Banana Smile

Joe's attempt at getting me to smile so early in the morning. (And for the record, anything before 9 am is too early.) 

Weekend project

New classes started this week so I am just now writing about our Joe's weekend project. Joe assembled these book cases and then sorted our books by genre. It was a LOT of work. In the process we got rid of about two boxes of books (for donation) and still have books elsewhere in the house. Yes, this is why I bought him a Kindle! At any rate, Joe is ecstatic to have his own basement library.

Kirill's Story

My friend, Sandi shared the most heart-breaking blog post today of a friend of hers from college and asked that people spread their story with the hope that someone, somewhere might be able to help. I am reposting it here for you to read: Kirill's Story.

Gadgets, gadgets and more gadgets

The hardest part of unpacking has been trying to find a place for all of my kitchen "stuff." I am a little obsessed with kitchen gadgets and live by the motto, "I need everything." So I crammed everything into the kitchen and even bought a Rubbermaid-type cabinet with doors for the garage to store punch bowls, various sizes of crock pots and servings pieces that I might need but rarely use. And just when I thought everything had a place, I found more stuff that needed to be put away. Oops.

So then today I wake up and Joe had left this newspaper article open on the table for me to read. Hmm. Talk about timing.

So maybe I don't really need a blender and a food processor or two different types of mixers, a mandoline, a bread machine (okay, that's actually Joe's), a griddle or half of the other stuff waiting to fall out when I open my cabinet doors. But I love cooking and I love cooking gadgets so I don't foresee any of them leaving my house any time soon.

By far, my favorite kitchen gadget is my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I can't believe I actually used to mix things by hand. *Gasp* What's your favorite kitchen gadget?

Me on a mug

This mug came as a surprise in the mail on Friday from a friend. Have you ever seen a more perfect mug? Love it!! 

Moved

This is my first post from the new house! The movers did an excellent job (way better than the last time) and we got moved in less time than we originally thought. Now we are unpacking...one box at a time and we're making progress. We went to the townhouse tonight to clean for a couple hours and have some more stuff to pick up there tomorrow. I will be so glad when we are officially settled. I can't remember the last time I was this tired...definitely too much to do to take it easy.

Michael Jordan and all that Jazz

So far this has been an extremely productive and fun weekend. Friday night we took the dogs over to the new house and let them run around in the backyard. I think we definitely got their seal of approval. They loved the yard and were so happy to just run around. It made my heart swell to see them in their very own fenced in yard. Just wait until they realize they can do that every single day. Neighbors on both sides of us have dogs but Crumley and Iris handled it extremely well. Let's see how they do when they realize that yard is their turf.

Saturday we went back to the house to do more unpacking (the big move is on Thursday but I thought it would help to get the kitchen unpacked first) and Joe did some odd jobs. The biggest accomplishment was the carpet installers came - no more blue bedroom carpet!!

In hindsight we probably should have had the entire weekend free to finish up packing and do things that need to get done but a couple months ago I obviously wasn't thinking clearly and bought tickets to events both yesterday and today. Last night we went to see the Bulls play the Jazz. It was our first NBA game and we both had a great time. The 1991 team was honored at halftime to commemorate 20 years since that team won the 1991 championship. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were both there with the rest of the team. It was pretty amazing to be there and listen to the United Center cheer and go wild. I wish I had pictures to share.

Today we did more unpacking and work at the house but are now headed to see Fooling Buddha. This was part of Joe's Valentine's Day gift. Happy weekend!

And still nothing is packed

I had grand plans for today. It was going to be a Saturday with nothing to do so I knew Joe and I could spend the entire day packing and really get a lot of stuff done...the stuff we haven't managed to get done during the week because we've had no time. Then my plans were significantly altered. I got word yesterday from our landlord that four sets of people were coming to look at the townhouse today: 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm. So Joe and I left the house at 8:30 this morning, took the dogs to daycare (the vet) and made a day of it. First was Barnes & Noble so I could actually get some homework done, then we had lunch and then we went to a movie. After the movie we ran some more errands before picking up the dogs. Finally we made it back home and the house was still occupied at 4:15 so we parked down the street and waited...finally we are now home. Joe says that if anyone else wants to see the townhouse while we're still living here, he's claiming he has the flu.

