First of all, and absolutely most importantly, I am sending out a web-call for prayers for Grandma Mary who is in the hospital right now. I hope that everything is alright and that she heals quickly and painlessly.
I love you, Grandma! I finally sent you your Valentine the other day, so be so excited to get it!!

Secondly, and quite important, but not nearly as important as Grandma:

Comments or Questions : Hello,

I was in a Dominick’s/Safeway this afternoon and had a problem using my ID to purchase beer. I realize that this is hardly reason for complaint, but the problem was the verification of identification.
The Dominick’s store at 6009 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660 is normally a wonderful store. I have not yet had a problem there other than incredibly slow checkout lines, but that is to be expected.
I have an out-of-state ID, one which expired. In Colorado, where I am from, when an ID expires, the DMV punches a hole in the card and gives you an accompanying paper until you receive your new driver’s license in the mail. I have been using that without any issue throughout Chicago for the last month and a half, still awaiting my new license. The problem is this: today I was denied sale.
Flabbergasted, I asked the female employee who checked my ID if I could speak to the manager. Her response was rather curt, informing me that he’d just say no, without any explanation as to why my ID wasn’t going to work.
That’s fine, but the reason that the manager, Todd, gave me was that they do not accept “invalid IDs.” When I challenged him, he told me that employees have been told not to accept such IDs. He told me that he wasn’t the police, and that he wasn’t going to accept an invalid ID.
Mine is legally valid, and that’s where my problem comes in. It is accompanied by an official state document.
I’m suggesting that instead of sporadically denying sale, your company either accept VALID identification (I spend most of my grocery money at your store, but am less inclined to do so now) OR have a more consistent denial policy, one that won’t catch loyal customers off guard at inopportune moments. I was greatly embarrassed by the situation and was forced to leave my items at the very busy register.
I know that the Safeway corporation takes good care of both their employees and their customers. If employees are told to deny sale to people with temporary identification, then I as a customer would appreciate a follow-through, so at least I would have been made aware of such a rule as to “valid” identification before I had attempted to legally purchase alcohol. Perhaps signs could be posed throughout the store or at the registers?
That’s fine as well. It’s not the buying of the alcohol that I have a problem with, it’s the
manner in which this policy is implemented. Had I known, I wouldn’t have tried, but I’ve been successfully (and legally, I might add) purchasing alcohol from your store for nearly a month and a half, never encountering this type of problem.
I’d love to know what you as a company are going to do to solve this issue, both for me and for other patrons from different states with different ID policies. We’d like to be aware of your store’s policies before we attempt to do something under the impression that we are legally allowed to do so.

Thank you for your time and understanding,
Katherine Barry

P.S. I do not have the physical club card, but when I get to the checkstand, I put in my cell phone number. Feel free to see any past beer purchases made on that card for reference.
Thanks again.

ugh. I’ve been waiting more than a month for my driver’s license to arrive and I do not have my Passport. I had no idea that this was going to be such a problem. Colorado and the mail system need to get their act together.

Have a safe and happy 4th! We’re having a “dress up like your favorite terrorist” party tonight just for the patriotism of it all!!!!

Having never even set foot into my third class, I dropped it. Nine hours in six weeks just wasn’t going to do.
Hunter surprised me by picking me up from class today with a present! I was excited to find out what it was; he’d picked his favorite three pictures from our Colorado trip and put them in a frame for me.
The weather here is ridiculous. It’s downright cold today. All the windows are closed in the house and I’m under a blanket trying to cram more Shakespeare in before class tonight.

It’s been a really long summer, actually.
Even though time is flying by, I have yet to feel really at ease.
I’m tense, always. I’ve got a lot on my mind.
Classes start tomorrow. I’m already exhausted.
It’s emotionally draining, these relationships, both with friends and lovers.
I’ve been walking a lot lately, trying to get in shape. I’ve been eating healthier, trying to cut out as much sugar as possible (so hard when you’re a fiend like I am).
Remember surgery in January? Well, it did nothing, basically. So I’m trying to somehow make my body strong enough to fight off all of this. I’m joined an internet support group that caters to the growing number of women suffering like I am, suffering worse. But it’s always bad news, so I try not to read their desperate posts. I’m hoping I’ll never have to post one, full of anger, or fear, or pain.
It’s never far from my mind, and even though I hope for the best, the worst haunts me. I’d rather be plagued by persistent obnoxious ghosts than plagued by this. It’s terrifying.
It’s taking a lot of my energy, and everyday I try to let it go a little bit.
My room is still in shambles. I’ve lost my need to be inside. The beach has been calling.
Today was the Gay Pride Parade in Boystown. Maddie and I went to watch the parade, see the protesters (who were ridiculously cruel, by the way) and to get some lunch. After, we headed to another neighborhood to browse and then returned home. Bar trivia tonight, hopefully lots of sleep, and then a long day tomorrow.
The end, for now.
Summer is beautiful, slipping so fast.

