Yesterday I came home to finding my passport in the mailbox. I can't explain how awesome that was for me. I applied for it on February 27th & expected it to take the entire 3 weeks I was told. Had it taken 3 weeks, it would have arrived as I was on vacation in Vegas for the first weekend of the tournament. That would have made for a stressful trip.
So, now that I have that, the only thing left to worry about before leaving for Vegas is ensuring everything is in order at work. I'm sure things will be fine when I'm out, especially due to the amount of work I'm doing before leaving to ensure of it.
I also need to figure out a more solid itinerary for our trip to Paris. I have a good skeleton plan of what I want to do, I just need to figure out which days for which thing(s)... or just show up and wing it, which would also be fun.
In other news, yesterday was my first trip to the gym in about 3 weeks. Dreading the worst, I almost convinced myself to not weigh myself, as I didnt want to be disappointed sliding the weight-bobber to the right. Turns out I've lost 3 lbs since my last trip & am officially over 20 lbs lost since I began back in October. I'd initially planned on losing 30 by 30 (my 30th birthday), but with only 16-ish days left, I think I'll come up short. That said, I'm still pretty happy with my results so far & will reach the 30lb mark before too long.
11 March 2008
03 March 2008
HOORAY FOR MARCH!!!
March is quite possibly my favorite month of the year.
Today is Matt's 29th birthday. We went out to Tango Sur on Saturday night to celebrate. What a dumb idea. I mean, we knew it'd be a long wait for a table (they don't take reservations for parties less than 6), but we expected it to be closer to an hour or hour and a half. When the guy taking names told us it'd be 2 hours, we decided to head to a local bar we rarely have the chance to visit anymore, because it's "too far" (it's probably 8 blocks away, but there are probably 12 bars closer). So we headed to Gingers, asked the bartender if they minded keeping our 6-pack cold in the cooler, and had a couple of drinks. We finally ended up being seated, a mere 2 hours and 20 minutes later, and the wait was well worth it. I freaking love that place. Plus, it provided leftovers for lunch on Sunday. (After all of it though, it would have made more sense to go tonight, when the wait would likely be less than 30 minutes, if any at all). Dummies.
Our plans for Europe are shaping up quite nicely. We will be spending 5 nights in Paris and then taking the Chunnel up to London & spending 2 nights there. Matt's work is footing the bill for the hotel in Paris for the 5 nights, so it made paying the cost of my flight a little more reasonable (much thanks to my dad for giving me my 30th birthday gift early!). Matt lived and worked in London for roughly 8 months, so we'll be visiting his old pub & he'll be my tour guide for our time there.
Before heading to Europe though, I had already planned on going to Vegas for my 30th birthday - so, we're headed there a few weeks before my 30th - on March 19th - for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. As sad as it sounds, I'm a little relieved that I wont have to be glued to every game, thanks to Illinois being completely awful this year, I wont need to worry about them even being in any sort of post-season tournament.
In other news, our office moved to a new location, so that had taken up a lot of my time recently (hello, overtime!)... I'm trying to convince myself that Steve wont hate us after we board him for roughly 3 weeks due to our traveling... :(
That's about it for now.
Today is Matt's 29th birthday. We went out to Tango Sur on Saturday night to celebrate. What a dumb idea. I mean, we knew it'd be a long wait for a table (they don't take reservations for parties less than 6), but we expected it to be closer to an hour or hour and a half. When the guy taking names told us it'd be 2 hours, we decided to head to a local bar we rarely have the chance to visit anymore, because it's "too far" (it's probably 8 blocks away, but there are probably 12 bars closer). So we headed to Gingers, asked the bartender if they minded keeping our 6-pack cold in the cooler, and had a couple of drinks. We finally ended up being seated, a mere 2 hours and 20 minutes later, and the wait was well worth it. I freaking love that place. Plus, it provided leftovers for lunch on Sunday. (After all of it though, it would have made more sense to go tonight, when the wait would likely be less than 30 minutes, if any at all). Dummies.
