Celebrate!

Today I am wishing Joe's Grandma Dorothy a very happy 90th birthday. Recently, I asked his family members to share some photos with me for a little photo project. In doing so, I got to see photos spanning about 90 years and learn so much that I didn't know before. Being a new family member, it was really fun to be able to put together some pieces of the puzzle and learn more about Joe's family.

Tomorrow Joe is heading out to the Pacific Northwest for the birthday celebration. Because even Southwest wanted a small fortune for airline tickets over the holiday, I am staying behind to watch the dogs. But not to worry, I still have that almost 40 page paper to keep me company. I have a feeling I will need all the time I can get between now and when I turn it in on Tuesday.

I am also wishing my (second, right?) cousin Meghan a very happy wedding weekend. I know there will be a lot of celebrating in Missouri!

Losties

This video is for all my Lost friends. Warning: watching it only frustrated me further.

Sunday Fun Day

Joe and I both found this cartoon from The New Yorker to be hilarious.

Art Saturday

Today Joe and I went downtown to the Art Institute to see the special Matisse exhibit. We both enjoyed the exhibit much more than the last one (Munch) that we saw there. This is definitely my favorite museum and I have been there far more than any other museum (probably more than every museum I have been to in my life combined) but somehow in all my visits, I have always missed the Thorne Miniatures Room exhibit.

Upon our arrival, Joe reminded me about an interview with Wes Anderson where he mentions taking the train across country, stopping in Chicago for a few hours and always stopping in to see the room of miniatures. We were intrigued at the time of hearing the interview since we have always managed to miss this exhibit, tucked away in the basement. So today we stopped in and it's fantastic! The miniature rooms are so realistic and the details are unbelievable. I was especially taken with the tiny rooms' crown molding and ceiling details. Below are a few of the pictures we took from that exhibit. (No photography allowed at Matisse.)

This is a California room from the 1940s. You can see a little balcony to the left of the room. If you look out the balcony you can see the LA skyline in the distance.

My no good, terrible, rotten day

My husband and I switched cars over the weekend while I was out of town. I noticed this morning when I got in my car that my driver's door wasn't all the way shut nor was it locked. I was a bit peeved but went on my way. When I got home I decided to get started on some of my homework for international business and remembered that I had left my school bag in my car. Since school started, I have never left my tote bag in my car but did this past week because I went to the grocery store before class and had a few bags to carry in, plus my purse, and realized that my tote bag would be just fine in my car until I needed it...because I always LOCK my car.

I was horrified to go to my car and find my tote bag missing. First of all, it was a terribly cute black and white tote bag. Secondly, it contained my international business text book (which I need for homework), my notebook (which contained all the research and notes I took for my group project due in 2 weeks), a jump drive (containing past homework assignments but more importantly, my resume and cover letters) and two calculators. I was in denial at first and ransacked the house looking for it but I am POSITIVE it was in my car when I left the house on Saturday. My husband didn't use my car until yesterday and today I found it unlocked. So it either got stolen out of my car in our driveway last night or when Joe took the dogs out on a hike yesterday.

I just returned from filing a report at the police station. No, it's really not that valuable but I would like my stuff back if it is recovered. And then there's what to do with just a couple weeks left in school and no textbook...I still have assignments to do. Thankfully, the book I need for my 40 page paper is in the house safe and sound. So, yes, I am not having a good day...and my husband feels terrible.

Apparently, Oprah has that much power

About a week ago I DVR'd an episode of Oprah, which I almost never do. Anyway, now the DVR will not let us erase it. I have tried for several days...apparently, Oprah really has that much power. I am scared to record anymore of her shows for fear that Oprah and our DVR are somehow in cahoots.

Oliver!

Over the weekend, I got to meet Ben and Natalie's new baby Oliver. He will be four weeks old tomorrow. Already he has had so many visitors and I couldn't be more impressed with Nat - she seems like she's been a mom for years.

Dorian's shower

Yesterday I went to Edwardsville for Dorian's spa bridal shower. Guests were pampered with facials and foot and hand treatments. Dorian has a great group of friends and we had a lot of fun. The big day is less than a month away!