I need some chocolate and a nap

So far today I have set up a time for carpet measurements to be taken at the new house and also scheduled with the realtor to let us in. I have gone to the city hall where we're moving to set up water and buy tax stamps (which I couldn't do and will have to make a return trip later). I have then set up the rest of our utilities and scheduled stop dates for our current utilities. I have had the moving company come to the house to give us an estimate of our move, have made it to the post office, out to buy groceries, scheduled my "office hours" for the rest of the week and talked to our insurance agent about our home owner's insurance. Now to work on homework and packing...we close on our house one week from tomorrow!

Yays and Nays

Does the paperwork ever end when it comes to buying a house? Our closing is just a week and a half away and I'm so excited but also keep thinking I'm going to miss something with emails going back and forth between our mortgage people, real estate attorney, etc. It's so overwhelming. Also, we're moving to a town that makes you pay a special tax just to move into their city (isn't that nice?) so I'm trying to understand what paperwork that involves which has so far required several emails and phone calls. I keep thinking that it shouldn't be this hard. I. Can't. Wait. For. This. To. End. Soon.

My good news of the day is that the hospital I'm volunteering with is paying me to work on a special project. So until it's completed, I am billing them and getting paid. It's not much but it certainly makes me feel appreciated and is giving me a small ego boost.

Odds and Ends

It's Monday and I am pleased to say that I have finally started packing for our impending move. Four boxes so far filled with cookbooks; hopefully I can keep at it. A few boxes a day and I'll be in good shape. My problem is that I usually have a hard time judging what exactly I will "need" before the move which we don't even have scheduled at this point. We're going this week to look at carpet samples and our closing is scheduled in two weeks. Also, looking at a few pieces of furniture. We finally decided on a dining table and chairs and, of course, it's on back order until the end of May. So if anyone visits us, we may be tableless for a couple months.

As for our weekend, it was pretty quiet but we had two wonderful dinners. The first was at a gourmet taco place not too far away and it was fantastic. We were told that we'd have to get there early and stand in line before they opened. We did not believe it since the restaurant is in the suburbs but - lo and behold - there was a line of people waiting to get in before noon on Saturday. The food was really good so we'll definitely be back but hopefully on a warmer day.

Our other wonderful meal was with family members, Terrie and Kirk. We went to a restaurant literally in the middle of Lincoln Park - it was beautiful. Originally built as a warming shelter for ice skaters, we had it all - city skyline, frozen pond outside, delicious food and wonderful company. We always have the best time with Terrie and Kirk. Joe said it might have been his most "civilized" meal ever.

Our weekend

Last night was event number one (a "work" event for Joe) and tonight we'll be attending event number two. (The photo is from last night.) Tomorrow night is our Valentine's dinner as Joe's photography class is Monday night. The reservations were made before I knew about event one and two so we have a full weekend of dressing up. Also on the agenda is a visit from our landlords to look at the house before we move out next month. They want to assess what they need to do in terms of carpet and paint when we move. I don't know why this is completely stressing me out but it is so off to do more cleaning.

My favorites

Okay, I am not too happy about having to DVR the Oscars this year (although I am still really excited about the David Gray concert) but thought I would compile my list of favorite movies. We watched, "The Kids Are All Right," last week which means we've seen all ten nominated movies. And while that movie was good, it was in no way an Oscar contender in my opinion. Here's my top five favorite movies from last year in no particular order:

• 127 Hours - James Franco is amazing. If he won Best Actor, he would totally deserve it. The movie wasn't all gory, boring or depressing either like you might expect. It was so well done and afterwards Joe and I both commented on how motivating it was to watch. It totally makes you want to do something with yourself or, if nothing else, get off the couch and get outdoors. Also, Joe did NOT want to go see this movie but he went anyway and ended up loving it, too.
• Toy Story 3 - I did not expect that this would be one of the best movies that I saw this year but it was awesome. I also didn't expect to sit in the theatre and bawl through most of it but I did. Several days later, I was still thinking about this movie.
• Winter's Bone - This is Joe's number one movie of the year. I found it so suspenseful that I was on the edge of my seat throughout most of it.
• Social Network - I love Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland and Adventureland pretty much rock my socks off and I highly recommend them both) and Justin Timberlake and they were both expectedly fabulous. Unexpectedly fabulous was Andrew Garfield. He just may have been my favorite character in the movie. Also fun to watch was Armie Hamer - what a great cast!
• The King's Speech - I will admit that Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter both typically "bug" me but not in this movie. Not only were they great but this is a drama that is anything but boring. Also, I love Colin Firth and we share the same birthday. 'Nuff said.

