So my first experience with the Long Beach Airport was laughable. Yes, it's just "Long Beach Airport," there's no "International" anywhere in there. Trust me, I looked. As you can see, the main terminal resembles a cross pollination of a navy ship and high schools I played water polo in throughout Orange County.

This was where I deigned to have sushi at 10:00 a.m. (I was hungry and it was that or muffins that look like they'd been previously fondled.) However, I didn't feel so bad because two plastic looking women were enjoying a nice glass of Chardonnay at about this time. The things that really killed me about this airport are:

a) They play Rod Stewart over the crackly intercom like it's going out of style

b) I can see my plane...but for some reason, I can't board it for two more hours

c) The parking structure is so small there is no rhyme or reason...no level names, no lot numbers. Just "hey I think I parked on level 2 about 5 days ago...let's trudge over to that spot and see."

But it really was worth flying out of this piss ant airport to fly jetBlue. Seriously, that airline is so much more superior to others. Me being the map dork I am, I forgo ed much-needed sleep in favor of watching the live Google Map on the back of my seat. We're over Denver! Now we're over Iowa! Chicago! Detroit! I took pictures to document this monumental occasion of flying 30,000 feet above areas that are flat and have nothing to show for themselves at that elevation. Sorry - great cities! Just not from a bird's eye view.

I am currently in New York and will be back in the OC for Halloween. Hopefully they'll be some carving of pumpkins and lazing on the sofa tomorrow. However, I will miss the hustle bustle of New York. My shoulders will not though...40 pound laptop bag + subway rides = I need a chiropractor.

You demand more about Chicago...well, okay.

So my adoring public demands more Chicago blog posts. Who am I to deny such a privilege as to read my random thoughts on traveling? Ha! So here goes.

However, I am a horrible blogger because I only have one lonely photo documenting my trip, and this a very blurry one taken from my rental car of Wrigley Field that you see to your left. Enjoy.

I was thinking a lot the other day of trade offs, pros and cons and the "grass in greener" effect when it comes to traveling and moving. I don't think there is one idyllic place to live, even though many would say that's Southern California. Yes, but we definitely pay the Sunshine Tax and go through mild heart attacks on the 405 daily.

So in the winter in Chicago you may never see the light of day and your face can crack open and bleed because it's so cold. But you have really fun bars, a great sports atmosphere, museums, Lake Michigan and lots of red meat! I think it's all what you choose to make of your situation. Like my good (newly) Chicagoan friend Jenn said, "what you feed will grow." So if you have a bad attitude about where you're at in life, you're going to hate wherever you are.

That being said, I think I need to visit this city during the wintertime to fully understand Chicagoland. I found myself duly unprepared for my dinner outing with my sweater dress...and no tights or leggings. Jenn and I went to Mambo Grill for dinner which was hilarious. I'm in Chicago to order a mojito and guacamole? And we definitely took a cab to go one block because it was raining and cold.

Other places I've frequented are Halligan Bar in Lincoln Park for some football and great bloody marys (note to self though - scary New York Giants fans are everywhere) and a bar across the street where we instantly met other another Mission Viejo native. Wow - OC transplants are everywhere, too! My favorite areas by far are Southport and Old Town...that I've been able to see. The houses in these areas are adorable and already decked out for Halloween with Martha Stewart-esque pumpkins and cobwebs.

My lovely friend Jenn manages the Anthropologie on Southport so I was able to drool for an extended amount of time over $300 jackets and dresses. After her shift we went over to this little cute bar, Messners Wrigley Grille, which was decorated so cute for Halloween, similar to how you see it here.

I also ventured out to Evanston, Skokie and a scary part of Chicago as well so I feel very well rounded. I must come back, however, to do things that do not involve the following:

- Eating

- Drinking

- ......

However my Chicago friends insist that I got the true taste of Chicago by skulking in a dark bar all Sunday, shouting at the TVs over a $2 burger and a $2 Miller Lite. My kind of town! Except...they really could have had a $2 Bud Light, I mean come on.

Ruminations on The Windy City

I don't usually post personal thoughts, but I figured since I'm on the road, it might be a little interesting at least. So here goes.

Here I am, my first night ever in Chicago and I'm blogging on my friend's Mac laptop at 12:30 a.m. Her boyfriend and his friend have left for other exciting things (a.k.a. Jameson on the rocks and bars) and my friend has gone to bed for work, so I'm left with ESPN and Blogger.

Although I do have to say there are a few intriguing things I must note about this city. First and foremost, I am in shock about how easy this city is to drive around. I was fully expecting a near breakdown when I took my rental car on I-90 into the city...but seriously, this place feels like Orange County with skyscrapers in terms of the traffic.

Secondly, this city smells GOOD. I smell barbeque and chocolate everywhere. Apparently there is a chocolate factory around here. That would seriously drive me to eat boxes of chocolate every day, so good thing I don't live here. Jen and her BF Dave actually made a really funny joke. You gain a bunch of weight from bar food here in Chicago. But what about the factor of walking everywhere?, I asked. Ah. Yes. You have very buff calves, but still have a beer belly. Ha.

