Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast at the hotel. We then got ready and headed down to Lincoln Park for the morning. We took a stroll through the Lincoln Park Zoo, which was nice. Then we walked down to the beach. We didn't lay out or swim, but enjoyed dipping our feet in the water and taking in the beautiful view. We then went to Portillo's for a Chicago-style hot dog. It was at this time that we started to realize the true joy (note my sarcasm) of Chicago parking. Not only is parking in this city expensive, but it's incredibly hard to find places to park. By the time we actually got to lunch (around 2:00), we both felt like we might eat our own arms off.
After lunch, we decided to head back to the hotel to take a nap before the wedding. When we got up, we called our friends Josh and Jaime to see if they wanted to ride with us to the wedding venue. We met them downstairs and headed to Monastero's Ristorante. It was a nice, short but sweet ceremony. I was excited because it was my first (semi) Jewish wedding and they did the whole stomping on the glass at the end, which was cool to see.
After the ceremony, we proceeded to the banquet hall next door and began to take advantage of the open bar. The night went on with the dinner, cake cutting, dance, photobooth fun, and a trolley or some sort of shuttle ride home that I don't really remember. Despite the hangover I had the next day, it was a lot of fun!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Chicago Trip - Day 1
My husband and I went to Chicago last weekend for a friend's wedding/anniversary getaway. The trip came at the perfect time. I had had a really rough week leading up to the trip and needed an escape.
***Note: Because I tend to get a little wordy in my blogs, I'm breaking our trip down into day by day posts
DAY 1:
We left at the crack of dawn Friday morning. We decided to drive to save some money since we had just flown to South Carolina earlier in the month. The drive really wasn't bad until we got into the Chicago area. It was then that we discovered the dreaded Chicago highway tolls. Where we live, tolls aren't really a big deal. If you drive on I-70, you pull up to the toll booth, take your ticket, then an hour or so later, you pull up to another toll booth...give the cashier a dollar or two and you're done. Chicago must not believe in the simplicity of this system. First off, we were unaware that the highway we would be driving on was a toll road. We were also not aware that in Chicago, you have to stop roughly every quarter mile to pay yet another toll. Oh, and they don't have people at the booths. Instead, you have to put change (coins only) into the little bucket. We pulled up and paid 60 cents to the first one. Then shortly after, paid another $1.50. Then we had to pay another shortly after that. At this point, after looking under the seats and emptying out my purse, we realized we didn't really have any coins left. We pulled off the highway and both searched our phones' GPS for an alternative route. In the end, we finally got to our hotel, but needless to say, the whole thing probably added another hour to our trip and quite a few gray hairs to our heads.
By the time we got checked in to our hotel, we had about 20 minutes to freshen up and change before heading to the rehearsal dinner. We met our friends Chrissy and Ben (the couple getting married) and road over to Hota for a cocktail hour and dinner. The cocktail hour lasted quite a while and the hubby and I may or may not have had a few too many drinks. It was a fun evening though, and we ended up crashing pretty hard once we got back to the hotel.
***Note: Because I tend to get a little wordy in my blogs, I'm breaking our trip down into day by day posts
DAY 1:
We left at the crack of dawn Friday morning. We decided to drive to save some money since we had just flown to South Carolina earlier in the month. The drive really wasn't bad until we got into the Chicago area. It was then that we discovered the dreaded Chicago highway tolls. Where we live, tolls aren't really a big deal. If you drive on I-70, you pull up to the toll booth, take your ticket, then an hour or so later, you pull up to another toll booth...give the cashier a dollar or two and you're done. Chicago must not believe in the simplicity of this system. First off, we were unaware that the highway we would be driving on was a toll road. We were also not aware that in Chicago, you have to stop roughly every quarter mile to pay yet another toll. Oh, and they don't have people at the booths. Instead, you have to put change (coins only) into the little bucket. We pulled up and paid 60 cents to the first one. Then shortly after, paid another $1.50. Then we had to pay another shortly after that. At this point, after looking under the seats and emptying out my purse, we realized we didn't really have any coins left. We pulled off the highway and both searched our phones' GPS for an alternative route. In the end, we finally got to our hotel, but needless to say, the whole thing probably added another hour to our trip and quite a few gray hairs to our heads.