Oh my!

I faintly remember as a child using a blue pen to make "something pretty" on a white foot stool. I think I remember my mom telling a story about me practicing my scissor skills on some curtains, too, although I don't remember it. Anyway, Breanne's husband posted about this site on Facebook the other day and it might be the funniest thing I have ever seen. Oh my goodness.

Testing 1-2-3

Happy Mother's Day! We have had a wonderful weekend - Iron Man 2 on Friday, Joel McHale and Chicago hot dogs on Saturday and this afternoon a jaunt to the arboretum. A few weeks ago, we bought a totally sweet camera and so we decided to take it on a test run today. Here's a few of our snapshots.

This view is of the lake and walking path we like to use while at the arboretum.

In addition to all the trees, there are always beautiful flowers, plants and meticulously groomed hedges.

This is my favorite picture from today. :)

Funny stuff

I have a crush on Joel McHale. (Okay, as you may have noticed by now, I basically have a crush on anyone with the initials JM.) Anyway, I have watched him for years on E! and practically the only television that Joe and I watch together is his NBC show on Thursday nights - we love it!

I have wanted to see him do standup before but for whatever reason I never have. Well when I heard he was coming to town a couple of months ago I was running through the house squealing. I am seriously not sure of the last time I have been so excited. I have been looking forward to this night for months! In fact, the day the tickets went on sale, I was in my car on a trip out of town. I made Joe schedule in the ticket buying as a meeting on his work calendar so we were assured tickets. Thankfully, he didn't let me down.

Tonight was the show and I had such a good time. Donald Glover opened for him and Danny Pudi was in the audience. Later the two of them joined Joel on stage so they could "krump"
to John Mayer's, "Daughters." That's funny stuff.

Doodle

I just read this article about labradoodles. We don't know the background of our doodle because someone Joe used to work with found him wondering the streets as a puppy so Joe took him in. I have often wondered if he didn't escape from a puppy mill considering his health is quite sensitive. I do love all things doodle.

Withdrawals

I have really curbed my soda intake over the past week or so. Typically, I would have about two Diet Cherry Dr. Peppers a day. I know it isn't the best thing I should be drinking so I am trying to find other things to have instead. I am not giving up caffeine; no, that would be terrible. I am still having lattes and iced tea occasionally but in the past week and a half I have maybe had one soda. Cutting back but not cutting it out all together. Anyway, the past three days, I feel like I have hit a brick wall at around 2 pm. My eyes get heavy and I'm blinking trying to keep them open but it's been almost impossible. I did fall asleep the other day and when I woke up, I seriously felt like I had been drugged. I could barely move and get to class. I am hoping this side effect ends soon or I might have to start drinking (soda) again.

My kind of diary

Has anyone read The Carrie Diaries yet? I read the first chapter free on Joe's Kindle but it's on my list of things to do. I am missing the local book signing and reading tonight by CB so I can go to class and learn about International Business. Blah.

Smells like...

I was just reading in the newspaper that you can actually buy a White Castle-scented candle. Seriously. The proceeds do go to charity but coming from someone who burns candles on almost a daily basis and usually opts for more subtle fragrances like vanilla, I am trying to imagine my husband coming home to a house smelling like greasy burgers and fries and nothing on the stove. I'm not sure that would be any more appealing than a candle that smells like my dogs when they have gone too long without a bath or a good teeth brushing.

Girls' weekend!

My mom and sister came up on the train Friday and we had a lot of fun over the weekend. Friday we met my mom's cousin Terrie for lunch and then shopped for several hours before going to Benihana with Joe that evening. Saturday we lunched at PF Chang, shopped some more, I cooked dinner that evening and finally we settled in for the night with a dvd. Mom and Cathy left this morning and I am just about ready for a nap. What a great weekend!

Made me smile

I was just going through some old pictures and found these two of my cousin Lea and me. I really miss her; seeing these pictures made me smile.

