Month: December 2025

Corporate Party At The Gerachty

I didn’t finish this post on Sunday, because I got the news about our neighbors, and with all understanding that life goes on, I couldn’t bring myself to finish. Now, I put the final touches on it and am ready to publish.

We had our Holiday Party on Saturday night, and it was held at the Geraghty, an innovative event space, converted from an old paper mill. I have only been to a corporate party at this job once, and it was so loud and hectic that I didn’t want to go after that.

This year, it was different. When I read the party description, I immediately wanted to go! The event description we received was as follows:

Event Timeline
7:00PM
As our evening begins, enjoy elegant passed canapés and a glass of wine. Pick up your event map and set out to uncover the wonders hidden throughout the venue. Choose your first stop: The Kingdom of Ice, home to our exquisite raw bar and the captivating sounds of the Arctic Pianist, The Wizard’s Library, where you can sample imaginative elixirs at the Potion Station led by Chef Richie Farina, The Enchanted Forest, where you can feast at abundant food buffets and enjoy live entertainment throughout the night, or the Bullseye Pub & Darts, competing for your chance to win VIP festival tickets,

7:30PM
Journey into the Enchanted Forest where lavish dinner buffets await. Grills blaze while the stream and stone evoke the quiet presence of a woodland brook. Flickering flames and forest-foraged flavors beckon you into a world where nature, earth, and magic converge.

9:30PM
As dinner service winds down, delight in dainty passed sweets and indulge at the Yule Log Carvery in the Enchanted Forest. Visit the Dragon Hatchery in The Wizard’s Library for a sweet surprise.

10:30PM
The night heats up as The LVB takes the stage in the Enchanted Forest. The darts competition wraps up in the Bullseye Pub & Darts, but free-play boards remain open for casual fun while you mingle.

11:00PM
Recharge with savory late-night bites passed throughout the Enchanted Forest as anticipation builds for the night’s grand finale.

11:30PM
Return to the stage in the Enchanted Forest where Spencer Ludwig ignites the dance floor with an electrifying performance.

1:00AM
As our Holiday Party comes to a close, we hope you leave with memories every bit as magical as the night itself.

I knew I would not stay until 1 AM, and ideally not even until 11 PM, but I was hoping to catch the desserts, so I planned to leave after 10 -30 PM.

It was very cold, so I bundled up from top to bottom, including ski pants.
We were told there would be a coat check, so I planned on it.

I took the Red Line and the bus there, and it took me about 1.5 hours from door to door, having timed everything as well as I could. Aside from time, it was a very good idea, and I liked taking bus #60.

The bus stopped just one block away from the venue.

I got it, and there were ten attendants at the coat check ready to pick up my things, but I told them it would take me a while to unbundle myself. Watching me take off the snowpants, a lady asked: Did you walk here? I replied: I used public transportation. She continued: You are brave! For which I replied; No, I just know how to use public transportation. It was especially appalling because it’s just an industrial neighborhood, not even something scary.

Each of us was given this map when we entered, with the place on the back for all six stickers.
Continue reading “Corporate Party At The Gerachty” →

Christmas Countdown

I didn’t post about our corporate party yet, although the post was almost finished, because it is still difficult to operate in a holiday mood after the tragedy that happened practically at home, but nevertheless, life continues.

Aside from the party, I spent the weekend decorating the cookies and baking additional batches. Saturday started with a trip to Jewel-Osco, the only store that still carries inexpensive plastic cookie boxes, which are not only affordable but also super light, which makes them perfect for shipping.

Also, I baked two kinds of gluten-free cookies, mostly to mail to our exiting team manager, whose wife has a severe gluten intolerance, but then I also had leftovers for others. I loved the GF flour I got this year, and will make sure to stick to it.

This weekend was record cold, down to negative in the mornings, and here is how my balcony door looked from inside – I thought it’s increadibly pretty:

To my surprise, the lake was not frozen!

Also, I received one more international package, this time from Ireland:

The new ornament is already on the tree!
And the chocolate awaits 🙂

***

Yesterday, I was busy finishing baking cookies, packing, and preparing them for shipping. I was very cold, but sunny, and I felt happy staying inside in my beautifully decorated home, surrounded by the smells of baked cookies. I was thinking that overall life is good, and my crazy time at work is about to be over, and how lucky and fortunate I am.

Then I saw a message onmy phone. It was from onw of our condominium board members, and he asked me to call him back.

When I dialed, he said: I have some sad news for you. Then he told me, that one of our neigbors – an absolutely lovely couple in their 40s with no kids and two beautiful dogs were in the car crash. The husband passed away and the wife was in critical condition in the hospital.

And that was it.

I still can’t process these news. Can’t conprehend them. We were not close friends, but we saw each other several times a week, and their “Hi Hettie” was one of these things which are “always here,” and make our community the way it is.

Cookies From All Over The World

I don’t know why New Zealand is the closest place to Chicago in the whole world, but my New Zealand Christmas present always arrives first, without fail!

Can We Put Them To Work?

WBEZ reported earlier this week that the hazardous situation with snow removal in Chicago is not only due to the record early snow, but also because 60% of the landscapers are not leaving their houses, afraid of being deported.

