Acquisitions

Amidst all the acquisitions in today's business world, it's good to see a reputable company like Procter & Gamble deciding to cut them when it seems smart. Good for P&G! 

Summer in the Chi

While June was full of festivals, July flew by with weddings, rooftops and fun times with friends. 

Here are just a few of the highlights!  

Hanging on adorable patios is a favorite Chicago pastime, and Kalyn, Stacey and I tried Las Fuentes in Lincoln Park for Kalyn's arrival home from Mexico.

Garfield Park Conservatory

Greek craziness at St. Haralambos for their annual Greekfest

Taking a summer afternoon off of work to go to Navy Pier with Lena + the Stornellos, and ride the Seadog

Greek Heritage Night at the White Sox game 

Chicago Architectural Boat Tour

Team bar crawl down Southport Corridor

Two Cubs games in three days with friends' tickets

Greek Young Adult Boat Cruise - successful event! 

July quotes

Although the list might not be appropriate when filtered to remove too many inside jokes, it's short & sweet! 

“Your outfits would look a lot cuter if the USA won.” -Anna, to every girl 

“I just hate 100 Happy Days because it encourages people to post very poor quality Instagram photos.” -Kerry

“Like I said to Papou, I’m so tired I don’t want to cook anymore. I want to go out.” -Yiayia Nikie, having her way! 

“I think we’ve established that no one obeys the rules here. Dogs, beer, kids throwing sand on you.” -Gwen, at North Avenue Beach

“He hasn't even posted a photo of me on Instagram. Pictures of food I’ve made him but no photos together.” 

“Every text she sends has an emoji at the end of it. How was your day bow tie? Love you honey, palm tree.” -Stacey & Jackie, on their grandparents texting 

“Our church had a wedding with 18 bridesmaids last night.” -Yiayia Sophie

"Who?"

“I don't know, someone told me about it.” -Yiayia Sophie 

“Don’t put our engagement photos on Facebook.” -Lee

“Well other people infiltrate my news feed with their babies so they can look at our engagement photos.” -Lauren

“How do you live in the city and not have Uber?” -Hannah

 “You spill on my floor and I’ll make you sleep on the patio.” -Hannah

"That was my favorite night of the line." -Kalyn

"Love, happiness, communication and lots and lots of babies. -DJ at Liz & Tasso’s wedding, in the speech he didn't have to give 

“You've been bumped up to the business class on our prayer list.” -A koumbaro at a wedding

“I rummaged through the cabinets to think ‘What should I bring Katie?’ and the only good thing was hummus that was 1/3 left, although I knew you’d still eat it.” -Eleni

“Dad, all the nice guys are players because they can be.” -Eleni

“Beer cans would have been a picnic compared to what I saw. I’d walk out to people peeing on my lawn.” -Woman on the L, on her Wrigleyville days

“Does anyone have anyone have anything against Pink Floyd?” -Joe

“Can you put something less stoner-ish on?” -Ariel

"Camp counselor problems: I’ve had 10 fudgsicles this week." -Eleni

“I know you have your Sunday night call list.” -Sherman, in a voicemail

“I had to beg this guy for tzatziki. You’d think I was asking him for his house.” -John 

"We went to the Museum of Natural History. The suggested donation was $22 a person so we each gave $5." -Sherman

"He doesn't have a wife but he very well could. Travels all week, has two phones..." -Hannah

Tracking a package in one click

I don't know if this is Gmail, Target or the US Postal Service's creation, but it's a brilliant invention. Kudos to tracking your mail without having to enter millions of codes!

Time to pause

One of the biggest complaints in modern society is being overscheduled, overcommitted and overextended. Ask people at a social gathering how they are and the stock answer is "super busy," "crazy busy" or "insanely busy." Nobody is just "fine" anymore. 

In a recent New York Times news analysis, No Time to Think, Kate Murphy comments on our lack of free moments to stop and think. She states that even when we do have a second that is not programmed, we revert to our phones to check social media & other ongoings.

The competitive aspect of it reminded me of another good article I read recently in Harvard Business Review, Why We Humblebrag About Being Busy. We're all guilty of it; I admit to regularly using "busy" as a way to describe my week. But sometimes it takes seeing others do this, especially at work, to comprehend how it comes off.

The best way I recharge in the middle of the day is taking five minutes to look away from my phone & inbox prioritize my to do list. There is nothing more valuable in the middle of a stressful day than a walk around the block. At Project Mexico, 20 minutes of quiet time kicked off the morning to make every day a peaceful day.

The power of pause is real and more relevant than ever!

Summerfest

Last Sunday, I went to the Milwaukee Summerfest grounds with Hannah for the Usher concert.

It was the first time since high school, when we went straight to the main theater for the Blink 182 concert. Back then, we exited the highway, got dinner in a lesser built up area of town and didn't really get to explore the festival, so honestly speaking…my opinion of Milwaukee was not a high one.

Over the past two years, I've had the opportunity to see a bit more of Milwaukee and appreciate its lakefront location, culture and character. This time when we went to the Summerfest Grounds, I saw everything it had to offer. You can see the entire skyline from the theater, and plenty of small bands and stages on the way to the main show. Take a look!

Summerfest Main Gate 

The grounds are right on the edge of Lake Michigan!

Hidden stages as small as the tiki hut...

…And as large as the Harley Davidson Stage

View of Summerfest Grounds & downtown Milwaukee from the top of the Marcus Amphitheater

Marcus Amphitheater

Hannah and I in the lawn in the thunderstorm while Usher sings "U Got It Bad"

June quotes

Summer means a lot of friends, traveling & fun gatherings after work. I've had the opportunity to see a lot of my best friends from home and college this month, so most of these quotes are characteristic of their personalities. 

You might not find them funny if you don't know them, but overall, they're pretty reflective of who they are and entertaining regardless. 