UPDATE: I just realized that I didn't add Catfish to the list. It was for sure one of my most favorite movies of the year...I'm going to have to say that this documentary was definitely a fav...guess I now have a "Top Six" list.

Snowpocalypse

Our driveway got plowed around 9 pm last night and now our neighborhood looks a little eerie with snow piled up everywhere. Joe is still off work but I volunteered today. Most of the roads are down to one and a half lanes on each side but I think things are slowly getting back to normal.

Welcome to our house

Okay, I promise that I will eventually stop boring everyone with blizzard photos but I can't promise when. Our neighborhood association finally sent someone to dig us out (God bless them!) and now we can leave out the front door. Hoping our driveway is plowed soon.

Snowed in

Here's a picture of my grandma's apartment in Missouri. It apparently made it onto a local news site.



Blizzard 2011

I'm hearing that we had around 17.3 inches of snow where I live last night (much more downtown at the Lake) and the drifts are unbelievable, too. The crazy part is that it's still coming down outside so I'm not sure what the total will be. Here's what we woke up to this morning.

UPDATE: I'm now hearing we got a little over 20 inches of snow but who knows what is accurate.  Chicago had the third largest snowfall in the city's history since they started keeping track in the late 1800s. More snow to come this afternoon!



This is the view from our patio door. We have patio furniture out there somewhere under all that snow. 



This is what it looks like when you open our front door. Since we live in a townhouse and have neighboors next door we can't really just push the snow over to the side. Not sure who is going to tackle this but it's not me!




This is what it looks like when you open our garage door. Joe's poor car! My old thing is safe inside the garage.



Major dilemna

I have a major dilemna. And, no, this post has nothing to do with the up to 25 inches of snow we might get this week.

If you read this with any regularity, you probably know that I love music and love going to concerts. I have been so fortunate to have seen basically anyone and everyone that I really have wanted to see live. The one person who has always alluded me? David Gray. Either he's not touring in the city that I'm currently in or I don't know about it until tickets are sold out or I have to do something stupid instead like go to class...well, finally, I find out that he's coming to Chicago and I am definitely going to see him. So a week or so ago, I got tickets the very second they went on sale. I have been walking on air since then and keep reminding myself, "I'm going to see David Gray!"

The problem? It just occurred to me that the concert happens to be on my favorite day of the year. That's right, I just bought tickets for a David Gray concert for the same evening as the Academy Awards. And I've actually managed to see every single nominated movie this year except for one which will be remedied as soon as Netflix delivers, "The Kids Are All Right" this week.

I'm off to go cry myself to sleep now.

Art Friday

Really cool installation art at the museum.

Joe took off work today so after he went to work (makes sense, right?) then to an appointment, we finally made our way downtown. We didn't have any set plans which kind of made our "plans" all the more adventurous. We were thinking about one of the art museums and then my friend, Laura told me that the Art Institute was having free weekdays this month - that made it official. So we had some pizza, stopped by Millennium Park and then to the Art Institue to see the Modern Wing. Although we both love the Art Institute we've never browsed the Modern Wing since they added it in 2009. Pollock, Picasso, Matisse...I love them all. Also along the way, Joe took many pictures for his new photography class that he's taking; thirty-six photos are due this Monday night.

Ninety

Over the weekend, we went to Missouri to celebrate my Grandma Dixie's birthday - ninety! She had a blast at her party and about 100 friends and family members came to celebrate with her.

Baby Brylea




My grandma, ninety and fabulous!



Miss Adyson

Exciting. Stressful. Exciting. Stressful.

We're moving! Only about 4 miles away but a move is a move. We started looking at houses over Joe's Christmas break and after seeing 18 houses, we finally found one that felt like home to us. We made an offer and while we were out of town all weekend (that's another story) we finally got word that we had a deal. Of course, today has been worse case scenario with Joe's schedule because he's been in back-to-back meetings all day so I have been talking to an attorney, our mortgage broker, real estate agent, setting up for the home inspection, etc. Soon I will be packing, making moving arrangements and obsessing over carpet samples (anything is better than blue, right?)...oh and I start back at school this week. It's enough to make me wish I had a xanax.