Our plans for Europe are shaping up quite nicely. We will be spending 5 nights in Paris and then taking the Chunnel up to London & spending 2 nights there. Matt's work is footing the bill for the hotel in Paris for the 5 nights, so it made paying the cost of my flight a little more reasonable (much thanks to my dad for giving me my 30th birthday gift early!). Matt lived and worked in London for roughly 8 months, so we'll be visiting his old pub & he'll be my tour guide for our time there.
Before heading to Europe though, I had already planned on going to Vegas for my 30th birthday - so, we're headed there a few weeks before my 30th - on March 19th - for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. As sad as it sounds, I'm a little relieved that I wont have to be glued to every game, thanks to Illinois being completely awful this year, I wont need to worry about them even being in any sort of post-season tournament.
In other news, our office moved to a new location, so that had taken up a lot of my time recently (hello, overtime!)... I'm trying to convince myself that Steve wont hate us after we board him for roughly 3 weeks due to our traveling... :(
That's about it for now.
11 February 2008
Gem appell Amber?
I'm inching closer to being able to join Matt in Paris at the end of March.
*developing*
*developing*
04 February 2008
Air Travel
I don't travel all that often, usually 4-5 trips a year, but each time, I'm always amazed at the stupidity and selfishness of my fellow travelers.
Last week, I went to Denver for a one-day trip to our office out there. I shouldnt be surprised, but of all the annoyances related to air travel, I ran into every one of them.
1. Security
Yes, you need to take your shoes off. Probably your belt and jacket as well. We all do. There's no reason for you to assume you are immune to this part of security.
2. Boarding
In this day and age, most airlines print a "seating area" on your boarding pass. Please pay attention to this & only board when your area is called. The corral everyone must go through isn't large enough to allow your family of four to turn around and retreat comfortably when you realize you're in seating area 3 when seating area 1 is being called. Speaking of corrals, I've got a bone to pick about United's Red Carpet Club, but that will be addressed below.
3. Carry-on luggage
I realize you may have had an issue with missing luggage in the past, or you're not interested in taking the extra time to check your bigger-than-carry-on-luggage, but there has to be limits. The airlines should probably do more to prevent passengers from lugging on huge carry-on pieces, but the passenger shouldnt be absolved from blame either.
When storing your carry-on, how hard is it to put the wheel-y suitcases in, wheels first? You leave more space for others & look less like a first-time traveler if you store correctly. Also, take a minute to look around & some time to listen to any announcements by the airline staff. If the flight is full, your laptop bag, coats, scarves, purses do not belong anywhere but under the seat in front of you. Less footroom kind of stinks, but guess what, it beats being selfish.
4. Children
Yes, kids need to travel too, but please be prepared to keep your children occupied throughout the flight & if they're doing something controllable (like kicking the back of a seat), have them stop.
5. Talking
If you're on a flight at an hour many people would rather be sleeping (6AM), don't take it upon yourself to tell your life story to the passenger sitting next to you. If you do, please use your inside voices, and for goodness sake, take a breath every once in a while.
6. Exiting the plane
I'm not sure what happens, but somehow at least 5 people forget where they put their items. Knowing where your items are, and getting them as quickly as you can, is key for everyone on the plane. Everyone wants to get off the plane, the last thing passengers want to do is wait for Susie Packsalot to find her oversized carry-on and laptop bag.
7. First Class
Now, I think my dislike for this portion of air travel is strictly rooted in jealousy, so take that for what it's worth. In any case, here are my issues with first class, specifically with United Airlines:
Last week, I went to Denver for a one-day trip to our office out there. I shouldnt be surprised, but of all the annoyances related to air travel, I ran into every one of them.
1. Security
Yes, you need to take your shoes off. Probably your belt and jacket as well. We all do. There's no reason for you to assume you are immune to this part of security.
2. Boarding
In this day and age, most airlines print a "seating area" on your boarding pass. Please pay attention to this & only board when your area is called. The corral everyone must go through isn't large enough to allow your family of four to turn around and retreat comfortably when you realize you're in seating area 3 when seating area 1 is being called. Speaking of corrals, I've got a bone to pick about United's Red Carpet Club, but that will be addressed below.
