A Fantastic Week

This past week has been just wonderful for me. Here are just a few of the highlights…

Last Tuesday, I got a package in the mail from my best girlfriend Diane. It was a beautiful gift, a scrapbook of Chicago memories that she had created, from fun times in 2009 that she and I (and Iwanski, and my good friend Jonathan) had experienced together. I could tell that she had worked really hard on it, and it was absolutely amazing and also hilarious. Who could forget about the crazy cat circus that we went to? And how about the “night of ten tequila shots,” when for some reason we thought that it would be a good idea to take one shot of Patron every 20 minutes, “just to keep our buzz going.” That was not the best decision we ever made—but it did make for some funny memories (not to mention hilarious pictures—some of which I hadn’t realized that she had taken). And then there were the little special moments, like the time she and I made a wish and tossed coins into the fountain at Marshall Fields (I know, I know, it’s now Macy’s, but it will always be Marshall Fields to me).

There were so many moments that I had forgotten about, and she compiled them all so beautifully. I was so honored to be given such a gift, and it reminded me of how lucky I am to have such a wonderful friend in Diane…not to mention to have had all of the great experiences that I've had, just in the past year!

I have to be honest; I know this may sound judgmental, but I had always envisioned scrapbooking as some sort of lame craft done by old suburban housewives—but now I realize that I was very wrong about that. If this scrapbook that Diane created is any evidence, then it truly is an art form and can really preserve some beautiful (and funny!) memories.

So that was how my week started.

Then at my weekly one-on-one meeting with my boss, he shared with me that the president of our company told him that she thought that I did a really great job. Rock on!

A couple of days later, Iwanski and I visited the Brookfield Zoo, an excellent zoo in the suburbs of Chicago. I hadn’t been to Brookfield Zoo in at least a couple of years, and Tropic World, one of the largest indoor animal exhibits in the world, is a sight to behold. The best part was watching a couple of gorillas fighting/playing and splashing each other in the exhibit’s pond…and I really can’t believe how loud it is when an adult gorilla beats his chest! I really enjoyed our zoo visit.

Then, in the very same week, we got to enjoy the Shedd Aquarium here in Chicago. This aquarium not only has some of the most amazing fish and water animals, it also has otters, lots of different types of frogs, a couple of very rare Grand Cayman blue iguanas (there are fewer than 30 left in the wild!), and even a few monkeys! But I think that my favorite will always be the sea horses and sea dragons. There’s something about those animals that I find so fascinating. I just think they are so cool-looking.

But my favorite part of this week, hands down, was that Iwanski finally let me read his novel that he’s been working on for the past year. So far I’ve read about half of it, and I am sooo excited! I can absolutely say without any bias that it is definitely a great book so far. I am really into the characters and can’t wait to read on…it’s such a cool story! I am so proud of my hubby, and I hope that it gets published quickly so that you all can read it soon, too!

So there ya’ go—a beautiful gift from my best girlfriend, an awesome compliment from my boss, seeing lots of amazing animals, and reading a wonderful story written by my best friend in the whole world—kick ass!

I am one happy woman.