Introducing Ashlee

As a new Chicagoan, I forced myself to be social.  I have no family here, and I needed to develop a support system from the ground up.  I joined a band.  The guitarists girlfriend took a liking to me and took me to karaoke at Goose Island in Wrigleyville.  Michael J, the KJ, ran a really classy show called Karaoke Cult.  He encouraged positive reinforcement, took pictures, and stated often, "It's all about the Love."  When my birthday rolled around in December, I asked a couple of my new coworkers to accompany me to the next Thursday night Karaoke Cult event.   I saw a lot of the same people as the last time.  Including a group of outgoing musical theater majors.  This group included a girl with short hair who knew how to two-step. 

Throughout the next few months, my friend Todd and I spied on this girl at Karaoke cult.  I felt connected to her.  I wanted to talk to her.  Todd called her my straight-girl crush.  We had to find a way to meet her.  Todd's birthday came up.  Instead of making him a cake at home, I made mushroom meringues.  That sounds gross, I know, but they are quite delicious.  They are simply plain meringues, shaped like mushroom caps and stems, attached with chocolate, and sprinkled with cocoa dust.  They taste like candy, but they really look like mushrooms!!  Anyway, we brought a big Tupperware dish of the mushrooms to Karaoke Cult, and tried to share them with the crowd. 

As we offered my confections, people questioned them and for the most part, wouldn't even try them.  "What are they?" "What does it taste like?"  "What's in that?"  People would sniff, poke, and leer, but few would take so much as a nibble.  After slaving over these little cookies for two hours, I was a little offended, but happy that there would be plenty for me and Todd to share.  We had almost run out of people to offer cookies to.  And there she was.  Todd told me to take one to the short-haired-two-step girl.  I nervously walked up to her, worried that she would break my heart by refusing my meringue.  I set a mushroom on my palm, outstretched my arm to her, and CHOMP!  She grabbed it and ate it whole with no questions!  Todd erupted with laughter.  We finally introduced ourselves.  Her name is Ashlee.  And she is a hell of a two stepper.