The procrastinator

I am a procrastinator. I know some people will say it's silly to claim to work better under pressure but I think it's true. When I am completely stressed and frazzled, I can typically crank out some good work, although I am usually a mess while doing it. I currently have a paper due that will be about 40 pages once it is completed. Since our class is 10 weeks long, we had exactly 2 months from the date we got the assignment until the date it is due. I took one month to really think about it, stress over it and ignore it completely while focusing instead on papers and homework from my other class. Yesterday I finally hit the library as we need 8-10 research articles for the paper, too. I am not sure that working on an assignment a month out is procrastination but it might be when the assignment is almost 40 pages long! I left the library with four of my articles and a partial outline for my paper. After talking to some other people in my class last night, I actually feel like I might be a little ahead of the game or right on schedule...we will see how much I put off doing between now and the deadline.

A little bit of art

Today Joe and I went downtown to see Willard Wigan's exhibit. I had seen a feature about him on tv several weeks ago and was just completely amazed so I was giddy when I found out he had an exhibit coming to Chicago. His sculptures are so small that they fit inside the eye of a needle and are only visible by looking through a microscope. Some also fit on the end of a pin. The one that completely blew me away was a miniature Charlie Chaplin that was so tiny it fit on the end of one of Wigan's eyelashes - wow! Joe was especially taken with a sculpture of a church carved out of a single grain of sand that fit into the eye of a needle. Definitely take the time to read some articles about this very talented artist. We had to miss him at the gallery last weekend because Joe had to work but we may try to go back another time when he is in town.

Caramelized Onion Lasagna

I received an email from my friend, Amber yesterday suggesting that I should try this recipe and report back to her. Not only did it sound good, it just so happened I had nothing planned yet in the way of meals. So tonight we had Caramelized Onion Lasagna from EatingWell.

I was a little worried that my sauce didn't turn out exactly right but you would have never known that to taste it. The results were delicious; however, it took quite a bit of effort. In fact, this was more effort than I have been used to these days in the kitchen. But if you have some extra time, this is very appetizing.

8 ounce(s) pasta, lasagna noodles, whole wheat
3 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
3 large onion(s), sweet, thinly sliced
4 medium mushrooms, portobello, gills removed, diced
1/2 cup(s) wine, red, table
1 teaspoon salt
pepper, black ground, to taste
4 cup(s) spinach, baby
2 cup(s) cheese, ricotta, fat-free
1/2 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
3 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
2 cup(s) milk, lowfat (1%)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounce(s) cheese, crumbled Gorgonzola
1/3 cup(s) nuts, walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup(s) basil, fresh

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Cook noodles until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions.

3. Drain; return the noodles to the pot and cover with cool water.

To prepare onion filling:
1. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and very soft, about 25 minutes. (If they begin to stick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to release them and prevent burning.)

2. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine and 1 teaspoon salt and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pepper.

To prepare spinach filling:
1. Place spinach, ricotta, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until smooth.

To prepare white sauce:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until bubbling, about 30 seconds.

2. Gradually whisk in milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until the sauce has the consistency of thick gravy, about 1 minute.

3. Add Gorgonzola and gently whisk until it is melted. Remove from the heat. (The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.)

To prepare the lasagna:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Drain the noodles and spread out on a kitchen towel. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the prepared pan.

3. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles and top with one-third of the onion filling. Evenly spread 1/2 cup white sauce over the onions. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining spinach filling, half the remaining onion filling and half the remaining white sauce. To finish, top with a third layer of noodles, spread the remaining onion filling over the noodles and then spread or dollop the remaining white sauce on top. Sprinkle with walnuts and basil.

4. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Evidence of Spring

Joe and I went to the Arboretum today and found evidence of spring everywhere!

Genius!

Last night while I was at class my husband hooked up our Wii so we can instantly select and watch streaming movies from Netflix; it's genius! And to think that I thought the DVR radically changed my life!

Welcome to Pleasantville

There's a bit of a problem at my local Target. The people there are too helpful. Yup, you read it right - they are too helpful. I first noticed it a couple of months ago when it seemed that the people working there had gotten oddly aggressive about trying to help you find something even if you hadn't asked. I do feel kind of bad complaining about people being too friendly but I go there about once a week and it's gotten increasingly worse.

