“Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss”

****

My day consisted of falling asleep on the beach, frozen sangria, and video games. (Notice I did not mention any sun burn!) I love coming home with a smile on my face and “Amber” by 311 stuck in my head. I’m not sure why that song specifically, it just reminds me of summer.

I really hate that summer is coming to an end. That means I won’t have many more days like this.

Happy Blog Day fellow bloggers! I know that we don’t really need a day in order to recognize some of our favorites, but it’s fun to see many people participate on the same day. Blog Day is an efficient way to share content and increase readership. It’s also a great way to share the spotlight and let someone, who might not know that you’re reading, know and give them the chance to be recognized by the rest of the Blogosphere. How does it work? Well, it’s simple.

1) Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting
2) Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending them as part of BlogDay 2008
3) Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs
4) Post the BlogDay Post (today, August 31st)
5) Add the BlogDay tag using this link and add the link to the Blog Day website

Without further adieu, here are my five Blog Day recommendations:

* The Missus from On Common Ground. She has a keen eye for fashion and always shares her opinion on the latest trends, good or bad. Living in the South End of Boston she will often share restaurant reviews as well as cute shops to check out and events taking place nearby. She punches cakes, bravely attempts (and completes!) 30 day Bikram Yoga challenges and actively searches for more ways to learn about who she is.

* Rebekah from She’s Got Baggage. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting this blogger and I have to say she’s just as awesome in person (if not more) as on her blog. She’s witty, honest and very open about the thoughts that go through her head while making out. I check her blog regularly whether I need a laugh or just to be reminded that I’m not the only one who feels a little crazy some times. I’m still new to her blog, but I definitely think it’s worth checking out.

(I’m kind of cheating on this next one, but I had such a hard time choosing only one of these kick ass male bloggers so I had to include a bunch. Many of you already know of them, but for those who don’t, you won’t be disappointed:)

* Chris from Surviving Myself, Starting Over at 24, Matt from A View From 5280Ft, d from d-blogged, Ben from No Ordinary Rollercoaster and last but not least, Narm from White-Collar Redneck.

* Laura from Quirkology. That blog is filled with way too many goodies. She shares a lot of link love with other bloggers, Etsy shop owners and websites. I find myself spending way too much time going through the archives and putting together my next birthday or Christmas list. It’s a fun, quick read and a great place to find gift ideas.

* Katie from Dr. Katie goes to Med School. She’s a twenty-something blogger who balances real life and medical school. It’s no surprise to many of you, but I’m a huge fan of this sort of stuff so I really enjoy reading about her journey through med school. I don’t know anyone personally who is sharing the experience, so I learn a lot about it through her. Her blog isn’t all medical terminology and factual mumbo-jumbo though, don’t worry!

That concludes my Blog Day list. But don’t forget that there are a ton more amazing bloggers in my Blog Roll. Be sure to check it out because I know many of them will be sharing their recommendations for Blog Day. I have a feeling you’re going to stumble on many new blogs today

If you’re participating, leave a comment with your link so others can check out your post!!

We are spending the weekend at the Palmer Hotel in downtown Chicago this weekend. By we, I mean my mom and I. For $127 a night, I expected more.

My biggest complaint is being lied to about the pool. We only searched for hotels with an indoor pool. We settled on PH and double checked that their pool would be open. Their website mentioned some renovations going on so I was nervous. Three weeks ago we were told the hotel would be open by the end of July and according to the man at the registration desk, it was. Some time between then and now, it closed again. We found this out yesterday. Imagine my disappointment. I’m not usually a big whiner and I don’t throw tantrums when things don’t go my way, BUT this isn’t cool. All I wanted to do this summer was swim. With my Florida trip turning out shit I was putting all my eggs into the PH basket.

My next complaint is the Internet. After being disappointed about the pool, I thought I could weasel my way into getting free net. It’s $12.95-17.95 per day by the way. Nope. Nothing comped here. Unfortunately I have two online classes so the Internet is pretty important right now. Knowing that I could watch my A&P lectures and take math tests in bed sort of numbed the financial pain. Nope! The Palmer House doesn’t have Wi-Fi in the hotel rooms, just the lobby. Way to put that on your website.

