tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89021533941422612112024-03-05T19:52:13.440-06:00Not The Marrying Kind...Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.comBlogger442125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-23914668404670066772012-09-24T05:30:00.000-05:002012-09-24T05:30:01.933-05:00Marriage Mondays: Complaining to the Right People<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YDiVvR9ZGgBDqJhifOMv9ebqDlgZvmEsJaitcyJCt08nqxN9lUUa7dK7O7SPlG7xYUpmkUlHXTxjeCAaGH_7bW8pRQYwGrIV-uKxc1O3C8Soyqqd3KNxY-H6bofnKCDpJYtsEmJSoYo/s1600/Complaining.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2YDiVvR9ZGgBDqJhifOMv9ebqDlgZvmEsJaitcyJCt08nqxN9lUUa7dK7O7SPlG7xYUpmkUlHXTxjeCAaGH_7bW8pRQYwGrIV-uKxc1O3C8Soyqqd3KNxY-H6bofnKCDpJYtsEmJSoYo/s640/Complaining.png" width="640" /></a><br />
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It's been ages since we had a <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/search/label/marriage%20Mondays">Marriage Mondays</a> post, eh? I think it's high time we fixed that! <br />
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I can honestly say that whenever I see lists giving tips for a long lasting marriage, I read them with intense curiosity. Then, I wonder if my marriage will succeed or fail based on my closeness to adhering to the list. This is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lydia-netzer/marriage-secrets_b_1459770.html">author Lydia Netzer's list of 15 Ways to Stay Married for 15 Years</a>. If your goal is just 15 years, this will get you at least that far. After that, it would seem you're on your own. : )<br />
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The best advice on here, though, is #13, which states, "Bitch to his mother, not yours." Ms. Netzer explains, "His mother will forgive him. Yours never will." To be honest, I'd never really thought about it that way. A.P.'s mother passed away a few years ago, but A.P. has a step-mother who is very, very nice. I find that when I complain to his father and step-mother, they chuckle and say, "Yup, that sounds about right!" They get it. When I complain to my mother, she sides with and worries about me (when she's not trying to interrupt me to talk about herself, that is). I don't know why I never thought about this before. But it's good advice and it's advice I'm trying to follow. <br />
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Now, when I'm frustrated with A.P., I try not to tell my family. I will sometimes tell my friends, but I try to tell his friends or family instead. It's an amazingly small trick that really does work! <br />
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Do you complain about your significant other to your family or friends? Would you try this trick?<br />
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P.S. What's your number one complaint about your significant other? Mine is procrastination with A.P. He's the worst procrastinator EVER. <br />
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P.P.S. Check out <a href="http://nottheparentingkind.blogspot.com/">NTPK</a> and <a href="http://therealityofeducation.wordpress.com/">my other endeavor</a> today for some other posts from my brain. :)<br />
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(Someecard via <a href="http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/0778c408f17ffb6585e141ebae6d6b4a">here</a>)Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-89177780803805628592012-09-22T00:35:00.001-05:002012-09-22T21:31:20.128-05:00GOAL!!! (A List Update)<br />
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It's been a looooooong time since I updated you all on my <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/p/list-for-2011.html">list for 2012</a>. Seeing as how today is the first day of fall, it seems like a good time to do a quick update. Here we go!<br />
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<b>1. Continue to lose weight. Lose 10-15 lbs. by June.</b><br />
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Yeah, that didn't happen at all. It sort of happened, but then it un-happened. I didn't lose it by June, but I did lose about 5 lbs. in July. Then we went on vacation (more on that below) and I ate like a pig and undid everything I did. The new goal is just to lose some weight by the end of the year. To that end, I have done a little more work than talk. We joined the YMCA and my goal is to go swim a couple of times a week. So far it's been difficult to get into a routine because the adult lap swim hours are a bit later in the evening (usually around 8pm!) and also, we currently don't have a car (a very long, ANNOYING story) and won't for a month. So, it's hard to get over there to actually do the swimming. A.P. and I were supposed to go tonight, but he flaked out on me, which I was super pissed about because I was actually looking forward to going ALL DAY. LAME! <br />
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<b>2. Have a planned date night at least once a month.</b><br />
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This, too, is probably an epic fail. BUT...the good news is with the exception of the past month where things have been a little more uncertain in terms of money (as a result of <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-new-label.html">this</a>), we've been better about going on dates and getting out of the house. <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/search/label/weekend%20date">This</a> feature definitely helped and one day, I'll get my act together and get back on the ball and start posting those again.<br />
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<strike><b>3. Go on at least two vacations, not including planned trips (e.g. visiting family, weddings, etc.). One can be long, one can be short.</b></strike><br />
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DONE and DONE! In <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/search/label/Milwaukee">January we went to Milwaukee </a> for A.P.'s birthday and in July/August we returned to the Smoky Mountains for a week, which was awesome (and which I will hopefully post about soon). I'm happy that we forced ourselves to do it. We didn't attend a wedding over the summer that would have cost us an exorbitant amount of money for a weekend trip and chose instead to go on that much needed vacation. Of course, it wasn't long enough, but it was super fun...and necessary. We also went to Milwaukee for a quick overnighter in May and are going to try to go to Iowa City (home of my alma mater) before the year is over. I feel very good about the fact that we really forced ourselves to take vacations this year, both long and short, and I'm super, super happy that I had this on my goal list. It was a very important goal for us and I feel that if I hadn't really made a point to go on vacations, we would've blown it off. <br />
<b><br />4. Make and mail one card a month.</b><br />
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Peeps, this was totally wishful thinking. It never happened. Not once. Not even after I bought card making kits from Target. I'd like to believe that I could still do it for September, October, November, and December, but let's be honest, it's probably not happening. Best to accept it now. <br />
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<b>5. Take a sewing course, or two.</b><br />
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Okay, this one makes me angry because I have the Groupon to do it. In fact, I bought the Groupon specifically to accomplish this goal. I have never regretted buying a Groupon...until this one. I should have done a bit more research on the place, but this was when Groupon kind of popped a little and up until then, they'd always had good places offering the deals. Since I bought this Groupon, the sewing place offering the classes has not offered the beginner's class. I looked all summer and there was a whole month where they just didn't update their website and offer new classes. I'm debating whether or not to contact Groupon and ask for a refund. I really have tried to accomplish this and it just hasn't worked out. Grrr...<br />
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<b>6. Complete at least two photography projects.</b><br />
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It didn't start out as a photography project, but it turned into one. During the CTU strike, I took 1500 pictures! I ended up post-processing about 200 of the best (some of which you can view <a href="http://therealityofeducation.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/some-photos-from-week-one-prt-1/">here</a> and <a href="http://therealityofeducation.wordpress.com/2012/09/19/some-photos-from-week-one-prt-2/">here</a>). It wasn't an intentional project like my <a href="http://pinterest.com/notmarryingkind/stripes-every-day-for-the-month-of-may/">Stripes Every Day for the Month of May</a>, but it turned into a photography bootcamp that was sooooo good for me! I learned so much, particularly how to really use my new fixed 50mm lens. So, I'm at least halfway through with this goal. And quite honestly, I have an awesome idea for a project, but it's sort of weather dependent and there was only one day this year I could have done it (I need 10 degree or below temperatures) and I hadn't thought of the idea yet! So here's hoping we get a cold day before the end of the world 2012. If not, I'm thinking some night photography might be kind of neat.<br />
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<b>7. Train Ollie to do one rad trick.</b><br />
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He can sit, he can lay down, he can stay, but he struggles with come here and leave it. Until I hammer those two home (and I've been very, very lazy about training him the past few months), I can't really teach him a rad trick. But I think there's hope for this one yet.<br />
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<b>8. Learn to play one song really well.</b><br />
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Guitar has been a point of frustration for the past few months. As pressure mounted at work, a lot of my hobbies and passions (including this blog) got lost in the shuffle. I took a break for a while and don't really practice like I should anymore. I need to push myself to do this. For a while, though, I was getting really, really good at playing <a href="http://www.tsrocks.com/b/big_bill_broonzy_texts/when_things_go_wrong_it_hurts_me_too.html">When Things Go Wrong With You</a> which not only is easy and fun to play, but is also the PERFECT song for my low, alto voice (even my mom said so!). So, maybe I'll keep working on that a bit. And Rainbow Connection. Perhaps as my final evaluation, I will (bravely) post a video of me playing and singing. <br />
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<b>9. Write a book.</b><br />
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Ha! I repeat...ha! <br />
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<b>10. Get our wedding album done. (And our guestbook. And our engagement shoot. And our prints ordered.) </b><br />
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Ha ha! I repeat, ha ha! Actually, I was going to get our album at Photobook America because I had a Groupon for it. However, when I went to buy the album it was going to cost me more than month's rent. I couldn't get A.P. to sign off on that deal. So instead, I put together some albums of all the snapshots and wedding planning pictures and bought those with the Groupon. Photobook America has a really good discount code you can get which actually would've cost me less than the Groupon deal, so I decided I'd redo the book at a smaller size and then use the discount code. But when we got the albums I ordered, the photo quality was not as great as I thought it would be. So, now I'm trying to figure out the next best thing. Ugh...it's been almost THREE years. What is wrong with me? Seriously.<br />
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<b>11. Buy a house.</b><br />
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We had to make a very difficult decision about this back in July. We got the lease renewal for our apartment and though we had enough for about 15% down and had found some places we liked, we decided that it was in our best interest to wait six months. Much to my complete dismay, we extended our lease to April 2013. I was very angry about it for a while, but in my heart of hearts I know it was the right thing to do. Why? Because our lease expired at the end of this month. And we would have been buying a home right in the middle of my strike. Our savings would have been depleted because of the down payment and I would have been out of any kind of income right around the time our first mortgage payment was due. It was really, truly the smartest thing we could have done to extend our lease. I just hate that I have to spend another six months in this place...and spend another winter freezing my ass off in this barely heated apartment.<br />
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<b>12. Read 2 books a month: one classic, one other.</b><br />
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I'm so kicking ass at this goal. Have I been 100% faithful to reading two books every month? No, not at all. BUT I've come pretty damn close every month. And some months (like May), I made up for it by reading more than two books. I'm slacking with my classics a bit (I may have just read fun things over the summer and half a classic), but I'm reading more now than I did before and that's a really good thing. So far this year, I've read 11 books, which I know isn't a lot for some people, but it's a vast improvement for me. I'm also currently in the middle of one book and have another all queued up on my Kindle. And if I would get my act together, I'd have a classic completed, too (I started one over the summer and just need to finish it). All in all, I'd feel perfectly good about crossing this off at the end of the year even if I didn't do exactly two books a month. <br />
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<b>13. Use the crap out of my Christmas present: bike 2-3 times a week this summer.</b><br />
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Ummm...yeah...about that. <br />
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<strike><b>14. Expand NTMK the way I want to and start my other blog project.</b></strike><br />
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Depending on how you look at it, I've succeeded twice. Not only am I blogging <a href="http://nottheparentingkind.blogspot.com/">here</a>, which is the NTMK expansion, but I also started blogging <a href="http://therealityofeducation.wordpress.com/">here</a>, which was sort of my new way of doing #19 since the Word Doc I was keeping for a long time turned out to be a bust. <br />