Today I was there for a quick visit and in that short amount of time I was asked no less than five different times if I needed help finding something. They are not just overly friendly when you are wondering around aimlessly which I used to love to do, by the way, but now I am ducking overly friendly people everywhere I go and have a strict "get in, get out" policy. Today I was literally opening the dairy case and had my hand on the soy milk when someone came up behind me and asked if I needed help. "Um, no, just getting my milk. Thank you." It appeared that there was one guy whose sole job was to stand in one of the main aisles and shout, "Can I help you find something?" over and over again to every single person who passed him with their cart.

I will be the first person to say that it's frustrating when you genuinely need help and there's no one around to give it but there's got to be a happy medium. I honestly feel like I can't just be left to shop in peace anymore and so my sacred shopping place has just gotten annoying. Is it possible that I've just turned into that big of a grouch?

The Kitty Express

Over the weekend my niece thought it would be a good idea to push my parents' cat around in an old baby stroller. Fortunately, the cat seemed to be a good sport.

JM!

Monica and I had a blast tonight at the John Mayer (and Michael Franti) concert. It was the 47th and final stop of their tour and even though it was my 11th JM show (that's kind of embarrassing, huh?) it was fabulous!

Spring!

Today marked our first bike ride of spring. We biked on the trail to the next town over, stopped for some Starbucks and then biked back home. I love this weather!

Say "cheese"

My dog has enormous eyebrows. So does one of my teachers. Joe says it is a brilliant teaching device used to keep students' attention. Works for me!

Cheese love

This little surprise was waiting for me in my mailbox today. My friends are awesome!!!

Eggplant Cacciatore Sandwiches

Cooking and trying new recipes has been sporadic at best these days but I did make a new vegetarian recipe tonight, courtesy of Rachael Ray, that was definitely blog worthy!

One 16-ounce loaf frozen garlic bread, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into cubes
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup white wine
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
One 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes-drained and coarsely chopped, juices reserved (I used diced)
4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese

1. Bake the garlic bread according to package instructions; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring ocassionally, until almost tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and begin to brown, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the white wine and cook, scrapping up any browned bits, until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and the tomatoes with their juices and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Preheat the broiler. Halve the garlic bread crosswise. Divide the eggplant mixture among the 4 pieces and top with the provolone. Broil until the cheese is melted.

Vacation friends

Right after we booked our trip to Mexico, I found out that as coincidence would have it, some friends from back home would be at the exact same resort at the same time. Weird, huh? This isn't the first time that Monica and I have gone on vacation together. When I was sixteen I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with my parents, my sister, Monica and her parents!

This is what we looked like 16 years ago...

Okay, so this may not be a true depiction. We were bored. It is a long drive to Florida!

Formal night was a great excuse to wear those prom dresses one more time! By the way, I never had big hair. Ha!

Here we are in 2010...

After dinner lattes.

The entire hometown crew: me, Alan, Robert, Stacy and Monica.

Hola!

We're back from Mexico! Before we left, I was a tad bit nervous about being unplugged for almost a week. Let's face it, I am a little addicted to technology. Aside from Monday when I was online twice, I was only briefly online once a day. Turns out that my lack of phone talking, text messaging, Facebooking, internet surfing and emailing turned out to be one of the best parts of my trip. I think there's a lesson in this...maybe I should unplug much more often. It felt so nice to be free from all that noise.

We did very little aside from hang out at the pool (Joe more than me), go to the spa a couple times, laze around reading books and we ate lots of yummy food. Joe did go kayaking and we did see a couple shows at the resort and went into Playa Del Carmen for some shopping/sightseeing.

Joe watching the Iguanas. They were everywhere...as well as some other creatures we'd never seen before!

Another Iguana posing for the camera.

Is it possible to still get a bit of a sunburn after wearing 70 SPF sunblock, a coverup, a hat and sitting under a cabana for only about 2 hours? Yes!

Joe and I having dinner in Playa Del Carmen the last evening of our trip.

The 70 SPF is packed

We are leaving Thursday morning for Mexico. It is a good excuse to celebrate Joe completing his master's degree (he finished a couple weeks ago) and enjoy some warm weather. It's possible I may check in considering I do not worship the sun and may need something to occupy my time while my husband lays on the beach all day. My hope is to take refuge in the shade and enjoy the spa. I'm so looking forward to it!