Aftermath

We took Joe's mom and stepdad to the airport this morning and I'm staring down laundry, house-cleaning and a Christmas tree to take apart. I wonder how long I can procrastinate? Some highlights of our Chicago Christmas included some very good food, two excellent movies (True Grit and The King's Speech), going to the Christkindlmarket and seeing A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre. If ever you are in Chicago around this time of year, this is a must-see production. It's quite a tradition around here and now I know why. I am afraid I'll never be able to see it anywhere else ever again or I'll be very let down. Now to the procrastination...

Christmas ramblings

I think I am in denial that Christmas is actually this week. Maybe that's because I did my shopping so early? For the first time ever, we are staying home. We are trying to get the house ready for Joe's mom and stepdad to visit us but still have a lot to do around here and it seems that we're suddenly running out of time. And as unpredictable as the weather is at this time of year, we're hoping that they can arrive and depart without any travel complications. This is also the first time ever that I haven't spent Christmas day with my family - we celebrated with them over Thanksgiving. After thinking about it, I realized that I haven't slept in my own bed or not traveled somewhere for a Christmas or Thanksgiving since I was still living at home during college. Joe has spent very few of those holidays at home, too. So we are looking forward to cooking together, opening stockings at home for the first time and seeing what a Chicago Christmas looks like for us - Merry Christmas, friends!

Tis the Season

The department where I volunteer had their holiday party today and invited me to participate in the festivities. Afterwards we volunteered for a few hours at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Tomorrow is Joe's holiday party so I am baking...and baking...and baking. Last batch of cookies are in the oven. Celebrating is hard work!

About me

Who would have thought that a kidney stone only 2.5mm in size would cause such an ordeal? But Tuesday - after numerous doctors' visits and lab tests, three CT scans, two ultrasounds and one set of xrays later - I had my first-ever surgery.  Although I still have more doctors' appointments and possibly another proceedure in the future, I'm hoping that life quiets down a little.

I will say that I am actually very blessed that this is all I've had to deal with thus far (knock on wood!) and am also so blessed that Joe has a fantastic insurance plan. I know that so many people have much more severe medical problems and also have to go into debt or deplete savings accounts just to get the care they need. So that is going to be what I'm thankful for this holiday season.

I also managed to finish my finals this week so I'm going to cherish some much needed quiet time for a few weeks until school starts again. I predict there's going to be some holiday baking in my near future.

Around here...

• Joe has been sick. Twice to the doctor (today and a few days ago) and even was off work a day this week which almost never happens.
• I have been deeply emersed in finals...final exam, final paper/presentation. The end is in sight! I will finally be finished with economics but have another accounting class to endure in January. Sigh.
• Joe brought home an early Christmas present for me - a Tempur-pedic pillow. He insisted I have it right now because he knows how much I toss and turn at night, never quite comfortable with my neck. I'm in love! (With Joe and my new pillow.)
• The first real snow has hit. It's beautiful outside but reminds me all the reasons why I love curling up inside in the winter - cozy blankets, hot coco and soup.
• Found out that our new favorite tv show may get cancelled and that makes me incredibly sad. It's an extremely smart and well-written show. Why isn't anyone watching?

Thanksgiving 2010

Joe and I got home last night after celebrating Thanksgiving/Christmas with my family for a couple days. Here are some of the highlights.

A 2010 family picture

Adyson couldn't get enough of Amyjoe (yes, we're just one word around her)

Brylea and Adyson in matching pjs from Aunt Amy & Uncle Joe

Christmas question

I have a Christmas question: how do you display your Christmas cards or do you? Back in the day, when I lived in an apartment, I would always tape my cards to the back of my door and display them throughout the month. Now, in our current space, I am not really sure that is appropriate. I hate the idea of getting all these great cards and photos from friends and family members and then not doing anything with them.

Thirty-eight

Happy birthday to Joe! He is working all day and teaching ESL tonight so we spent the weekend as he'd like...saw Megamind and ate Indian food one night and last night celebrated with Chicago deep dish pizza.

Back in the saddle

I have a new job! Okay, it's not a REAL job but I am volunteering in the marketing department of a local hospital. I decided to offer up my services and expertise as a way to meet people, network, sharpen my skills, etc. Anyway, I went in today to officially get my badge and meet the staff. I know part of the job will just be grunt work but I think I'm really going to like it. It's funny how things can change; I used to interview our volunteers, help oversee them, give them odd jobs to do, etc, and now the tables have turned. Anyway, it felt really nice to get up this morning, dress in my professional clothes (I almost couldn't find them hidden in my closet) and be around an environment that felt familiar (even though I'd never stepped foot in that actual office before).

