answer: that's just the way it is

Ahh, with my new wireless internet I can sit in the kitchen and make a blog post, watch the sun set behind rows of houses and eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon. Yes, Xtina is at work and yes, I suppose I could have eaten peanut butter with a spoon without wireless internet but having that convenience makes it even better. So far today I have picked up the apartment, cleaned the apartment (exaggerated), gone to the lavanderia and done the laundry, washed the car, hung the curtains and washed all the dishes. I am going to have one happy wife when she gets home. That, my friends, is how married life is done.

Tomorrow night is inventory night at work which means I'll be there until 1am counting and by the end of the night we'll see if my first fiscal period as buyer was a success. I'm a bit nervous. I think I've done okay, sales have remained constant but I've increased inventory a little more than I'm happy with. The search to do something entirely different drags on. I'm working on getting at least one weekday off every week so I can volunteer my time and balance my life out a bit and do something I actually feel strongly about. My life is much more enjoyable and balanced than it was a year ago - I'm feeling like myself again - my career problem is simply constantly staring me in the face.

We've been fairly stagnant on dinners lately - although a couple nights ago we had xtina's signature vegan vodka penne, but I've had some great beers. Last night we shared a bottle of framboise lambic out of real lambic glasses. In the last week though I've had the Carolus Easter Ale - in it's U.S. debut, Sara Buckwheat Ale and Goose Islands' surprisingly good bourbon county stout. I've been buying beer and checking in with beeradvocate.com - an outstanding publication.

We'll be back in town next week. I hope to see you at the Hop Cat.

I almost forgot: my wilco concert is Monday. I saw the setlist from last nights show and it looked great. They reported played for three hours. It's going to be awesome.

this just in: peapod.com carries scotch

I finally did it - today I caved and got cable television and internet installed. I'm already feeling a bit of buyers remorse over the television. I fear my frugality will force me to 'get my money's worth' from my television and I will die cold and alone facing the hum and glow of my tv set. On the other hand, I just watched a show called 'weird u.s.' on the history channel and I haven't seen a minute of vh1. I must use these powers only for good. One day down - I'll take this one day at a time. Getting internet access, on the other hand, was long overdue. I had exhausted my supply of unprotected wireless networks from surrounding houses and had little choice if I was to remain part of the twenty first century.

In a related note I have the new Cat Power album, and while it didn't get great reviews from pitchfork (who never rate two consecutive albums from the same artist favorably)I think it's pretty enjoyable. She didn't change what I liked about 'the greatest'. Next on my list: I must finally get Dr. Dog. He has a track on the latest paste sampler and it kicks ass. Concerts that are coming to Chicago that I must see: Leonard Cohen (first in 20 years!), Sun Kil Moon, the National, the new pornographers and several others. I'm still gazing lovingly at the Wilco tickets in my desk drawer.

Last night we continued our ritual of going to small bar in the afternoon with work friends, drinking too much, eating fried food, and coming home too exhausted to make dinner. I've had pasta for the last four meals and I can't wait for christisha to get home from work in a half hour and make enchiladas. Yum-O!