i'm a TJ addict

Well I failed at blogging this week majorly. I like that I get to go on trips for work but being out two days mid-week ALWAYS messes me up. Coming back to 300+ work emails (I really wish that was an exaggeration) just makes the rest of the week SUCK.

I meant to prepare a Wedding Wednesday and a Si.Pi.Di post ahead of time so they would post while I was out, but it's just been one of those weeks. January CAN NOT come fast enough!

Anyways, as you know from my last pathetic post, I was in Chicago the last two days. Usually on my trips I have some "me" time, but I was only there for exactly 24 hours this time.

 

 

I have a goal with every city I travel to. I HATE looking like the tourist, so right when I land, if I have the time, I like to walk around a bit and immerse myself in the city. And I also have a problem. I'm addicted to Trader Joe's and I WILL go to one in every city I visit. NYC - check. Dallas - check. Chicago - you betcha I went.

 

 

 

 

Over thanksgiving one of the dips we had as this Herb Brie did from TJ's. I was obsessed with it. So naturally, I put my bags in my hotel and marched right on over to TJ's. (I did good this time, my hotel was only 2 blocks away. In NYC I had to walk two miles. Worth it? YES.) I found the dip and some delicious fresh bread.

 

 

No cheese and bread lunch is complete without some wine. And GUESS WHAT? TJ's is kinda known for their wine. And by known for I mean it's SUPER CHEAP. Seriously - that bottle was four dollars...and it was not the cheapest one there. It was pretty tasty I must say. Especially tasty when drank (drinked? drunk?) out of those cheesy clear hotel coffee cups. 

 

This is for you TJ newbies - they have the best candy/dessert known to man-kind. Those Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Butter Cookies? Yea. May or may not have scarfed down a whole tray in five minutes. They taste like super fancy homemade Twix bars. I usually just get the normal Fleur de Sel Carmel's but I had to step it up this time, and I am SO glad I did. I'm sure the cocoa truffles are equally as deelish but I'm waiting to eat them until I give them to my father-in-law the cocoa truffle addict.

 

After my amazing TJ experience I could have just lounged all night and watched HGTV/be a fatass, but I had our company "holiday" party to get to. Fortunately I have great friends all over the place so I was able to meet up with a sorority sister of mine. It was really fun to gossip catch up on everyone ;)

 

Last year the company party was INSANE - and by insane I mean that I fell asleep on the bar (yes, at the party) and got kicked out of the next bar because I tripped. (You guys probably think I have a drinking problem. I seriously don't and this proves it - I don't drink a lot so when I do, I don't know when to stop. EMBARRASSING.) So this year I stuck to water until everyone decided that must mean I am pregnant. Nothing like that to make you switch to champagne ASAP.

 

After the party some of us were hungry so we went to billy goat's.

 

 

If you ever go to Chicago, make sure you stop here for a late night snack!

 

It's true what they say in the SNL skit - they won't get you get a single. And really, the double is like a normal single at most places because the patties are so thin. It's not the greatest burger ever, but the history inside the place makes it a great spot.

 

I'm already planning my next trip - for fun this time - because there is SO much to do there and 20 hours is not enough! Can't wait!





greetings from chicago

Just checking in from Chicago while freezing my little booty off. It was apparently 70 degrees here yesterday, not sure why it couldn't have stayed that way? At least it's not 32 degrees during the day like it was last year. My ears fell off that trip - OK, they FELT like they did.

Anyways, I'm here for a "holiday" party for work. I hate that we have to call it that, but I have to be a good employee and not offend anyone or something.

Come back tomorrow (evening) for a much better post. This one needs to end pronoto so I can head out to meet up with a sorority sister that I haven't seen in too long.

Hootie hoot y'all.

rewind

Recently a few things have been making me wish I could press the reqind button and go back to 2009. AKA - I MISS COLLEGE SO MUCH.

I realize that I hated finals during college, but if one more person posts about being so stressed about finals, I'll go insane. I would give ANYTHING to only have finals to worry about right now. Sure, it's a week of hell, but at the end of it you get OVER a month of free time. Yea, you have to go back to school in January, but COME ON. It's not hard people. You get up around 10, go to class, home around 1 and then watch TV and "study" a bit. Then a nap followed by going out even though you probably shouldn't. And really, in all honesty, I would rather spend three nights in the library studying for econ than five days working in an office.

Maybe if I LOVED my job I wouldn't feel this way, but that's not going to happen any time soon so I'll continue to feel this way until then...if that ever happens.

ANYWAYS - enough of my jealousy. Let's re-cap this weekend, shall we?

A and I (and Bowden) headed up north for the weekend. And by north I mean Bossier City. (In Louisiana anything above I-10 is considered north and pretty much Texas.) My best friend from college lives there and my best friend from high school just so happened to be in town, so I was SO excited to see them both. We were pretty low-key Friday night.

This is at Oyster Bar, my favorite place to eat there. And no, not because of the oysters. I mean, they're probably good and all but I hate them. I love this place because of the queso! BEST blanco queso I've EVER had. Then from there we went to The Vintage, the cutest wine bar where the wine is on tap! Loved it. I had a glass of Moscato d'Asti and drank it really fast so my tummy hurt. We decided it was time to go when I rested my head on the table for a bit :)

Saturday we went to Target to check out the Neimen's line. It was TERRIBLE. I liked one of the Tracey Reese shirts...but if I'm going to spend $80 on a shirt...ok yea, I would never spend $80 on ONE shirt. Puuhhlease.

We did find this, though. Sorry Al :)

I'm pretty sure that was like $60 or something reeeediculous.

Then we watched STUPID alabama beat georgia. I should probably boycot FB now, all these dumb LSU fans are all of a sudden going to be alabama fans now. This is why I do NOT approve of the whole stupid cheer for your conference thing. You should NEVER under any circumstances cheer for your rival - duh. People are just silly.

We finished up the game at Nickey's - yet another Mexican place. A probably never wants to eat Mexican again after this weekend. Then we went to the Warehouse to see A's old roommate's Bubba's band play. (whew!). Mostly I just drank and cried about the $9.50 drinks. What are we, rich?! Drinks aren't even that much in Houston!

As soon as we could we hightailed it outta there to The Cub, home of free drinks for cute girls. No complaints from me. Plennnnty of complaints on Sunday morning, though. I cannot tell you the last time I stayed out until 2...why we thought that would be a good idea Saturday night I have no clue. I don't remember anything so I probably made a fool of myself, as usual.

Tomorrow I'm off to Chicago for a "holiday party" for work. Excited to go but not excited to have two days of work waiting for me when I get back!

Go link up your weekend fun with Sami, Dana and Leeann!