Muppet time!

Joe is still on vacation (although he has "worked" or gone to meetings every day) so today we went to see the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. We got to see Miss Piggy, Kermit, Rolph, Bert and Ernie and some other puppets. My biggest complaint is that I wish we'd gotten to see more puppets but even still it was a very interesting exhibit and I especially enjoyed seeing some of Henson's sketches and screenprinting from his college days.

R & R at the B & B

Joe and I (along with my kidney stone because we're cool like that) spent the weekend at an amazing bed and breakfast. We had a great time and can't wait to go back again some day. The inn features: a spa, theatre room, hot tub, fresh homemade cookies in each room, gourmet breakfasts, walking trails...why would we want to go home when we could stay there? But, alas, we missed our dogs so back to the real world today.

Over the weekend, we also visited the Anderson Japanese Gardens. The gardens were a bit barren this time of year with just a hint of fall colors left. We'd love to go back again in spring, summer or early fall to catch all the great colors and greenery but we still enjoyed our first visit very much. Also, on this brisk November day, the place was pretty deserted so, in a way, it was neat to feel like we had the place all to ourselves. It's truly an amazing little place!



Our bed and breakfast. We highly recommend it!



One of our views at the Japanese Gardens. It was such a serene place to visit!

What a week

It has been quite a week. It started first thing Monday morning for me with some very intense pain that I have never felt before (and hope to never feel again). Joe took me to urgent care when I told him matter-of-factly that I did not need to go to the emergency room. Well, I got my very first ambulance ride on Monday when the urgent care clinic around the corner from where we live, sent me straight to the hospital. Hearing the sirens as the ambulance pulled up and knowing that it was there for me was not a good feeling. After I got to the ER, I had a few tests done, including a CT scan, which confirmed that I had a kidney stone. The scariest part was not knowing what was wrong so when Joe and I got the news "kidney stone," I think we were both very relieved and happy to hear it. (Yes, happy, as weird as that sounds.) After lots of really powerful medicine, I was sent home to wait it out...where I am still waiting it out. Sigh.

On election night we found out that an issue Joe had been working on for several months had passed. What a relief after so many months of hard work!

We were hoping to go away somewhere this weekend just to regroup after being so busy lately but I have a feeling we may be having a staycation instead depending on how I'm feeling...stay tuned.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We only had a few trick-or-treaters tonight and finally I turned our light out when I had two sets of kids come to the door back-to-back who were clearly too old to be going door-to-door for candy and they were NOT wearing costumes. I gave them the candy (hey, I didn't want them to come back and egg my house later) but it made me feel like a grinch so I turned the light out. Two of the kids were so old that Joe actually thought I was at the door talking to parents! Anyway, my mom sent pictures tonight so I wouldn't miss out on what was happening in Missouri.



Amber (one of my BFFs) with Baby Jacob and my sister, Cathy and Baby Brylea.

Adyson the little devil! ;)

Better late than never

The first year that Joe and I were married, I looked for Christmas stockings and couldn't find any that I liked. Last year, I found a couple of stockings that I loved and Joe actually agreed on (believe it or not, he actually cares what his stocking looks like) and when I went to order them they were sold out. I was crushed. So as Christmas number three is approaching, the search is finally over. I found two stockings that I liked which were also endorsed by Joe. They just arrived a couple days ago!!

Winner!

I always look forward to playing bunco once a month but am feeling guilty tonight. We give out prizes for the most wins, least wins and most buncos. We also do a little grab bag game (just for fun) with everyone. The rule is that you can't "steal" or have any more than 3 gifts from the grab bag game. I have left before completely empty handed...well I won a prize for most wins and three prizes from the swap. I just got home with:

• a $10 iTunes gift card
• a $10 Starbucks gift card
• another $10 Starbucks gift card and Longaberger travel mug
• Halloween cupcake stencils and decorating supplies from Williams Sonoma

Wedding time!

This past weekend I traveled to the Kansas City-area to celebrate Meggan and Mark's wedding. It was a beautiful event and I enjoyed so much seeing my Missouri friends and my family along the way.