When I shared this news with Boris, he said: Let ICE agents do this! I said: It would be great, but on what grounds? Boris replied: Well, ICE is detaining people whom they call illegal because they believe they are taking jobs from Americans. Since apparently, nobody wants these jobs, ICE agents should be summoned to snow removal!

While this is unlikely to happen, I still think it’s funny enough to share:)

Christmas At Jarvis Square

Love walking home from the Red Line!

Looking More Like Holidays

Aside from the Monday disaster and aside from the never-ending work crisis, things were looking pretty festive.

As I said, I didn’t go to the Knox party on Monday, which I now regret, but Igor and I decorated the tree. There was the Night Ministry Christmas Party on Tuesday (I volunteered there), but as usual – no pics until they post on their website.

At work, we had a bagel sandwich chief’s table (everyone could order their version of bagel sandwich with smoked salmon; this picture is very close to what I ordered).

On Wednesday, we had our building (not our firm) holiday party on the Landing:

After the party, I went to the Fannie May store and purchased chocolate to give to Anna’s family and to Mom (for her, I picked a custom selection with no nuts and no small particles, just cream filling). Also, I walked a little bit along Michigan Avenue and saw some holiday lights.

I also packed two more parcels, and baked holiday biscotti with cherries, almonds and peppermint chips.

Today, we had the Conscious Cup in our cafeteria from 7-30 AM to 10 AM, and we could get any drinks from them (same as bagel sandwiches, it is always free for us). First, I got a cappuccino with peppermint, and later – a latte with vanilla.

After work, I went to get my nails done to be ready for the corporate holiday party on Saturday, and then I did some almost-last-minute shopping in Target (and regretted the time wasted).

I hope to go skating tomorrow, and I know I won’t have time to go listen to the Caroling at the Cloud Gate, because I also need to visit my mom. Maybe next year 🙂

Monday Disaster

I am finally in a relatively calm state of mind to describe what happened on Monday.

I took Monday off because my many years of cookie shipping taught me that there is not enough time to pack and ship, especially when it comes to international shipping, and I end up having several sleepless nights and late shipments. This year, I decided to face reality:)

There was one more thing I planned to do on that day: as usual, I bought several gifts for the families in the transitional living program at the Night Ministry, but this year, there were multiple heavy items, so my plan was to Uber them to the Night Ministry in the middle of the day. Then I realized that I am running out of time to be able to do both mailing and Ubering to the Night Ministry, and besides, there were so many so heavy things that I started to doubt whether I would be able to load them into Uber. So I emailed a person with whom I coordinated the donations and asked her whether possibly someone from the office would be driving in my direction. She replied that she can pick up things and that she will message when she is close to me.

About five minutes before her arrival, I started moving things down because I realised I needed at least four trips.

I made two trips down with the heaviest things, met my neighbor, who was picking up her grocery delivery, and I helped her move her packages up, took the next portions, and went down. And then I could not believe my eyes: everything I had already moved to the vestibule was gone!

I rushed out of the door – there was obviously nobody! I asked the Amazon driver, who was taking things out of his car to deliver to the other side of the street, whether he saw somebody walking out of our door, but he obviously didn’t pay attention. And just then, a person who was picking up my donations showed up.

Even though I had a suspicion since my stolen cookies episode two years ago that someone had our master key, and suggested rekeying both buildings, my idea was rejected, and we were advised not to buzz in anyone we don’t know. This time, I am sure nobody was buzzed in, because the buzzing sound is always audible on the stairs, so I would have heard.

That’s it. I didn’t go to the Knox Holiday party at the Steppenwolf that night because I felt in the wrong mood for a party. It was only yesterday that I realized that if I went, I wouldn’t be able to talk about anything except for these stolen donations. Now, I am sort of-kind of-not so horribly upset.

The Night Ministry was able to replace my gifts, but the household items I donated were gone. The worst was not even the monetary value (the Night Ministry always asks to keep the costs low) but the fact that this episode almost destroyed my trust in my community. I will try to get over , but the words of encouragement will be appreciated!

New Ornaments

Saturday was the day of the Holiday Artisan Market on Jarvis Square, and Lena and I decided to take a break from baking and go there. I should have planned it more explicitly and allocated more time, but I only remembered about it a couple of days before the event that it was going to happen. That’s very characteristical of this holiday season – there were only few things which I planned well; it could be much more enjoyable if I won’t have all the extra stress and could leave all non-Christmas thoughts behind for a month.

Anyway, checking out the artists was fun, but as it often happens, I couldn’t decide what I want to buy. I am not showing a couple of things because they will be given to someone who checks out this blog periodically, but I want to show a couple of new ornaments:

Speaking about my Christmas tree, once again, I ordered it from Tree Santa, and don’t regret; just this time, the delivery was late (I suspect, due to the workers shortage, like many things happening these days). Since it was delivered at 7 PM on Sunday, there was no way I could decorate it then. Igor and I did the bulk of it on Monday evening, and then I finished it tonight, placing some additional ornaments, chocolates and candy canes, and gingerbread cookies.

Holiday Baking

I am brewing this coffee almost every time I brew coffee at home, and I will soon run out of it. However, the person who came up with this recipe deserves a medal of honor!
Working moments