Birthday jazz

Celebrating Alison's birthday with a little jazz!

No means no

Barista: "Welcome to Starbucks. Would you like to try our dark cherry mocha?"
Amy: "No, thanks. I would like a grande, non-fat mocha*."
Barista: "Would you like to try our dark cherry syrup in it?"

Apparently they are really pushing their new dark cherry mocha. I don't really like chocolate and cherries so it doesn't appeal to me but if anyone else has tried it let me know what you think.

*I myself am a habitual non-fat latte girl but today I felt like really living on the edge.

Chelsea

Today I got to meet Chelsea Handler at a book signing for her new book. (If you're wondering, it was tough to get a good photo because it was such a rush once you got to the front of the line.) Not surprisingly, I had absolutely nothing clever to say to her once we were face to face. But I do adore Chelsea. Joe and I listened to her last book on our Thanksgiving trip to Virginia and, back in my single days, I would watch her show every night from the comfort of my bed and then fall to sleep shortly thereafter. As it stands now, I catch it whenever I can and love her despite the fact (or because of the fact?) that she is wildly inappropriate.

Hacked

Earlier today my phone started going crazy with messages. Turns out my email had been hacked so if you received an email from me about Viagra or anything else inappropriate it didn't actually come from me. Sorry!! I am so embarrassed.

Day tonight

I went to see Howie Day tonight at the House of Blues. It's been a few years since I saw him last and he was great! It is always so nice to go to a show where you know almost every song and can sing along. Makes the evening that much more enjoyable. And thanks to Alison for scoring us free tickets. I will say that my parking was $26 which I will never, ever, ever get used to as long as I live here...had I have paid for my concert ticket it would have still been less than the parking. There is just something wrong about that. Okay, I'm stepping off my soap-box now. Thanks, Alison, for the great evening!

Family treasure

My Great, Great Aunt Grace passed away today. On March 31 she would have been 106.

Aunt Grace, my Grandma Dixie's aunt and my mom's great aunt, moved into the nursing home shortly after her 104th birthday and before that was living independently. It has been really hard for me to think of her in the nursing home these past couple of years because I have always known her as a really vibrant woman. The last time I saw her there I left in tears.

Aunt Grace has amazed us all. For at least the first 103 years of her life she kept up with her interests including her love for baseball. As a child, she was my babysitter. I would often opt to go spend an evening with her instead of going to a basketball game with my parents and would treasure time with her, eating popcorn, listening to the game on the radio and waiting for her cuckoo clock to sound.

You can definitely say that Aunt Grace lived a very full life but even still she will certainly be missed. She was a family treasure.

Oscar time!

I will have to say that I don't like that the Academy now nominates 10 films for best picture. I know why they did it because there are plenty of fantastic animation and comedy films that never stand a chance and they want to honor those films and get them out there. But I like trying to see all the films each year so if I know there are 5 top films it is pretty mangeable...but 10 movies? I think that means I will probably never get to say that I've seen all the nominated films again. Please, Academy, change it back to the way things used to be.

And even though only two of these made the Academy's list, here are my favorite movies from this past year (in no particular order):

• Up in the Air
• 500 Days of Summer
• The Hangover
• Up
• Adventureland
• Crazy Heart

Honorable mentions:

• Precious (Appreciated it and glad I saw it but it was too heavy to be considered a favorite of the year. It is so deserving though of all nominations.)


• The Informant (Matt Damon was awesome in this movie. Loved it.)


• Fantastic Mr. Fox (I loved it a million times more than I thought I would.)

Reunited and it feels so good

Today I met up with one of my BFF's from middle school. Brooke and I were always pretty close but in the middle of our sophmore year in high school she changed schools and we lost touch. I last saw her at her wedding in 1998!! Today we met up for lunch and pretty much gabbed nonstop. I definitely think there will be more of this in our future.

