Special Day (of unproductivity)
To my own amazement, I actually woke up today at 07:30. To my bigger surprise, I actually got cleaned up and dressed up! Whenever I work from home, I always wake up at 08:55, and just mosey my way around the house in my sleeping T-shirt and my boxers, hair disheveled and all. But today is different. I got my favorite pink dress shirt on, some nice black slacks, and did my hair. And no, I didn’t suddenly get the motivation from Shannon’s work-from-home-routine. =)
Some of you may have heard me refer to Sabine and Cesar once in a while. Well, they are my best friends here, and the reason why I moved to Chicago almost two years ago. I have known Sabine since 1999 from Southwest Missouri State University and Cesar since 2002. Honestly, he was the only boyfriend she has dated whom I approved overwhelmingly! Anyway, it has been pretty sad since Sabine moved to Miami for a better job over a year ago. Not just for me, but Cesar as well since he is still wrapping up school here in Chicago.
History of us aside, today is a special day. Sabine flew up this past weekend just for a few days, and I decided at the last minute to be a witness at their civil marriage today. Well, their marriage was also a sudden decision too. I mean, they have been engaged for way over a year now, and the wedding was set for this July. But because they’re moving to France later in the summer once Cesar graduates, they wanted to get the immigration process out of the way for Cesar. Sabine is French, and Cesar is an American born Mexican. It’s just too weird to see him lose his American citizenship and become one of them snobby French people! Ha ha ha... But now, instead of a wedding in July, they’ll have a huge wedding reception instead.
Anyway, so I went downtown to City Hall this morning, and for the first time, witnessed a quick civil marriage in a judge’s tiny office. Very weird. I’ve been in so many weddings where the whole thing has been grandeur, and this is a surprising process; one that is entirely new. And quicker than drive-through McDonald’s!
Afterwards, while they went to the French consulate to jumpstart the immigration paperwork, I decided to stick around to do my own errands, like filing for tax exemption on my property, address correction on my property PIN, city sticker, and other crap I have managed to procrastinate for almost a year now. It is such a novel idea that every public department is in a single building! Yet, somehow it is ridiculously segregated! I have to go here to do something, but then go another place to get something else, return to the original place with said procured item in hand, and the likes. Ugh! Crazy!!! And worst of all, I found out the hard way that the building is actually physically divided in two. So if you are on the third floor on one side, you can’t access the other half on the third floor. Now who designed this?!? I swear, City Hall is worse than that rat maze with the cheese in the middle!
Barring the little crazy errands that I had to do, Sabine, Cesar and I finally regrouped for lunch at the Italian Village. Yummy! We stayed there for a while, chatted, and joked. No worries to think about, at least for me work-wise. But I can only imagine Cesar’s feelings of desperation, as I could have sworn when the judge said, “I pronounce you husband and wife,” I heard a giant padlock slam shut, and the key tossed out into the lake! Hee hee hee...
All kidding aside, this has been one of the rare moments since Sabine moved to Miami where the three of us have actually spent some intimate time together. Just like the good old days. With the exception that Kitty isn’t around. Besides, I have now discovered that I am deadly allergic to cats, so Kitty’s absence was not an issue. =) But I miss her though. Or him. Hmm, after all these years, I never quite remember the gender of that cat.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The beautiful sunny day has turned into a dark, drizzly day, for it was already 15:15, and I have to ride the train back home while they go finalize the wedding cakes and the sorts for July. Sabine will be heading back to Miami tomorrow. And before long, I have realized that I have been counter-productive all day! I am just now starting to catch up with work, and it is already 17:00. And what do I do? Blog. Nice move there!
Well, one final good news turned up today though. I don’t have to travel this week! Again! Yippie! That’s such a great way to end the first quarter of 2006. Awesome! Now I just need to get rid of my dressed up clothing and return to being a bum after such an awesome meal with great wine! =) Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we had a bottle of wine ON TOP of not working all day today? Rock on!!!
Some of you may have heard me refer to Sabine and Cesar once in a while. Well, they are my best friends here, and the reason why I moved to Chicago almost two years ago. I have known Sabine since 1999 from Southwest Missouri State University and Cesar since 2002. Honestly, he was the only boyfriend she has dated whom I approved overwhelmingly! Anyway, it has been pretty sad since Sabine moved to Miami for a better job over a year ago. Not just for me, but Cesar as well since he is still wrapping up school here in Chicago.History of us aside, today is a special day. Sabine flew up this past weekend just for a few days, and I decided at the last minute to be a witness at their civil marriage today. Well, their marriage was also a sudden decision too. I mean, they have been engaged for way over a year now, and the wedding was set for this July. But because they’re moving to France later in the summer once Cesar graduates, they wanted to get the immigration process out of the way for Cesar. Sabine is French, and Cesar is an American born Mexican. It’s just too weird to see him lose his American citizenship and become one of them snobby French people! Ha ha ha... But now, instead of a wedding in July, they’ll have a huge wedding reception instead.
Anyway, so I went downtown to City Hall this morning, and for the first time, witnessed a quick civil marriage in a judge’s tiny office. Very weird. I’ve been in so many weddings where the whole thing has been grandeur, and this is a surprising process; one that is entirely new. And quicker than drive-through McDonald’s!
Afterwards, while they went to the French consulate to jumpstart the immigration paperwork, I decided to stick around to do my own errands, like filing for tax exemption on my property, address correction on my property PIN, city sticker, and other crap I have managed to procrastinate for almost a year now. It is such a novel idea that every public department is in a single building! Yet, somehow it is ridiculously segregated! I have to go here to do something, but then go another place to get something else, return to the original place with said procured item in hand, and the likes. Ugh! Crazy!!! And worst of all, I found out the hard way that the building is actually physically divided in two. So if you are on the third floor on one side, you can’t access the other half on the third floor. Now who designed this?!? I swear, City Hall is worse than that rat maze with the cheese in the middle!
Barring the little crazy errands that I had to do, Sabine, Cesar and I finally regrouped for lunch at the Italian Village. Yummy! We stayed there for a while, chatted, and joked. No worries to think about, at least for me work-wise. But I can only imagine Cesar’s feelings of desperation, as I could have sworn when the judge said, “I pronounce you husband and wife,” I heard a giant padlock slam shut, and the key tossed out into the lake! Hee hee hee...
All kidding aside, this has been one of the rare moments since Sabine moved to Miami where the three of us have actually spent some intimate time together. Just like the good old days. With the exception that Kitty isn’t around. Besides, I have now discovered that I am deadly allergic to cats, so Kitty’s absence was not an issue. =) But I miss her though. Or him. Hmm, after all these years, I never quite remember the gender of that cat.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The beautiful sunny day has turned into a dark, drizzly day, for it was already 15:15, and I have to ride the train back home while they go finalize the wedding cakes and the sorts for July. Sabine will be heading back to Miami tomorrow. And before long, I have realized that I have been counter-productive all day! I am just now starting to catch up with work, and it is already 17:00. And what do I do? Blog. Nice move there!
Well, one final good news turned up today though. I don’t have to travel this week! Again! Yippie! That’s such a great way to end the first quarter of 2006. Awesome! Now I just need to get rid of my dressed up clothing and return to being a bum after such an awesome meal with great wine! =) Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we had a bottle of wine ON TOP of not working all day today? Rock on!!!
posted by StHalcyon at
18:00
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