The room itself isn’t anything to be excited about. There weren’t even chocolates on my pillow. It’s just like any other Hilton or Marriott room. I’ve come to the conclusion that you pay for location more than service, amenities and swankiness. And to be honest, the location isn’t that great. I’m staring at the CNA building and rooftops when I look out of my window. I imagine a lake view room would life my spirits a bit. The TV works when it wants to. Of course ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN New, Bloomberg, and all of the hotel channels come in fine. But National Geographic, Hallmark, the Weather Channel, etc. play hookie at times.

That was only day one. We still have another night here and I’m hoping it goes better than last night. A noisy couple next door kept my mom awake at 2:30 a.m. Apparently the walls are VERY thin. I probably won’t be staying here again though. I could pay the same price and get more else where.

I hope everyone else is having a great weekend. Stay tuned for PostSecret (tomorrow) and a blog contest.

I realize that not many of my female readers care about this, so I apologize.

Why ‘Da Bears’ should keep Caleb Hanie as a quarterback:

1. He’s the only QB who seems to know how to throw a pass. (He completed his first six passes and finished 12 of 17 for 115 yards. This may not seem impressive, but it’s better than Rexy & Neckbeard’s performances.) Orton only completed 4 of 7 passes for 51 yards…tsk, tsk.

That would be Neck beard under pressure, just before he threw an interception

2. He’s the only good looking QB they’ve got. Don’t get me wrong, Rexy has his “sexy rexy” moments, but Neck beard? Seriously? There’s nothing attractive about that. (His beard doesn’t boost his magical football powers, sorry Dan.)

3. He would have had a 23-yard touchdown if rookie right tackle Kirk Barton didn’t rack up a holding penalty, which made the TD not count.

4. What about the 38-yard pass down the right sideline to Rideau?

5. Even the announcers agree that he doesn’t look pressured out there. One even went as far to say that Hanie made him feel relaxed. It’s a little odd, but I like the lack of stupid facial expressions and scrambling foot work.

6. For once it’s nice not to have your QB boo’ed by your own team.

7. His nickname could easily be herpe or hymen, which would make me feel a bit better when we’re losing.

8. He’s cute. (What? I’m a girl.)

Lovie, baby, let’s really think about who we’re putting on the field next Sunday when we play the Colts. Do you remember the Colts? Perhaps this will refresh your memory. I found it odd that when asked if they were worried about the season opener against the Colts, every player said no. Um…are you guys watching the same games I am?

The defense is still a huge concern. “Peyton Manning is probably foaming at the mouth in anticipation after another poor performance by the Bears defense.” Uh…yes. Can you blame him?!

Playing only the first quarter Thursday night, the Bears’ No. 1 defense allowed the Browns to amass 123 total yards and 10 first downs while possessing the ball for 11:05. Cleveland picked up five first downs on each of its first two drives, leaving the Bears searching for answers.

It’s not looking good fellas. At least give us a QB who can actually move the football. However, please throw it to someone other than Garrett Wolfe because apparently he’s not very good at moving it. Throw a few more passes, stop running up the middle. The other team is onto you.

In conclusion, I expect more from you. Spend a little less money on the “One City, One Team” campaign and buy yourselves some excellent players. Oh…and put Hanie in more.

Sincerely,
Jenn

P.S. Thanks for winning last night. It’s nice to know we’re not complete failures. Thank you Robbie Gould.

As many of you know the move from Wordpress.com to Wordpress.org wasn’t the smoothest or most pleasant of moves. Just when I think I’m starting to love my new home, something ridiculous happens such as me getting locked out of my blog because of a plug-in I installed.

One thing that I’m really loving is that my Google Analytics code is finally working and I’m beginning to see all of the search terms that brought people to my blogaroo. A lot of people save up a handful of funny searches and dedicate a post to it. I am no different!

Without further adieu:

- Get off band-aids
Does somebody really need to know how?

- Girls who cry during sex
I cannot figure out how that brought someone here.

- You kick ass
Yes I do!!! Thank you

- Nipplage
::giggles like a 13-year-old::

- Famous person from Wisconsin

- Dude showers
Oh I just don’t know about this one.

