Currants.
They look better than they taste.
The farmer’s market at lunch is always fun. Generally, I wander around alone, but I had company yesterday, which is always nice. Generally, people find excuses not to leave the building at lunch. This is weird to me.
People need to take more lunch breaks. Eating at your desk is not good. Not good for you or the project you are working on. Especially if you are a designer, you need to step away and come back with fresh eyes. Even if you pack a lunch…get out. GET OUT! Seriously. Get. Out.
If I ever own a business, I will kick everyone out and then lock the doors for an hour starting at noon. Even in the rain and snow. Do you remember the scene from Billy Madison where Miss Lippy sends the kids out for dodge ball hour so she can be alone…with craft paste and interpretive dance to sitar music? That is about right. Later in the afternoon, after nap time, we will have cupcakes. Who’s with me?
This post was supposed to be about all the friends in my life that are on a path to greatness…but that didn’t really happen. I will try harder next time.
I am off to Mary Poppins on Broadway in Chicago! Woot!
Categories: Daily Picture
Tagged: Daily Picture, friends, lunch, farmer's market, currants, miss lippy
Because I am so distracted with downloading apps and figuring out how to videotape Schween, I can only manage to type a few syllables about recent events.
sweet old phone
antenna extends
rest well, friend
shining new
geez, so many apps
welcome home
Categories: Daily Picture · Uncategorized
Tagged: daily picure, haiku, new iphone, old phone
I haven’t talked about Commuter Tourism for awhile. If you are new, let me tell you that I do not have a car. This means that I don’t have to endure horrendous traffic on the way to work. Since I happen to love my route to work, I often take pictures along the way. Many days, these do not make the cut into DPH. They end up in the trash because I can’t stand the extra files crowding my space. Makes me itchy. Even though they are generally sent to digital death row, I continue to take them everyday because it keeps me fresh. Commutes have the danger of becoming monotonous and mind numbing, but if you look closely, there is something new happening all the time.
Today, I feel like giving some of my commute files a pardon from their sentence of certain death, and will let them live with the cool kids on the interwebs.
Vines again. I have a special place in my heart for them. My first attempt at growing plants was when I lived in Florida. Many flowering vines clung delicately to my balcony railings. Then there were four hurricanes in one season, and I had to cut them all off so the pots wouldn't fly through our glass doors. 
I am so sorry my little vine babies.
Follow the blue/orange/pink/green/yellow brick road. This must have taken someone hours to draw. It runs the span of our block and alternates colors and number of lanes. My guess is that the artists are Francine (lemonade stand extraordinaire) and her buddy who was making invisible strawberry sundaes the last time I saw her.
The colorful road ends at a house that has very nice people living in it. I must have dropped my security badge outside of this lovely home on my walk to work this morning. On my way home, there were two big orange signs in their front walkway that read: “MEGAN BOLEY we have something of yours.” AWESOME. I love people like that. I wish I would have photographed the signs. When I got home, I also had an email that informed me that they had the badge, since they had been thoughtful enough to google me. How nice is that? Thanks, nice neighbors.
Back to the commute now. Half of my journey is in the Loop. You have seem many photos taken of Chicago in the loop. I am sure of that. Many just featuring a picturesque panorama of our beautiful skyline. Recently, I have been admiring the skyline from below, but just in bits and pieces. I like to isolate the tip-top of the buildings in the photos. Why embarrass the Merch Mart by revealing the whole body? Sometimes it is sexier to just peak your interest and then leave the rest up to the imagination. Here are the first shots in my new series called Chicago Nubbins. Sorry if you hate that word. I am open to alternate names.
Whoa! Double nubbin.
Categories: Chicago · Daily Picture · andersonville
Tagged: andersonville, Chicago, commute, Daily Picture, good neighbors, karma, nubbins, photography, sidewalk chalk, vine
Please refrain from eating this. I know it looks delicious and awesome. Get your own, because I am in love with this one.
Iced tea is sweating in the sun. I'm not. I love the bright burst of jeweled light at the bottom of a sunny patio beverage.
And sprouts. I love sprouts. Piled them high on a sandwich with fresh home-grown tomatoes and spicy mustard and I will love you forever.
And buffaloes! Love 'em. They also seem to love themselves. Love for all.
Less love for these. And the people that just left them on the ground. I guess their love affair was short lived. "These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume."
Don't know what this is but I love it.
George's Ice Cream and Sweets on Clark. It's a welcome addition to the Andersonville strip. Who doesn't like ice cream shops that also serve Illy coffee and are nicely decorated? And the logo of the little red guy on the bar stool with a double scoop and poo-shaped hat? Love him.
Am I over posting flower and foliage shots since it isn't spring anymore? No, I still have mega foliage love.
Excuse me while I make-out with any flower that is attached to a curly vine clinging to a fence. Just walk past and ignore us, please. We are in love. There is just something about climbing vines that gets to me.
Just in case you were counting the amount of times I used the word love, you are correct with your tally of 354677324. I’m just excited that it really feels like summer. At least for today. Lightning bugs are blinking right outside my window, but I don’t have a tripod yet so there aren’t any photos to mark this happy occasion. I might go set the camera on the front steps to steady it and see what happens. Likely, all you would see is a really long exposure of nighttime grass with a smattering of dead patches from all the dog pee.