3. Carry-on luggage
I realize you may have had an issue with missing luggage in the past, or you're not interested in taking the extra time to check your bigger-than-carry-on-luggage, but there has to be limits. The airlines should probably do more to prevent passengers from lugging on huge carry-on pieces, but the passenger shouldnt be absolved from blame either.
When storing your carry-on, how hard is it to put the wheel-y suitcases in, wheels first? You leave more space for others & look less like a first-time traveler if you store correctly. Also, take a minute to look around & some time to listen to any announcements by the airline staff. If the flight is full, your laptop bag, coats, scarves, purses do not belong anywhere but under the seat in front of you. Less footroom kind of stinks, but guess what, it beats being selfish.
4. Children
Yes, kids need to travel too, but please be prepared to keep your children occupied throughout the flight & if they're doing something controllable (like kicking the back of a seat), have them stop.
5. Talking
If you're on a flight at an hour many people would rather be sleeping (6AM), don't take it upon yourself to tell your life story to the passenger sitting next to you. If you do, please use your inside voices, and for goodness sake, take a breath every once in a while.
6. Exiting the plane
I'm not sure what happens, but somehow at least 5 people forget where they put their items. Knowing where your items are, and getting them as quickly as you can, is key for everyone on the plane. Everyone wants to get off the plane, the last thing passengers want to do is wait for Susie Packsalot to find her oversized carry-on and laptop bag.
7. First Class
Now, I think my dislike for this portion of air travel is strictly rooted in jealousy, so take that for what it's worth. In any case, here are my issues with first class, specifically with United Airlines:
- United Airlines has what's called the "Red Carpet Club" - this involves access to secret areas inside the terminal with what I can only imagine is free-flowing booze, HD televisions, food & free internets. I've been in one before, and to be honest, I had no idea they even existed prior to that. At O'Hare atleast, the doors aren't that noticable to anyone not looking for them. In Denver, however, the doors are at the end of a moving walkway, and when they open, you wish you could go inside to hang out with all of the important people who are obviously too good to sit out at the airport bar with the rest of us.
- The Red Carpet Club also involves an actual piece of red carpet. There's a doormat-sized red carpet at the gate, in a separate corral area (which is located directly next to the "rest-of-us" corral). It was funny when the gate agent hooked the red carpet corral belt thing, and unhooked the rest-of-us corral belt thing to signify that it was now our turn to board. As if some sort of statement was being made to those of us not privy enough to walk over the red carpet.
- Once we board the airplane, it always gets my grits (I dont really know what that means) to see that as I'm struggling to make it down the aisle, we have the pleasure of walking through first class. The big seats are nice, but these people already have drinks in their hands? Meanwhile, I'm waiting for Susie Packsalot to shove her bigger-than-carry-on-luggage sideways into the overhead compartment. :(
14 January 2008
So, we went up north for New Years...
This update will likely be short, but sweet. Hopefully.
So, on Friday evening after Jen was finished with work, we picked her up, filled up on gas (we luckily* were borrowing Matt's parents car) and headed out to a clear I-90. It stayed clear for about 12 minutes.** Once we were in Wisconsin, the roads were getting slick and snow was falling on a somewhat regular basis. Needless to say, it was a bit nerve-wracking. Once we were fairly close, and on a 2 lane highway, I was happy - after a little over 5 hours, we were almost there. And then we see brake lights ahead of us. A whole long line of them. Did I mention we were on a 2-lane highway? We saw no one coming from the other direction. We probably sat stationary for 15-20 minutes. Doesn't really seem like a lot, but it sure does when you're sitting on a road, waiting to move. I guess there was at least a 2-car crash, as we saw the tow truck towing 2 wrecked cars in front of us. Anyway, eventually we made it - Matt's parents waited up (of course) and even had some sort of chili cheese dip warmed and waiting for us. (Keep in mind this was sometime after 1AM, if I recall correctly).