By the time we got checked in to our hotel, we had about 20 minutes to freshen up and change before heading to the rehearsal dinner. We met our friends Chrissy and Ben (the couple getting married) and road over to Hota for a cocktail hour and dinner. The cocktail hour lasted quite a while and the hubby and I may or may not have had a few too many drinks. It was a fun evening though, and we ended up crashing pretty hard once we got back to the hotel.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
A Rough Week
People always say bad things come in threes. My past week has proven this to be true. It's been an emotionally exhausting week:
I had to say goodbye to my beloved grandmother, Marjorie Taylor. Grandma Taylor was an extraordinary woman who touched the hearts of everyone she encountered. She had more love in her heart than anyone I know...love which she shared with her dear husband, 8 children, 25 grandchilren, 26 great greatchildren, many other friends and family, and most of all, the Lord. I strive to be even half the woman she was during her 88 years of life. Grandma and I both shared a love for music, writing, and (mostly) friendly board game competition. I will miss her tremendously.
During this same time, my oldest sister and her family were being evacuated from their home in the Colorado Springs area due to the Waldo Canyon Fire. They had to grab a select few belongings and flee to her mother-in-law's home near Garden of the Gods. They spent a few nights there, then were forced to evacuate again when the fire took a turn for the worse, and blew into the Colorado Springs city limits after 65 MPH gusts of winds. They've been fortunate enough to get to go stay at the Olympic Training Center where my brother-in-law works. From what I hear, they have been well taken care of there, so that has eased my mind a little. Even still, I look over photos of this devastating fire and I can't imagine what it would be like to experience this firsthand. It's terrifying. My heart goes out to the people of Colorado.
And just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I got a phone call from my sister Margie informing me that my childhood best friend's mom had passed away. This was the girl whose house I stayed at nearly every weekend as a kid. Growing up, her mom was like my second mom. Needless to say, this news came to me like a punch in the stomach. A flood of emotions came over me. I was sad for the loss of such a wonderful person. I also felt a twinge of guilt. This girl was my BEST FRIEND when I was a kid. We did everything together. As adults, our lives went two very separate ways and needless to say, we haven't kept in contact. I haven't spoken to her in five years and knowing that she's been by her mom's side throughout this horrible disease and that I was nowhere during all this, just made me feel like a horrible person. I felt even more guilty when I realized I wasn't going to be able to make it to the funeral, as it fell at the same time as our trip to Chicago for Chrissy's wedding. I fought back and forth with myself as to whether or not I should end my trip early to come back for the funeral. In the end, I ended up not going. I hope my friend understands how much my heart breaks for her during this hard time, and I hope I can reconnect with this person who once upon a time was such a big part of my life.
I had to say goodbye to my beloved grandmother, Marjorie Taylor. Grandma Taylor was an extraordinary woman who touched the hearts of everyone she encountered. She had more love in her heart than anyone I know...love which she shared with her dear husband, 8 children, 25 grandchilren, 26 great greatchildren, many other friends and family, and most of all, the Lord. I strive to be even half the woman she was during her 88 years of life. Grandma and I both shared a love for music, writing, and (mostly) friendly board game competition. I will miss her tremendously.
During this same time, my oldest sister and her family were being evacuated from their home in the Colorado Springs area due to the Waldo Canyon Fire. They had to grab a select few belongings and flee to her mother-in-law's home near Garden of the Gods. They spent a few nights there, then were forced to evacuate again when the fire took a turn for the worse, and blew into the Colorado Springs city limits after 65 MPH gusts of winds. They've been fortunate enough to get to go stay at the Olympic Training Center where my brother-in-law works. From what I hear, they have been well taken care of there, so that has eased my mind a little. Even still, I look over photos of this devastating fire and I can't imagine what it would be like to experience this firsthand. It's terrifying. My heart goes out to the people of Colorado.
And just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I got a phone call from my sister Margie informing me that my childhood best friend's mom had passed away. This was the girl whose house I stayed at nearly every weekend as a kid. Growing up, her mom was like my second mom. Needless to say, this news came to me like a punch in the stomach. A flood of emotions came over me. I was sad for the loss of such a wonderful person. I also felt a twinge of guilt. This girl was my BEST FRIEND when I was a kid. We did everything together. As adults, our lives went two very separate ways and needless to say, we haven't kept in contact. I haven't spoken to her in five years and knowing that she's been by her mom's side throughout this horrible disease and that I was nowhere during all this, just made me feel like a horrible person. I felt even more guilty when I realized I wasn't going to be able to make it to the funeral, as it fell at the same time as our trip to Chicago for Chrissy's wedding. I fought back and forth with myself as to whether or not I should end my trip early to come back for the funeral. In the end, I ended up not going. I hope my friend understands how much my heart breaks for her during this hard time, and I hope I can reconnect with this person who once upon a time was such a big part of my life.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Summer's Coming!
The end of the (school) year is approaching. I know this because:
Here's a sneak peak at some of the things I'm looking forward to this summer:
- It's hot outside.
