Well, you know that I got a job at AkzoNobel in the loop. I walk to the L in the morning, sit for 30 mins (read) and then walk to blocks and I'm there. So far its been good. I've had some adjustments to do in terms of corporate mentality and my controlling boss. YET, we've been out to 3 different dinners and we're going to lunch at a rather nice joint Friday for a co-worker's 35 year anniversary. The job itself is good. I like it. The people there are awesome! I work 3 blocks from the Sears (Willis) Tower! Who knew!?!? I didn't!
I also have an apartment, which desperately needs to cleaned from top to bottom already. Winters here are very hard on my white floors! Thank God for Swiffers! I am missing my bathtub, but the place is cheap! It'll not surprise my former roommates to know that I rarely do my dishes right away. What can I say? Three years of being forced to do them won't blot out the 26 years of procrastination!
Um...thinking logically - let's do this in a time line.
December: Christmas went well. I went to Nebraska and had three days with the family. NOT LONG ENOUGH! Never doing that one again. I got all kinds of awesome kitchen stuff including a complete pots and pan set (Thanks Mom and Dad). My best friend gave me her old TV and I got a DVD/VCR combo on Craigslist for $20. So after Christmas, my place was rocking!
January: I had a Russian New Year with Olya and her family. We watched Russian TV, opened presents (New Years is the Russian equivalent of Christmas) and set off illegal fireworks at midnight. We also made a large cake which almost died...but we saved it and it looked frumpy but tasted fantastic! Nothing else important happened in January, except celebrating some dead presidents and stuff.
February: I joined an Orchestra and then my oboe promptly broke, but is now fixed! I am the first chair oboist for the Chicago City-Wide Orchestra. We're not the best orchestra by any stretch of the imagination but everyone loves what they're doing. Our first concert was last Sunday and my reeds all died! Typical. The concert was well attended, however. Standing room only at the Jefferson Park Field House. Rehearsals are on Monday nights.
My best friend is now engaged. I am the maid of honor (of course, for being a best friend for over 10 years!). I am super duper excited. Its happening June of 2012. So in order to beat her to the altar, I'd have to start a serious relationship, well...now! Considering I don't know anyone and I'm not the type of person to date someone for a month and get married a few months later...yeah, not gonna happen. DANG IT! :)
March: I went to Ikea with Jennifer either at the very end of Feb/beginning of March. That was fun. Iki, iki, trendy modular home furnishings zrowzer...ni! I got some awesome glasses, a lazy susan for my spices and some other stuff that I don't remember.
Uh....what else can been going on? I bought a book on Ethnography. I haven't quite gotten around to doing any.
OH! I forgot the 3rd worst blizzard in Chicago history which hit Feb 2nd and closed down the city! It was awesome!!! I got off work early when it started and went and did my laundry. Had the place to myself! And I would have had plenty of clean clothes had I been stranded. Double perk! Please refer to Facebook for pictures.
Well, its been a tough 3 months. I have begun to feel the culture shock of the city set in. I'm still attending Park Community Church and am volunteering in their cafe every 3rd Sunday. Hopefully our small groups should be starting soon. I hate going to a new church. I'll just come right out and say it. I love going to Park. Its great there, but no knowing anyone is horribly difficult. You walk into this auditorium of almost 1000 people and you know not a single soul. No one there would notice if next week you just didn't show up.
That's been the hardest part of moving to Chicago. I left my family, my friends at Cedar Creek behind. Making new friends has not been as easy as I thought it would be. I've got the Kellys and I've got Hilary but there's just something to be said for those relationships that takes years to build. Single girlfriends who know where you're coming from and bash boys with you. Speaking of which, where are all the hot single Christian men around this place? I thought that by moving here I'd have a bit of a chance. I'm below the average marriage age here...in Louisville it was 24, here its 32! I think they're waiting for spring to come and for me to drop the weight I put on by moving here! Stupid ice cream. :)
So there ya have it. Struggles. Joys. The City. No ministry yet. Some of that is my own fault for throwing myself a pity party and refusing to go out and do things. Some of it is just being tired when I get home from work and wanting to just sit where its warm.
Summer will be different. Today was WARM! Praise the LORD! Everyone was out! It was a whole new neighborhood! I never knew I had a few young polish speaking people down the block. Or that the 2nd house from the end has kids in it!
PLEASE COME VISIT ME!!! I love visitors, will do my best to entertain you and of course, Chicago will show you a great time!
I'll be in Louisville for Braylon's wedding on April 1st and in Omaha for the family reunion over the 4th of July.
I hope you all enjoyed the update. I hope to be able to tell you some really exciting things about how God is working in me and in this city.
Love you all!
OH! P.S. I did go to a church planting assessment seminar in February. I think I passed. They said that I'm prime core group material...which is what I thought. :) I swear! I will finish Seminary sometime...when I can afford the $1000 internet classes! Church planting classes, here I come! Or I could just go to Louisville's Lifeway and buy the books and teach myself. Sssssshh. Don't tell anyone I said that!
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