The next morning, Matt's parents made us breakfast & after Jen and I learned to snowmobile. I'm pretty conservative with it, as I was afraid I'd fall off if I went too fast. *** As Jen and I were "learning" we decided to take them into town and have a beer. Beers were $1.75. Awesome. Anyway, it was an odd experience just pulling up into a parking lot and parking a snowmobile. **** Inside the bar, we found many others dressed in the same snow pants, huge winter coat as us. There was even temporary shelving set up for helmets. We had a beer & then headed back.
Most of our time was spent either in the cabin hanging out (90210-watching), out on snowmobiles, or somewhere in one of the towns at a bar. I had my first Wisconsin cheese curds (both the deep-fried and non-breaded varieties), we went antique shopping (I'm sure Matt loved that), and we watched Illinois lose in both basketball (Tennessee St at home) and football (USC in the Rose Bowl).
Back up - did I mention we brought Steve up with us? It was an interesting experiment, to say the least. After some confirmation from Dr. Bob (Matt's Dad) as well as other family members that have taken cats up there, we decided to pack him up and take him. He doesn't like being in his crate very much, so for the first 5 minutes or so, he was whining pretty bad. :( Once up there, we kept him in the bedroom we were sleeping in, as there were 2 dogs up there. We knew he'd likely stay in there anyway, under the bed, but we didn't want to take chances that they wouldn't get along. After 2 days, the dogs were gone & Steve started to show his face. He'd do his own exploring, making sure to walk into every room - for what, I don't know. As silly as it seems, I was pretty happy seeing him out and walking around. Even at home, he usually stays secluded when we have people over, so it was nice to see him out with Jen being there. By the last day, he came out quite a bit. Yay for Steve!
Ok, so back to the rest of the trip... New Years Eve, we went to the local butcher and bought steaks for grilling. Matt's parents had leftover lobster, so Jen and Matt had that in addition to steak (too weird texture-y for me). Matt grilled up the steaks & spargus - it ended up being really great (despite a grill covered in snow). We finished eating, cleaned up & had a few drinks before heading out to the Shamrock Bar for NYE festivities. Once at the bar, we quickly snagged a couple of seats right at the bar and drank cheap drinks most of the night. I think we collectively spent no more than $50 or $60. Awesome.
It was a really fun time spent up north & I hope to plan a trip with our friends this summer. It's a 6-hour drive & summer weekends are usually pretty busy for most, so it might be tough. Would definitely be fun, though.
*I say "luckily" but the car didn't handle very well in the snow. It did a great job at ensuring we make it up there, but once there, it was tough to get around.
**It was probably more than 12 minutes.
***I did fall off one night. I wasn't driving, Matt was. I was on the back, he took a turn pretty quickly, I was catapulted from the vehicle. I didn't get hurt.
**** Even more odd, being first -time riders, Jen and I didn't know snowmobiles do not go in reverse. So, when we first saw the lot, we drove right up to the pile of snow that had been removed from the lot. Everyone else was nicely lined up in the lot. I didn't want to drive in there, out of fear of doing something wrong or crashing into something. Whoops.
Oh, and just kidding about this update being short.
Here are some pictures from the time up there:
07 January 2008
04 January 2008
... and we're now in 2008
So, let's see if I can give an update on what's been going on the past few weeks.
The weekend of the 22nd-ish I spent the night in St Louis, for our annual trip to the Braggin' Right's game. Illinois won yet again, 8 years in a row. The hilarious thing about this year's game - we're awful. Even in a year when our team is awful, we still end up beating Mizzou.
