All The Way.

A lot has happened since we last spoke. I quit the job I worked for the past nine years. I started a new job in a totally unrelated field. I went to Rhinebeck and frolicked with woolly creatures and bought lots of yarn. And, you may have heard, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. It's a big deal.  

The mixed blessing of my new position is that I'm no longer commuting into the city. My acclimation to suburban living has been lengthy. Despite moving nearly three years ago, I've been reluctant to fully accept my separation. It was easy to remain connected, because I spent most of my waking hours downtown in the thick of it. Unfortunately, this arrangement meant I was spending more than 12 hours each week traveling between work and home.

My new position is closer to home. Much closer. I travel half as much in an entire week than I did in a single day. The subject matter of my new job is incredibly lighter than before. The balance between my wok and life is much more aligned.  Now that I'm starting to feel more comfortable and adjusting to the initial shock of "change", these things have an incredible effect on the amount of stress I'm experiencing on a daily basis. 

The tradeoff is that I'm not in the city. I no longer have immediate access to the people, places and things that had become routine parts of my life. And, when something incredible happens, like the Cubs winning the World Series for the first time in 108 years, I have to observe from a distance. 

I felt very sorry for myself that I couldn't drop down from my office last Friday to join five million other fans gathered for the biggest celebration in Chicago history. That feeling was short lived when I realized there was only one person I wanted to celebrate with. Cheesy. I know. But, true.  

One of our first dates was to a Cubs game. I read pretty deeply into that. Being a Cubs fan is so much more than sports. It's about loyalty, tradition, knowing how to take a loss without quitting, it's about optimism, and it's about shared experience. Mike's love for the Cubs inspires my own. He was raised to bleed blue. Some of his earliest memories are of listening to Cubs games on the radio with his grandparents. I think most Cubs fans have a story. Most of us are connected to the team by someone we love. It's not just baseball. It's memories. I'm so happy to have this one. We did it. We finally did it.  We did not suck.

Outfit details:
Shirt- Pattern: McCall's M6044,
              Fabric: Japanese Cotton Flannel from B&J
Jeans- Banana Republic: Slim Fit
​Boots- John Fluevog: Newell, lined, green

Pattern notes- This is my go-to pattern for Mike's shirts. The only modifications we made were lengthening the sleeve and body.  I may bump the sleeves up to a larger size in future versions where I'm using flannel or heavier fabrics to increase wearing ease and allow for layering.