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<b>15. Blog on our family blog at least once a week.</b><br />
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This is a no go. TOO MANY BLOGS!!! :)<br />
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<b>16. Archive all our photos.</b><br />
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I can't cross this off quite yet, but I will soooo be able to do that by the end of the year. I spent yet another chunk of my spring and summer uploading all of our digital photos into albums online. I still have to scan in the old film photos, which will be time consuming. I'm debating whether or not to drop off some albums at Costco and have them do it. Outsourcing...it's the way of the future. : D<br />
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<b><strike>17. Make meal plans and stick to them (also helps to curb money we spend on food).</strike></b><br />
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Done and done. We totally do this all the time. It's helped our finances, but when we get lazy and skip a week, we end up eating out because I stock the fridge and pantry with less stuff. So that's the only downfall, but overall, I would say we did this more than we didn't this year. And it's been really, really good.<br />
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<b>18. Create a cleaning system and stick to it.</b><br />
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The house is a mess. We have no system. It's easily cleaned as the mess is mostly clothes and work bags and things like that strewn about the joint. But we need a system. I kind of had one, but I totally don't follow it. Neither does A.P. Oh, well. Life's too short to spend it cleaning anyway. <br />
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<b>19. Keep a work journal.</b><br />
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I started off the year doing this and then I stopped. Recently, I've sort of started again through my new blog. It's not a journal, per se, but it serves almost the same purpose. So, I'd say if I can keep up with it, this, too, shall be crossed off by the end of the year.<br />
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<b>20. Floss every day.</b><br />
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Please don't tell my dentist that I still don't do this. I just hate flossing man. It consistently hurts my gums and, yeah, I just hate it.<br />
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<b>21. Watch AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.</b><br />
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You would think 100 movies wouldn't be so hard. That's not even a movie a day over a whole year. That's approximately 2 movies a week. I used to watch way more in college when I was studying film. And yet, I lost steam with this one. I'm wondering if it's not an eventual goal. Like, eventually it'd be rad to have seen all of the AFI 100 Greatest Movies. <br />
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<b>22. Learn how to take better care of my skin.</b><br />
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I've been doing this. But I still have my Benzoyl Peroxide-based pimple cream and that was really what I was hoping to cut. I just can't. I don't have great skin and the two times I gave it up, it was BAD. I broke out like a teenager. I debate going to a dermatologist all the time, but worry they'll just put me on some prescription drug that I don't want to take. I don't know what to do. On the plus side, I started using Neutrogena Naturals, which are awesome. No dye, no harsh chemicals, and no sulfates. It's super gentle and that's helped a lot. <br />
<b><strike><br />23. Get better at putting on makeup.</strike></b><br />
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I totally feel comfortable crossing this off the list. Why? Because thanks to sites like my wonderful friend's and other sites like The Beauty Department, I really have learned how to apply my makeup correctly. I also attribute this to finally finding a foundation I like. I always hated foundation because it felt like I was wearing a mask. I never thought it looked great with my skin tone, either. But as I got older, I really wanted the coverage that a foundation gives. Powder wasn't cutting it anymore. Then I discovered mineral makeup, which is in powder form but is a foundation! So awesome, perfect for my skin ton, and easy to apply. Love, love, love it!<br />
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<b>24. Wear my hair in a pretty style at least once a week.</b><br />
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Another epic fail. I cut and colored it finally, though! So that's something! It just doesn't really meet the goal. Oops.<br />
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<b><strike>25. Use less plastic bags! Ziplocs are one thing (though that could be reduced, too), but plastic bags from produce or trips to the store could greatly be reduced.</strike></b><br />
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Done and done. We rarely use plastic bags now, including produce bags.<br />
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<b>26. Compost, compost, compost.</b><br />
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Epic fail. I killed all my worms. <br />
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<b>27. Eat pizza only 10 times this year. </b><br />
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Epic fail. I've eaten pizza like 10 million times this year. I blame A.P. He's addicted and it's just impossible to be married to him and eat pizza 10 times in a year. <br />
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<b>28. Try not to use our credit card.</b><br />
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So far, so bad. Between car repairs and vacations and more car repairs and weddings, we've totally had to use our credit card. And the bills haven't been small either. We really need to get better about this. It's hard because a lot of that is a bit out of our control (e.g. the weddings and car repairs), but some things are within our control and those are the things we need to reign in: better food budgeting, trips to Target or Costco, etc.<br />
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<b>29. Begin saving towards retirement.</b><br />
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I haven't done this at all. It was really a goal after we bought a house. Now that that's been postponed, so has my retirement savings. Really, I already save for retirement through my pension, but since that gets threatened all the time, I'm trying to expand my options so I don't work until I die. <br />
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Overall, I'm not doing great on my goals. This year has been...difficult. I lost sight of myself for a while and I still feel like every day is a struggle to do the things that make me happy: blogging, reading, playing guitar, taking photos, etc. Instead, I feel like I work, work, work and life gets in the way 100% of the time. It's a tough situation and going over these goals has made me realize just how bad I've let it get. Oh well, there's still three months...and next year. : )<br />
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(Photo via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationaalarchief/4681460803/">Flickr</a>)<br />
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Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-50788248269678322442012-09-14T22:27:00.001-05:002012-09-17T20:37:08.353-05:00In Solidarity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQonbey7kpKO08ECr3KXWw8I6k9bXYlr6p6SpO19XnBQzXx3IidMv51vJ2A-RHyT4wivqKN1ZrIOavkgrN3Sbhefv1fOO_NlZCUuvzy6SkWpQsF9xsAjRDt9Ojg-RFP4PzNi7g9lo90G0/s1600/ctu.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQonbey7kpKO08ECr3KXWw8I6k9bXYlr6p6SpO19XnBQzXx3IidMv51vJ2A-RHyT4wivqKN1ZrIOavkgrN3Sbhefv1fOO_NlZCUuvzy6SkWpQsF9xsAjRDt9Ojg-RFP4PzNi7g9lo90G0/s640/ctu.jpeg" width="414" /></a></div>
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Tomorrow at 12pm in Union Park, there will be a <a href="http://www.ctunet.com/for-members/strike-central/solidarity-rally-saturday-september-15">massive Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) rally</a> in Union Park. The purpose of the rally is to show solidarity with the CTU in our fight for a fair contract.<br />
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The CTU has been on strike for the past five days and in addition to fighting for a fair contract, it has been protesting many problems in the public education system here in Chicago, including: <a href="http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/The-312/July-2012/The-Latest-Chicago-Public-Schools-Skirmish-Elected-School-Board/">the mayor-appointed school board</a>; <a href="http://truth-out.org/news/item/10851-chicago-school-board-member-benefits-from-district-budget-cut">the use of TIF money to fund neighborhood projects like the building of a Hyatt hotel on the south side by Penny Pritzker</a>, who controls the Hyatt hotel chain and is on the Board of Education (a clear conflict of interest); the constant <a href="http://www.cpsturnaround.org/cps/">turning around of neighborhood schools</a>; the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/private-firms-eyeing-prof_n_1732856.html">slow and steady privatization of the public education system</a> through the expansion of charter schools and closing of neighborhood schools; the <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/14/3530497/wrong-teacher-evaluation-idea.html">use of standardized tests to evaluate teachers</a>; and, of course, the slow and steady plot to destroy labor unions in this country and eradicate a middle, working class (see Wisconsin, Indiana, New Jersey).<br />
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These are things I am very passionate about and am baffled every day when I realize that people simply don't know about these things (and the media does not report the truth at all). I can't tell you how many people are seriously misinformed. This past week, I've watched more people talk about and discuss the state of education in this country than I have in the past six years. It's amazing. We've started a revolution and I hope it continues to spread throughout this country. <br />
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It's also been nice to really get out there and talk to the community about these things. And while there have certainly been a lot of haters, there are also a TON of supporters. I hope you're one of them. If you are,<b> I am asking you to show your solidarity with the CTU by reposting the above image, and link this post to your blog tomorrow, Saturday September 15, 2012 in support of the CTU (if you don't read this until after and want to show your solidarity, you can repost at a later date, too. We appreciate the support no matter the day.)</b>. Then, leave a comment below and I will link your blog below. Please pass this along to your friends who blog, too.<br />
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Thanks again for the support all week! I appreciate the emails and comments!<br />
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<a href="http://bettencourtchase.blogspot.com/2012/09/chicago.html">Bettencourt Chase</a> stands with the CTU<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">(Stand for Public Education designed by </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Paul Kjelland via <a href="http://www.justseeds.org/blog/2012/08/solidarity_with_the_chicago_te.html" style="text-decoration: none;">Justseeds</a>)</span></span></span></span>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-79830290585844125602012-09-11T05:39:00.001-05:002012-09-11T05:40:44.815-05:00I Didn't Choose the Thug Life, It Chose Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWiAAmzs5lC4PFTlY5R6Yei7s1pVLgQR5VcalKZzROytOzJW86YxoJxIPr19rLCGjYUySXik5ST2zek24lZhi8CZOVJuD_THl3BUtnrj3a519XB_cK-kz1fp-jZgzEalZ0q7dWKYV5mc/s1600/IMG_5014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWiAAmzs5lC4PFTlY5R6Yei7s1pVLgQR5VcalKZzROytOzJW86YxoJxIPr19rLCGjYUySXik5ST2zek24lZhi8CZOVJuD_THl3BUtnrj3a519XB_cK-kz1fp-jZgzEalZ0q7dWKYV5mc/s640/IMG_5014.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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PRODUCT AND PROTECTOR OF PUBLIC EDUCATION</div>
<br />Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-28300380867556180642012-09-10T06:30:00.000-05:002012-09-10T06:30:00.051-05:00Stand Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I need help in getting the word out about our historic fight for a fair contract and for the public school system. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Help spread the word about our fight by posting one (or both) of these images on your Facebook, Twitter, Google +, or Pinterest. Are you wearing red today?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(CTU Banner designed by Martin Ritter via <a href="http://preaprez.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/the-sunday-mail-2/">Fred Klonsky</a>; Stand for Public Education designed by </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Paul Kjelland via <a href="http://www.justseeds.org/blog/2012/08/solidarity_with_the_chicago_te.html">Justseeds</a>)</span></span></span>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-13992584670087543512012-09-09T23:20:00.000-05:002012-09-09T23:21:13.666-05:00A New LabelThere are many truths I wish I could tell you, things I feel I keep from you to both protect myself and also maintain the specific content I aim to create for Not the Marrying Kind. For the most part, this arrangement has never bothered me. For various reasons, I'm most comfortable writing under a pseudonym. But if you've been reading since the beginning or if you blog-stalked the shit out of this blog when you first found it and just read post after post after post from way back to figure me out (can you tell yet that I do this myself???), then you know that slowly, but surely, I've revealed parts of myself here. I started this blog in 2009 and I would only post a portion of my face in images. It wasn't until was actually got engaged that I posted pictures of us on the blog. Back then, it was more sporadic. Now, I would say I post pictures of myself fairly frequently. That sort of gradual trust that I built in you, my few, but lovely readers, is why I feel that I can now reveal another truth. A big one. And one, which, for the most part, I try very hard to avoid on this blog, but which, for reasons I will soon explain, I can no longer keep to myself: my job.<br />
