a bit lost...

this past week off was dedicated to working on the new place. i think i hit up every single store in the area. mattress, boxspring, bed frame, bedding, glasses, silverware, dishes, cooking set, bathroom essentials, dining table, etc, etc, etc. i also moved a bunch of things to the new place, and had the internet and cable set up… on a side note, i found some time to sneak away with my aunt for our annual lunch and homearama. it is a yearly home showcase usually featuring extravagant multi-million dollar homes, however this year they downplayed it due to the economy. the home ranged from $650,000 to $900,000. it was quite a bummer compared to some of the 2.5 million dollar homes from last year.

although i have saved quite a bit for the new place, i have been charging all the big-ticket items to my credit card (instead of using my debit card) so that i am able to keep track of all my purchases without wiping out my checking/savings. the idea is to QUICKLY pay this off (since i do actually have the money to pay for all of it). i have shockingly stayed well under my budget so far, so hopefully this will allow me to pay the credit off quickly.

took a trip to chicago with kyle to see his friend natalie and her roommate kristen. this was my second time to chicago, the last being five years ago, so i was completely up for doing the tourist thing again. on the first evening we re-acquainted ourselves with the city and the “L”, that evening we ate at flat-top grill, delicious! over the next three days we walked countless miles around the city, went to the lincoln park zoo, the chicago art institute, the beach, navy pier, road the ferris wheel, millennium park, buckingham fountain, went to the top of the sears tower, strolled through numerous gardens and green space, and window-shopped on michigan avenue… so much in just three days. i love chicago and can’t wait to go back again.