missouri line dance, but it's basically the same thing.