Today

Here's a little ...big insight into me.

We'll call this my two dads.
The second photo...that's my family by blood. That's the man whose name and DNA and weirdly, whose personality, interests and passions I share. He loved the mountains, he loved writing and was good at it, and the list goes on. This here would be one of the only family photographs before this man got taken away from me, way, way too soon. He's someone I'd like to have known more, liked to have stood with, sat with, cried with, laughed with....seen every mountain he ever loved.

The man I'm with present day? He's the guy who not so randomly walked into that role. Him, I've done all of those things with. He's a musician like me, he values silliness and seriousness like I do...he's showed up on an ambulance after a car accident I was in and he's likewise watched Monty Python on his computer with me on his lunch break and my mid-class break when I was going to school.
He's the one who makes it a lot easier on days like Father's Day.

It's never gonna not be hard to know that I didn't get to know, but at the same time...I think I got blessed with someone I can call dad and who considers me daughter right back that's pretty amazing.
And that's all I have to say about that.

Immense.

Ok, I freely admit I have a major lust for big thunderstorms. And I got every bit of enjoyment out of this one that I could. These, I should say. There was a *huge* HUGE line of storms that came through here today. Spanning several counties, a big end parentheses line of bright crimson-intensity storms.

It was amazing. The wind was "hurricane force", reaching up to 88 mph as reported by WGN. The big trees in the park next to us were bowing down to the sheer power of the wind. The lightning was AMAZING, bright purples and blues. We actually saw a strike, as it turns out. When it hit the house (just a short walk from here-not even a block away), the bolt turned flat out pink. We lost power for about an hour and the neighbors had been crowded under our carport.

When I went to pick up my mom, downed trees and emergency vehicles were out in force.

It went away for a while, cleared up and seemed to be the end. But somewhere around 9, the air got that charge again. The smaller end parentheses shaped line of storms that I'd seen on the radar was headed our way. I fully admit my glee here, though the strike so close to home had been scary. More lightning than rain this time. I decided, after talking to someone who fully understands my love of storms, to take my camera out. My feeble point and shoot. And I pointed and shot. And got incredibly soaked in the rain. 177 photos later, I got *close*. I got the wisp of the incredibly bright bolt that backlit the tree out front of the apartment.

This is another reason I love thunderstorms. While I would have loved an even more clear picture of the amazing things I was seeing...it's wild. It's unchained. It's power beyond what you can even imagine. In the blink of an eye. And it's scary, but it's this amazing current of energy. I swear you can smell the electricity in the air when a storm like that is brewing. It's immense. It can obliterate entire towns and do it in seconds, and then clear to a beautiful rainbow a few seconds later. There is NOTHING like that.

It's the same as my obsession with mountains. I love these beautiful, immense things that make the world so incredible. I love the feeling of being swept up in the storms and just captured by it all. It gets in every part of you. Soaking rain, the way the lightning illuminates everything for a split second and vanishes..the way the thunder reverberates in everything around you...the wind taking your breath away... it's amazing. It's totally. perfect.

And if you don't *see* that when you look at something like that, I feel sorry for you.

i'll be brief

This is one heck of a weird looking hospital. I spent wayyyy too much time there for one little pre-employment drug screen. I loathe what Benadryl will do to you. Which is mostly dehydrate you to all hell, causing you to be forcefed large quantities of water and imprisoned in a waiting room.
Also, this hospital happens to look a lot like a creepy old fashioned hotel on the inside. I know it's sposed to be all opulent and "rich people approved" but it's really just creepier. Like hiding that it's a hospital with fancy things will make you forget you're sitting in a waiting room somehow.

No Words...

I guess I'm on a Chicago kick?

It's Lou! Lou visited our house today! :)
If you have NOT yet experienced Lou Malnati's, what the heck are you waiting for?
I will tell you this. I have had pizza on nearly every vacation I've been on, meaning I've had it in lots of states. We do it best. Overall, we just do.
Whether it's cracker thin or deep dish.
It's just right.

Not to say there aren't exceptions in other states that are phenomenal, it's just the concentration of amazing pizza here is ridiculous comparatively.

This was celebration pizza, since I have been offered a job. It was delicious celebration pizza, and there was delicious chocolate after dinner too. The job I was offered is exciting and until the offer is through I can't say where, and there's stuff pending in other arenas too...I hate keeping the good under wraps even a little, but I have told some people.

Meanwhile, I am coming up on a nice weekend with friends, so it's been a good day.

Oh, and I gotta say one thing. I have just today randomly, in talking to someone, realized there's someone in my life right now who no matter how much I do to walk away will come find me. And that is a very nice feeling. Just that someone cares enough to look for you if you're not around the way you normally are. I get scared and I walk away and every time, this person shows right back up in my life, at what always seems like the right time.
I love that.
I really love that. To the point it scares me. And I want to walk away.
But somewhere out there, someone will find me, and I'm becoming more and more sure of that.

To bed! Or to...other stuff!

WEWT!

Tis a good night for Chicago! :D
The fireworks and gunshots and beers and champagne are flowing freely all over the metro area, I tells ya! And yes, I partook.
For one, tis my favorite city anywhere, for two, from the area, for three...I always love seeing droughts like that end.

And it was damn exciting.
I promise to do better with this place!

Meanwhile, GO BLACKHAWKS!!!!!

The thing about haircuts!

I feel so much better.
My haircut was done Wednesday, and I finished the color tonight before my BFF came over.
As much as I would rather take a photo than be in one, I always get the "pics" question from family if I mention getting a haircut. So here we have it.

I have adopted the redhead thing. I thought I might change it up for summer when I first started using this color, but...I love this color. I always felt like a redhead.
So I just...keep it goin' now. :P

Changing your hair is therapeutic, it really is. I like to change it up after breakups, job loss/gains, or any major changes in life. I don't know what it is, just feels like a fresh start.
I really like this particular haircut that my favorite hairdresser did, it has way more layers.
Now that the male audience is gone...
tadaa!
:P

But hey, it's my photo a day.

Wow, I totally suck. I was harassing my fellow photo a day blogger to update and I haven't in days.
I feel like I'm on pause.
I haven't heard from El Fabulous Job whether I acquired it or have been passed over. As of yesterday I heard they didn't know anything, or at least my recruiter didn't.
I've since been on two job interviews for jobs I don't want nearly as much.
C'est la vie, but sometimes I wish la vie would ...I dunno, throw me a frickin' bone.
I really, really want to work THAT job.

I'm just bummed about even having to make that "oh ok, thanks for considering me" call tomorrow.

Bah.