Some of the photos posted above are from our neighborhood scouting in Rogers Park. It has it’s good spots. But it is safe to say that I would be megapleased if we could someday buy a place in the Andersonville/Ravenswood/Lincoln Square area.
Today, I told Justin that sometimes I feel like a crazy person with no plan. So many things about our life are up in the air at the moment—waiting in limbo until law school ends. Since he was some kind of monk in one of his many past lives, his wise response was
“no one ever knows what will happen.”
Hmmm. Damn it, he is right.
Patience is a virtue that I am still working on. I think I might be working on it for my whole life. The next year or two will be very exciting and confusing times. He will be graduating and we will find out if we can stay in Chicago or if we are moving elsewhere. My fingers are crossed for Chicago, but I am learning to have an open mind about other possibilities. As the end of school comes into sight, I find myself giddy, thrilled, nervous, and also trying to plan for a life that I cannot yet predict. Have you ever read a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book? That about sums it up, only I can’t cheat and flip ahead to read all the options and outcomes.
I need to work on becoming more like a monk and less like a kitten on catnip that wants to lick the butter you left out on the counter when you were making muffins.
Deep breaths.
And lots of love.
Categories: Chicago · Daily Picture
Tagged: andersonville, Chicago, Daily Picture, happiness, justin, law school, love, marriage, patience, photography, rogers park, summer
Justin and I spent the past few days pretending we were going to buy a place. This was a fun game for me, since one of my favorite things to do in Chicago is just wander around aimlessly. However, Mr. Boley hates aimless wandering. But since we were “scouting” neighborhoods, the wandering transformed into a mission with an objective. He is much happier this way.
There was also food. Ugly, colorless– and yet delicious–German food. Since we were in Lincoln Square for one of our scouting missions, we decided to try the Brauhaus.
Looks safe and Germanish from the outside...
..on the inside it was a dimly lit carpeted German cafeteria decorated in the 70s.
Sprechen Sie Delicious?
All aesthetic treacheries were pardoned the second that the jars of horseradish and mustard were delivered. I then proceeded to top my schnitzel and bratwursts with this manna from German condiment heaven. This was one of the most comforting and delicious meals I have had in a long time.
I was so happy with the meal, that I looked on the internet to see if my company has an office in Germany. Just in case. YES! Frankfurt. I could do that. And maybe change my middle name back to Hochstetler? I would consider it.
Categories: Daily Picture
Tagged: Chicago, dining, german food, horseradish, justin, lincoln square, neighborhood scouting
The squeals you just heard were from Amber and Jordan. Amber is the cutest copywriter this side of the Mississippi and just drank a quadruple shot of espresso; she is pleased to see the word CONUNDRUM used in bold font. Jordan is pissed that I still have a springtime masthead at the top of this page.
Here is the problem I have been wrestling with. I read about a million blogs these days, ranging from news, to cute animal updates, food blogs, and personal sites that belong to my friends or people that I pretend are my friends. Some of these blogs divulge deeply personal information about the author, their friends and their family. Others are more externally focused, yet still provide candid and honest commentary on their observations, views, and just “what’s what.” I won’t go into lengthy detail, but I am struggling with how much to reveal about myself at times. Honesty and authenticity are extremely important to me, but so is self-editing. It is a tricky line to walk.
Yesterday’s DPH is a secret. Sorry.
Yesterday’s other moments of happiness were not photographed. For instance, when I was making dinner last night, I had my hair pulled up in braids and piled on the top of my head since it is finally long enough to do so. My husband walked past on the way to the fridge and commented on how pretty my neck looked with my hair up. After being with him for years now, I have been told that I am “pretty” many times. It is always nice to hear, but I don’t fully accept it since he kind of has to say it. Sometimes a more specific or unexpected compliment–such as the one in the kitchen last night–is all I need to really believe he still finds me beautiful. It is a little thing that I will remember for a long time.
Another thing that gets me is when we are sitting on the couch together “watching TV.” Sometimes we will both be on our laptops as well. I am generally not paying attention to the show that is on and will be reading a blog instead. If it is good writing, I will bust out in occasional laughter. Justin thinks that I am laughing at something on the TV, and simultaneously busts out laughing with me without thinking too much about it. Is that called empathy? Whatever it is, I love it.
Here are my third string DPH's for the day. I am really into flower arranging according to Dr. Seuss.
I love the coral-looking branches.
I also got these from the local flower shop. Fake moss rocks. Really a big fan of these, even though they are likely made of something really toxic from China.
Categories: Daily Picture
Tagged: Daily Picture, dr seuss flowers, husband, justin, photography
Last week, two coworkers and I were lucky enough to go to Austin Texas for the HOW Design Conference. We spent four days at the convention center, eating and drinking everything within a 4 mile radius. It was amazing. Let’s briefly review the conference…
Oops. That is actually the most delicious tomato salad I have ever eaten from the restaurant La Condesa.
Here are my travel buddies. They have appeared on Megagood before, and are responsible for bringing many people into the site who are searching for "blond curls."