- My kids are driving me just a little more crazy than usual. :-)
Here's a sneak peak at some of the things I'm looking forward to this summer:
- South Carolina - We have friends who live there who we haven't seen in a while, so we're looking forward to seeing them.
- Girls weekend at Lake of the Ozarks - My friend Diane is getting married next April. This is going to be a bit of an early bachelorette party - a lake pub crawl with her and some of the other bridesmaids. Should be fun!
- Chicago - Our friend Chrissy is getting married at the end of June. We're looking forward to the wedding and then spending a few days in Chi-Town to celebrate our 3-year anniversary.
- Starlight Shows - For the past few years, my girlfriends and I have bought a Starlight package for their summer shows. This year, the package includes seeing In the Heights, Peter Pan, Memphis, La Cage Aux Folles, and then Aida at the new(ish) Kauffman Center. I always look forward to seeing these shows!
- Table Rock Lake - This will be another girls weekend at the lake. We've done this for quite a few years. It's more low-key and chill: laying out on the dock, boating, etc.
- Float Trip - Our 3rd annual float trip will take place the first weekend of August to celebrate James' birthday. ALWAYS a good time!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
It's the little things...
I had a rough day today...for reasons that I won't get into. But, needless to say, it was one of those days that you just have to cry it out. I spent a portion of my day feeling sorry for myself, but by the end of the day, I came to a realization: I have amazing people in my life. My husband. My friends. My coworkers. And sometimes it's the little things these people in our lives that make such a difference. I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.
L - Thank you for always being right next door when I need you. For being there when I need someone to vent to and for also understanding when I just don't want to talk about it. I love that you're never afraid to let your voice be heard and that you'll advocate for those who are important to you. You're a great teacher and an incredible friend. Today - thank you for taking my recess duty for me. Such a small act of kindness in the big scheme of things, but it really brightened my day. Thank you.
D - Thank you for your advice and encouraging words. For being real when I need you to be, but also giving me hope. I cherish our friendship....the conversations we have during an afternoon coffee or neighborhood run. Today - thank you for being a shoulder for me to cry on and for "running it out" with me. 4 miles never felt so good! Thank you.
And to my next door neighbor - thank you for helping me haul 8 mulch bags from the backyard to the curb.
L - Thank you for always being right next door when I need you. For being there when I need someone to vent to and for also understanding when I just don't want to talk about it. I love that you're never afraid to let your voice be heard and that you'll advocate for those who are important to you. You're a great teacher and an incredible friend. Today - thank you for taking my recess duty for me. Such a small act of kindness in the big scheme of things, but it really brightened my day. Thank you.
D - Thank you for your advice and encouraging words. For being real when I need you to be, but also giving me hope. I cherish our friendship....the conversations we have during an afternoon coffee or neighborhood run. Today - thank you for being a shoulder for me to cry on and for "running it out" with me. 4 miles never felt so good! Thank you.
And to my next door neighbor - thank you for helping me haul 8 mulch bags from the backyard to the curb.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Costco's Preztel Buns...HOLY DELICIOUSNESS!!!
About 6 months ago, I experienced the pretzel bagel for the first time from Einstein's Bagels. Wow. Just wow. They were delicious and I didn't think it could get much better. Well, I was wrong.
I introduce to you the soft pretzel bun from Costco. A girl from my book club recommended them to me this past Thursday, so when my hubby and I went this weekend, we had to give them a try.
Just now, I made a nice quick lunch with them. Incredibly easy. And amazingly delicious.
Pretzel Bun Turkey Sliders:
Costco pretzel buns
Oscar Meyer deli smoked turkey
Sargentos sliced pepperjack cheese
Dijon mustard
I assembled the sandwiches and threw them under the broiler (or you could use a toaster oven, if you have one) for a few minutes until the cheese was melted.
I feel like it's a crime for something so delicious to be so easy!
We definitely like these buns more than the Einstein's bagels. They're just so light and soft. I would happily eat them by themselves with just a little mustard!
I introduce to you the soft pretzel bun from Costco. A girl from my book club recommended them to me this past Thursday, so when my hubby and I went this weekend, we had to give them a try.
Just now, I made a nice quick lunch with them. Incredibly easy. And amazingly delicious.
Pretzel Bun Turkey Sliders:
Costco pretzel buns
Oscar Meyer deli smoked turkey
Sargentos sliced pepperjack cheese
Dijon mustard
I assembled the sandwiches and threw them under the broiler (or you could use a toaster oven, if you have one) for a few minutes until the cheese was melted.
I feel like it's a crime for something so delicious to be so easy!
We definitely like these buns more than the Einstein's bagels. They're just so light and soft. I would happily eat them by themselves with just a little mustard!
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