Category: Blogapalooza
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We never met, but my grandfather, Jesse Paulk, shaped my life
If I could meet anyone in the world, I’d choose to go back to before September 12, 1961 and meet my maternal grandfather, Jesse Paulk. September 12, 1961 was my mom’s 13th birthday and also the day my grandfather died. I was given my name, Jessica, in his memory. My mom’s brother also named his…
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Watervale – My Slice of Heaven
Every summer for as long as I can remember, my family has vacationed at a resort in Northern Iowa Michigan called Watervale. Watervale is a third-generation family owned resort that began as a logging town in the 1800s. The Kraft family purchased the abandoned town in 1917. My family ties don’t go back quite that…
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Bring Me Some Texas Tea, My Guilty Pleasure is Dallas
Once a month, the bloggers of ChicagoNow come together for Blogapalooza. It’s a one-hour event. At exactly 9:00 p.m., our fearless leader, Jimmy Greenfield, emails us a topic. We write and post whatever we have at 10:00 p.m. This month’s Blogapalooza topic was just released. Welcome to ChicagoNow’s Blogapalooz-Hour! Your challenge, if you choose to…
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Fear Didn’t Stop Me In My 20s and Won’t Stop Me In My 40s
Tonight’s monthly ChicagoNow Blogapalooza topic just came out and my initial thought was, “Huh? I’m pretty sure I’ve covered this before and don’t know that I’ve got anything else to say on it.” My second thought was “And THAT’s why I need to accept the challenge.” What’s the topic? “Write about fear, or lack thereof,…
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Jake Ryan was My First Serious Boyfriend
I met my first serious boyfriend the summer before my freshman year of high school. He was tall with dark hair and hazel eyes. He was an athlete and a year older than me. He was super preppy. And he and Jake Ryan could have been twins. Yes, from Sixteen Candles. That Jake Ryan. We…
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Jawbone UP24 Knows Me Better Than I Know Myself
Exactly one week ago, I purchased a Jawbone UP24. For the uninitiated, the Jawbone UP24 is a bracelet that tracks your every movement and your sleep habits. It will also track what I eat and drink, my weight, and my mood, if I choose to let it and I input that information. It syncs with…
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ChicagoNow Blogapalooza – My Weighty Challenge
Every now and again ChicagoNow holds Blogapalooza where the community managers invite all the bloggers (that includes ME, ya’ll!) to write for one hour about a particular topic. Participation is option, but because I’m new, I’ve obviously never participated before and I felt like this was a perfect opportunity to do a little community bonding.…
Jessica L Gardner 