Get Excited About the Upcoming Months!

The second ½ of the year is seriously WAY better than the first. Here are a few of my favorite things about the upcoming months (August – December)!

5 Best Things About the Month of August
1. 2nd half of baseball season, check out the 1st place cubs: http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com
2. Still summer! Pools open, beach visits, baseball games, day drinking, outside weather, winery evenings…
3. 2008 Summer Olympics & there are a lot of local Chicagoans to cheer for - http://www.suntimes.com/sports/couch/1087202,localolybios080308.article
4. Lots of end of the summer celebrations & festivals! Here are some things to do in August: http://gochicago.about.com/od/chicago101thebasics/a/august.htm
5. It’s been a great month so far!

5 Best Things About the Month of September
1. Labor Day Weekend & a free day off work!
2. Beginning of fall – leaves start turning, starts cooling off, “fall smell”, apple picking
3. Still baseball season & start of football season! So much to watch & drink during, so little time. Track the Mizzou Tigers at http://mutigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/miss-m-footbl-body.html
4. The weather is great in Chicago! According to About.com, September is a wonderful time of year in Chicago -- the mild temps and the diminished crowds is ideal for sightseeing. Here are some fun things to do in Chicago during September - http://gochicago.about.com/od/chicago101thebasics/a/september.htm
5. The Mizzou Journalism School turns 100! (I know I’m kind of lame but I still think it’s pretty cool). Learn about it here: http://journalism.missouri.edu/2008/

5 Best Things About the Month of October
1. My birthday! (Isn’t that why October is so great for you too?)
2. Halloween – the only holiday that it’s socially acceptable to wear crazy outfits to work, wear over-the-top slutty outfits out and eat candy all day without feeling guilty. Start planning Halloween 2008 here: http://www.halloween-online.com/
3. Oktoberfest – I mean it’s a festival that revolves around beer, what more do I have to say? Find out more about Oktoberfest here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest
4. Homecoming – going back to Mizzou, seeing old friends, acting like college students again, tailgating, football, lots of food & beer… it’s not like Mizzou invented it or anything… oh wait, we did! Read about it here: http://www.mizzou.com/homecoming/history.html
5. Football season & tailgates – besides the summer, the only other time of the year that day drinking is actually encouraged & still nice enough to grill outside without you freezing to death. Check out this hilarious tailgate website: http://www.briansbelly.com/featured/tailgate/

5 Best Things About the Month of November
1. Thanksgiving – 2 days off of work + stuffing + pumpkin pie + friends/family = good times. This year, make a Turducken! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken
2. It’s still football season!
3. Movember –hilarious & for a good cause! According to Wikipedia, It's quite common for some males in Australia (especially in the city of Melbourne), and New Zealand to sport a moustache during the month of November. The custom being known as Movember (Movember is a portmanteau of the words 'Moustache' and 'November'.), and being a fundraising event for men's health issues. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movember
4. Election Year – I don’t know who I’m voting for yet, but I do that I’ll be happy as long as Bush gets out of the White House!
5. On Nov. 5, Justin & I will celebrate our 4 Year Anniversary!

5 Best Things About the Month of December
1. Holiday cheer – not only good food, parties & presents but everyone is in a good mood!
2. Two words – HOT CHOCOLATE. So I don’t know if you can get hot chocolate here but the menu looks AMAZING, I think I’m going to try it out next time I’m in the city - http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com/
3. Holiday break – a week of relaxing, spending time with friends & family, using all my newly acquired gift cards & cash from Christmas.
4. Traditions, such as cocktails at the Walnut Room in downtown Chicago’s Macys (formerly Marshall Fields) w/ Jessi, Ack & Jill http://planet99.com/chicago/restaurants/walnut_room_marshall_fields.html
5. Holiday Parties. Start planning early with tips from this site! http://www.centrinet.com/christmas/christmas_party_planing.htm