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Before I reveal that truth, though, I want to talk about my absence and why, for a while, I think, I may need to not talk about things like weddings. Currently, I have 22 posts drafted, 10 of which are from this year (the rest span three years!). This year, like no other, I have struggled with writer's block. When I stopped blogging the last time, it wasn't because I wanted to, it was because I had zero time to write. This time around, I'm certainly shorter on time, but I also have felt creatively tapped. And I couldn't figure out why. Certainly, being burned out at work was part of it, but I've blogged through that in the past. Why was this different? Not that long ago, I had the realization that it was because I didn't want to blog about weddings anymore. I mean, I did...I do, but I felt very pigeonholed by the blog. I love planning parties and events and I love weddings, but I felt like I didn't want to talk about those things anymore. Instead, I wanted so badly to talk about the one thing I sort of vowed to always keep private. <br />
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There are many reasons why I don't talk about my job here, the biggest of which is privacy. I don't talk about my job to both maintain my own privacy and the privacy of those with whom I work. I also don't talk about my job because this blog was, for so long, my distraction. I needed some things that were separate and Not the Marrying Kind was exactly that: a place that had nothing to do with my day. Instead, it was a frothy, wedding-filled wonderland filled with amazing people that I never wanted to leave. <br />
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But reality has kicked in big time over the past year and my frothy, wedding-filled wonderland no longer does the trick. Instead, all of my waking hours seem to be filled with job-related thoughts. My internet time is focused a lot more on learning more about my job and its history. And I'm feeling more creatively-fueled by an accidental side-effect of my job: activism. <br />
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You see, as of tomorrow, Monday September 10, 2012, I will be temporarily unemployed. I don't know when I will return to work. The future of my career is in the hands of others right now and all I can do is hope that everything works out for the best. Why is my life in such limbo? Because I am teacher and a member of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU). <br />
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Tomorrow, for the first time in 25 years, the CTU will strike. I left work on Friday and will return tomorrow only to picket outside. A lot of people have been asking me how I feel about striking and I've been replying, "I never feel bad about doing the right thing." <br />
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Whatever you've heard in the media, this strike is the right thing. For the last two years, teachers in the CTU have been disgraced by the local government and painted as lazy, greedy people who don't give a damn about the students. I am telling you that the reality could not be further from the truth. And so, I've decided I have to do my part to change how teachers are portrayed.<br />
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I've started blogging over <a href="http://therealityofeducation.wordpress.com/">here</a>. That doesn't mean I won't be blogging here, too. For now, though, I need to be there. I need to be standing strong with my colleagues and telling the world the reality of my job. And so, I'm adding a new label here: education. I probably won't post too much under it since I have a <a href="http://therealityofeducation.wordpress.com/">new outlet</a> for that, but it fills in yet another detail about who I am away from this blog.<br />
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As a show of solidarity, I'm asking that you please wear red tomorrow (Monday 9/10). It is the color of our union and is a small, but meaningful gesture. If you are in the Chicago area and would like to know more about how you can help out, please feel free to email me.<br />
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In solidarity!<br />
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<br />Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-86355324838557817592012-05-30T17:48:00.001-05:002012-05-30T17:49:38.034-05:00Don't Hate MeI'll be back to my regular blogging OH, SO SOON. I am under massive deadlines at work and have also managed to throw out my back a bit the last few days. Fun! The deadlines will be over after next week and then I'll be back with a bunch of posts I've been working on, including:<br />
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- Several Weekend Date posts for Humboldt Park, Superdawg, and a quick (pet friendly) trip to Milwaukee<br />
- Marriage Monday posts about...SEX!! Gasp! <br />
- Wedding Wednesday posts for creative guestbooks<br />
- Friday dances with gorgeous weddings<br />
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and so much more, including List for 2012 updates, and my May reading list!<br />
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But all of these things require time and energy, neither of which I currently have. Soon, though, I'll be back to my old tricks. In the mean time, don't hate me. : )<br />
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See you guys SOOO soon! In the mean time, enjoy this new Beach House song which I'm OBSESSED with!<br />
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P.S. Did you see that the lovely <a href="http://runninglawyer.blogspot.com/">Sara</a> had her beautiful baby?? A big congrats to the new mom!Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-14688722502233220222012-05-15T04:50:00.000-05:002012-05-15T04:50:00.101-05:00Mother's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had to write a post here that shows how much I love mothers since I'm bashing some of them on <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/p/not-parenting-kind.html">my other blog</a>. Don't hate me. Instead, focus on the pretty brunch I threw for my mother.<br />
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(More pictures and all the details after the jump!)<br />
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I started by downloading <a href="http://ohhappyday.com/2011/05/mothers-day-breakfast-free-printable/">these</a> beautiful printables from Oh Happy Day. Our dining room/other living space has a green sofa and a small, white table with teal chairs. So at the very least, I figured they'd match our basic decor. Then, I decided I needed a tablecloth. I found the perfect tablecloth and runners at Target. Then, I remembered I had this garland that I bought on clearance at Michael's. It happened to be the perfect colors! It ended up being a lot of happy accidents that made for the nicest Mother's Day brunch I've thrown yet. <br />
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I littered the printables around the table, made some good food, and let everyone enjoy themselves. I offered peach nectar, pink lemonade, and orange juice as pairings with champagne/prosecco and vodka. My brother brought homemade Bloody Mary mix and horseradish roasted tomatoes for garnish. Yum! <br />
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I also turned the flags into a game. I had them on the coffee table with a bunch of pens and instructions to family members to write their favorite memory, thing they love, or what they were thankful for about my mother. Then, after opening a few gifts, she read them aloud. It was a lot of fun, and a nice take home for my mother. Here are some pictures from the day! Enjoy! And remember...I really do love mothers. Go moms!<br />
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Did you celebrate with your mother or children on Mother's Day? What'd you do?<br />
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(All photos by me!)Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-8202338694657010192012-05-11T07:06:00.000-05:002012-05-11T07:06:18.510-05:00I Saw Him Dancing There by the Record Machine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week has gone by soooo slowly. Glacially slow. And I am tired. I can't believe I still have to work today. Plus, I have so much work to do this weekend! It just never ends, does it? On the plus side, the weather is finally warming up, so we are getting the garden all ready and though it is slow going, it's getting done. Bit by bit. : ) <br />
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This week, I'm giving you an adorable retro engagement session. This couple is so badass, and effortlessly so. Lisa and Ollie's beautiful photographs are by <a href="http://filtrstar.tumblr.com/love">Bekki Draper</a>. Ready to feel very unhip?<br />
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They are such a cute couple, no? And I love their choice of locations! Very, very nice. <br />
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This weekend, I am ready to do a lot of work, celebrate my mother, and catch up on sleep. Not necessarily in that order. I'm working and doing chores Friday night and Saturday. Then, I'm hosting a brunch for my mom on Sunday. I'm not going all out because, frankly, I'm too tired. And I've drawn the line at 3pm. I'm going to start kicking people out at 4pm because I frankly don't think I can handle an all day affair and still go to work the next day. Other than that, I'm relaxing as best I can. What are you up to this weekend? Any plans for Mom?<br />
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In the mean time, here are your dance moves for the week:<br />
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Spruce up your Mother's day with some cute <a href="http://pinterest.com/kirstenthompson/mother-s-day/">free printables</a><br />
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Have you checked out <a href="http://www.target.com/c/The-Shops-at-Target/-/N-56f52">The Shops at Target</a>?<br />
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<a href="http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/post/20818290289/fighting-with-my-boyfriend">Fighting with a boyfriend/husband</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.20x200.com/artworks/3610">Wintourfeld</a> & <a href="http://www.20x200.com/artworks/3608">Jacoppola</a><br />
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<a href="http://blaaargh.org/post/20798195893/david-tisdale-picnic-flatware-for-sasaki-1986">Colorful picnic ware</a><br />
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What a <a href="http://crushculdesac.tumblr.com/">pretty tumblr</a><br />
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I love <a href="http://romanceandrevolution.tumblr.com/post/16683763411">Fitzgerald</a>.<br />
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Pretty <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/61431982387449826/">sheer top</a><br />
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(All photos from Lisa and Ollie's engagement shoot by <a href="http://filtrstar.tumblr.com/love">Bekki Draper</a>)Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-49443893638781442732012-05-10T04:50:00.000-05:002012-05-10T04:50:00.482-05:00Weekend Date: The Logan Theater<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>Date Category:</b> Saturday Date</div>
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<b>Neighborhood:</b> Logan Square (Northwest side)<br />
<b>Expect to Spend:</b> Around $14 for two movie tickets alone; $20-25 with snacks; If you hit the lounge beforehand, expect to spend around $35-50 for drinks, movie tickets, and theater snacks for two</div>
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The <a href="http://www.thelogantheatre.com/">Logan Theater</a> has been around for decades. Formerly a family owned and operated theater showing mid- and last-run movies for three bucks a pop, the Logan was one of the last cheap theaters in Chicago. I have a special place in my heart for theaters like the Logan because, as a child, my father and I used to spend Sundays at the Village Theater in Old Town. We would watch double features for $5 and then he would take me back to my mom's place. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The old Village Theater...$2.50 a ticket!!!</span></div>
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These theaters barely exist anymore, though, and Logan was one of the last. When A.P. and I first discovered the theater, we fell in love. For one thing, the tickets were, again, $3 a piece! For another, it's right up the street from us, in Logan Square. Plus, even with a bunch of snacks, our total tab for the night would be just above $20! What a cheap date night, huh?<br />
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So, when the theater closed down and put "Under Renovation" on its marquee, we were a bit concerned that that was the end of the theater. We waited for months and months, sure that like other local businesses that undergo renovation, it might come back a commercial nightmare or it might never come back again. Instead, quite the opposite happened. When it did come back (and it was behind schedule in its reopening), it came back in all its glory.<br />
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Besides unearthing beautiful original marble and a beautiful stained glass window above the entrance, they replaced the old, stinky seats with comfortable, reclining ones. They also added a bar! That's right, before you hit the theater, you can grab a drink in their lounge. The ticket prices did go up, but are still way cheaper than a regular theater at $7. <br />
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We didn't have time to grab a drink, but we did get to sit in the lounge for a bit before we could enter the theater for our movie (we saw 21 Jump Street, btw, which was surprisingly hilarious!) and it was warm and inviting. The vibe of the theater has changed, too. It used to feel like this hole in the wall that people headed to when they wanted a cheap night out. Now, it feels like a charming neighborhood theater. The theater was filled families, hipsters, couples, and groups of friends. It was bustling and busy and the staff was so nice. Plus, the decor is fantastic. The attention to detail is phenomenal with vintage movie posters hanging on the walls. There's now a fancy sitting room outside the ladies room and a rad vintage telephone booth. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdX2bw1taWlP-Ig_lAoMWejQRn8q9fIv1Ss1iIN2hMce6luTHS94L644yUCBciXlSm_h1ub-AHPu3AsmuafSxPdMijPgsScvPZE_BxlqukiYtyfrSNZz986jSQHR1Jd7kZaaSqWQZ-8I/s1600/100_0535+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdX2bw1taWlP-Ig_lAoMWejQRn8q9fIv1Ss1iIN2hMce6luTHS94L644yUCBciXlSm_h1ub-AHPu3AsmuafSxPdMijPgsScvPZE_BxlqukiYtyfrSNZz986jSQHR1Jd7kZaaSqWQZ-8I/s640/100_0535+copy.JPG" width="322" /></a></div>
