Sweet Home Chicago

I've been a college graduate for a touch over a year.

I've lived in Chicago, IL, for a touch over 8 months.

I've worked at Baxter Healthcare in Round Lake, IL, for a touch over 6 months.

Here's a recap:

Job- I don't mind it. I've been going through complaints filed against a home peritoneal dialysis machine and other varied renal products to find what should and shouldn't be reportable to the FDA. Most of the others I work with are also recent college grads, and I've befriended 3 or 4 of them quite closely. I think we all bonded over a similar level of enjoyment in film, but the friendships have flourished from there. With them I've discovered many new favorite beers,restaurants, and burger joints (and if you ever go to Kuma's, you'll understand why it gets a separate mention as the best burger joint in the city of big shoulders...), but I've also learned that it's easier to do something you don't really enjoy doing if you're doing it with people you enjoy the company of. The toughest part of the last 6 months (aside from the GD weather in January and February that would drive ANYONE into depression) was a 4 week period during which I worked an average of 60 hours a week. It was pretty soul-crushing, but I made a great deal of money that will come in handy when I am inevitably a starving artist. The first project we were brought on for has come to a close, but another 6-10 month temporary project has been offered to most of us. I've chosen to take the 2nd position despite the continuing annoyance of the lengthy commute.

Improv- I started taking an 8-week beginner improv course at The Annoyance in March. The other students in the class had such varied backgrounds in improv that it made the scene work a challenge... which I actually liked. I got to learn a lot of new techniques, games, and concepts that I'd never thought about before (I've never really been schooled in improv before... I've only improved with people with more experience than I). I also got an opportunity to review a lot of simple ideas that I've worked with for years. Most of the people in the class (including myself, Jacob, and most of the people I enjoyed working with in the beginner class) have now signed up and taken 2 classes of the 2nd level at Annoyance. The more experienced members of the class have invited classmates to shows they've been a part of, and I've gone to a few. I'm excited to feel as though I am building a new community of artists. When I went to a night of stand-up by a group of all female comedians called The Kates, the member of my class that invited all of us to the show as she performs with them on occasion was SO excited that I (was the only one who) came. She also invited me to join a group of a few of The Kates called The Writer Girls. TWG meet every other week to share stories, bits, and insecurities to improve their comedy together. I went to my first meeting a few days ago, and I look forward to learning about writing for comedy in the same way I learned about improv. I went to an open mic with them... stand-up comedy makes me want to barf at how difficult it seems, but I'm willing to try it.

Fun Things- I've seen many plays, comedy shows, and sporting events in the last few months. I've attended 3 shows at The Second City, 2 at The Annoyance, 2 at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and 1 each at The Lookingglass Theatre, The Goodman, and Steppenwolf among a few others. They were all JUST incredible. The Lookingglass production of Peter Pan made me feel like a child in a wonderfully whimsical and incredibly creative way. Seeing The Second City's mainstage revue Southside of Heaven during its previews was a thrilling and laugh-filled experience. Seeing a touring production from Ireland by one of my favorite playwrights is something that I could do in very few cities... Chicago is one of them, and The Cripple of Inishmaan was remarkable. Martin McDonagh forever! The Goodman and Steppenwolf live up the their reputations, and I hope to see many more productions at both cites. On a less creative note, I've been to 2 games at Wrigley Field...... WRIGLEY FIELD. I sat 4 rows behind home plate at one game! I also went to an Atlanta Braves game at Miller Park in Milwaukee. The team I wanted to win lost all 3 times... BUT! I love baseball! And I had a great time at every game! And I've been trying to follow the Braves as well as I can outside the South. They're doing pretty well thus far. Especially Brian McCann. He's incredible.

That's pretty much my life right now. I can't believe how long I've been a college graduate. I can't believe how long I've lived here. But I'm ok with the progress I've made thus far, and I'm excited to see where it goes.

PS- Here are some things I'm obsessed with right now:

Marc Maron's WTFpod - interviews with comedians by a comedian. They talk about all of the great and horrible things about being comedians which are a lot of the same great and horrible things about life. Ken Jeong, Mike DeStefano, and Stephen Tobolowsky have had the most remarkable stories thus far, but my favorites Aziz Ansari, Conan O'Brien, and Patton Oswalt have (of course) been fun to listen to. Ladies are also fairly well represented in Kathleen Madigan and Maria Bamford.

Tina Fey's Bossypants - Don't ask questions. Read the damn book.

NBC's Parks and Recreation - Everything about it. The writing, the cast, the heart, the laughs... everything. Adam Scott.

The Hunger Games - I haven't finished the 3rd book in the trilogy yet because I stopped to read Bossypants. I'm following the movie-making progress, too. Thus far Jennifer Lawrence and Woody Harrelson are the best casting choices, but we'll see about the rest.

Bridesmaids, The United States of Tara, and The State also get honorable mentions. Seek out and watch all of them.