Baby Love

Over the weekend, I was able to meet Bryndyn and Taina's new baby, Trystyn. She is so sweet and looks so much like Taina! I also enjoyed spending time with Tia and Caelleb. It had been over a year since Tia had seen me but she still wanted to snuggle in my lap which made me feel so loved...she also told me that I looked like Hannah Montana! I am taking that as a compliment!

Taina and Trystyn

I also was able to love on Ben and Rachel's Alia. I wanted to take her home to Chicago with me. We asked her if she wanted to go home with me and she said yes (or maybe she just nodded her head). Somehow I think her mom and dad would not be cool with that.

Amy and Alia

True/False

Thursday I took a trip to visit my parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece. The next day I headed to Columbia for the True/False film festival.

I have always loved documentaries and consider it to probably be my favorite film genre. I was so bummed when I missed the festival last year so I was extra excited to be able to go this year. And, let's face it, Breanne is a pretty cool movie companion. Here's what I saw:

• Smash His Camera - This film is about the original paparazzo, Ron Galella. When I read the synopsis, I knew immediately this was a must-see for me.
• Greetings From the Woods
• Rachel Is - I highly recommend this film. Breanne and I both thought it was at the top of our list.
• The Tightrope
• When We Were Boys - Another favorite for me.
• Someone to Watch Over - This was a collection of shorts. My favorites were My Name is Sydney about a sixteen-year-old girl with autism and Goldthwait Home Movies. (Definitely go online to watch Goldthwait Home Movies...you will not be disappointed!!)
• As Lilith

The only bummer is that I didn't get to see many people. I think it would take me a full week to see all of my friends and that is definitely without any movie-watching.

Mario love

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was sit in my friend, Carrie's basement and play Mario Brothers. For hours. And hours. I also used to own a gameboy that was approximately the size of an encyclopedia and would tote lug that thing around playing some Mario. I love old school Nintendo!

So imagine my excitement when my husband bought me the new Super Mario Brothers Wii game for Valentine's Day. (Isn't he romantic?) Up until this point, the only Wii game I had decided was worth my time was MarioKart.

I think my husband has found my obsession with Mario Brothers a bit odd. In fact, he has since taken a blackmail picture of me. Ladies and gentlemen, you will not find that picture here. I'm pretty sure it is the equivalent of a man sitting on the couch in his underwear zoning out to the television. Only I'm under a blanket, wearing a t-shirt, with the video game controller tightly in my hand and wearing a look of pure concentration. What a sad life this housewife leads.

Earthquake

I woke up early this morning to the entire house shaking. I thought it was odd but it soon stopped so I fell back to sleep. Apparently, we'd just had a 4.3 earthquake. Not surprisingly, Joe slept right through it.

Jeeves in Bloom

You may have noticed that new recipes have not been so free-flowing around here lately. One reason is that between Joe and me, either one of us or both of us, are in school three nights which only leaves about one dinner together for us on a week night. When we do seem to finally reconnect on weekends, it is usually for dinner out somewhere. So I am a little out of my cooking groove these days.

Joe is a huge Wodehouse fan. He started foaming at the mouth earlier in the week when he read about a play in our area based on Wodehouse's Jeeves so we went on Friday night. The theatre was a great local find and I thought the play was a lot of fun. So much so that I would like to watch the BBC television series, Jeeves and Wooster sometime.

And it is always interesting when Super Bowl Sunday comes around; I am more interested in watching than Joe. (And I only like to watch for the commercials.) My non-sports-watching husband and I skipped out today altogether to go to a movie - Crazy Heart. It was crazy good.

Statistics makes me happy?

I just got out of class and after going over statistics problems for three hours my eyes feel like they are permanently crossed. But never mind that - I received an "A" on my first stats quiz. It wasn't quite a perfect score but it still qualified me for an A and I am grinning from ear to ear. I will rejoice in that and momentarily forget that I don't exactly understand the problems for next week's quiz.

Elixir of Love

What a great weekend! It started out with me getting to have dinner with a friend and fellow former-Columbian, Meggan. It is always so much fun to have visitors here even if it's just a dinner date.