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I really hope the theater is successful and will be around for a long time. I also hope they don't have to jack up prices and will still be able to provide the level of service that they are currently able to offer. A.P. and I will for sure be returning to the theater soon and next time, hopefully we'll get to sample the bar's finest beforehand.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRGxeoFl6_2eEJbARqJeiRamvFyI1C4pGdaVgMTy1oxHoEH6zgiDLaVR2GHBW2CVXdNTAvGgc0gDDAsY5wNinBnKzf36WA0ytRLZ6t8KxsJROKwHMVyiGj2AY2makoIMziZbQqS-LBb0/s1600/100_0546+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRGxeoFl6_2eEJbARqJeiRamvFyI1C4pGdaVgMTy1oxHoEH6zgiDLaVR2GHBW2CVXdNTAvGgc0gDDAsY5wNinBnKzf36WA0ytRLZ6t8KxsJROKwHMVyiGj2AY2makoIMziZbQqS-LBb0/s640/100_0546+copy.JPG" width="612" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">For pictures of the renovation as well as the "after" photos (which are way better than my point and shoot pictures), click </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/thelogantheatre/photos" style="text-align: center;">here</a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span><br />
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(Village Theater Photo via <a href="http://chuckmanchicagonostalgia.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/village-theater-1540-n-clark-originally-germania-750-seats-front-with-associated-stores-1990-from-bruce-sharp-mekong-net-site/photo-chicago-village-theater-1540-n-clark-originally-germania-750-seats-front-with-associated-stores-1990-from-bruce-sharp-mekong-net-site/">Chuckman's Photos on Wordpress</a>; All Other Photos by Me!)Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-41499648055196764822012-05-08T04:50:00.000-05:002012-05-08T04:50:00.228-05:00Decision Making ToolsIt's been decided. From now on, I am making all important decisions <a href="http://boingboing.net/images/WWUD.swf">this</a> way:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk86wJMRQuw4PLt3sro76Cs1W1LXN2iqQy5O_1nCYgdIVDaicUxKhfHREu6iXjTqx0h_4QZQj7BN3u4ZoI4NepmWkYu0A5cYnF6veOXCXbPz-qphEYGf0WM2kYurSBs6NX73l-_7AYvnI/s1600/What+Would+a+Unicorn+Do%3f.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk86wJMRQuw4PLt3sro76Cs1W1LXN2iqQy5O_1nCYgdIVDaicUxKhfHREu6iXjTqx0h_4QZQj7BN3u4ZoI4NepmWkYu0A5cYnF6veOXCXbPz-qphEYGf0WM2kYurSBs6NX73l-_7AYvnI/s640/What+Would+a+Unicorn+Do%3f.tiff" width="482" /></a></div>
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How should I deal with my boss who blew off an important meeting?? Impale evil things! Of course!<br />
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How should I respond to A.P. when he complains I'm not paying attention to The Voice?? Whinny and rear? Sounds good to me.<br />
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What should I do when my mother makes me angry?? Nuzzle a newborn. Der. <br />
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Seriously, peeps, go to the site and spin the wheel and answer the question you've always wondered...What <i>would</i> a unicorn do?<br />
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(Photo via <a href="http://boingboing.net/images/WWUD.swf">here</a>)Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-47882933733264105502012-05-07T04:50:00.000-05:002012-05-07T04:50:00.150-05:00Marriage Mondays: Making New Friends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeparking/544118694/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="vintage photo: great-grandma and friends by deflam, on Flickr"><img alt="vintage photo: great-grandma and friends" height="503" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1165/544118694_b0f81a964c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As I've gotten older, it's become harder and harder to make friends. Finding people you get along with well enough to want to spend time with them gets more and more difficult when your time becomes more limited. It seems like I am in fewer and fewer social situations where I can meet new people who would want to develop friendships. Plus, if you're anything like A.P. and me, you don't necessarily want all your friends to come from the workplace since you need a break from those people. <br />
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Lately, though, A.P. and I have wished we had more friends in common or even couples to hang out with. I have a lot of friends of my own, but A.P. only has a few. Some of those few have moved away and he rarely hangs out with the ones still living locally. And my friends that he really likes and would spend time with live out of state. Which means that we basically have zero friends in common and zero couples to hang out with.<br />
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When you are in a relationship, you sometimes bring the dwindling number of friends on yourself. To a certain extent, I know some of the friends we've lost over the years were our own faults. We outgrew them, they moved away and we didn't stay in touch, etc. But lately, we've been craving finding great people to hang out with that we both get along with. <br />
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When we went to <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/04/weekend-date-secret-supper-club.html">Clandestino</a> a few weeks ago, we met a great couple who were a lot like us. This past weekend, we had a lovely dinner with them. It was so refreshing to find people we both get along with. I kept joking to A.P. that this was our second date with them and that we had to be on our best behavior. No freak flag flying! : ) Seriously, though, that event seemed like such a rarity. Meeting this couple was great, but such a fluke! We were so happy to meet and make new friends, but how in the world do you replicate that?<br />
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Have you had trouble making friends as you get older? If you're in a couple, have you had trouble making couple friends? How do you make and keep good friends as you get older?<br />
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(Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/freeparking/544118694/">deflam via Flickr</a>)<br />
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<i>Do you subscribe to Not the Marrying Kind? If not, you should! It's free and fun and it means you automatically get new posts when the blog is updated. No having to check back! Click <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2011/07/sharing-is-caring-so-is-subscribing.html">here</a> for more details!</i>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-79215462532292126262012-05-02T04:50:00.000-05:002012-05-02T04:50:00.037-05:00Wedding Wednesday: Etsy Finally Joins the Dark Side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Aka the wedding side. Yes, for those of you brides (or grooms...who knows, maybe I have male lurkers?) who haven't heard yet, one of favorite sites, etsy, has finally launched a wedding division of their site. Look at it in all its beauty!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxnZPsO_9t136ypgyRHSsBEWR-gGN3_LMBnLCXviwcrNwfOovVzVJ7fI3DSQWkEEMC5Ca3yGJblh2QuQDT7UUgmZ-wcUnsIogr6RYJZBSJuIAe6R10ff4W7NGNFdTGrTBMj24g_CNie0/s1600/Etsy+Wedding+Site.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxnZPsO_9t136ypgyRHSsBEWR-gGN3_LMBnLCXviwcrNwfOovVzVJ7fI3DSQWkEEMC5Ca3yGJblh2QuQDT7UUgmZ-wcUnsIogr6RYJZBSJuIAe6R10ff4W7NGNFdTGrTBMj24g_CNie0/s640/Etsy+Wedding+Site.tiff" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Here, you can shop for wedding related things or even...gasp!...register for gifts! Oh how I wish this had existed when I was getting married! It's so rad. Check it out </span><a href="http://www.etsy.com/weddings" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">here</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">!</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /></span></div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-44293133198498283112012-05-01T04:50:00.000-05:002012-05-01T04:50:00.360-05:00All of the BooksSo, I readily admit that I have not been keeping up with my reading <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/p/list-for-2011.html">goal</a> as much as I would have liked. But just having the goal has made a difference in my life. I've probably already read more this year than I did in total last year. <br />
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That being said, I still am not as spot on with the goal as I'd like. For instance, I totally didn't read anything in February. Actually I started The Hunger Games (see below), but really only ready 20 pages or so, which doesn't really count. And in April, I only read one book, but once you see what it is, you'll see it was book enough for a month. : ) Here's what I've read since our <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/01/januarys-books-classic-novella-bunch-of.html">last update</a>!<br />
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<b>~MARCH~</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins/dp/0439023483">The Hunger Games</a> by Suzanne Collins</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NGiyHsb0zxIoNxjwaOAR0t-qw_BexEL-3jJ1uWtjHAT9S7_M3R-jt1JfIdqXtOoVFWDvoFXyuimhif_6Fb8xDThPpWrjYzofRFgOAmrsKr8jBCojse9P7njKBvl_YLzKyjw3K2GRPQw/s1600/Hunger+Games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NGiyHsb0zxIoNxjwaOAR0t-qw_BexEL-3jJ1uWtjHAT9S7_M3R-jt1JfIdqXtOoVFWDvoFXyuimhif_6Fb8xDThPpWrjYzofRFgOAmrsKr8jBCojse9P7njKBvl_YLzKyjw3K2GRPQw/s640/Hunger+Games.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm a big believer that some of the best literature that's coming out right now falls within the young adult genre. Some of my favorite books that I've read in the past five or six years are young adult (read anything by the amazing <a href="http://johngreenbooks.com/">John Green</a>). The Hunger Games is quite engaging as far as dystopian novels go. It's definitely a page turner and an interesting read. It's also an easy read, which meant that I was able to finish it off in a weekend and I didn't read the whole weekend (though it was hard to put down). For those of you who haven't been bitten by the Hunger Games bug, I highly encourage you to read the book or at least watch the movie, which was a fairly good adaptation of the novel. I love Katniss as a heroine and I only wish I was as badass as her. I plan on reading the 2nd and 3rd book this year, but wanted to take a break between the novels and read some other things. I didn't want to devote all my reading time to the Hunger Games for a couple of months.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mice-Penguin-Great-Books-Century/dp/0812416317/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335834679&sr=1-4">Of Mice and Men</a> by John Steinbeck</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadSu0YkTLc7QbaFBacD8rO1h3zi19wLp6HE6N4oI1k0ix2giMIWy79yqF4J2h15xu_U3gyQxkX0WQUX7STdsL4vcfKDEb4IGPoRUJnq1pTM1F3-8Ux0bD3s6k5UKOMq4VSAxDBHRu9D0/s1600/Of+Mice+and+Men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadSu0YkTLc7QbaFBacD8rO1h3zi19wLp6HE6N4oI1k0ix2giMIWy79yqF4J2h15xu_U3gyQxkX0WQUX7STdsL4vcfKDEb4IGPoRUJnq1pTM1F3-8Ux0bD3s6k5UKOMq4VSAxDBHRu9D0/s640/Of+Mice+and+Men.jpg" width="374" /></a></div>
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Yes, I read another Steinbeck novella. What can I say, I'm a bit of a cheat with these two books a month business, eh? But I've been itching to re-read some Steinbeck this year and these two were less of a commitment than, say, The Grapes of Wrath. I first read Of Mice and Men about five or six years ago. I remember liking it, but not loving it. I of course remember the basic plot points (SPOILER ALERT): Lennie kills animals without trying and George shoots Lennie in the end. But I'd sort of forgotten the small details. After having read it a second time, I'm certain it's okay for me to say that I'm not the biggest fan of this book. I like it enough. It's certainly well written and the writing, similar to that in The Pearl, is terse and well structured. But for fucks sake, what a downer! I tried like hell to note one happy thing that happens in that book. And guess what? There isn't a single thing. They visit a whore house? That's about it, man. It's soooooo depressing. And it's the kind of sad that stays with you and creeps into your psyche, which I hate. That's the worst. Books like that don't bode well for me in the long run. Still, I'm glad I re-read it. It's certainly worth the read, I just don't know if, as far as classics go, it's on my list of favorites. </div>
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Oh, and PS. I was trying hard to think of a single classic I've read where someone doesn't die. And I can't. Maybe The Catcher in the Rye? Except Holden deals with death in the novel, or at least touches upon it. But yeah, I'm hard pressed to think of many where someone doesn't spectacularly die. </div>
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<b>~APRIL~</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fifty-shades-of-grey-e-l-james/1104280977?ean=9780345803481">Fifty Shades of Grey</a> by E.L. James</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUC5y1Z_NKqjTJfTuIjAhyKOZD-pmE5aJMRfzJgIsxNW1V2gxHrc7qNhSKiKGmb34RcRvC4aXVXzZ19je4Y8-FsWJkQLl_R7yKkm89Q1xbRv3vNw51vGJpwr-qvvqKGnBO1VbE3PbC9A/s1600/Fifty+Shades+of+Grey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUC5y1Z_NKqjTJfTuIjAhyKOZD-pmE5aJMRfzJgIsxNW1V2gxHrc7qNhSKiKGmb34RcRvC4aXVXzZ19je4Y8-FsWJkQLl_R7yKkm89Q1xbRv3vNw51vGJpwr-qvvqKGnBO1VbE3PbC9A/s640/Fifty+Shades+of+Grey.JPG" width="412" /></a></div>
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Hellz to the yeah! I totally read this shit! Truth be told, I still haven't finished this book yet. But I think that I'll have it done by tonight and that's practically April. So...count it! Okay, on to my thoughts...</div>
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WOWZA!!! What a book! The so-called Mommy Porn that's clearing off shelves and seemingly on everyone's Kindle landed on mine, too. : ) It wasn't shocking, really, though it's definitely, um, erotic. It's fairly graphic, though for the most part not cheesy like some romance novels. The writing is pretty bad, too. I can't count how many times James uses the word "bemused" or talks about how "hot" Christian Grey is, or for that matter how many times Ana says "Holy shit." Still, I laid in bed all day yesterday reading it. I couldn't put it down. I'm almost done with it (another hint at its extreme readability), but I'm debating whether or not to read the next two. I definitely could pound through them (pun INTENDED ; ) ), but I want to see where this book ends before I decide to plunge into the next two (yup, you guessed it...pun intended again). </div>
