Someone is Clearly Enjoying MY Birthday More Than Me

I stopped by my parent's house this afternoon to find someone snoozing the day away.

The very relaxed looking figure on the couch is my father. Who by the way, forgot to wish me a Happy Birthday when he called earlier this morning.

Instead, to celebrate my 27^th, he decided to take a load off in the middle of the afternoon.

It’s 2 p.m. I giggled while snapping this photo and waking him up. No way he’s sleeping on the job. I want my present, or at least I want to tell him what I want.

My birthday wish this year…to have it this easy when I turn 63.

No Top 10 For Me...Bummer

I’ve been cut from the CBS 2 Traffic Reporter Tryouts. The station is currently holding “American Idol” like auditions for its next morning anchor position and slowly weeding out Chicagoland contestants.

I made it to the semi-finals with 69 others last week. On Saturday, I visited CBS 2 downtown, took a written exam, and tried out. To be honest, I thought I did pretty well. I memorized the accidents I needed to report on, maneuvered around the green screen fairly accurately for my first time, and enjoyed conversing with the other main anchors. But I guess I’m not what CBS is looking for and I’m OK with that.

I’ve always regretted not applying to more colleges my senior year of high school. While I loved every minute at the University of Michigan, I wish I had also applied to some more reach schools. I don’t know what I was a afraid of and promised myself to never make that mistake again. Who cares that I didn't know a thing about traffic reporting before last week. I was going for it!

I think as we get older rejection gets easier. I rolled over this morning, checked my email, saw that I hadn’t made the cut, rolled back over, and went to sleep again.

I’m a good employee and a great person. I want my employer to want me as much as I want them.

So while I won’t be competing for a 3-month, $25,000 contract with CBS anymore, I wish all the other finalists good luck and am satisfied with what I took away from the experience…a whole lot more knowledge about Chicago’s major roadways!

If You Didn't Know, My Best Friend's Getting Married

I was half asleep when one of my oldest friends called me shrieking on the phone. I couldn’t really understand what she was saying but eventually got the gist. She’s ENGAGED!

Margot and I met during tennis pre-season before the start of our freshman year in high school. I was transferring from another school and she had just moved to Chicago from New York. I missed the first week of practice because of a family vacation and was extremely nervous when I showed up the second week. That first day, Margs and I were partnered together as double players, and have been best friends ever since.

I know I’m getting older, I realize I turn 27 in two weeks but I just can’t get a grip on the fact we’re at the marrying age...or at least Margot is.

I remember Margs and I passing notes in history class sophomore year and going on spring break together. We never missed a good high school party and helped throw each others. I remember our road trips to college in Ann Arbor and endless Cosi lunches. Plus, sneaking into nightclubs before we were of age and sweet-talking the bouncers. I remember when we each landed our first jobs and how proud we were of each other. We’ve celebrated raises ever since.

Now she’s engaged, with a beautiful ring on her finger and she’s ECSTATIC.

I think Margot and of course her fiancee are extremely lucky. He makes her glow and you can tell these two are right for each other. That doesn’t happen every day.

I think falling in love is a big deal, you’re giving yourself to another person in a way no one else can understand. It’s special, rare and something to cherish. But I’ve also learned, marriage isn’t only about love. As I grow older and a bit wiser (hopefully) I realize you’re also going to need someone you can rely on. Forget money, forget jobs, forget the rest of your family. At the end of the day, it’s you and this other person, day in and day out, making huge decisions together.

I think it’s so appropriately put in wedding vows, “for better or for worse,” because that’s literally what you’re promising. But isn’t that such a great promise to be able to make to someone? It’s definitely one I want to make some day and am overjoyed that my best friend has already found someone to make it to.

Semifinals Here I Come!

CONGRATULATIONS! That's the subject of an email I got in my inbox today.

As you all know I recently submitted a 30 second video for a morning traffic reporter position for CBS 2 (you can watch it a few entries down). The Chicago station is having an "American Idol" like tryout competition to fill its open position and I went for it. 3,000 candidates were recently narrowed down to 75 and your very own Natalie Kaplan was picked as one of the semifinalists.

On April 16 I head into CBS studios for a taped audition with the morning anchor team and then a written exam. The winner gets a three-month, $25,000 contract with the network. So, I better start memorizing my highways!

To say the least I'm excited...ok, I'm actually freaking out. When I moved home I promised myself I was going to explore all career opportunities. This is definitely a turn (hehe) in the right direction!

My Hiatus from Diet Coke

It’s refreshing, energizing, addicting and frankly…it’s still sitting in my refrigerator. But the DC and I are on a little break.

“You can’t be a social drinker,” a friend of mine told me about my bad habit the other day. She wasn’t talking about hard liquor but instead my consumption of Diet Coke and Pepsi.

I usually drink at least one a day but recently have been binging on two or more. Until now, I really didn’t care. I figured, I restrict myself from eating and drinking so many other things that a zero calorie treat was harmless. But I’m not so sure anymore.

So, while skiing in Colorado a couple of weeks ago I decided to go cold turkey. I told my family, “Don’t let me have a single sip.” My brother responded, “Wait, no more Diet Coke and rums?” That made me think. I’m not a big alcohol drinker but when I do go out, my beverage of choice is coke & rum (Diet Coke with a splash of Captain Morgan’s to be exact). “No, no more Diet Coke and rums,” I said.

It’s been two weeks and I’m still going strong, accept for a slip up last night. It was 9 p.m. and election results were just starting to come in. I was exhausted and it was going to be a long night of reporting. Plus, a can was staring me in the face. I drank it and while I’m confessing, I had two, the second at 2 a.m.

But I’m back on track today. Why? Because I already notice a difference. Maybe it’s just mind tricks but I honestly think my skin looks better, that’s probably because every time I used to have a pop I chug a bottle of water instead.

My goal is to make it to my birthday, that’s April 26. I figure it’s a start. My only problem is I don’t know what to order when I go out anymore. Any suggestions?

That's Right...

I just spent $38 on green toes and purple fingernails and couldn't be happier about it!