Me with the beautiful bride

 

All the girls (minus Meera who ended up in a group shot on someone else's camera) - Breanne, Amy, Meggan and Monica



My phone is a lemon

My phone is a lemon but I have known that for quite some time. Most commonly, when I miss a call, my phone has a habit of erasing the number of the call I missed. So I see that I have missed a call and when I go to look at the number (and person's name) all of that information has magically disappeared leaving me with no idea of who has tried to call me. Also, it erases emails out of my inbox on a regular basis. And now, apparently, I have not been getting text messages. I was supposed to meet someone for lunch today and turns out her kids have been sick. She texted me last night and again this morning. When I never replied, she finally called me. Never got any of the text messages. So the moral of this story is that if you text me and I don't respond, you may want to call or email me...I then may or may not get the message.

Mmm...good

I made a fantastic breakfast yesterday that will definitely be a favorite in our household. The recipe came from Food Network Magazine.

Sourdough Strata with Tomatoes and Greens
8 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups whole milk
8 large eggs
10 ounces Italian fontina cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1-pound loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
4 cups chopped greens, such as kale, spinash or arugula

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the tomatoes with the thyme, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper in a bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes are slightly dried and browned in spots, 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Cool completely.

2. Whisk the milk, eggs, fontina, 3/4 cup parmesan, the cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes and greens and toss to coat. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish, then top with the roasted tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next day, preheat the oven to 350. Sprinkle the strata with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and bake, uncovered, until golden brown and almost set, about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, but keep the strata inside 10 minutes before serving.

City fun

We had visitors this weekend - Joe's dad and stepmom. Friday night we enjoyed dinner at a local German restaurant. Saturday we went to Wheaton College to see their museum of artifacts from British authors including CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Afterwards we visited the Museum of Contemporary Photography which I would highly recommend. It's a very high-caliber free museum and they change their exhibits quarterly. Next we walked over to Buckingham Fountain - my favorite spot in the city - and from there we went to Hyde Park. In Hyde Park we had pizza and visited a couple of bookstores. Today we spent a few hours at the arboretum taking in all the colors of fall before Mike and Lynn had to leave. What a fun and busy weekend!

Here I am at the Wade Center standing in front of CS Lewis' wardrobe which was the inspiration for The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.

Mike and Lynn at Buckingham Fountain.

Joe and I pose at my favorite spot in the city.

Three!

Today Miss Adyson turned three years old and my mom sent me this picture from her Hello Kitty party. She looks so excited to be three and celebrating!

Out of England 2

We saw Ricky Gervais perform tonight at The Chicago Theatre which was recorded for an upcoming HBO special; the air date is Dec 18. Very funny when I wasn't having a frequent deer-in-the-headlights-oh-my-goodness-did-he-really-just-say-that-moment. I think that might officially make me old. 

How I spent my summer vacation

The year was 1998 and I had a brand-new favorite tv show - Felicity. (Yes, I used to watch Dawson's Creek, too.) I loved this tv show...couldn't miss it. And when it ended? I was devastated.

When the show started, I was still in college. When it ended, I was living in an apartment on my own, in a new city and had my first professional job. I kind of feel like Felicity and I both did some growing up together. I remember getting together with my girlfriends to watch episodes and debating over who Felicity should end up with - Ben or Noel.

Fast-forward eight years after the series ended and I'm on break in between summer and fall quarters. I hadn't realized just how much time I had on my hands without classes and homework. And then one day, on a whim, I decided to watch an episode of Felicity. Then another. Another. And another. No, I'm not proud that I have managed to spend my break watching four years worth of television but I am so glad to finally revisit Felicity, Ben and Noel. And now that I got that out of the way, I probably won't have to do it again for about another decade.

Baby Brylea

I haven't seen Baby Brylea since she was a week old but my mom has done a great job of sending me pictures. Here's one I got yesterday of sleeping beauty.

Quite a day

Early this afternoon, Joe and I went downtown to see Rock of Ages. Our tickets to this 80s jukebox rock musical were my birthday present from Joe and I've been looking forward to it for months. We had such a great time! I mean, what other musical have you been to before where you get "lighters" on your way in so you can sway along to the ballads? And, even though I am not an American Idol fan, I am now a fan of Constantine Maroulis - he was great! It was so much fun to sing-a-long to all of my favorites and if you love hair bands (I do!) than this is the show for you.