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I'm actually dying to discuss this one with my friends. The sex doesn't bother me and frankly, the whole thing reminds me of a more graphic version of the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274812/">Secretary</a>. But what gets me are the overused tropes from the likes of Pretty Woman and, well, any James Spader movie. I actually think that's why women like the book so much. It's no surprise that in this day and age the things we find sexy are Don Draper and Christian Grey. Secretly, I think, women like this book for two reasons: 1. A lot of women just want to be dominated in the bedroom, even if they don't necessarily want it in their everyday lives and, 2. Women love to believe they can change a man. And that's basically what this is. There is a lot of criticism that this book is less about BDSM and more about obsession, control, and jealousy. I definitely agree with that, and as far as weak women go, Anastasia Steele, despite her smartass-ness, is pretty weak. She's so sure she's strong, meanwhile she's constantly distraught over what Grey will think or whether she will please him or not. I don't know. I go back and forth on the whole thing. I've read that eventually Christian gets his just desserts in the series, but like I said, I will see how this one ends before I jump into anymore.</div>
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Have you read any of these books? Have you jumped into Fifty Shades yet? I'm dying to discuss that one! : )</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-25549986042356595882012-04-30T04:50:00.000-05:002012-04-30T04:50:00.640-05:00Marriage Mondays: The Language of Intimacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/october/125623250/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Black and White intimacy by october_zju, on Flickr"><img alt="Black and White intimacy" height="480" src="http://farm1.staticflickr.com/54/125623250_9eac9ee248.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A while back, I was reading this article about the <a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/06/25/the_language_of_a_marriage/">language of a marriage</a> and found myself thinking about the nature of intimate relationships. It was so interesting to read about another couple that has a secret language. Not that I think secret languages between loved ones are unique to A.P. and me. Whenever I have been in a serious relationship, even before A.P., I had secret jokes or little Morse codes of intimacy. For instance, my first boyfriend ever and I would give each other's hands a quick squeeze three times to say a silent "I love you." He came up with it one night after we had visiting my sister. When we were getting a ride home, he leaned over and whispered the meaning of the hand squeezes in my ear. And so a secret language was born. To this day, I still remember the last time he made this gesture. We'd been having problems and had been growing apart for months. One night, we went on an innocuous date to the movies. I was particularly sad about the state of our relationship and the movie we were watching, A Beautiful Mind, was making me even more sad because of its topic (I have a mentally ill brother). He wanted to make me fell better, but we were still kind of icy and distant towards each other. And so, when he couldn't say the words anymore, he squeezed my hand three times. <br />
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This is perhaps one of my favorite things about being in a relationship with someone. This level of intimacy is certainly not confined to marriage either. It's a language built between two people who have shared moments together that no one else has shared. In six years as A.P. and I have grown in our relationship, we have developed a language, too. Little jokes that only we understand. Anyone else requires an explanation.<br />
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For instance, when we first started dating, A.P. didn't want to reveal how picky an eater he was and hurt my feelings about food I'd make him. One day, I literally slaved ALL day making a dinner for him. I made pumpkin ravioli with a vanilla scented bechamel sauce, making both the pasta and the ravioli filling from scratch. I also made frosted buttermilk brownies with cherries and chocolate baked into them. It's important to note that the entire meal was amazing and the brownies were DELICIOUS, but A.P. is a picky eater and he was even pickier then. He didn't like that the pasta dish was sweet and the brownies were fluffier and more cake like than regular, dense brownies. Plus, they had frosting on them and cherries in them and, well, all of those things made A.P.'s head explode. He couldn't really hide the pasta on his plate, but he successfully fibbed about the brownies. I left him a container with a bunch more brownies in it in the fridge. Then, I watched as I returned time after time to the container of brownies in the fridge. I kept asking him if he liked them and wanted one and he'd tell me he just kept forgetting about them. Finally, months later, he confessed he hadn't liked them. We laugh about it now, because he could have so easily gotten away with it had he just tossed the evidence, but he really did keep forgetting. Now, when A.P. says he likes something I've cooked or baked and I doubt his, shall we say sincerity, I will ask him if this is like the brownies. We always laugh and he will reassure me that no, if he didn't like it, he'd tell me now. <br />
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There are so many more jokes we have, some appropriate...some not. ; ) And we share them all the time. They're especially handy when we're in a room of strangers. The reality is that from the time we first started dating and making memories, we became a family and that's what happens when you become a family. You have jokes and sayings that only you understand. It's the nature and language of intimacy and when times are tough, it provides oh, so much comfort.<br />
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(Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/october/">october_zju</a> via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/october/125623250/">Flickr</a>)<br />
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<i>Do you subscribe to Not the Marrying Kind? If not, you should! It's free and fun and it means you automatically get new posts when the blog is updated. No having to check back! Click <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2011/07/sharing-is-caring-so-is-subscribing.html">here</a> for more details!</i></div>
</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-24536693020820743612012-04-28T21:29:00.002-05:002012-04-28T21:32:16.917-05:00...In With the NewHope you like the new look! I know it's not perfect, but it's something and it's cheerier than the old look. I was ready for a change. It has been almost two years since I last updated the look around here. I'm way too trendy to sit on one look for that long. : )<br />
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You'll also notice that there's a new page listed up there. That's right. I just knocked #14 off my <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/p/list-for-2011.html">list for 2012</a>! I have a new blog!! <br />
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Don't worry! I'm not going to stop blogging here; this will be in addition to Not the Marrying Kind. I set up Not the Parenting Kind as a blog last year, but haven't had time to do anything with it. I probably don't have the time now, but I've been itching to work on it more and more lately. And so, out of more and more frustration with how much time work has been taking out of my life, I sat down and devoted a whole weekend to finally putting together months of work.<br />
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You'll note that Not the Parenting Kind's design is extraordinarily similar to Not the Marrying Kind. That's intentional. I see the two as sister sites. Here, I'll continue to blog about marriage, weddings, and my life with A.P. There, I'll blog about parenting and children and my fear about taking the leap into parenthood. I see these as separate, but related sites because getting married and being newlyweds is so separate from becoming parents. I see them as two distinct periods in a life and so felt the need to have two different internet resting spots. <br />
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I hope you'll join me over at <a href="http://nottheparentingkind.blogspot.com/">Not the Parenting Kind</a>, too. I can't promise I will post there as often at first, but I promise when I do, it'll be worth your while. : )Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-37447471482426600272012-04-28T18:58:00.003-05:002012-04-28T19:02:18.980-05:00Out with the Old...I'm making changes around here. Some big...some small. I'll keep you posted, but in the mean time, pardon my metaphorical dust while the blog undergoes some construction.<div><br /></div><div>: )</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-50304207818868401672012-04-27T04:50:00.000-05:002012-04-27T04:50:00.322-05:00Barn Dance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been SO long since we danced, no? This week was a bit of a blur. It was also my last week of guitar class...and I didn't go. I skipped class and my recital all because it's been weeks since I practiced and frankly, I was just too tired to go. I'm sitting out the next session. I want to relax a bit and focus on some other things. I'll pick it up again in the summer. <br />
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Speaking of summer, I'm thinking about going on a diet in May. Gear up for the summer. I shit you not that the other day a coworker asked me if I'd gained weight since the fall. Can you believe some people? Soooo crazy!<br />
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Here's something that's only crazy in the sense that it's crazy beautiful! Emily and Brandon got married at her parents' house, with a big, beautiful barn as the backdrop. This gorgeous country wedding, photographed by <a href="http://www.kenkienow.com/">Ken Kienow</a>, is simple and rustic. Check it out!<br />
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<br />Is that not the most gorgeous, relaxed looking wedding? The details were amazing, but it's not overly fussy. I love weddings like that. Effortlessly beautiful, even though you know it took a ton of effort. : )<br />
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Le sigh...what are you up to this weekend? I am trying to convince A.P. to go to this free market for a <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/search/label/weekend%20date">weekend date</a> feature. Other than that, I'm looking forward to some relaxing/possible Dexter episode watching. We've been on a roll the past few weekends and we're about half way through season 6...finally! Whatever you're doing, I hope it's relaxing and wonderful!<br />
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In the mean time, here are your dance moves for the week:<br />
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<a href="http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2011/07/how-to_make_a_custom_pair_of_t.html">Custom Tap Pants</a><br />
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My thoughts exactly on <a href="http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/post/20024660159/when-somebody-asks-if-i-do-marathons">marathons</a><br />
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<a href="http://wherethefuckshouldigofordrinks.com/">Where the fuck should you do your drinking?</a><br />
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For the <a href="http://boingboing.net/2012/04/01/r2d2-skirt.html">Star Wars geek</a> in all of us ladies</div>
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<a href="http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/2012/04/blue-ombre-petal-cake-tutorial.html">Ombre Petal Cake</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.20x200.com/artworks/3108-craig-damrauer-the-new-math-of-relationships">The New Math of Relationships</a></div>
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Wearing <a href="http://www.wornjournal.com/html/strings-attached-the-great-urban-apron-experiment/">aprons outside of the kitchen</a>? What a cute idea!</div>
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<a href="http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2011/08/diy-party-animal-candles/">DIY party animal candles</a>!</div>
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Pretty prints like <a href="http://prettystuff.tumblr.com/post/21850811511">this</a> would be so lovely in a bathroom, don't you think?</div>
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<a href="http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/958083/cinco-de-mayo-pinata-cookies">Pinata Cookies</a>??? TOO FREAKING AWESOME!!</div>
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(Friday dance photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeunefilledeuce/5989916343/in/faves-ashlkn/">Millie Clinton</a>; Emily and Brandon's Backyard Barn Wedding photographed by <a href="http://www.kenkienow.com/">Ken Kienow</a> via <a href="http://greenweddingshoes.com/a-backyard-barn-wedding-emily-brandon/">Green Wedding Shoes</a>)</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-55520071921893347712012-04-26T20:18:00.002-05:002012-04-26T22:05:22.071-05:00Weekend Date: Secret Supper Club<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>Date Category:</b> Depends</div>
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<b>Neighborhood: </b>Who Knows?</div>
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<b>Expect to Spend:</b> Around $150 for dinner, drinks are BYOB</div>
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I have a confession to make: A.P. and I are total foodies. In case you haven't already figured it out, we love to go out and eat, and we've tackled many of the best restaurants in town: <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/">Moto</a>, <a href="http://thepublicanrestaurant.com/">The Publican</a>, <a href="http://www.longmanandeagle.com/">Longman & Eagle</a>, <a href="http://www.owenandengine.com/">Owen & Engine</a>, <a href="http://www.tablefifty-two.com/">Table 52</a>, <a href="http://www.lesnomades.net/">Les Nomades</a>, <a href="http://mkchicago.com/index.swf">MK</a>, <a href="http://www.epicrestaurantchicago.com/">EPIC</a>, and oh so many more. We're not snobs about food. We like casual places and neighborhood places just as much as we do fancy joints, but we love interesting, well-prepared food. <br />