Eeeegads, the trade show. Some people LOVE these things. I have never been a huge fan, seeing as how I don't like excess stuff or overhead fluorescent lighting. A word of advice to the vendors targeting designers at one of these things: Give away posters. That is all they are going to save. They will wait in a line that wraps around many booths to get your poster. They will put it up at work. The rest of the stuff is likely in the hotel garbage can. Just saying.
The most popular sticker at the trade show. Death to Papyrus, please and thanks.
The rest of the photos from the conference are taken from the inside of various 32 degree meeting halls. I can describe them to you. Picture several hundred people sitting on hard chairs listening to a speaker in the front of the room with a big screen. These people may or may not be taking notes, blogging, Twittering or Facebooking. Most likely they are freezing to death. They may or may not be inspired by what they hear. They will walk out if they are not. They will text their travel buddies to come join their session if they think it is awesome.
I attended a few sessions that were really worth it and I left feeling excited to be a designer. I also attended a few that made me glad that I wasn’t an in-house designer or freelancer. Many of the attendees seemed to fit into those two camps. Can we talk about food now?
Curra's. Best Tex-Mex food I have ever put in my mouth. I don't even have photos of the plate because it was devoured almost instantly. Our waiter was also insanely nice. We don't have that kind of service in Chicago.
Lamberts. Great gods of smokey meats with a side of macaroni this was fantastic.
Lambert's was on the fancy side barbecue by most people's standards. The atmosphere, server and food were just to die for though. I am in love with that Cuban pork sandwich.
Gorgeous centerpiece. These are my little buddies House, Hot and Mustard.
Another "best" to add to the list. This granola changed my life. I may never be satisfied by breakfast cereal again.
And here is some more eating. La Condesa this time. Authentic mexican.
I can't show you all the photos of what happened in between eating and going to bed. But here is our rickshaw biker. I think he is about to regret taking this fare.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: austin texas, Daily Picture, dining, food, HOW design conference, photography, rickshaw, travel
WELL, then. That was the longest I have gone without posting since this thing started and it hurt me more than it hurt you. I am sure of that.
Where to begin? Last Saturday was wine club at my place. Attendance was good. Twenty bottles of wine were consumed, games were played, prizes were won, fun was had. I didn’t take a ton of photos during the event; I was the hostess and I was just plain tired from preparing for the party all day. However, my brother was in town and filmed with his fancy pants camera (now for sale), so those videos might surface someday.
Manikins enjoying the backyard
Amber's wine glass is roughly the size of her head. As wine glasses should be.
I had to thank Mr. Honeybear for providing the wonderful honey on top of our various cheese and cracker combos.
Catch Phrase. No explanation needed.
What do you do after you drink twenty bottles of wine?
Brunch.
Le Brunch to be specific. Le Creperie is one of my favorite brunch spots in the city. From its storefront on Clark street, you wouldn’t know that there was anything good going on in there. It is kind of dark and dingy at first glance. But after walking through the cave-like interior, you will emerge onto the back patio and feel that you’ve discovered the Atlantis of the brunch world. There are little red and white checkered tables under a canopy of leaves and twinkly lights. Flowers and trees are not something that generally flourish near the intersection of Clark and Diversey, so this place is golden.
Le Lovely.
This was Jordan's first time to Le Brunch. We took him there because he is being heavily recruited by me and my friends to move to Chicago.
This poor nutella and strawberry crepe had a very short life. It was quickly dismantled and consumed for dessert. Because you should always have dessert at brunch. The Splenda packet under the plate cracks me up. Who are we trying to kid?
I am really excited to post all about by trip to Austin, Texas. I was there for four days last week and had an amazing time. OMG THE FOOD. I can’t…even…
Here is just a sneak peek. You are witnessing a blurred flurry of food ecstasy.
Categories: Daily Picture · dining
Tagged: brunch, canon video camera for sale, clark street, dining, food, le creperie, photography, wine club
I have so many photos to go through. This is a good and bad thing. It means I have a lot of DPH…more than usual. But I haven’t had much downtime in the last few days, so the pool of photos just keeps getting deeper and deeper. I am also about to go on a four-day trip to a design conference in Austin and the DPH pool will soon turn to an ocean.
When I surface, I will let you know. Bring your scuba gear for safety. I am predicting a tsunami.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tagged: dph, running behind
“Johnny Depp was in town today. He was promoting that Dillinger movie.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yep, and he said that he loves Chicago. Thinks it is the best city in the world.”
“Wow. Does he want to move here? If he needs a place to stay, then he can sleep in our bedroom.”
“WHAT?!.”
“I meant guest bedroom.”
——-
I seriously meant the guest bedroom. No, really. I wonder if he is a good roommate. Does he like egg sandwiches and coffee? Would we eat on the porch? Does he put the seat down? Would he cuddle an insane banshee of a cat before bed at the expense of his ability to breathe? Would he go get me eggs in a blizzard? Probably not. I think that I will stick with the current roomate.
Categories: Chicago · Daily Double
Tagged: Daily Double, family, Johnny Depp in Chicago, justin, roomates
