The blizzard, moving and the Superbowl

Well it's been a rather busy month for the badger in Chi. Christmas saw a quick trip back to blighty which was slightly put on ice because of the dreaded snow at doggy Heathrow. Saying hello and good-bye again to old friends, Katie and SP getting hitched, a quick visit from Santa (and Thomas the tank engine to Sen bobs) and a good-bye to Field End and Fiddlers Hill in preparation for Ads moving in January. Then it was a flight back to Chi and another flight out to Vail for a spot of swosh, swosh, swosh and lots of beer for NYE.

Then it was moving time. Mus and I had decided to give up the Brit pad to be a bit more froogle (I know, that place was ace) - so I was house hunting to find something for little old me. In the end I landed a cool little pad in Lincoln Park (right in the hub of the University action) - so I feel a bit like I did when I arrived at Colston Street back in Bristol all those years ago - apart from it's not so much like prison and there isn't as many pigeons!

Moving in the snow was errrr interesting and since then, we've had nothing but snow. The week before in NYC we got hit by some crazy snow...I'd never seen NY like it and then last week saw my first proper storm in Chi-town and it was all quite exciting (and a little bit scary too). Apparently it's the worst storm in 5 years (or something like that) and the thundersnow was pretty dramatic - I'm still not entirely sure what thundersnow is, but it sounds good none-the-less. Thankfully Westbrook let me huddle up in her pad on the 46th Floor of her building overlooking the Lake and Oak Street Beach and the views were amazing (only did the building sway a couple of times during the storm....so not bad going at all!)

This weekend saw a trip to Grand Rapids for some Festivus on Ice at Kacey's mansion (and it really is a mansion). Grand Rapids is ace (although I didn't see any rapids) and is about a 3 hour drive around the lake going into Michigan. We had a bit a road-trip with poor old Wang being stuck with 4 girls in the car, but I think he quite enjoyed it (apart from the nakedness he thought he saw that night....which he is still very upset about...I think it was the mushrooms or maybe the 15 cans of Miller Lite in about 4 hours...) So at Kacey's we ate (I think there were at least 10 crock-pots bubbling away) drank....and played winter sports on the frozen pond. Highlights were bowling on the ice and of course human curling.

Finally, to round of the weekend was the Superbowl. Now I did lose slight interest, as I was convinced the Bears were going to make it, but thankfully my good friend Ferrick who is from the old Pittsburgh, helped to put the magic back in the game by being the biggest steelers fan EVER. She decked me out in a top, which I think was of Ben no. 7...who has had a shadey past...think touch of a xxxxxx (fill in the blanks) - so that made for some interesting abuse in the pub. There was singing, the polka, towel waving and I even drank pittsburgh beer. Unfortunately for Ferrick the Steelers didn't quite do it - although they did have a great comeback - so the Green Bay stole the thunder on the night. But all in all, a great Superbowl and I actually think I now understand the game - and I even cheered at the right times. This is immense progress (although I still struggle with the word offence...it's just wrong).

So close to being a yank and then yet so far....10 months should help.

This is my road (Belden and Lincoln) during the Great Chicago Blizzard of 2011.

My first year in the US

Well I can't quite believe tomorrow officially marks my first year in the US. It was a year ago that I got off my flight...went through immigration (which took an age with a lot of grilling), jumped in a cab with my giant suitcase not really remembering where I lived and then I trecked up the stairs to our lovely Brit pad - where all the Lincoln Park group jumped out as a surprise and a glass of red wine was waiting! I should have known the group would prove to be every bit as brilliant over the next 12 months, just from this alone.

(This photo is of the group hiding behind the worktop in our new apartment).

The last year State-side has been awesome - sooo many happy memories which I will always treasure and hopefully I will continue to tell these stories for many years to come.....It's been a year of firsts....My first Super Bowl party, my first Cubs game with many of you, my first American wedding, my first Miller Lite (yuk!) and my first Irish car bomb, my first college basket team OH IO, my first college football team MSU, my first Festivus, my first thanks-giving with the Valiers, my first potato tot, my first trolley for Shreadles birthday, my first marathon, my first 'You've been iced', my first 8 hour road trip to St. Louis (never had I sat for 8 hours in a car), my first attempt at roller skating in a bar, my first game of flip cup, my first game of beer pong, my first pool party (where I was called Natalie for the day...) my first Fire game, my first Bears match and tailgating. My first American Halloween, my first Brides maid bar crawl, my first dodgeball team, my first Sunday Funday, my first singles softball team (dear lord!)....I could go on....

It's been a blast. I hope this next year doesn't go quite as quickly as the thought of heading home this time next year is a mixed one. Happy to get back to the family, but I will miss my new American family lots.

But I've still got a year and soooo much to do and see in Chi-town AND so much to see across the US (and a lot of Starbucks mugs to collect on the way too).

Thanks to all for making it what it has been. Here's to a brilliant 2011.

Dizzlepop x

Bears V's Eagles....Best Day Ever!

November saw my first Bears game and what a day! For those that haven't been tailgating in the US, I can honestly it's something you have to do - it's seriously the best thing ever.

People rock up at 8.00am - set up camp before the game, and grill out, play games, serve you drinks, share their food - it's crazy. Think Ascot races, but a bit more ghetto. Fi, Sarah and Me went tailgating with some of my softball friends - BP, Monkey, E.Bail and Zac and it was immense. We had eggs and ham, chilli, chicken wings, rum and coke, beer, baileys the lot.