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So it is no surprise that years ago, when I first heard about the underground supper club, <a href="http://clandestinodining.org/">Clandestino</a>, I immediately put myself on the list. What followed was four years of me getting the emails about upcoming dinners, forwarding them to A.P. begging to go, and him never responding or forgetting or not seeming terribly into the idea. Finally, for whatever reason, last week he bit. I was pleasantly surprised to get a response saying he'd made reservations for us for their upcoming dinner event, <a href="http://clandestinodining.org/2012/04/4-22-wtf-dinner-party/">WTF</a> (Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot...not the other commonly used texting colloquialism). Needless to say, I was SUPER psyched.<br />
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Started in 2007, Clandestino began as an underground supper club. It still technically is, but if you check their website, you quickly realize the word has gotten out. Founded by Chef Efrain Cuevas, Clandestino is an experiment in social eating. You don't know where you'll be eating or who you'll be eating with, but you know you'll eat well. The locations of the dinners change each time and they are always BYOB. The menu is constantly changing, but one thing is for sure: everyone you are dining with loves food.<br />
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Here's how Clandestino works. You sign up for the dinner, putting down a deposit on the dinner. Then, 24 hours before said dinner, you receive an email telling you where to go. When you arrive, you are greeted at the door by a Clandestino employee. You are given an envelope for the remaining portion of your dinner bill and directions to your secret dinner spot. When you arrive, you really have no idea what to expect, but you feel like you're in good hands. Another employee greets you at the door and takes your coat. They make room for you at a table, which is beautifully set with your menu and the necessary accoutrements. Then, it begins. It's BYOB, but you never feel that way. The servers offer to chill your wine/beer if need be, they get you glasses, and uncork anything that needs uncorking. And then the fun begins! </div>
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Our dinner featured the immense talents of not only Chef Cuevas, but also Chef <a href="http://www.benslab.com/">Ben Roche</a> of Moto and Chef <a href="http://baconfestchicago.com/otom">Thomas Bowman</a> of iNG, Moto, and Otom. The dinner was served in reverse. We started with coffee and ended with bread and butter, but each was a delightful play on the course. In other words, we didn't really start with coffee and we didn't really end with bread and butter. The coffee was really a take on biscuits and gravy, the dessert was savory (eggplant baklava), and so on and so forth. There were also a couple of drink pairings, which was fun on top of the the beer we brought (Clandestino also includes a list of suggested pairings for the BYOB in their email). <span id="goog_1427818445"></span><br />
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Our location was somebody's apartment though I'm still not entirely sure whose. It was amazing to fit 40 people into the open loft! The setting was pretty nice though and we had a great view, right across from the kitchen and prep area, so we got to see the chefs in action!<br />
The other nice part was meeting new people. We were lucky enough to sit next to a funny, interesting couple from Oak Park. They were ridiculously like us, so it made for an easy, pleasant evening. We even twitter-friended each other at the end of the night. A.P. also struck up a conversation with the man sitting across from him. So, not only do you get great food and great service, but you also get to meet interesting people from around town.<br />
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I highly encourage anyone who wants a unique experience OR loves food to check out Clandestino. It makes for a very interesting date night! Even A.P., who was a bit on the fence, said he'd go back. If that isn't an endorsement worth having, I don't know what is. It's not something you'd do every weekend, but it's definitely worth checking out at least once...maybe twice. : ) <br />
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Here are some more pictures from our dinner! Enjoy!</div>
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(Photos by me!)</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-64243198871674295712012-04-26T04:50:00.000-05:002012-04-26T04:50:00.328-05:00BalanceUm, I can't believe it's the weekend already. I am actually happy this week is almost over! It was a stressful week. My last guitar class of this session is today, which means there's a recital. Besides blogging, guitar took a hit, too. I've barely practiced and reluctantly decided to take a break this time around. But I don't want to never play again or give it up, so I joined the Old Town School of Folk Music. I figured if I was a member and paying for it, I'd be more likely to sign up for classes and not give up on my folk music dreams! : ) I'll take a break until June and sign up for the next session. Gardening season is upon us and I plan on working long hours over the next few months. Guitar would have been the death of me! <br />
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Anywho...I may not have gotten it together to blog Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week, but I did get it together to blog today...twice (I'll be posting a <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/search/label/weekend%20date">weekend date</a> later on today!). I'm really, really trying to blog more, even if it doesn't seem like it. I've just been so, so tired and overwhelmed with work lately. Here's a short list of everything I've given up for work lately:<br />
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- Blogging<br />
- Guitar<br />
- Photography<br />
- Talking to family<br />
- Talking to friends<br />
- Seeing family<br />
- Seeing friends<br />
- Crafting/making things<br />
- Cleaning (A.P. does this almost exclusively now)<br />
- Reading<br />
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And I'm sure there are more things I'm forgetting. It makes me wonder, though, how do people do it? I'd love to do a feature here on balance because some people seem to do it so well and I seem to struggle with it so. I obviously have much to learn. I'm amazed when people work full time, are part of some kind of book club or sport team or what have you, and they manage to have a social life. I just don't get how that happens. If they have kids on top of it, I'm even more baffled. How do people find balance in their lives? Do they just make a decision to leave work at a certain time or not work on the weekends? Or are their jobs simply more conducive to having a life? <br />
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How do YOU find balance? What tricks can you share with the hopelessly unbalanced like me?Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-28455888118287857342012-04-19T15:03:00.000-05:002012-04-25T20:16:21.167-05:00Weekend Date: The Portage<div style="text-align: right;">
<b>Date Category:</b> Saturday Date</div>
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<b>Neighborhood:</b> Portage Park (Northwest side)</div>
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<b>Expect to Spend: </b>Around $100 for dinner and drinks for two</div>
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A couple of weeks ago, A.P. and I wanted to go to the movies, but first we had to head to my mother's to visit. Well, if your parents are anything like mine, a 2 hour visit just doesn't exist. By the time we left, it was too late to go to the movies. We wanted to go out and we were in the mood to try something new, but didn't know where to go. We weren't in the mood to venture far away (we live near Logan Square on Chicago's northwest side), but didn't want mediocre food, which is sadly a bit of a staple in this area. All of a sudden <a href="http://theportagechicago.com/">The Portage</a> popped into my head. A while back, I'd read a review of this restaurant on Yelp and I'd always wanted to try it. It was described as having a casual atmosphere, upscale food, and being reasonably priced. These were all the things we were looking for in a restaurant, so we decided to check it out.</div>
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Our appetizer of Duck Fat Fries was amazing! The fries were delicious and the aioli and jalapeno dipping sauce was great, too! A.P.'s ordered fried chicken and I ordered the Smoked Tavern Ham Steak, a special that evening. Both were fantastic, perfectly cooked, and soooo yummy! In addition, we were sipping on some super awesome cocktails! </div>
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Finally, we had an amazing dessert of deconstructed chess pie. This, too, was a special. Frankly, I'm always on board for any kind of lemon-flavored dessert, but this was SOOOOO good! A.P. and I cleaned our plates!</div>
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Overall, The Portage is a great restaurant. The service was phenomenal, the food and drinks were delicious, and they were super cool about me taking a ton of photos, like, non-stop. Seriously. If you're hungry on a Saturday night, head to the northwest side and check out The Portage.</div>
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(Photos by me!)</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-7966681665679250712012-04-19T04:30:00.000-05:002012-04-19T04:30:00.451-05:00Why I Love Chicago...Now (And a New Feature!)One of the more unique things about my life is that I was born and raised in a large city. I grew up in a three-bedroom condominium on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shore_Drive">Lake Shore Drive</a> in Chicago. We were soooo not rich; my parents sort of got lucky with the location of our home. Growing up in a city, particularly in that location, sort of afforded my siblings and me a privileged childhood. We crossed the street and we were at the lake. We walked fifteen minutes and we were at Wrigley Field. We were a 20 minute bus ride away from Lincoln Park Zoo and the beach. And public transportation where my I grew up (and where my mom still lives) is unreal. Any bus or train you could want and that could get you anywhere in the city was a five to ten minute walk away. That meant the city was my playground. I loved it. <br />
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When I went away to college in Iowa City, I realized what a strange child childhood I really had, which made me love it more. I could never wait to come back to Chicago and party at chic bars and go out with my older brothers and their friends (finally!). But as an adult, I sort of hated that I ended up back in Chicago. Having grown up here, I always thought the next step would be New York City. I wanted so badly to move there, but could never afford it. So I paved my way in Chicago. And I hated it the whole time. I hated the same tired neighborhoods that I'd traipsed around as a kid. I hated that my friends, many of whom had moved here as adults, were experiencing neighborhoods for the first time that I'd already had whole life experiences in...and was so over. I longed to move away.<br />
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Here's the thing, when you live in Chicago, you are, in many ways, constantly compared to New York. Chicagoans are overly friendly Midwesterners, not gritty New Yorkers. We're fly over country between New York and L.A. We're not called the Second City for nothing. Carrie Bradshaw didn't live in Chicago and Monica, Ross, and the gang didn't drink coffee at Millennium Perk. Chicago is where people get their start before they take the plunge and move to the big city. And that's how I felt. I hated that I was stuck here. I felt like I was never going to live out my dream and move to New York. I felt second rate compared to all my friends that (with a lot of help from family) were able to move out to New York. <br />
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Something happened a few years ago, though. I began to really appreciate being a Chicagoan. And I began to realize the reality of my existence versus that of people I seemed to be jealous. It dawned on me that these New Yorkers weren't city people. Not really. They may be New Yorkers, but they're not really New Yorkers. And a lot of them won't be New Yorkers forever. But me, I'm the real deal. I'm a city person through and through. I grew up in the city, I live in the city, and I will continue to live in the city. More importantly, A.P. and I will raise our children in the city. And when I had that realization, I began to appreciate Chicago more. Plus...I went to New York a few times to visit friends. And while New York is a fun city and I would still love to live there one day, Chicago is a better city...for oh, so many reasons!<br />
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1. You may tease us for being the overly friendly Midwesterners, but we really are. And guess what? That's a good thing. I'm cynical, but not enough to be an asshole. <br />
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2. Our city smells like fresh water and sky...not poop. It's this awesome invention called alleys. You should try it, New York. <br />
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3. Say what you will about our politicians, but Daley made our city beautiful. Tulips line Michigan Avenue every spring. The city's protected lakefront parks provide a beautiful shoreline. And our tree lined sidewalks are always pleasing to walk down. Our city may be broke, but at least we look good!<br />
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4. We have the best restaurants in the world. Seriously. If you're at all a foodie, then you know that <a href="http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/">Alinea</a>, <a href="http://www.girlandthegoat.com/">The Girl and the Goat</a>, <a href="http://www.motorestaurant.com/">Moto</a>, and <a href="http://www.l2orestaurant.com/">L2O</a> aren't in NYC. Yeah, what's up?<br />
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5. We have a better skyline. The Empire State building and the Chrysler building are great, but they don't compare to this:<br />
