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Barb by Proxy

a.k.a, "Why The Hell Doesn't Anyone Listen To Me?"

Where Did You Go, 2006?

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

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Not only is 2006 done and gone, it seems that it slid out of our conciousness with nary a fanfare.

As I march valiantly into a new year, I like to look back at the year that was. I like to review the top stories, the best in entertainment, and the pictures that will forever cement a moment in time. Usually, I have multiple accomplices in this endeavor—magazines track the people, places, and scandals of the year. Music channels countdown the top songs and videos, ESPN shows me the best plays. And I’m feeling a little high and dry this year. TIME copped out with ‘you’ being the person of the year, only People and EW came forth to announce any sort of quality the Best of 2006 lists, and between the 8 or so versions of MTV and VH1, I saw not a single countdown of 2006.

Is it that they are trying to move past the year and look into the future? Is it not as interesting? Perhaps they also feel that the year zipped by so fast that it can’t possibly be a new one already. Whatever the case, I’m sad to see 2006 go without the fanfare of years past. I distinctly remember being in Florida for Christmastime and picking up 5 or 6 Year End magazine issues, and seeing the Top 100 songs of the Year start airing at noon. And this year I had to hunt for two measly magazines and watch the top 100 songs of the 80s (luckily #1 was Bon Jovi, so I’m slightly appeased).

In the spirit of the New Year, here’s hoping that 2007 brings us enough excitement, entertainment, and exultation to warrant a better send off in 12 months.

On Fire

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So I realize that Anne came out here a good month ago. But I was boycotting posting until I got a new layout, which apparently requires that I fly across the country. But the dining experience we had was so fab that it doesn't matter. You know it’s a good night when you breeze through two bottles of wine, a martini, and a Bailey’s nightcap. Especially when most of it comes with fantastic food at Wildfire, the new hotspot (forgive the pun) in Chicago.



It has the ambiance of a arts and crafts lodge mixed with 40s Hollywood glamour. A martini bar and cheeky black and white photographs greet you as you enter the restraunt. With dark woods, an open fireplace, and soaring ceiling, Wildfire is the right mix of cozy and airy. And the menu manages to upstage it all. A whole host of martinis, flights of wine, and a signature Goose Island wheat ale tempt your alcoholic side, and the appetizers streaming by will whet your appetite. We ran through the spinach and artichoke fondue, the baked goat cheese, bacon-wrapped scallops and huge mugs of sweet, cheesy French onion soup. Sadly, we couldn’t fit dessert in, and maple-pecan pie didn’t fit in our pockets. That’s why there’s next time!

The Cheating Game

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You’ve heard me rant about this before, but I’ll do so again because I have such strong opinions on it, and frankly this is my space. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. But to my story. A coworker of mine recently found out that her boyfriend of 4 years has been cheating on her with a 35-year-old (he is 26) woman in Iron Mountain, MI. The woman also has a 9-year-old daughter. This is confounding for a few reasons, but I’ll stick to the morality of the issue, because he is free to be attracted to a person that I can’t see the attraction of.

So here’s the thing—not only has he been cheating for 4 months, but also this behavior has been encouraged by his cousin (who also lives in Iron Mtn., and is the conduit through which they met), and known to the woman. This raises two big red flags in my mind—namely what kind of person knowingly continues to date someone when they know that that person is in a serious relationship, and what kind of person encourages another to cheat? That kind of behavior is something that I can’t condone—it can in fact be a friendship breaker. If you find yourself attracted to someone else while in a relationship, then you need to stop and I=figure out why. Then you either need to fix it, or end it. If you want to be with someone else, then have the decency to end the relationship that you are in first. And if you find yourself with someone who is in a relationship, then have the self-respect to demand that they end it with the other person. Because you deserve better than someone with such weak character as a cheater.

I Heart HUD

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Mood: Depressed and sick

My apartment is governed by HUD. It isn’t subsidized in the way that public housing is (vouchers, tax credits), but is set up so that for each style of apartment you have to be at a certain income level, and you pay rent based on what you make. Basically, it means that I have to fill out twice the amount of paperwork to renew my lease and give multiple forms of proof that I’m not an unemployed bum. The bonus is, that since the building and its finances are accountable to HUD, the government enforces a lot of laws that most apartment buildings do not. Like giving me the interest that my security deposit made. When you leave a security deposit with your landlord, they are supposed to put in the bank until it is needed, or until they refund it to you because you were a good tenant and didn’t punch holes in the walls. You are also entitled to any interest that your deposit makes in that time. Most people don’t know this, and either the landlord pockets the money or keeps the security interest to him or herself. Luckily, I have HUD on my side making sure that I have to pay $16.78 less than my actually rent this month, thanks to interest. I heart HUD.