- Please don’t sneeze
Especially in my general direction. I hate when people sneeze next to me on the train or airplane. It’s such a small space. There’s a good chance some of it got on me. Ew.

- Excellent blogs
Need I say anything?

What are some of the best, funniest, weirdest searches people have found you by?

I love the Blogosphere. The community we’ve created for ourselves is something I am proud of. I respect all of my fellow bloggers. It takes a lot of courage to write about some of the topics that are put out there. And even if you’re an anonymous blogger, a foodie or someone who just likes to write about neutral posts and not ruffle any feathers, you all deserve respect.

There’s a handful of bloggers who aren’t receiving the respect they deserve and it’s really upsetting. These people are being honest, open and sometimes extremely raw with their feelings. They figure they have this safe place where they can open up and find support, encouragement or relief and instead they’re bombarded with hate mail and anonymous comments.

I know, I know…when you get an anonymous/mean comment you know you’ve made it as a blogger. You run the risk of getting an ignorant comment or two every time you post something. I get that. But when it becomes an every day occurrence and crosses that line between stupid and personal, then it’s too much.

For example, no matter what a certain blogger writes about, he/she receives hateful comments. Even after closing comments, they’ll move to his/her email. They’re not just hateful, but some of them are hurtful and unnecessary. After removing their email address from the blog, they continue to attack the comments. I just don’t get the point.

Another example is people doing the exact same thing that they’re bashing. It’s perfectly fine to disagree with somebody. I invite people to disagree with me, but I hope that they do so in a mature and respectful way. I’m never intentionally disrespectful* and if they’re going to be, then I won’t waste my time on them.

Anyway, so there’s a group of people who disagree with a certain blogger about how he/she handled a situation involving another blogger. Instead of maturely discussing their side, they attack her and tear down her blog. How does that make them better? They’re doing exactly what he/she did in the post except this blogger did it in a much more respectful and honest way. If I were the person that group was defending, I’d be embarrassed by their immaturity and ignorance.

I hate that it reaches the point where some bloggers feel that they have to shut down their blogs and change everything. Do they ever come back or do they stay away forever because their once safe community is no more?

I know there’s really nothing I can do to stop this. I just had to vent my frustrations. I hate hearing about some of the emails/comments you all receive and I wish there was more I could do.

* I am not above calling your face stupid. And I’ll gladly race you for pinks on TypeRacer.

Go Grease Lightning. Go.

I wonder how often I reuse blog titles. Some times I recognize it and remember that it’s already been used in a previous post. Other times…meh.

Chicago bloggers: I hope you’re available Sept. 15 because Lacey from Perks of Being a JAP will be in Chicago and she’s treating joining us for dinner/drinks. Details are still being ironed out. More than likely it will be downtown. Right now the BIG Bar at the Hyatt on Wacker is our tentative location. (Unless there is a BIG objection to this place, consider it our final choice.) Plan on getting there between 7-8 p.m. I realize it is a week night so if you can join us, please let me know so I know how many to expect. If not, you will be missed! I’d appreciate it if you guys could advertise this on your own blogs so all of the Chicago bloggers can see it.

Twenty (and thirty!) something bloggers: Please keep in mind that a final city has NOT yet been chosen for our Big Blogger Meet-up. Anyone in Boston, Chicago and New York is welcome to submit reasons why the meet-up should be held in that city. Please keep in mind that you have until Sept. 5th to get your information back to us. Either comment here or on the forum post at 20SB. Once I have all of the information, I will post it along with another poll so we can make an educated decision on which city should host the meet-up. Do what Arielle did and share your thoughts on your blog. Spread the word so we can get everyone’s opinion.

Think you know music? Check out Mr. Mega’s blog post today and share your favorites.

Jamie wants to know why or how you chose your blog name. Click here to let her know and to check out the other blogger’s answers.

I know there’s a significant amount of Blackberry users who read this. In addition to taking out your battery for phone maintenance, be sure you clean your cache. This will help improve your phone’s memory.

Will you be participating in Blog Day on August 31st? I will (if I remember!!) The (short version) of the rules are as follows: Find and share five new blogs that you find interesting and include a description of that blog. Notify those five bloggers that you recommended them as part of Blog Day. This is a great way to build traffic, share content and say thank you to some of your readers.