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<span style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;">Source: </span><a href="http://bit.ly/HhMugs" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;">bit.ly</a><span style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;"> via </span><a href="http://pinterest.com/notmarryingkind/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;" target="_blank">Marty</a><span style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;"> on </span><a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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I talk about my love affair with A.P. on the blog all the time, and Chicago definitely creeps in, but I don't think I share enough what an amazing city this is. It is because I love Chicago so much that I decided to start a new feature here called Weekend Date. Each week, I will blog about a date you could go on in Chicago. The date will fit one of several categories: Friday Night Date, Saturday Night Date, Sunday Brunch Date, Weekend Day Date, or a Quick Getaway. I know not everyone who reads this blog is from Chicago, but I hope that you'll enjoy seeing what Chicago has to offer, and what adventures A.P. and I get into. I've already got a bunch of ideas in the works and A.P. and I have gone on a couple of dates already. My goal is to show you the other side of Chicago. Downtown is nice and fancy restaurants are great, but I really want to highlight neighborhoods you might not travel to unless you were a real Chicagoan and hopefully in the process show you why Chicago is not the second city, but the best city.<br />
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So, won't you please check back later today for the first Weekend Date feature? I'd heart you so much! : )Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-73660031555768846192012-04-17T04:50:00.000-05:002012-04-28T21:15:15.199-05:00How About a Little Update...List for 2012<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I should probably be updating everyone on what I've been up to for the past month or so, but the truth is work just got the best of me and I haven't really been doing too much. It's been really, really terrible, but I'm trying like hell to reclaim my life and get back in the swing of things. And part of that is working on my goals for the year, <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/p/list-for-2011.html">my list for 2012</a>. So, here's a quick-ish update!</span><br />
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<b>1. Continue to lose weight. Lose 10-15 lbs. by June.</b><br />
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Well, the good news is that I haven't gained any weight. Or at least if I have, I'm preferring to remain ignorant. I'm actually trying to do a few things though. The first is to start taking supplements to help my skin and my joints. The second is to go on a diet in May. Plus, as soon as it's warm out, I'm going to get to riding my Christmas bike! Plus, A.P. is going to get a bike and we're getting a new rack for Susan (that's our car, but go back and re-read that sentence for full appreciation of its dirtiness : ) ). So, I think by next check-in, this goal will be slightly more met.<br />
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<b>2. Have a planned date night at least once a month.</b><br />
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We haven't been terrible at this, but we've been relying on events to fulfill it (e.g. Valentine's Day, birthdays, etc.), so it would be nice to have the date be for no good reason. But I have something up my sleeve to help. More on that later this week! <br />
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<b>3. Go on at least two vacations, not including planned trips (e.g. visiting family, weddings, etc.). One can be long, one can be short.</b><br />
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Does <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/01/birthday-trip-to-milwaukee.html">Milwaukee</a> count? If so, then check. If not, we have other trips coming up. One is for a wedding, but we're working on how to make it a wedding/vacation. <br />
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<b>4. Make and mail one card a month.</b><br />
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Sooooo haven't done this at all. Oops. What's funny is that I bought some card making kits, but I haven't done it at all. Oh well. It's only April.<br />
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<b>5. Take a sewing course, or two.</b><br />
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Haven't done this yet, but have a Groupon for it. I actually went to go sign up and they weren't currently offering any beginner courses, so really, I'm just waiting for them to do so so I can cash that bad boy in and make some bad house pants or some crap I won't wear. : )<br />
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<b>6. Complete at least two photography projects.</b><br />
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I have a great idea for a photography project. But I needed to do it in winter, specifically when it was very, very cold out. Sadly, it never did get cold enough, so I've put that on the back burner. I'm working on what do next. Really, though, I just need to push myself to be more adventurous.<br />
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<b>7. Train Ollie to do one rad trick.</b><br />
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Before I can do this, I need to teach him the basics. So far he's mastered "sit," is pretty good at "down," "stay," and is working on "come here." Once he is a beast at those skills, I'll work on the teaching him something rad. The <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/01/januarys-books-classic-novella-bunch-of.html">book</a> I'm using is great. Awesome pictures, clear instructions, and a TON of neat tricks. I'm thinking something useful, like bring me my slippers. Or maybe something funny. Not sure. But I will say this, he's a really smart dog and if I worked harder on training him, he'd be awesome. As is, he's pretty good, but we only work on it hardcore 1-2 a week (simple commands that he's good at now, we do all the time). <br />
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<b>8. Learn to play one song really well.</b><br />
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I've picked my song. I like it a lot, but when I sang it for my mother she asked me to do it again and told me it was a very good song for my voice. Perhaps once I've mastered it I will post a video. I have to think about being that brave. I've really sung for anyone, but lately since I do these performances for class, I've gotten a bit braver.<br />
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<b>9. Write a book.</b><br />
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So my book was supposed to be about work. I was keeping a work journal to write it, but somewhere in February, I stopped. It's around the same time I started to feel really overwhelmed by everything (and a few weeks before I stopped blogging). So, I'm hoping to put some things together again soon. I was hoping that with notes a central theme would emerge, but I'm thinking more that it might help to come up with the theme first. I'm also debating starting a blog about my job. It would be a somewhat scary thing to do, but I think I could do it. Needless to say I haven't decided quite yet.<br />
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<b>10. Get our wedding album done. (And our guestbook. And our engagement shoot. And our prints ordered.) </b><br />
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I started thinking about this again a couple of weeks ago. It's going to take me ages to do this, but I basically have until July 5th, when my Groupon expires. And I'm waiting on A.P. to approve <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2011/12/our-post-engagement-shoot.html">post-engagement photos</a> for prints. <br />
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<b>11. Buy a house.</b><br />
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Totally working on this. We are in serious mode. We've been contributing big time to our savings and have been making a list of what we want. We were talking last night about what our next steps are going to be, which include finding a realtor. Yay and yay! <br />
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<b>12. Read 2 books a month: one classic, one other.</b><br />
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<a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/01/januarys-books-classic-novella-bunch-of.html">January</a> was a success. February was a bomb. March was decent (more on that soon). April is shaping up nicely. <br />
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<b>13. Use the crap out of my Christmas present: bike 2-3 times a week this summer.</b><br />
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Well, it's not summer yet. So, we shall see!<br />
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<b>14. Expand NTMK the way I want to and start my other blog project.</b><br />
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My other blog project is still not underway, though a lot of legwork has been done. I'm currently thinking about redesign on this blog and that one. So, we'll see. You'll know soon enough.<br />
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<b>15. Blog on our family blog at least once a week.</b><br />
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Well, I've barely been blogging here, so you figure this one out. : )<br />
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<b>16. Archive all our photos.</b><br />
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This is totally happening. It is just taking FOREVER. I'm going way back and I still actively take photos and don't upload those. I may as well just shoot myself in the foot. What the hell is wrong with me????<br />
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<b><strike>17. Make meal plans and stick to them (also helps to curb money we spend on food).</strike></b><br />
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This I have done! Faithfully!!! Every week I make a meal plan, make a grocery list and go to the grocery store. And now I coupon. I've blogged about it <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/02/meal-planning.html">here</a> and <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/02/more-on-menu-planning-and-some-of-my.html">here</a>. Yay!<br />
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<b>18. Create a cleaning system and stick to it.</b><br />
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Unless by cleaning system I meant systematically throw shit everywhere, I haven't done this at all. Another reason we need to move. PURGE!!!<br />
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<b>19. Keep a work journal.</b><br />
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So as I said I did this up until February. So that's half done. I need to pick it up again. It's just...hard. I was doing it as a way to vent and write material for a possible book, but then I just needed to not dwell on work anymore. Maybe if I tied it into my work day somehow? I don't know. We'll just have to see with this one.<br />
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<b>20. Floss every day.</b><br />
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If only my dentist really knew how sporadic my flossing habit was. He'd give me a good scolding. <br />
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<b>21. Watch AFI’s 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.</b><br />
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This is obviously an ongoing process. You can track my progress <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/p/afi-top-100-project.html">here</a>.<br />
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<b>22. Learn how to take better care of my skin.</b><br />
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As you know, <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/2012/01/reflecting-back-on-my-list-for-2011.html">last year one of my goals</a> was to get my skin clear once and for all. I crossed it off my list because I'd found this product that seemed to keep my skin clear. It was a Benzoyl Peroxide product, though. I didn't use a ton, but I did use some every day. Anyway, one of A.P.'s gifts to me for my birthday was a spa day, including a facial. The whole gift was a bit of nuttiness (some day I'll have to share the story of how I was forgotten in a tent for an hour on my birthday), but the woman who gave me the facial lectured me about using that product. Not that her facial was so special...I broke out after as I feared I would. But it made me realize it probably isn't great to continue using that product for the long term. So, I've started to tweak my routine, trying to use more products that are just all around gentler and more natural. I'll keep you posted on my progress!<br />
<br />
<b>23. Get better at putting on makeup.</b><br />
<br />
When I started reading my friend <a href="http://musingonbeauty.blogspot.com/">Mariella's beauty blog</a>, I was inspired. I am still not anywhere near her skill level, but I am learning more and more every day. Besides her blog, I love <a href="http://thebeautydepartment.com/">The Beauty Department</a> and just googling around to find good tutorials. My attitude about spending money on makeup hasn't changed, but I try harder to find good, inexpensive products. And most of all, I try new things. What can I say? The girl is <a href="http://musingonbeauty.tumblr.com/">inspiring</a>! <br />
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<b>24. Wear my hair in a pretty style at least once a week.</b><br />
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I still can't seem to find the time to do this, but I'm trying to teach myself new hairstyles. Again, I love The Beauty Department's tutorials (see link above). They do a good job of explaining things and have nice step-by-step photos. I learned how to do a fishtail braid from their site and its clear instructions and great tricks! So, maybe I'll get it together soon and start doing this once a week.<br />
<br />
<b><strike>25. Use less plastic bags! Ziplocs are one thing (though that could be reduced, too), but plastic bags from produce or trips to the store could greatly be reduced.</strike></b><br />
<br />
Done and done! In addition to meal planning, I am using ZERO plastic bags if I can help it. I now consistently use reusable grocery bags. I also stopped using plastic bags for produce. I bought <a href="http://shop.avon.com/shop/product.aspx?pf_id=43498&level1_id=300&level2_id=307&pdept_id=438&dept_id=0">these</a> produce bags on Avon and love them! Because I meal plan now I rarely need more than five bags. I also love that they're easy to clean by hand. And...less plastic bag usage! You're welcome, Earth.<br />
<br />
<b>26. Compost, compost, compost.</b><br />
<br />
So, my worm compost bin was a bust. The worms are alive, but I'm not doing them any favors right now. I seriously need to get my shit together with those poor wormies. But Lord knows the lack of progress on this goal is not for lack of trying. <br />
