Favorite Forwards: So you think you can dance?

Nancy sends the best forwards. This is one of the funniest videos I have seen in my life:

Favorite Sports: Phil

"I really want to recognize my family," Mickelson said after the win. "My wife, we have been through a lot this year and it really means a lot to share this joy together."


Wow.. what a difference a year makes in the life of golf. Mickelson's kiss with his wife was so passionate and in stark contrast to the rocky waters Tiger was in the entire week; whether it was the banners screaming of his infidelity or the creepy commercial with his father's voiceover. I was very happy that Phil won as I have always been his fan since my dad and I saw him during one of the golf tournaments he took me to in high school.


Way to go Phil! (Check out that ring by the way....)

Favorites of Chicago: Why I love the El

Today I was stuck on the el for about thirty minutes until my buddy and I decided we were going to take another line (above ground) to escape the back up. Turns out that this was the reason for our delay at about 4:40 p.m. Thank goodness we got off the red line as it was stuck until 5:30!!!

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/04/odor-causes-cta-red-line-delays.html

bark

Tommy and Maddie obviously do not get along, but he has become quite my buddy the past several months despite the hatred my favorite girl shares with him.

Whenever I go to Mike's house, I will walk through the courtyard and Tommy will be on the porch howling that I have arrived. He runs inside and waits for me at the door and then continues his excitement by doing his typical "superdog" (a.k.a. him running back and forth barking). We play together and I will typically throw his stuffing-free piggy and squirrel as many times as he wants. He did break my Tiffany ball bracelet the other day by catching his tooth on it, but for the most part he is a gentle giant and keeps my personal belongings completely intact. We take walks, go to the beach and play catch. Of course, most of the time we are with our other family member and the three of us make quite the happy family. We just have to remember we have a little gal back home that can't come as her brother would definitely eat her.

To the left is a picture of me and my favorite pooch on my 25th birthday. He was a good sport and let us tie the Pasquale's balloon to his neck for the duration of my tiny family party!

Favorite TV Show: 16 and Pregnant

Thanks to Saira, my one roommate, I have come to start watching what I thought was one of the dumbest shows on earth: 16 and Pregnant. I have only seen the show On-Demand so I do not know when it actually airs, but I have become obsessed the past two days. The show actually is very enlightening and depicts in raw detail the pain and anguish many teenage mothers go through during their pregnancy and then beyond.

The girls are typically around the age of 16 and the show films them and their families and boyfriends from when they are about 20 weeks pregnant to when the baby is about two months old. It describes how they lose their friends, how they are viewed by others, how their schooling changes, their relationships with their (ex)boyfriends change and their physical appearance changes. I think it really would be good for all teenage girls to see this as it makes you question how smart it is to put yourself in those compromising positions when you are so immature and a baby yourself. What is shocking for me is the number of these girls who just did not use protection. It makes you realize how important open communication is with parents and their children.

Favorite Moments: 25th birthday

I had the best time for my 25th birthday and the fun is not over yet as I am celebrating with my girlfriends next Thursday before I head off to South Bend.

My birthday just happened to be a record-breaker here in Chicago as well. It reached 83 degrees at O'Hare (http://cbs2chicago.com/local/warm.weather.temperature.2.1605871.html) which broke the record set in 1946. Everyone at our office got out at 3:15 so I was able to head home to my beautiful flowers and cards sent by Arpena and the rest of my family. Mike took me out to dinner at Osteria via Stato, which is an awesome Italian restaurant that is one of Lettuce Entertain You's joints. Then, as we did have a 5:15 reservation, Mike surprised me with broadway tickets to see Beauty and the Beast. It was amazing and actually is right up there with Wicked and Phantom of the Opera. Mike even liked it...even though the little girls with matching outfits as their american girls somewhat creeped him out. My girls got me awesome clothes and make up. I asked them to get me stuff I would never buy myself so they showed up in true form with purple mascara from Saira to these beautiful earrings from Sarah I probably never would have spotted! Alessandra fulfilled my Nars eye shadow wish and Michael got me a six-week art class at a local art studio.

Yay for birthdays!