I’ve recommended Captain Blasto in the past and I know some of you are enjoying the web series (yay!) The Captain Blasto team needs your help to get noticed by the Apple iTunes team. All you have to do is watch and write a review! It’s simple

Recommended Reading:
One Wandering
I’d Blog That
Blog Nosh Magazine
Insert My Blog Name Here
Honest to Blog?

Don’t forget about the other excellent blogs on my Blog Roll

…or three:

1. I woke up at 5 a.m.
2. I carried 3/4 my weight in a backpack today (Look at that! Fractions!!)
3. I am surrounded by 18 and 19 year olds in all of my classes.
4. My new Russian friend has legs that go on for years. This makes me jealous.
5. I’m pretty sure I’m in the wrong Biology class.
6. Part of my homework involves me going to a cemetery.

The first day of school was sort of like getting punched in the face. My first three classes were all back to back. This is good because time flew by. However, it’s not good because I can’t really remember much of any of them.

Chemistry will be a bitch, but I welcome the challenge.

Math…oh Math. I learned that the class is only eight weeks long. If I manage to finish all of my tests before the eight weeks are up, I’m done. No more showing up to class. I will spend the next two weeks doing nothing but math.

Biology. What the eff? I really think I’m in the wrong class. In lecture we are discussing the tundra, deciduous forests and grasslands. In our lab we’re talking about dead people, cutting lawns, plants and squirrels. I was so very lost. Did I miss something? Was I supposed to read a certain chapter prior to class? I don’t even know where we are in the book for lecture.

I’m really only looking forward to Anatomy…the class I’ve taken four times. This semester is going to suck. I can feel it.

The worst part is having only ten minutes between classes. The buildings, while not terribly far from one another, are impossible to get in and out of in under ten minutes. Imagine 500 people trying to leave a lecture hall with only two doors. Outside of these doors are another 500 people waiting to get in. It’s not pretty. I tried sitting near the door, which helps me escape quicker, but I can’t hear the professor.

It doesn’t help that I’m surrounded by 18- and 19-year-old dorm dwellers who can’t wait to get wasted at the local bars this coming Thursday. And Oh My God, did you know that Billy is cheating on Susie? It’s true. Like that is SO important to talk about during Biology?! Damnit. SOME people are there to learn. That requires being able to hear the professor while sitting a seat that allows a quick exit so I can get to my next class on time. Stop being asshats.

Damnit. Where is my wine?! Is it sad that it’s not even 8 p.m. and I’m ready for bed?

I’d just like to put it out there that if you ever find yourself on a game show and you need to phone a friend, you can always count on me. Under the following circumstances:

1. It is NOT a math-related question.
2. It is NOT a history-related question.
3. It does NOT contain a big word that could easily be misspelled, leaving very little time to Google the answer.
4. It is NOT a math-related question.

Do you see a trend here?

School starts tomorrow. Already my math teacher assigned three sections that need to be completed for tomorrow’s class. I don’t even know why we have a class because everything is being taught online. I don’t know about you, but I don’t learn math this way. I need to be in a classroom environment where there are few distractions. My mac? BIG distraction. That shiny light over there on the desk? BIG distraction. Me burping? BIG distraction.

I wasted quality time with the man friend trying to re-learn fractions. Fractions? Didn’t you learn this in grade school, you ask? Yes. It was taught in grade school, but me being a ninja and all have made it through grade school, high school and most of college without ever understanding fractions. (This also includes decimals and percentages. Oh…and that whole Geometry thing.) Math and I, well, we don’t get along. I could tell you where your latissimus dorsi originates from and inserts. I can tell you exactly which vertebrae your levator scapula attaches to. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out fractions.

This is why I’ve spent the last hour hiding from my math book. And to think I was going to fake loving math just to join in a picnic on Friday while walking around campus. Hunger will make you do crazy things. I quickly came to my senses and realized that math and I will always have a love/hate relationship.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a math book to continue hiding from.

Here are my favorites from this week’s batch of secrets. Be sure to check out the rest of them at PostSecret

I feel like I have a ton of irrational fears, yet when I sit down to make a list, I can’t remember many of them.

I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing…

I’m very curious about how and/or why.