Looks Like I'm the Patch Rookie—Let's Dance!

Why, hello.

I'm Tessa and I've recently been asked to write a few posts here and there for the Oak Forest Patch. I'm beyond thrilled! I love writing and this is a great way for me to get started. I feel like you will get to know me quickly though my writing; I’m going to try and project what’s going on around the area and what I’m keeping busy with in this town that I’ve resided in for just over a year.

Being 23 years old, this is the first town I’ve lived in besides my own. I am originally from Naperville and attended college at the College of DuPage. I moved here last March and I have cozied in rather nicely. There have been little spots all around the area that I’ve fallen in love with and have grown attached to. I will try to recognize those people and places when I can; great service and product should always be recognized. I try to get around to things around town as often as I can, but I keep pretty busy with work. I decorate cookies/manage a shoppe up the road in Orland Park. When I’m not working I’m out taking walks in my neighborhood, bopping around town, writing reviews on Yelp, and catching up on as much news as I can get my hands on. I wish I had more time to spend on reading about what’s going on in the world. I wish I had more time for a lot of things—but don't we all? I feel like I have so much to learn; I’m young, but I know that time goes by so fast. I really have to savor it while it’s here and soak up as much information as possible.

My counterpart is the reason I'm living in Oak Forest. We have a cute and quaint house and we have a cat, Toby. He's the shining star of the household. One thing for sure is that we are devoted heavily to the slew of shows we watch. We get wrapped up in some great comedies (Arrested Development, The Office, The Daily Show, Parks & Rec, etc…) as well as all the MSNBC Political jazz and our dramas; The Good Wife, X-Files, Dexter—you get the idea. We also listen to a lot of music. We have very similar tastes and with him working from home, there’s a lot of grooves running through this house. Should I name a few bands? Why not? Our favorites are Spoon, Radiohead, Metric, U2 (OLD ONLY!—same goes for R.E.M.), The Smiths, Modest Mouse, PJ Harvey, Red Hot Chili Peppers and the list goes on and on.

However, as nerdy as we may seem, we do get out every once in a while and it’s generally to grab a bite to eat or play some Frisbee in the park in our neighborhood.  Some events get us really riled up, like when we welcomed back the Tin Man over at King Heating & Air over on 159’th and Cicero. That was a hoot and I’m really glad I got someone to cover my shift so that I could attend that event.

As spring is quickly turning into summer, I’m excited to head over to the farmer’s market. Luckily, it's just up the road from me on Oak Park Ave in the train station parking lot. It will be there come June. For a full list of farmer’s markets in the area, check out this site. It’s always a great idea to support your local farmers, but make sure you know who you’re buying from. I’m hoping my fruit comes from where they say it does and not buying it in bulk at Costco and peeling off the stickers. I love checking out all the things that end up there, some people have the most creative things, crafty kind of stuff. Mostly, I just love stocking up on fresh fruits and veggies for the week. I love how I’m feeling when I eat healthy, especially in the summer when the fruit is actually worth eating. I’m so ready to welcome tasty fruit back into my life.

Also, you may have seen those severe thunderstorm warnings around lately? Consider that my favorite time of year, my friend! Storm season is in full swing and while it leaves devastation beyond belief in certain areas of the country, the power and presence of the storm heavily amuses me and always has. I know the basics, I’d love to delve into it more, but the painstaking science will take me awhile to ease into. For now, I love it from a distance. I love tracking storms and I know a few people that chase that come out of C.O.D. (They have a fantastic program for Meteorology) and they always have good data that I can luckily access through their Facebook and Twitter. Just make sure you pay attention and know the difference between your watches and warnings. As much as I would think that people would know this, you’d be surprised. A watch means that the conditions are favorable for that occurrence, whether it be a storm or a tornado. A warning means that it is in effect. A tornado or storm is present and affecting the current area. Always stay informed if you know the risk is high for severe weather. The storms will only get worse....

However, I’ve kept you reading long enough. Today was my day off and had a chance to finally go skating (figure skating that is). I've never been to the rink out here yet. I usually head over to the rink I feel most comfortable, but it's good to branch out and get on new ice. I got some information about the rink and will write more about my experience along with some pictures. That’s for next time.

Cheers!

— Tessa