It certainly has been an eventful few weeks in the House of Dudek. 

Thanksgiving weekend in Michigan ended up being a lot fun, and as an added bonus RSM came to Michigan with me to eat some turkey, sleep in, hang out with the rest of the clan, and veg out. Highlights included 

a.) Casino Royale with my Mom and RSM (Holy Shit, what a great film! I looked at Mike and actually said "He (Bond) got the beat crapped out of him" (talking about the infamous chair scene..) I actually meant to say "He got the crap beat out of him, but obviously my brain was on hyper drive or I was still in movie shock at how frakin' awesome the film was. 
b.) Driving! For those of you out there who know me--I don't drive, I don't drive often, and I am only a so-so driver because of this. Boy, did I get practice! And in my Mom's new Jeep too. FYI, the car is still in tact.  

c.) Noshing on my Grandmother's kick ass stuffing.

I also had a rather large life-changing event: a new job! After Dec. 26, I will be working for the American Medical Association. Nervous and excited but certainly for the best on all levels: more responsibility, new environment, excellent benefits/pay. Good by real estate, hello medicine. If anyone wants a Physician's Desk Reference, I'll do my best to snag one.   

Also off to Portland, OR for a wedding this weekend. yee haw! :-) 

Despite HORRIBLE traffic getting back to the city on our way home, RSM and I took a drive out to Schaumberg. We hit various places including IKEA and I finally purchased a new couch cover for the Klippan sofa and purchased a Lack coffee table (not to mention a nifty desk light for the office). It looks great--now to just have people over to show it off. And for those of you wondering, yes, that IS a Game Cube in the corner of the screen :o)

I just got back from seeing a film called Darshan by Jan Kounen. This a documentary that follows Amma, an Indian woman from Kerala who embraces the true meaning of love and selfless service to others. Amma has been recognized by the United Nations as a humanitarian and is a recepient of the Ghandi-King Award for Non-violence. Amma has opened hosptials, schools, hospices, disaster relief programs, free homes for the poor and the needy, medical camps, orpheneges, and the list goes on. Her soul mission in life is to simply love others and serve others. One such way to show this love is through darshan. To date, she has embraced 25 million people. I am very lucky since I have experienced such an embrace. People flock to her in droves. It is an amazing film.

Read the review here


For more info on Amma, go to her website here.

Saw Crank last night and liked it. If you check your brain at the door, know that this movie is purely action for action's sake, and you really dig Jason Statham, see it. Not to mention the web site for the film is rather entertaining. This film will take you on a roller coaster ride of awesome cinematography, action sequences that make you gasp, and a hilarious sex scene that involves way too many tourists in Chinatown. Per one film critic, "Merrily refusing to compromise on any level, filmmakers Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor rocket through this thriller with so much energy and personality that we just hang on for the ride. And it's so much fun we don't want it to end."

As I sat at my desk this afternoon, I spent a lot of time staring out the window and watching the rain fall from the sky. I thought the weather was appropriate for my mood, one that was quiet, contemplative, and appropriate for the day. Nature in mourning if you will. 

In the five years since 9/11, I am  a little older, I have a different job, a different apartment, different friends, and life continues on into whatever is supposed to happen next. I don't write this to stir up controversy or politics. I write this to simply to remember the day, what happened, and how our lives will never quite be the same. To take a moment and realize my very long laundry list of blessings and remember that I am lucky enough to be here. Now. Writing. Typing. Breathing. Living.  Hoping for peace.

In my heart, I am pulling those I love dearly a little bit closer tonight...  A few extra kisses in the morning on the walk to work, an extra "I love you" over the phone to family far away, and a few extra prayers of protection to everyone I care about no matter where they are at this moment. 

It is heavy downpour of rain which drenches the soil to fullness; likewise only a profuse shower of love overcome hatred.     
-Gandhi 

This afternoon I took part in an rush-hour evacuation of the West Loop in downtown Chicago. It was part of September's National Preparedness Month as dictated by the good folks at the U.S. Homeland Security Office.The buzz around my office was one of anticipation and curiosity or everyone was excited about the free commerative t-shirts we had received days earlier (white, size XL for all). See pics below. I find it ironic that the evacuation drill had company sponsorship. All participants also received an evacuation back pack complete with an emergency check list and a handout explaining what post traumatic stress disorder is all about. 





The air of calm during the drill stuck with me--people seemed so casual and carefree like it was a grade school firedrill. My coworkers cracked jokes and other Loop workers waved and laughed to one another while walking to the City Check In stations. While it IS so important to know what to do in case of an emergency and know that the City is (hopefully) prepared to take on (god fobid) chaos, I don't think I walked away with an added sense of security; rather just another t-shirt to add to my collection.