Afterwards, we saw the documentary, Catfish. I have been completely intrigued by this one since I saw my first preview. And it didn't disappoint; it was so suspenseful! I highly recommend it. Both of us have put it on our short-list of the greatest movies we've seen so far in 2010.

Sadly

Sadly, I am sitting in front of the television on a Friday night watching a CBS drama only because my all-time "boy" band crush is starring in it. (Um, Donnie Wahlberg. Hello.)

More SLC and Park City

Saturday we visited the downtown Salt Lake City farmer's market which was wonderful and full of great art and delicious smells. We also checked out the local public library. Might not sound like a trip-worthy experience but check out this picture. You can even walk to the rooftop and see views of the entire city (which we did). After the library visit we went to Gilgal sculpture garden. From the garden we headed to Park City for hours of shopping and dining to finish out our day. What a wonderful ski resort town. Loved it!!  Sunday we had brunch, did some shopping and finally headed to the airport - what a great weekend!*

One of the views at the sculpture garden.

Another picture from the sculpture garden. Can you pick out the head, torso, foot, legs and arm? 

Here I am with a new friend in Park City, Utah

*Minor incident (because no trip would be complete without one) we checked our bags with our hotel on Sunday morning while we were out and about once we checked out. We came back to retrieve our bags before heading to the airport and they had mistakenly given one of our suitcases to someone else...who had already packed it in their car and left the hotel. Gulp. Some real panic set in but the hotel was able to contact the people who turned around, came back and the suitcase was, once again, ours. Whew!

SLC and 33

On Friday, Joe and I traveled to Salt Lake City to visit Joe's brother, Tommy and his mom who was also meeting us there; it was also my birthday (the big, uneventful 33). On day one of our trip we spent a lot of time checking out the city and taking in Temple Square.  

We had lunch at the Red Iguana. You may have seen it on the Food Network on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Yum!

Joe, Jo Ann and Tommy in Temple Square

The Mormon Temple. This photo doesn't show its vastness but I could never get far enough away to get the full effect.

My mother-in-law, JoAnn and me sitting at a fountain in Temple Square

We also visited the Utah State Capitol where Joe's brother, Tommy works.

It feels like fall!

It feels like fall here which couldn't make me any happier. And my friend, Monica came to Chicagoland over the weekend to visit with four groups of friends - including me - so that has been an extra treat. Last night we went to see Jailbait. I will say it is truly one of the best plays that I have ever seen; I can't stop thinking about it. We also spent some time shopping yesterday and took in some nature this morning at the Arboretum.  Of course, my husband is spending his Labor Day at the office working but hopefully not for the entire day. Maybe a bike ride is in our future?

A girl needs to dream, right?

I am looking for a sponsor. Someone to fund my spot on the NKOTB cruise who would also like to accompany me - anyone?? I am pretty sure when I mentioned it to my husband he paused long enough to roll his eyes and then went back to what he was already doing. Sigh.

Undercover agents

Joe and I have been on a secret mission for the last few weeks as "secret shoppers" for a local restaurant company. I know it sounds like everyone's dream job but I will say that it is actually a bit more stressful than I had envisioned. We have to visit certain restaurants on certain weeks and certain days of the week. Our hectic schedule has made it sometimes difficult to fit in our meal on a scheduled night and then we have an hour of paperwork to do afterwards. During the meal we have so much to think about and focus on that I am not sure we actually relax. So far, it has been an eye-opener and I am certain my dining experiences will never be the same. Since we each have to order three courses it's definitely not waistline friendly either but I am happy to experience what will probably be my one and only crack at being a professional food critic!

Galveston - Day Three

My last day in Galveston, Kate and I played a very competitive round of mini golf before I had to head to the airport. (Have I mentioned before that I love mini golf? I do!!) We had a really great time and the fact that there was an ocean view was even better. Thank you, Boone and Kate for a wonderful mini vacation!

Kate with our new friend

Galveston - Day Two

Day two in Galveston we took a ferry ride to Bolivar as Kate assured me we'd see dolphins. In fact, we saw so many that I completely lost track - they were everywhere! After the ferry ride, we did more shopping, had lunch at a great little cafe and eventually made our way to an old fashioned soda shop and candy store. Also on the agenda was a trip to the local fish market where we picked up fresh shrimp so Boone could make us some creole for dinner - yum!

