Saturdays With Maggie

Hello friends. My apologies for going AWOL after my first week at Thanks for Asking. I had some major life events that took up a large and unexpected amount of time over the past two weeks. (No, not menopause!) This resulted in a particularly busy Saturday. Let’s talk about it.

On this morning, like any weekend, all I wanted to do was have my coffee, read the paper, and enjoy the tulips I bought earlier in the week. Did you guys know it is peak tulip season? Seriously, hie thee to your nearest flower distributer and get some! They’re such a cheap, easy pick-me-up during the winter doldrums.

(Side note: When I first put these in a vase they were kind of sad and droopy. I felt ashamed at my lack of floral design prowess, and once again contemplated taking a flower arranging class. But after I put them in a vase with water, they were standing straight up by the next morning! So if that’s the kind of thing you fret about, like I do, fear not.)

Sadly, I did not have time to enjoy this cozy tableau, because I was on a tight schedule and had to get to the supermarket. Which brought me to my first major challenge of the day:

I had brought the car back from my parents’ house last week, and not wanting to deal with stuff like this is one of the main reasons why I do not have a car in the city. (Another reason is because I do not own a car.) Between the fact that it is a tiny Jetta, and the tiny street I live on had not been plowed, it was a hilariously terrible idea for me to drive it to the store.

And really, I should have known better. The Jetta has a long history of underperforming during Chicago winters. My sister once parked it on an icy snow bank, only to return and find it utterly immovable. It was only thanks to her friend Lara observing that the city of Chicago did not want this car stuck on its streets one second longer, and pushing it off of the snow bank herself, that the car wasn’t stuck there until the ice melted. I once found myself in a similar situation with someone who got their car stuck on a snow bank, and I will just say that not everyone appreciates that kind of can-do attitude.

So after several attempts, and sliding into more than one parked car in the process, I was able to get out of my parking spot and on the road. I had to go to Dominick’s to pick up a bunch of goodies, since my roommate and I were having people over for cocktails that night before our friend’s engagement party.

In case you didn’t believe me, here’s proof that it is indeed peak tulip season. And how pretty are they!?

Also, here’s a marketing trend I’m ready to do away with:

Cheese is not a diet food. I love it dearly. I have cheese and crackers for dinner on more nights than I will publicly admit to. But just because you put a silhouette of a thin woman with a perky ponytail on your package, and stick the word “Skinny” in the product name, does not change the fact that you’re eating something with the same fat content as ice cream.

I picked up what I needed, as well as an impulse purchase of Cottage Style magazine, which I realized after the fact cost TEN DOLLARS! I have got to stop doing stuff like that. But I am such a sucker for the Shabby Chic look, and will buy any magazine that has a distressed wood product on the cover.

I need that couch!!

Back at home I cleaned my apartment and did laundry, two tasks that, despite being my absolute least favorite chores, always give me an outsized sense of accomplishment. Then I had to haul ass to the other side of Lincoln Park for a meeting, after which I stopped at Trader Joe’s for a few things I hadn’t been able to get at Dominick’s. Rather, I could have gotten them at Dominick’s, but they wouldn’t have been exactly what I was looking for. And my motto when it comes to shopping is why make one trip when you can make three. Seriously, no one will ever go shopping for anything with me, because I take forever and am such a pain in the arse about getting exactly the right thing. For example, I once spent forty minutes picking out a bath mat at Target.

After that I grabbed a Big Gulp from 7-11 and went to get a manicure. Of all the cheap and simple pleasures in the world, these are my favorite two.

The color is OPI’s “O’Hare and Nails Look Great,” which, what? That pun rolls of the tongue with as much ease as “Rainbow in the S-Kylie” from the Kardashian’s new Nicole by OPI polish line. But I must say, it is a perfect red. At least for anyone with Casper white skin. The rest of you can find your own nail polish colors.

Then I had to scamper home and get ready for a big night of engagement celebrating. Highlights of the evening included lots of singing, dancing and a baked brie. Lowlights included a Jaeger bomb. Hope you all had lovely weekends as well!