The girls here dress up so much that I feel like a bum. It's this style I am not used to - very put together, very prissy, with TONS of cleavage and clubwear. Very matchy matchy. I couldn't compete with that. Maybe it's the neighborhood we're in? Kind of reminds me of the crowd in the Marina in San Francisco, but a little less douchey.

Also of note is the "Kiss 'n' Fly" lot at Chicago O'Hare Airport. How cute! I tend to just put my car into park and force my passenger out as quickly as possible, but in Chicago there's also some affection involved when you drop off a loved one at the airport.

Tomorrow there is talk of brunch and watching football. This city is SO sports-oriented it's not even funny...I can tell that in less than one day of being here.

Funny Pictures of Animals Could Save the World

So I don't know how this happened, but somewhere along the evolution of the Internet, people decided that pictures of animals with funny, apropo captions = hugely funny. I highly agree!

It all probably started with an email chain forward featuring a Rottweiler in a Halloween costume and an iguna wearing a tutu ...and here we are. Entire Web sites devoted to the cuteness of animals that are too obedient to not let you dress them like a sailor.

What I think is really super great is the melding of nerdiness and cats. I have no idea who thought of this idea, that nerds love cats - but it's great. So I present to you a wealth of a resource of cat/nerd photos - I Can Has Cheezburger.

So I'm running on the treadmill at the W in Los Angeles yesterday morning and I had an interesting thought - is our love for technology starting to turn us into heartless animals?

Why, you ask?

Well, the lovely W Hotels have treadmills that allowed me to watch CNN while I sweat. So, as I'm heading into my second mile, up on the screen flashes the headline "Consumers Place Computers at Top of Holiday Wish List." That's fine. Sometimes I kind of want a new shiny model of my 2005 Dell desktop that hums at night, but I'm not going to cry about it.

However, what I found most disturbing is the ranking of this list and that it has changed quite dramatically over the past year.

Let's do the visual thing.

2006
1. Clothing
2. Peace and Happiness
3. Money
4. Computers

2007
1. Computers
2. Peace and Happines
3. Big-screen TV
4. Clothes
5. Cash

Wow. The American Apparel and Footwear Association must be super bummed..."Clothes" is having a bad year.

I really love that the Consumer Electronics Association commissioned this survey. I'm in public relations, I get the whole "survey" thing. But now, more than ever, I feel disenchanted by the American public and its values. This quote makes me feel dirty inside:

“The fact that they want computers over clothing and peace and happiness is amazing,” said Shawn DuBravac, the CEA’s economist. “It’s a testament to what the tech industry has done to empower the consumer.”

Empower? Just because consumers have jacked up priorities and like tangible objects more than things money can't buy?

I, like most 25-year-olds who aren't complete luddites, enjoy me some technology every day. I can't go without my Blackjack, my laptop (work mandated...that's why), my iPod, etc. without some sort of minor meltdown. However, if someone said to me, "If you want the world to be harmonious, your smart phone and all its accoutrements and accessories are out the window," I would say to them "Screw it - this crappy thing can't stay charged worth a damn anyways!"

It seems as though we are being screwed with. Apparently, some of photos released from the set of Sex and the City: The Movie have been staged to keep us guessing!

Carrie in a wedding dress is being rumored as a "dream sequence" (oh god, one of those? those are only supposed to be saved for failing sitcoms!) I believe it's a dream due to the green feather monstrosity precariously strapped to her veil.

It's like one of those nightmares where you're walking down the aisle, but your wedding gown is hideous and you're marrying your ninth grade boyfriend whom you swore to hate. It's too bad to be true!

Also...might Kristin Davis be wearing a fake belly?

Oh, the lies.

I have a couple new friends I'd like you to meet. Every now and then I stumble upon a site that catches my eye and it instantly goes to my bookmarks.

The following goodies definitely meet that criteria.

I discovered the Evite blog while revising my birthday invitation for the fourth time in a row. (Clever enough? Not yet!) There are some interesting party and food ideas and I have to say I very much enjoyed the blood mary concoction tips. Better yet, they suggest hosting a Bloody Mary Bar at your next Sunday football gathering..."Sunday, Bloody Sunday"...get it?

However, I do not recommend the Cupcakes and Cocktails party they're touting. I tried it for my 24th birthday soiree, and we were so sugared out within an hour that I just wanted a cup of water.

And then for those who love to DIY, I really like Design*Sponge. 99.9 percent of these ideas will never come to fruition in my household, but I can still read about them and feel good about that. These library tips are very Domino Magazine and I love that they pointed me in the direction of these adorable, affordable prints.

This project, 20x200, produces new art every week at different price points. The smallest pieces are 11" x 8.5" and are $20 a pop. New work goes up every Tuesday and Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. EST, so I'm guessing the crop I'm looking at right now is fairly new. I'm really into this birdy and remnants of revelry in Brooklyn.

They're also very cute and break down design trends for you so you don't have to figure it out on your own. They seem to really heart Anthropologie. As do I!