<br />
<b>27. Eat pizza only 10 times this year. </b><br />
<br />
So messed this up already. BUT...I have been eating pizza WAY, WAY less. It's just so hard with A.P. He can't control himself a lot of times and I get lazy. Still, putting my foot down about it made it appear a lot less on my plate. I wonder what else I could my foot down about...<br />
<br />
<b>28. Try not to use our credit card.</b><br />
<br />
We were actually doing great with this until this month. We didn't put anything on it except the occasional grocery trip towards the end of the month for January, February, and March! Then this month, the car needed some fixing, so we have a larger bill for April. It's still under $1000 total, so that's good. And that also means we're able to save more for our house. I'll cross this off when we consistently pay lesson than $150 each. <br />
<br />
<b>29. Begin saving towards retirement.</b><br />
<br />
Still haven't started doing this. I finally decided that I need to get this house saving over and done with before I begin thinking about retirement in a more committed way than my company's pension program, for which I now qualify. I know that's not the best idea ever, but in some ways a home is a form of retirement savings. And we are being really, really smart about what price range we look in, so that we can continue to save aggressively, but for our retirement instead. So, it will come, and it will come soon, it just hasn't come yet.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;">So, many of these have seen some progress, and a couple have even been completed, but I've still got a lot of work to do! I better get my ass in gear already, huh?</span></span></div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-32129769406083293772012-04-16T04:50:00.000-05:002012-04-16T04:50:00.782-05:00Marriage Mondays: Don't Go Changing to Try to Please Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF-joHBOBnHKrOoa1DyDhfzS70_NCg1iR2NZqRrvbszBfzHIdMDpOFx2a5RMk9Ip3qEXr0EdF6NzL9c_fkiRnf1M905sGKHj_dqTX3mwiC_fddLyV0zxlBa16Rg8LLXiMz0ItkxnUHAQ/s1600/Vintage+Ad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF-joHBOBnHKrOoa1DyDhfzS70_NCg1iR2NZqRrvbszBfzHIdMDpOFx2a5RMk9Ip3qEXr0EdF6NzL9c_fkiRnf1M905sGKHj_dqTX3mwiC_fddLyV0zxlBa16Rg8LLXiMz0ItkxnUHAQ/s400/Vintage+Ad+2.jpg" width="391" /></a></div>
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Hi everyone! I apologize for my absence this month...life got the best of me and there was just no time to blog (just like in February there was no time to read). I can't promise I'll be back in full swing, but I've been itching to write this Marriage Monday post for the past couple of weeks and finally had a bit of time to do so.<br />
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Lately, I've been dying to cut my hair. Actually, every year around this time, when the weather loses its crispness, the rain starts, and the humidity creeps in, I feel a strong urge to chop off all my hair. My friends have actually started to make fun of me because every year I swear this will be the year I'm going to whack it all off and every year I don't. Some of this is because I don't know how I want it cut and some of this is because I like braiding my hair and putting it up and of course I can't do that when it's short. Plus, my hair takes FOREVER to grow back, so if I cut it, it will be short for a while. <br />
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A while back, though, I found *the* cut. Not only that, but I decided I wanted to color it, too. I haven't seriously colored my hair since my caramel-colored J. Lo highlights my senior year of college, for which my brother relentlessly teased me, calling me Marty from the block. But lately, I've been itching for SOMETHING to change. And if I can't change my circumstances - where we live, where we work, the ginormous tax bills we seem to keep getting hit with - I can at least change my hair's length and color. <br />
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So, what does this have to do with marriage? Well, I was telling my friend a few weeks ago that I was going to whack off all my hair and she asked me the oddest question. She said, "Does A.P. care that you're going to cut your hair off?" It struck me as so odd. Why in the world would A.P. care? Or have a say? It prompted me, though, to ask him later, <i>would</i> it bother him if I cut my hair? After all, though he's seen pictures of my hair short, I've never really had it super short while I've been with him. A.P.'s response was that of course no, he wouldn't care at all if I have my hair long or short. Just maybe dreadlocks or mohawks aren't his thing. : ) Fair enough, I thought.<br />
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Still this whole thing has made me wonder how many women do worry about changing their appearance in a marriage or relationship. Are there really women who won't cut their hair or change their appearance somehow because of their husband's opinion? I mean, I'm sure there are, but I can't quite wrap my brain around it. <br />
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So, riddle me this? Do you consider your husband/wife's opinion before you change your appearance? Or are you like me in that it would never even occur to you? <br />
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P.S. I'll keep you updated on the haircut itself, which I'm sure will be the topic of a post at some point.<br />
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(Vintage Ad via <a href="http://www.retronaut.co/2011/06/vintage-ad-sexism/">Retronaut</a>)</div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8902153394142261211.post-5152258311395639972012-02-28T04:50:00.001-06:002012-02-28T04:50:00.112-06:00Global Food Disparity in Photos<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left; "><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span><span></span></span></span></span></div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">Have you seen this before? </span></span><a href="http://www.menzelphoto.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; ">Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Menzel</span></a><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;"> documented the imbalance between people's diets in various countries in his photography book </span></span><a href="http://www.menzelphoto.com/books/hp.php" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; ">Hungry Planet: What the World Eats</a><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">. It's amazing to see how much people spend on food. As I've mentioned <a href="http://shesnotthemarryingkind.blogspot.com/search/label/meal%20planning">before</a>, A.P. and I are trying more and more to watch how much we spend on food. We're getting better and better about buying only what we need and will use. Looking at these photos makes you even more cognizant of why that's important.</span></span><span><span><br /></span></span><div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoYuMz-SNYbGts1Kbqfdbkm-4dqqsoXTMDbaTn1ZzfeR5uIwPdJU-ilCKvorZkw9IatK5D-frWfvJYuV65293xwsdfdQ_9N34SBWNpjN5Jf8CLrQkYGQpzRcJTD69ubIl91JrZiK0g1Y/s1600/Ukita+Family+of+Japan+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoYuMz-SNYbGts1Kbqfdbkm-4dqqsoXTMDbaTn1ZzfeR5uIwPdJU-ilCKvorZkw9IatK5D-frWfvJYuV65293xwsdfdQ_9N34SBWNpjN5Jf8CLrQkYGQpzRcJTD69ubIl91JrZiK0g1Y/s400/Ukita+Family+of+Japan+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714045171909049410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ukitas</span>, a family in Japan spend approximately $317.25 on food each week.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rJbC3rT5-_olmWsV5FH6w-lMTzyHH6FDZYj4nGYr2soe0-Z7okT6DFNZ2uQLXXZXhLiaQtOGYnflsTRBF7cudBQRRwTVjaniqFsaq9PNKuT_7SAxHXGQ8JRulKXFWCeg8YipUFLj7bU/s1600/Sobczynscy+Family+of+Poland+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rJbC3rT5-_olmWsV5FH6w-lMTzyHH6FDZYj4nGYr2soe0-Z7okT6DFNZ2uQLXXZXhLiaQtOGYnflsTRBF7cudBQRRwTVjaniqFsaq9PNKuT_7SAxHXGQ8JRulKXFWCeg8YipUFLj7bU/s400/Sobczynscy+Family+of+Poland+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714045168016264274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span ><span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Sobczynscys</span> of Poland only spend </span><span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36); line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">$151.27. It's interesting to see the differences in produce and processed food.</span></span></div><div><span ><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno9kck3KWWAcERtQ72ks4YbWMg4XQ2GP72MH16uBg8-PHkpDvYQWKI_vaTD5PmtXx2fT10bKtSIlfgBf01K5W6UU8ezOSUj6k5vErPsKODKLVY_xQruYTrBv8ULVU5Wng6X8bBL3jJXo/s1600/Revis+Family+of+the+US+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhno9kck3KWWAcERtQ72ks4YbWMg4XQ2GP72MH16uBg8-PHkpDvYQWKI_vaTD5PmtXx2fT10bKtSIlfgBf01K5W6UU8ezOSUj6k5vErPsKODKLVY_xQruYTrBv8ULVU5Wng6X8bBL3jJXo/s400/Revis+Family+of+the+US+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714045168509458626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Revis</span> family of the United States spends $341.98 each week. Love that they're holding two greasy pizzas as part of a WEEKLY food expenditure.</span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgWXdYO0SPNRQlSZUu1CyviQQ4DhG4BlM6F5nGlV_KkTjFOeBsjHHIi8MeUSll7EJwo-q4NAfzMRPdZzg1vJLcW6AsFDHFQHAXE_N-FFM6mdKs_aOXyZOpe4BNjOqj7bl14gST9tMbc4/s1600/Namgay+Family+of+Bhutan+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgWXdYO0SPNRQlSZUu1CyviQQ4DhG4BlM6F5nGlV_KkTjFOeBsjHHIi8MeUSll7EJwo-q4NAfzMRPdZzg1vJLcW6AsFDHFQHAXE_N-FFM6mdKs_aOXyZOpe4BNjOqj7bl14gST9tMbc4/s400/Namgay+Family+of+Bhutan+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714045164413094146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Namgay</span> family of Bhutan spends only $5.03 to feed a family of 11!!! Wouldn't it be interesting to see what an average nightly meal looks like? </span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrsoNyjhacdr508sxXMOzAxnYujibU_I7ujJtIZ7Y9cavGvUWnE2GMI8_tqTRcbQQQc5J-xTV88Thkk5NTD-DMJNAMV8b1yeQcC5pIA3W3fY8kck_2mihrq-ItfDHhv45vmjzT_MJiMk/s1600/Melander+Family+of+Germany+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrsoNyjhacdr508sxXMOzAxnYujibU_I7ujJtIZ7Y9cavGvUWnE2GMI8_tqTRcbQQQc5J-xTV88Thkk5NTD-DMJNAMV8b1yeQcC5pIA3W3fY8kck_2mihrq-ItfDHhv45vmjzT_MJiMk/s400/Melander+Family+of+Germany+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714045164386635586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Melander</span> family of Germany spends $500.07 a week! Seemingly on a mostly liquid diet. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Lol</span>.</span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjz9guMKO3-y8rk1cTmtUif_eP3bo8VqHvwSjvCEqx15N7xDr9K9zfHZEaGJcEJmKe6KHsHa5Xl-ABOjkqFD5jFGANhzCFuTKxkpW5ZBxacaj1PnBgUjdRTg3QeRaRCencX8OltIPpMKw/s1600/Manzo+Family+of+Sicily+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjz9guMKO3-y8rk1cTmtUif_eP3bo8VqHvwSjvCEqx15N7xDr9K9zfHZEaGJcEJmKe6KHsHa5Xl-ABOjkqFD5jFGANhzCFuTKxkpW5ZBxacaj1PnBgUjdRTg3QeRaRCencX8OltIPpMKw/s400/Manzo+Family+of+Sicily+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714044966256390450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Manzo</span> family of Sicily spends $260.11 a week. Look at all those lovely loaves of bread!</span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMYDWnnjmy1IFqiVJv6NhymjkKH6DlbKJbeQEqIJBM0T-wuliZKDhqN_Zl2AlHnBli4yrPGiHA3gskRoyU1XPasmDU1jOZI111Dh-AD5nOyNN4smhp1H-nR7QDw1IRkaaXN9JkNiuKm0/s1600/Casales+Family+of+Mexico+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtMYDWnnjmy1IFqiVJv6NhymjkKH6DlbKJbeQEqIJBM0T-wuliZKDhqN_Zl2AlHnBli4yrPGiHA3gskRoyU1XPasmDU1jOZI111Dh-AD5nOyNN4smhp1H-nR7QDw1IRkaaXN9JkNiuKm0/s400/Casales+Family+of+Mexico+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714044965346506178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Casales</span> family of Mexico spends $189.09 a week. Look at all the fruit! But I love that you still see things like Corn Flakes pop up in the background. </span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeYbTuc5DpdHwCJ1AKFdrFyOsY8XkEzsuNlbINWKguif6cGRsMQnIIrxzLMUI2URBN-LZ8SMWwJ6QIdV6Y0Mlwffb9VzNinu_mrRdszIsqsy4gPJ5e3gmpJUN3rDrZr0qkjEykcmQx3M/s1600/Ayme+Family+of+Ecuador+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeYbTuc5DpdHwCJ1AKFdrFyOsY8XkEzsuNlbINWKguif6cGRsMQnIIrxzLMUI2URBN-LZ8SMWwJ6QIdV6Y0Mlwffb9VzNinu_mrRdszIsqsy4gPJ5e3gmpJUN3rDrZr0qkjEykcmQx3M/s400/Ayme+Family+of+Ecuador+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714044962805964962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a>The Ayme family of Ecuador spends $31.55 a week for a family of 9. Amazing. It's also so interesting to see where these families live. <br style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQc3e1ucHc-tjelc3SwHyNoeX18cNyDA5ZbkzXcyQzoLC2yy7Teq0Lhr-1MSUBrZ2xhu7lEfEoCUivkQiIcBDqZyOEaCEK09bPNDxmWW4iybTDo7pydhVRlc3C8L-hMCRQaccKL7G320/s1600/Ahmed+Family+of+Egypt+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQc3e1ucHc-tjelc3SwHyNoeX18cNyDA5ZbkzXcyQzoLC2yy7Teq0Lhr-1MSUBrZ2xhu7lEfEoCUivkQiIcBDqZyOEaCEK09bPNDxmWW4iybTDo7pydhVRlc3C8L-hMCRQaccKL7G320/s400/Ahmed+Family+of+Egypt+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714044956642680722" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a><span >The Ahmed family of Egypt only spends $68.53 a week! There are so many fresh things in this picture. It's kind of amazing. That and meat. Look at that big old plate the woman in the back is holding. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXFdFyIVOzFErHDt9sOmPokLBb-06D0rZNjSiAUECnDKYc7sxmIz4mEB2cEkKDbh0dRPcvSFYtU3_E1bzIVozEcvZ_oR4NjSr1ubgaH5UJP6uB9wb1g84ks4x6N70uL1zfW2i38lpa_E/s1600/Aboukar+Family+of+Chad+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGXFdFyIVOzFErHDt9sOmPokLBb-06D0rZNjSiAUECnDKYc7sxmIz4mEB2cEkKDbh0dRPcvSFYtU3_E1bzIVozEcvZ_oR4NjSr1ubgaH5UJP6uB9wb1g84ks4x6N70uL1zfW2i38lpa_E/s400/Aboukar+Family+of+Chad+by+Peter+Menzel.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714044959038956210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px; " /></a></div><div><span >This is by far the most startling. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Aboukar</span> family of Chad only spends $1.23 on food each week...for a family of 6. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >This makes you grateful you can put food on the table at all. </span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >(Photos by <a href="http://www.menzelphoto.com/">Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Menzel</span></a> via <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/26/102458/137/70/522670/">Daily <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Kos</span></a>)</span></div>Marty J. Christopherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01368924576964912226noreply@blogger.com4