Last night Joe and I went to the Lyric Opera to see Elixir of Love. This was our first time at the opera and I'm happy to report that we both had a lot of fun. Prior to last night, my only point of reference for the opera consisted of the opera scene in Pretty Woman. We arrived early enough to have a light meal at the bistro inside the opera house and then went to the pre-show seminar. At the seminar they discussed the story, music and history of the production. I was glad that the show we saw was fun and light-hearted and so easy to follow.

Now I am debating homework or further procrastination...

I might be crazy

Today my husband invited me to hang out with him and a couple of his friends. They were going to a record shop (vinyl only) and then out for hot dogs. I declined. I just didn't think it sounded like a very "Amy" afternoon. And, besides, I had some studying to do. After much persuading, I finally decided to go. After the record shop we went to Hot Dougs. It is a true Chicago experience but we almost skipped it entirely when we noticed the line went around the block. It was cold outside and I wasn't wearing my heaviest coat. I stood in line with the guys and then I sat in the car for awhile and then I stood in line some more. Finally, we made it inside - a full hour and forty minutes later! After that wait, I wasn't going to just have one hot dog so I had a corn dog and a chili cheese dog. My husband had Chicago dog and a bacon cheddar elk sausage dog. We also had duck fat fries. I am not sure about the hour and forty wait but it was a fun experience. And it's true - I ate today at a place known as the "sausage superstore and encased meat emporium." Nice.

Back to school

Monday I started school again after graduating 10 years ago (gasp) to work on my MBA. Many people have asked how my first week went. Let me just say that I am feeling pretty old right about now. Ten years ago we didn't use "Blackboard" to get homework assignments, check on our grades, etc. I also spent more for textbooks for two classes (for a quarter, not a semester) than I would have spent for five classes back in the day. And I hope I can get used to studying again. After my first class on Monday, someone sitting next to me stopped me before I left and asked me about the homework assignment while our teacher was still there. Then the person in front of me turned around and asked me another question. Um, I'm pretty sure these people are asking the WRONG person. I am, by no means, the expert here. The hope is that I can get into the groove soon...and the other hope is that I can get a B or better in Statistics.

Home again

Joe and I arrived home last night after a wonderful weekend trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit his family.

On Wednesday afternoon, after hearing the weather reports for the next day, I tried getting us on a plane that evening but they were sold out. In retrospect, showing up and trying to fly standby might have been a good bet. As I had feared, our flight first thing on Thursday was cancelled. In fact, most flights were cancelled but I finally found one to Seattle, via Kansas City, to leave about 5 hours after our originally scheduled flight. There was a brief window of opportunity for us to take off before the weather resumed giving everyone trouble. The weather was causing flight delays just about everywhere so thankfully our connecting flight was delayed, too, since we got there 45 min after it was supposed to depart. When we landed, the other plan was all boarded and they were holding the plane for us (and a few others from our flight) so that we were able to make it after all. Since we were the last ones on the plane, we didn't get to sit together. I won't go into our flight to Seattle except to say the gentleman I did sit with was completely obnoxious and terribly over-served. Ugh. Longest four hours ever.

This was what the runway looked like on Thursday just before our take-off.

Joe posing in front of an amazing backdrop!

On Saturday the entire family (minus grandma) went on an ocean-view hike.

I made it to the end of the trail! Thanks to everyone for such a great weekend.

Best week ever

My husband has been off work since Christmas Eve Day and goes back to work tomorrow. This is the longest time off work he's had since he was 23 (yes, he really is a workaholic) and the most time we've spent together with nothing to do. In addition to the ice skating, we've gone to a couple of movies, gone out to eat a couple times, hung out in bookstores, walked aimlessly around Whole Foods, taken the dogs to the dog park, taken lots of naps, took a car load to Goodwill and have been amidst a 30 Rock marathon most of the week. I love it! Tomorrow I'm back to my regular desperate housewife status and routine before our next big adventure to the Pacific Northwest this weekend...and I start graduate school next week. Gasp.

Happy New Year!

Today Joe and I went ice skating at Millennium Park. I will admit that I completely romanticized the idea. The truth is that I've never been ice skating before. And it's hard. About half a lap around the rink and my ankles felt like they were going to snap in half. But I did it and would stop and rest when needed (often) and then try some more. It was a brisk and overcast day downtown but fortunately not too terribly cold. Tonight we're going to have a cozy dinner at The Melting Pot and will be home (and maybe asleep) long before midnight. Happy New Year to all!