Days without a parking ticket: As of June 18, 2009: 6

I feel as though my life would be so much easier if people would just learn to park like considerate people in unity with their fellow men.

Don’t take two spots when you only need one, it’s a simple concept.
It forces late-night adventurers to get parking tickets by simply being adventurous and creative in their choices.

Today was a lovely day.
Hunter and I lounged, waiting for Emily to get back from St. Louis via bus, and made pancakes and bacon and potatoes and eggs and fruit.
Delicious.
I’m tired, but friends are coming in tonight, so we’ll see how that goes.
My computer has come across some sort of extremely nasty virus and won’t even let me get to the home screen, so until further notice, I’m merely borrowing computers to steal quick minutes with them.
Hunter and I will be home late Wednesday, but expect not to see us until Thursday. The new plan is to leave after he’s done with work on the 2nd (around 6 or 7pm) and drive through the night, hopefully arriving in Denver during daylight.

See you soon!

Easter 2009-Emily’s mom’s wedding (May 25, 2009)

My birthday was a blast.
I got back to Chicago after braving horrendous traffic and found myself exhausted. Instead of eating dinner, Emily and I lounged around, munching on chocolate (thanks Aunt Sally!) and watching “Friends.” At about 8, we started getting ready to go out and our friend Coupe joined us. (He’s Hunter’s roommate)
We ended up on the Red Line train south to Lawrence, where we got off and entered the Green Mill Lounge. My first legal bar experience was live jazz in a muted room. Whispers were the only conversation allowed, a drink softly ordered, vodka cranberry, and then consumed amid the music. A statue stood in one corner, dimly lit but just as ornate as the rest of the room. We spotted an empty table after the first set, and settled in.
Expensive, however, so we took our leave and went to the next bar we saw, two doors away or possibly across the street, or both.
That is where our night ended.
A bouncer named Bing, a cranky bartender, and someone else’s birthday made for an interesting night.
Home.
Head in toilet.
Never go out to drink heavily on an empty stomach.
As Mom said the next day, “Novice mistake.”
It was indeed.

Drove back to Wauwatosa in the afternoon. Hunter had made me spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. It was sweet, cut up apples, bread, even peas.
Since then we’ve been enjoying ourselves. Last night we went out to experience the Tosa nightlife. Calm. Taking the dogs to the dogpark. It’s wild. Forest-y, huge, trails. Today we filmed something, we’re not sure what yet. I ended up dying in it, after being pushed off a HUGE log.
There’s a store here that’s called Half-Price Books. It’s like the used bookstore next to Dairy Queen on Colorado Blvd. Romance novels abound.

Pictures to come, soon, hopefully.
Travel dates set.
June 3rd through the 9/10th?.

Twenty one today!
Got back from Wisconsin this afternoon, having spent a wonderful weekend up in Northern Wisconsin with Hunter and his cousin. We went fishing, canoeing, attempted to catch some turtles and went on walks. I got lots of sleep!
His dogs came with us, since he’s dogsitting them this week while his parents are in Mexico. They took us out to dinner on Friday night, which is always lovely.
Tonight, going out with Emily and some friends.
Here’s to a magical year ahead!

Looking forward to being back in Denver!
Grandma Mary’s e-card was wonderful! Aunt Sally’s package (including add-ins from Bailey and Avery, and Aunt Jan, Uncle Mike and Brian.

Love you all!

I’m settling into my second full day of having nothing to do.
But that’s a lie: I’ve got tons of things to do. Mostly cleaning, lots of cleaning. So much of it to do. Car, room, apartment.
I have much to do, but have not really been able to motivate myself to do them.
I feel like that’s alright.
I’m going to take a couple of days to settle in.
I’ve been oddly stressed lately, for some reason, I’ve been unable to be happy or feel confident about the future or anything really.
So I’m taking a few mental health days to breathe.

Tonight we’re going to the midnight showing of the new Star Trek movie. (Lame). The boys are excited, though, and Emily and I can’t help but agree to go.