Christmas and the days around it were a whirlwind yet again. Christmas Eve Eve was spent in the western burbs, once we were actually able to find it. There's just something about the western burbs - I always end up getting lost on my way. It doesn't matter if I've been to the specific location before, I get lost. It sucks. Well, the western burbs do. Anyway, that was Matt's dad's side of the family. It was a small gathering, but good to see that side of the family. Matt's grandma even commented to him, "I like your lady-friend" :D
Christmas Eve was spent at Matt's mom's side of the family in Oak Park. The main attraction to this gathering is the music played and songs sung after all of the hullabaloo that comes with Christmas is finished. That side of the family is pretty musically gifted, everyone usually sits around in the main room while Matt's uncles & aunts play instruments and sing. I'll be honest, last year, I was a bit taken back by the entire thing, I thought it was a little bit weird. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Should I sing? If I don't, will everyone think I'm the weird one? In any case, my finding it weird was mostly because I've never been a part of a family that does much more than sit around and watch television or play cards during the holidays. This year, it was probably the part of the holidays that I was most looking forward to.
Christmas Day was spent in the Rock with my dad's family for most of the day. After that, we headed to my mom's to see her, my brothers and my nieces and nephews. And finally, after that, Matt's immediate family (mom and dad) wanted to have our own Christmas celebration, so we headed to Kenosha from Rockford. We had a nice dinner and opened gifts. Among sweaters & a picture frame collage, they gave us a huge Illinois metal bucket, filled with a ton of Illinois stuff - really cool gift that I look forward to putting to use.
A few days after Christmas, Matt, Jen and I headed up to northern Wisconsin to spend a few days at Matt's family "cabin." Cabin is in quotes because it's pretty much a house. There are 3 BRs, 2 bathrooms, a fully functioning kitchen with every appliance imaginable, a laundry room, etc. I'll hold off on posting the recap from the cabin though. I'm hoping to have pictures soon, once I have those, I will post that in a different post.
Finally, today is my first day back at work since 11 AM on Christmas Eve. Wow, it sucks. Not quite as busy as I was anticipating, so I guess that's good (I mean, I even have time for this big ol' update)... but, I really enjoyed my time off.
The weekend of the 22nd-ish I spent the night in St Louis, for our annual trip to the Braggin' Right's game. Illinois won yet again, 8 years in a row. The hilarious thing about this year's game - we're awful. Even in a year when our team is awful, we still end up beating Mizzou.
Christmas and the days around it were a whirlwind yet again. Christmas Eve Eve was spent in the western burbs, once we were actually able to find it. There's just something about the western burbs - I always end up getting lost on my way. It doesn't matter if I've been to the specific location before, I get lost. It sucks. Well, the western burbs do. Anyway, that was Matt's dad's side of the family. It was a small gathering, but good to see that side of the family. Matt's grandma even commented to him, "I like your lady-friend" :D
Christmas Eve was spent at Matt's mom's side of the family in Oak Park. The main attraction to this gathering is the music played and songs sung after all of the hullabaloo that comes with Christmas is finished. That side of the family is pretty musically gifted, everyone usually sits around in the main room while Matt's uncles & aunts play instruments and sing. I'll be honest, last year, I was a bit taken back by the entire thing, I thought it was a little bit weird. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. Should I sing? If I don't, will everyone think I'm the weird one? In any case, my finding it weird was mostly because I've never been a part of a family that does much more than sit around and watch television or play cards during the holidays. This year, it was probably the part of the holidays that I was most looking forward to.
Christmas Day was spent in the Rock with my dad's family for most of the day. After that, we headed to my mom's to see her, my brothers and my nieces and nephews. And finally, after that, Matt's immediate family (mom and dad) wanted to have our own Christmas celebration, so we headed to Kenosha from Rockford. We had a nice dinner and opened gifts. Among sweaters & a picture frame collage, they gave us a huge Illinois metal bucket, filled with a ton of Illinois stuff - really cool gift that I look forward to putting to use.
A few days after Christmas, Matt, Jen and I headed up to northern Wisconsin to spend a few days at Matt's family "cabin." Cabin is in quotes because it's pretty much a house. There are 3 BRs, 2 bathrooms, a fully functioning kitchen with every appliance imaginable, a laundry room, etc. I'll hold off on posting the recap from the cabin though. I'm hoping to have pictures soon, once I have those, I will post that in a different post.