The game was brilliant. We were sat up in the gods, block 400 and Soldier Field is a mighty impressive stadium. Having been to see the US Soccer Team (sorry football!) I knew the Stadium was awesome, but it was crazy to see so many Bears Fans. I smuggled in my hip flask (my 21st Birthday present from Jade Brain!) and added the contents to our hot chocolates to keep us toasty. The Bears played well and won convincingly and I donned my Fridge Top, so was awfully proud (and it's such a good talking point). I also had a little play on one of the drumming band's drums before the game....brilliant!

Can't wait to go again and I'm already excited about Super Bowl. Only disappointment....The Bears have no cheer-leaders. Shame....I will just have to stick to watching the Robinettes at SWFC to see that!

And this photo is with me and Giant stuffed bear.....strapped to the top of some dude's car. It looked like a dead gentle Ben!

Stuck in Chi town!

Well, it's been an interesting few days. I was supposed to fly home for Christmas with the family on Saturday and poor old Blighty has been hit by snow, so Heathrow is shut - absolute disaster. So it's now Monday and I'm hoping to fly tonight or Tuesday night, so I can get back home for at least a few days. It's Stu Parkes' wedding on Wednesday, so fingers crossed I can at least make that. I do feel like I'm Kevin from Home Alone right now - waiting for a bus and brass band (and John Candy) to rescue me.

Fingers, toes and badger claws crossed....never have I wanted to be somewhere more!

The coffin

And finally...here's a photo of the coffin on Halloween that Suzy and decided to climb into at the end of the night...that had, I might add been on the streets for over a month outside our Pizza restaurant - Dags. All I can think about is dead people and homeless people.....gross!

Halloweeeeeeen....part 1 and part 2

Well, it was my first 'proper' halloween in the US of A as an american resident. For the last two years I'd managed to time well planned business trips, so I have actually been in Chi-town for the last two celebrations and I therefore knew the epic nature of such a weekend and it totally lived up to expectations!

On the Friday night - Mussy and I had a halloween party at the Brit-pad and it was awesome. We spent the week preparing, decorating the flat, hanging the creepy witch, getting the nasty shots ready with eye balls floating around and making bats and ghosts! We were in our creative element. The flat looked brilliant.

Now as many will know Halloween in the US means you can dress up as absolutely bloody anything and the array of costumes were brrrrrrrilliant. We had Fred Flinstone (Bart), a giant pengiun (Fire-crotch), a male Pamela Anderson (which did slightly disturb me with the double d's), A mexican (Dust), Lady Gaga (Mussy) and I was the little mermaid. Highlightable costumes were a giant penis (and the jokes were endless) Inspector gadget (nice job schoolyard), Woody from Toy Story (Westbrick), A boy scout (Harty) and Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons (aka The Queen and Amy Winehouse for those that remember the Brit part) - hilarious and the high kicks and lunges did not stop all evening.

Everyone had a blast and the apple bobbing was hilarious. The guy throwing-up off the balcony was a low light, but we will brush over that part (sorry people that live on Southport). The arrival of a million Argentinians was also very funny, especially when they said this was the first American house party they had been to - Suzy and I didn't have the heart to reveal we were indeed not yank!

The night came to an end when we blew up the sound system (I blame Best Buy) - but all in all, it was probably timely (at around 1am) and we all rolled to the pub for a very swift drink. The final part to the night was lying in a coffin outside Dags - well who wouldn't!

Halloween Part 2 - was hitting a bar and doing an all you can drink special. The costume for that night - a real American, including sequin dress (which was rather heavy) long locks, and a tiara....oh and a Green Card!

We had a ace night and went to Harry Carey's with Joe K and friends (who were a crazy rock band), and the girls and boys and got sozzled on wine. Highlights - surveying the bar to find out if the girls statistic of the US male population is indeed true. And I would like to confirm that 85% is probably right - Good work girls.

Funny lights - Becoming a band groupy and Mus having a ruck over a cab with some douche....just wish I could remember that part!

Great weekend - can't wait for next year already! Oh and July 4th so I can wear the dress again.

Dip, Duck, Dive and Dodge….

Well I can honestly say this sport...if you class dodgeball as one (which I now do) is both the worst and best sport I have ever played. On one hand it’s the most un-coordinated, un-natural, fight all your natural instincts and you will probably do well type sport and yet, at the same time you get to hurtle balls at people all at once – throwing a fairly solid ball as hard as you can. And by george some throws were like rockets. And it somehow requires skill....although I haven't quite worked out what that is.

The venue was a ropey old school gym and I really did think I was going to have spanners and wrenches thrown at me, like in the film.

My team is a bunch of individual players, so all very nice and in a similar boat to me – we’ve got a Canadian on the team (good player) a girl called Molly with a fierce right arm and 2 dudes called Craig and John who look like they murder people for a living – and were bloody awesome!

Somehow I obtained the name Oxford rather quickly and the referee just kept on shouting Oxford when I did things wrong (which was throughout most of the games). Oxford it is.

Result 6 games a piece – so a tie. Not a bad start to the dodgeball career for Oxford. I won't be giving up work quite yet, to compete professional, but a spot of DB-Boot-Camp will commence this weekend.

Duck it,
Dizzle x