Illinois Silliness

When I worked for corporate America, I hated it. I hated it so much that I would do everything humanely possible to distract myself. Sometimes I would sing obnoxiously and put on quite a show with my hip shakin' skills...I got walked in on multiple times, mostly while belting out  Lady Gaga. Sometimes I would drink countless cups of coffee hoping that the deliciousness of the brew would somehow make the day go by faster; but one can only drink so much coffee before the jitters take over. So most of the time I would stalk my lovely unsuspecting co-workers (I hated the job but my co-workers were pretty great! Too bad I couldn't get the best of both worlds :-/). And because we worked on the same floor, just a short hallway stroll away from each other, Andrew's office became my most frequented destination. I'm pretty sure he hated it. And I'm pretty sure he hated me. But he came around after I drew him pretty pictures, bribed him with chocolate, and told him awesome stories. Before we knew it, we were pretty great friends. I don't think either one of us liked it very much, but it was too late. Our unhealthy emotional ties to each other were strong and not going anywhere. So we joined the YMCA going religiously everyday after work (until I quit)...because, clearly, that's what friends do.

So when I made a pit stop to visit Andrew in Urbana, Illinois this past weekend, I knew things would get weird. And they did, but in the best way possible.

He tried to show off his basketball skills...

And failed. Miserably.

See all those beer bottles on the counter? We drank them all. And then we went out because, clearly, it's not a visit unless you check out the local bar scene. So not surprisingly, we weren't feeling like our usual selves the following morning. I sipped on Southern Comfort from a coffee mug, and Andrew popped some Advil...to each their own. We spent most of the morning watching a ridiculous amount of Family Guy, and as a continuation of our "recovery day", we went to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D. It was awesome.

And since popcorn is clearly part of the "recovery process", we got the largest size they had (granted we only ate 1/4 of it and tossed the rest...but totally worth it).

The next day Andrew made the best breakfast ever (who knew he could make killer omelets?) and then I bid him farewell. But the best part is the pictures I discovered on my computer that Andrew so graciously took of himself while I was in the shower. And because I'm an awesome friend, I will share them with the cyber world.

So what have I been doing since leaving Illinois on Sunday? Well, I spent 3 days in Louisville and fell in love. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined loving Kentucky as much as I did. I can't wait to write that post tomorrow (and hopefully, you can't wait to read it!) And since about 4pm, I've been in Nashville, where I'm staying in a hostel with a bunch of amazingly talented musicians and fellow travelers. I was looking to build community and socialize on this adventure, and so far I haven't been disappointed :-)

Check back tomorrow for the details of my Louisville adventure! You won't be disappointed!