Finally, today is my first day back at work since 11 AM on Christmas Eve. Wow, it sucks. Not quite as busy as I was anticipating, so I guess that's good (I mean, I even have time for this big ol' update)... but, I really enjoyed my time off.
20 December 2007
My new hat!
I purchased a new hat this winter. This inspired me to find pictures of me in different hats. I should wear hats more often.
Technically, this isn't a hat, but whatever:
Here are some pictures!
Technically, this isn't a hat, but whatever: Also, not a hat:
18 December 2007
Christmas decorations!
We finally picked up a tree on Saturday. Here are a couple of pictures of decorations at Westview. (We actually made the basket & wreaths ourselves! Hooray us!)
and finally, our tree:
03 December 2007
ROSE BOWL!!!!
So, it was announced yesterday that Illinois will be facing USC in the Rose Bowl on January 1st. What awesome news for a program that was so dismally bad just two years ago. While I don't expect to come out of Pasadena with a win, I certainly hope Illinois is able to be competitive and keep it close.
Sadly, because of the high costs of flights ($500+), I will not be making the trip out west for the game. It's just not something I'm able to rationalize as worthy of such a large amount of money, for one game. Besides, I also have 2 trips in March to plan for - My 30th birthday in Vegas (March 19th - 23rd, mark your calendars now!) as well as the annual trip to the Final Four (this year in San Antonio). Why this can't be the year the Final Four is in Detroit is a bit frustrating. I'd easily skip that trip to take this one out west.
Anyway, that's the update for now... currently planning our trip to St Louis for the Braggin' Rights game on the 22nd!
holler.
27 November 2007
20 November 2007
12 November 2007
Biggest Loser Challenge - Halfway point...
So, it's the halfway point of the diet I posted about at the end of September- the diet where 7 of us all tossed in $50 to see who could lose the highest percentage of body weight by the end of the year.
Well - my progress so far - I've lost 11.5 pounds! It's been tough, and I probably could be down more than that if I were more dedicated to the working out portion of the plan. I've generally kept on track with my new diet, only having a couple of bad days over the course of the past 7 weeks.
Anyway, my goal is to lose 20 by the end of the year, and the ultimate goal is 30 by 30 (30 lbs by my 30th birthday - which is 3.27). I know I'll hit a plateau at about the 18-20lb mark (I always do)... so it could be tough. If I can keep up with losing 1.5 - 2lbs/week, I'll be in great shape.
Thanks to all who have encouraged me, even if it was a simple, "you look like you've lost weight" (and for the record, it's ALWAYS good to hear that, and not something anyone should feel bad saying).
Oh, Illinois beat #1 Ohio State on Saturday 28-21, in case anyone missed it!
Well - my progress so far - I've lost 11.5 pounds! It's been tough, and I probably could be down more than that if I were more dedicated to the working out portion of the plan. I've generally kept on track with my new diet, only having a couple of bad days over the course of the past 7 weeks.
Anyway, my goal is to lose 20 by the end of the year, and the ultimate goal is 30 by 30 (30 lbs by my 30th birthday - which is 3.27). I know I'll hit a plateau at about the 18-20lb mark (I always do)... so it could be tough. If I can keep up with losing 1.5 - 2lbs/week, I'll be in great shape.
Thanks to all who have encouraged me, even if it was a simple, "you look like you've lost weight" (and for the record, it's ALWAYS good to hear that, and not something anyone should feel bad saying).
Oh, Illinois beat #1 Ohio State on Saturday 28-21, in case anyone missed it!
09 November 2007
Nylons
I wore nylons to work for the first time this fall season yesterday.
There are pros & cons to nylons.
Pro: Keeps your legs a little bit warmer than going without
Con: Putting them on can be dangerous for the stability challenged
Pro: You don't necessarily have to shave that day
Con: The squat and yank maneuver necessary in order to pull them back up after using the facility can also be dangerous for those of us who stumble a lot.
I'm still not sure where I fall when it comes to wearing dresses/skirts in the winter. I'm going to need to invest in some boots if I plan on wearing dresses or skirts.