Watching dolphins on the ferry

My tour guide, Kate

Galveston - Day One

Monday morning I headed to Galveston, Texas for a little fun in the sun with my friends Boone & Kate. (The kiddos, Jackson and Everett, were off visiting their grandparents.) I last saw Kate almost three years ago when we celebrated my birthday in Vegas. I, on the other hand, had been promising to come to Galveston for about four years...you know how life gets...anyway, I finished my classes last week so it was the perfect way to celebrate a little break between quarters. And now that I am ready for summer, it's almost time for fall!

Kanye West has nothing on us!

Boone and Kate. Boone was a good sport about having two obnoxious girls around. Thankfully he found solace in the xBox for most of my visit.

You can see the water line from Hurricane Ike behind me. What's even crazier is that I am already standing on a pretty big curb that you can't see in the picture.

We basically think we are too cool to do stupid things...prim and proper all the time.  

After a little shopping on The Strand, Kate and I enjoyed the ocean view for a bit. From here we went on to eat a fabulous fresh seafood meal.

Date night

Took Joe to his very first John Mayer concert last night. I am not saying he is a convert but dare I say that he didn't hate it? We went with another couple I know from church who just so happened to have tickets in the row in front of us and live near us so we all rode together. After synching his Kindle to his iPhone Joe started out the evening trying to ever so casually "read" without drawing too much attention. After about the second song, he put away his phone for good and seemed genuinely interested. I think he was much more impressed by JM's band that he'd expected. Especially once he realized he had seen one of the guys perform before - with Paul McCartney. He may not be begging to go again but I'm going to consider his first John Mayer show a win.

The Dog Whisperer

Joe and I had a dog trainer come to our house today to work with Crumley. Crumley seems to think he owns the neighborhood so we have had problems walking him in the near vicinity of another dog without him totally freaking out; it's extremely embarrassing and makes him a bit of a problem. This is also why we don't take him to the dog park.

Our trainer was amazing. He showed up and immediately took control of Crumley. First he took him out on a walk alone and then later he had Joe and I go with him after he'd made his own assessments. We got lucky and saw several other dogs outside today. The first few times Crumley totally freaked out, as predicted, whenever we'd see another dog. By the end of our hour with the trainer, Crumley was walking right past other dogs and not even turning his head to look at them - wow. I had him at the end during those times while Joe and the trainer just stood back and watched. I almost wanted to cry because I was so proud of him! What a totally different labradoodle! So we'll see if we can keep it up. Right now, we need to walk both dogs seperately and do some "work" with Crumley inside...and Iris, too. And the trainer gave us some tips on how to teach the dogs to not freak out every time someone is at the door. That will be for a whole other day. But we are trying to change Crumley's way of thinking. He was in the routine, especially with me, that his job was to be the protector and now we are teaching him that his job is to just be a dog and we'll let him know if we need anything else from him.

We have to change other "little" things, too. Like no more sitting on us. Joe and I both think it's adorable for our big dog to come sit on our lap whenever we're on the floor but that's a no-no. And no more feeding the dogs breakfast or dinner until after we've eaten first. Just subtle changes that will hopefully add up to a little more dog obedience. This might prove to be the best money we've ever spent. Keep your fingers crossed!

Lincoln home

When I was in middle school, I believe in the sixth grade, I did all the "Lincoln stuff" with my parents and sister. Now, as an adult, I keep thinking that I should revisit some of those sites as I drive through Springfield each time I travel to and from Missouri. Sunday, Joe and I decided to stop at the Lincoln Home. Turns out, the tour had about a two hour wait so we didn't go in but we had fun looking around and plan on eventually visiting each of the historical sites in the area.

The final rose goes to...

My favorite guilty pleasure is now a video game. Never mind that I am married and almost 33, I am secretly a little intrigued. However, since I am not 14, I don't think I can justify playing...being an adult is hard sometimes.

Nieces

Joe and I traveled to Missouri on Friday to meet our new niece and visit my family. It was a short trip as we left Sunday morning to come back but we had a nice time. Saturday we were able to go visit my grandma and took her to the "Old Settlers" parade which turned out to be a lot more fun than I had anticipated. (To clarify, I thought spending time with my grandma would be fun but had doubts about the parade.) While at the parade, Joe had his first ever deep fried Twinkie - it was love at first bite.