365: Broken

Grrr. I found my lovely window hamsa busted and broken in the window sill today. I lost one of my hamsa earrings that I also got in Morocco during Christmas. Now I'm hamsa-less. Who will protect me now?!?!

365: Like a Unicorn. Or a Dodo Bird

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm a.d.d.i.c.t.e.d. to drink mix packets. What you may not know is that my great love affair was with one particular drink flavor: Cranberry Apple. Like a unicorn, it was rare and hard to find. Only made and carried by Walmart and often out of stock.

Last year it transformed from a unicorn to a dodo bird. As in, Walmart stopped making it. I couldn't believe it. I stalked Walmart after Walmart not believing this horror could be true. Alas, it was.

It's been almost a year since I last sipped it's quenching nectar. But tonight, while rummaging through a crusty old African bag I stumbled upon the last unicorn/dodo bird. Probably the last packet on the planet. My heartbeat quickened and I couldn't believe my eyes. My beloved drink mix! I'm sipping on it gently as we speak. Cherishing every last drop as it hits my pizza burned palate. I'm already sad that it will be over soon.

There are two upsides to this tale of woe: this drink mix was the only reason we continued to set foot in Walmarts. Now that's we've confirmed it's extinction we no longer have to support the beast.

The second good news is that if I drank too many in a couple of days it would turn my poop bright red and I'd think I was dying of internal bleeding. No more moments of fright since it disappeared!

The King of Pop: Saddest Day Ever

I am still in shock. I can't believe that Michael Jackson is dead. I loved that man so much. I know he had some issues and had a troubled spirit, but his music is the best ever. I have so many good memories and funny stories that revolve around him and his music. Many people know my love of MJ...I received many many texts, calls and messages within the hours after his death. When I got home and checked my Facebook, I noticed that 90% of the Facebook updates in the past 4 hours were about him. All the news sites and all over tv are carrying coverage. I think the entire world is mourning. The last time I can remember something this big was when Princess Diana died.

Some random bits and pieces:

• MJ was a HOOSIER! Yay for Indiana!
• I had a Michael Jackson Barbie-type doll when I was little. Complete with sparkly glove.
  
• My roommate in college and I were both MJ fanatics. We used to rock out in the dorm and dance wildly to all the great tunes he had.
  
• I scared Nubian Diva to death and made her think we were going to be forcibly removed from Target one day after work. It was right after the 25th Anniversary Thriller CD was released and I was browsing the CD section and noticed that they had a double greatest hits cd. I was shocked and appalled that the cd did NOT have PYT on it! How could you have a greatest hits CD without PYT??? Preposterous! So I decided to sing some A cappella PYT. She said that crazy white girls could get away with that kind of thing, but she would get kicked out for sure if she pulled a stunt like that. Anytime I want to make her laugh I just have to launch into "I want to loooooooooove you...."
• Ange & I were very seriously considering going to London in August to see him in concert. I am a member of the Michael Jackson fan club (told you I was a fanatic!) and had gotten a secret code for pre-sale tickets and when the day came I actually secured some! I guess fortunately now, we decided that we weren't quite rich enough for a UK tour and didn't go through with the purchase. I was holding out that he was going to make it to the US...
• I just ran to return a DVD to the video store and not one, but two cars drove by BLASTING MJ songs. It's funny how small things can make you feel connected in a global way.
  

I know I'll be rocking out to Michael Jackson CD's for the rest of the week. Hopefully you'll take a moment to remember his awesome musical talent. RIP.

Last Stop in Chicago: Chinatown

So after we checked out of our swank hotel and collected our car from the expensive as hell valet, we decided that the perfect stop on the way out of town was Chinatown! Chinatown is right off of the interstate and has reasonable parking. It's also very compact so it makes it a quick and easy stop where you can get a lot of stuff done.

What does that say???


In love in front of the Chinatown Gate:


After doing some souvenir shopping, we randomly picked a place for lunch. The dim sum was great, the rest...not so much. However, love was following us everywhere as evidenced by this little heart shaped onion.

And sadly, that was the end of our trip. It was a whirlwind weekend packed with so much fun! We are already planning our next trip. Good thing Chi-town is only 3 hours away from Indy! Here we are...so sad to be leaving.