Enjoy! 

Reactions to this video of a wedding party falling off of a dock:

• "The scenery isn't even that great. my question is why they were even there in the first place." -Helen
• "We're all going to go get on this super skinny dock. Who does that?" -Alima 
• "Whoever thought that was a good idea is dumb." -Sam
• "We are staying FAR FAR away from all water." -Lexi
• “It’s because you have too many people in the darn wedding party. I just get really annoyed when you see the wedding party and half the people invited to the wedding are in it.” -Alex
• “Why are the bridesmaids not helping the bride?” -Lauren 

Everything else: 

“I got in the elevator the other day and thought it smelled like Alex, then I realized it was because it was the smell of coffee.” -Zach, Alex’s boyfriend

“You seem very grandpa-like.”

“I live in southern Florida and had cataract surgery, I am a grandpa. I was at the pool last week & the only other person there was 92.” -Zach

“Except I want to cancel it because I pay for the Netflix subscription for my whole family. I started trying to charge my sisters 50 cents a movie but they weren’t going for it.” -Anna 

  

“He does the PR for the lighthouse for the deaf and disabled.” -Jordin,

“Can't they not see or hear?” -Sam

“It's more to get money for said people.” -Jordin

“It looks like a green alien gave you a hickey.” -John, on what people look like after the color run 

“Greek guys have it so easy. You come to something like this and it's like fishing with dynamite." -John

“Nice boy, he’s been dating the same girl since high school, good family, grandfather’s a judge.” -Mom

“And she is such a know-it-all, that’s coming from me.” -Shaina

“It’s Drew’s wedding. And I’ve never met Drew until this weekend because 90% of their communication is through League of Nerds. He proposed to his fiancé by coding this website.” -Laura

“Don’t underestimate the power of not responding to a text.” -Meredith Hayford

“These are Greek boys. What do you expect?” -Stepheno

“Going on a trip with a dude means that I’ll keep the pictures and they won’t get deleted when we break up.” -Stepheno

"There are certain people that even if they post a sucky photo you like it anyway.” -Casey, on Instagram 

"WHY?"

“You want them to know you're paying attention.” -Casey

“It's scientifically proven that bridesmaids don't need a +1.” -Kathryn

“I liked Sherman’s Instagram, doesn't that mean I'm flirting with him? I should comment - maybe it would seal the deal.” -Meredith

“So what all is in this area?” -Joy, a non-Chicaogan 

“Nothing.” -Chicagoans

“Like if someone told me to meet them here, I'd say no.” -Stacey, on US Cellular Field

“What don't you like about the giraffe?” -Katie 

“It's wrinkly, it needs Botox.” -Sherman

“Well you would want to put me down right now.” -Old Grandma next to us at the zoo

“Mixed humans are a lot better looking then mixed animals.” -Sherman

“Well he lives in the suburbs & has insurance.” -Hannah, on a boy at the bar

“If showers were really that great, you would keep having parties like that. But no one does. They should just make these co-ed and not all women.” -Kaleigh’s mom

“I knew I was low on toilet paper so I just took some from the bagel place.” -Kathryn

“Brides without siblings are the worst.” -Kathryn

“If you really don't think guys and girls can be friends, why did you ask to meet up?” -Sherman, on an ex-girlfriend 

“And I think they're going to get really annoying about that and think we're getting married all because he's Greek, a future doctor, and we're friends. so kill me now #greekgirlprobs -Maria

“It’s okay, my family has 35 tickets to Lollapalooza.” -Elizabeth

“Naming ticket prices it took me to Priceline.” -Christina P, on looking up how to price boat cruise tickets 

"I already told him that if he didn’t like my pledge family it’s a dealbreaker. -Shelley, on her boyfriend 

“They had coffee on the porch and chatted at 6 in the morning. Who does that? Is this what 29 year olds do?" -Meredith 

"And then I'll go pick him up from Midway. Should I just break up a him now?" -Eleni, on picking up her boyfriend for a visit 

"I can't think of anything in the world, that if you added bacon to it, wouldn't be good." -Greg 

"And then mom called McDonald's to see what time they serve breakfast until." -Eleni

"Michelle you don't have string? You don't make friendship bracelets anymore?" -Michelle's cousin, on sending a note to neighbors through their balcony

"This is the beginning of an SVU episode. I'm going to get stolen." -Lauren, on walking home alone at night and a man approaching her on the street 

“It’s easier to recall the calls I didn’t return today. The article says church officials did not respond. That’s me!” -Dad

“Everyone's streaming the World Cup so we got a mass email about how our WiFi has slowed down, and where the games are playing in the building.”  -Liz

“Greater than sign! It was a last minute decision but applies to a lot of decisions. Pizza is greater than salad, wine > water.” -Sam, on her new tattoo

"What a morning. Every 10 feet, stop, “Waiting for signal clearance.”"–Ricky, problems on the CTA 

"Did you eat all your gnocchi because I'm totally about to." -Shelley

"And I learned two things - no wedding outside and choose an easy hashtag. I think I spelled theirs three different ways." -Shelley

"You guys are going to love this. I found out on Instagram that this horrible girl in my pledge class is getting married the same day I am." -Helen

   

"He's really cute but has the watch of a 10 year old boy. It looks like it's from a happy meal." -Helen, on our server at dinner 

"What could she possibly get annoyed at you for? She's so patient." -Steve, to a friend

"Sometimes I text her and I read it, then don't answer." -Friend

"Dude, you have to set up text reminders." -Steve

"You have to like my photo from yesterday since it only has 10." -Helen, to Steve

"They also have the weirdest proposal I've stalked on Facebook." -Helen

"I don't trust Mary Jo because she doesn't have a LinkedIn." -Helen, on someone in the business world