Christmas aftermath

Adyson had fun opening presents. Some of the items she received included new dolls, accessories for her dolls and a vaccuum.

My grandma was able to spend a few hours with us on Christmas. She is usually the most excited about opening gifts.

Joe and I arrived home yesterday afternoon after spending a couple days in Missouri with my family. I don't know what it is about travel - however long or short - but I'm exhausted. I'm also hoping that an elf sneaks into the house to put away the Christmas decorations. I hinted around to my husband and he asked if I really wanted him to be responsible for packing away delicate ornaments. He's right. I'll get to it eventually.

Recipe Roulette - Bibimbap

Nichole picked this recipe and I was definitely overwhelmed when I read the ingredients. It was a little more high-maintenance than I prefer in the kitchen. I didn't care for the results but Joe loved it. (If you haven't noticed, he basically loves everything.) Also, I don't do fried eggs so I made a fried egg for Joe and scrambled one for me. I also don't do radishes but decided to comply for this recipe and ate it anyway.

1/4 cup of Korean soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
2 tsp ground toasted sesame seeds
Dark sesame oil, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
1 lb beef skirt steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil, as needed
2 cups steamed medium-grain rice
2 cups iceberg lettuce chiffonade
1 cup julienned or grated red radish
1 cup julienned or grated daikon
1 cup julienned or grated carrot
1 cup julienned or grated seedless cucumber
4 shiso leaves cut into fine shreds (you can substitute basil and mint if you can't find shiso leaves)
4 large eggs
2 tbsps Korean red pepper paste (gochujang), or as needed

Combine the soy sauce and sugar in a bowl. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds. Add the sesame oil and pepper to taste. Add the skirt steak and toss until evenly coated. Cover, refrigerate and let steak marinate for at least 1 and up to 8 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over high heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the beef strips to the hot oil and stir-fry until the beef is cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Divide the rice evenly among 4 bowls. Top the rice with the lettuce. Toss together the red radish, daikon, carrot, cucumber and shiso leaves. Divide the vegetables evenly among the bowls. Top the vegetables with the skirt steak and season each with a few drops of sesame oil.

Wipe out the wok and return it to the burner. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and heat it over medium heat until the oil ripples. Add the eggs to the hot oil one at a time and fry, basting the tops with a little oil, until the whites are set and the yolk is hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Top each serving with a fried egg and serve at once, accompanied by the Korean red pepper paste.

The most wonderful time of the year

Today my yoga teacher gave me a gingerbread man cookie cutter doing the tree pose. It's so cute that I had to share. I might be inspired to make some yogi gingerbread cookies now.

Speaking of baking, I have been making lots of treats lately. I guess it's because in June you don't really have an excuse to make fattening stuff and hand it out, so I need to get it all out of my system now. Otherwise, it's like baking pumpkin pie in April...not really time appropriate although still tasty.

Recipe Roulette - Chicken, Goat Cheese and Rice Casserole with Pecans and Cherries

This week served up another recipe by Paula Deen. I thought it was great. I could have probably done without the cherries but they turned out to be Joe's favorite part of the dish. Also, I only used one cup of goat cheese which seemed like enough. It's a great twist on your everyday chicken and rice casserole.

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3/4 cup dried cherries
2 cups (1/2 pound) crumbled goat cheese
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 cup (1/4 pound) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and saute until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the broth and season with the salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2. In a 13 x 9 inch flameproof baking dish, combine the chicken, rice and cherries. Pour the boiling broth mixture over it and cover tightly with foil. Bake until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes.

3. Remove the casserole from the oven, remove the foil, and turn the setting to broil. Stir in the goat cheese, cream, pecans and orange zest. Smooth the surface of the casserole and sprinke it with Parmesan cheese. Return the casserole to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and golden, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Husband interuptus

This post is by husband of Girl About Town. Her Beef Burgandy is out of this world. This was one of the best winter meals of my life.