Random entry.
There are pros & cons to nylons.
Pro: Keeps your legs a little bit warmer than going without
Con: Putting them on can be dangerous for the stability challenged
Pro: You don't necessarily have to shave that day
Con: The squat and yank maneuver necessary in order to pull them back up after using the facility can also be dangerous for those of us who stumble a lot.
I'm still not sure where I fall when it comes to wearing dresses/skirts in the winter. I'm going to need to invest in some boots if I plan on wearing dresses or skirts.
Random entry.
30 October 2007
Catching up...
So, what's been going on in my life recently?
Not a whole lot really, but I figured I'd update my blog.
Illinois football made itself bowl eligible with its win over Ball State last weekend, during Homecoming weekend. I stayed in Chicago for the weekend, as I hosted Teri's bachelorette party.
Speaking of, after the date was already picked, we realized that it would be Halloween weekend in Chicago, so the girls attending were asked to wear an old bridesmaid dress, while Teri wore something that resembled a wedding dress. We went on a barcrawl down Southport and then over to Sheffield, where we ended up singing kareoke at Trader Todd's. (Correction: Teri and her mom ended up singing kareoke). Trader Todd's was the site of Teri and Kieffer's first date, so we figured it'd be a fun way to end the evening. At one of the bars, employees of the bar took our picture & plan on uploading it to their website. Awesome. As soon as it becomes available, I won't let anyone know. :)
Back to Illinois football - so, we're bowl eligible - and the following bowls are where we might end up:
Not a whole lot really, but I figured I'd update my blog.
Illinois football made itself bowl eligible with its win over Ball State last weekend, during Homecoming weekend. I stayed in Chicago for the weekend, as I hosted Teri's bachelorette party.
Speaking of, after the date was already picked, we realized that it would be Halloween weekend in Chicago, so the girls attending were asked to wear an old bridesmaid dress, while Teri wore something that resembled a wedding dress. We went on a barcrawl down Southport and then over to Sheffield, where we ended up singing kareoke at Trader Todd's. (Correction: Teri and her mom ended up singing kareoke). Trader Todd's was the site of Teri and Kieffer's first date, so we figured it'd be a fun way to end the evening. At one of the bars, employees of the bar took our picture & plan on uploading it to their website. Awesome. As soon as it becomes available, I won't let anyone know. :)
Back to Illinois football - so, we're bowl eligible - and the following bowls are where we might end up:
- Champs Sports Bowl - Orlando - 12/28/07 - Big Ten #4/5
- Alamo Bowl - San Antonio - 12/31/07 - Big Ten #4/5
- Insight Bowl - Tempe - 12/31/07 - Big Ten #6
- Outback Bowl - Tampa - 1/1/08 - Big Ten #3
- Capitol One Bowl - Orlando - 1/1/08 - Big Ten #2
Right now, it's looking as if we'll be somewhere in Florida or in San Antonio. Not that I wish the Illini to finish 6th in the Big Ten, but I certainly wouldnt complain if we ended up in Tempe. We'd have a free place to stay in Sean's place, plus it's doubtful that I'd go to San Antonio, should we end up there (which I think is most likely) - I'll be in San Antonio for the Final Four in April 08, there's no reason to go to Texas twice within a 6-month span if I can help it.
So, that's Illini football.
Illini basketball kicks off it's season with an exhibition game against Quincy this Wednesday in Champaign. It'd be awesome if we'd be able to see it on TV without having to leave our house - Thanks Big Ten Network & Comcast. Effers. We're having our IBDA draft at Teri's & Kieffer's wedding...
This weekend is Teri & Kieffer's wedding. I'm pretty excited for it. Hopefully I'll have my dress sooner rather than later. I know it'll end up looking great, I'm just a wee bit anxious to get it, to make sure it fits, looks good with my shoes, etc.
That's all for now.
18 October 2007
Yesterday was Steve's 3rd birthday
His birthday is the day we brought him home. We decided he turned 3 yesterday too. Here's a picture of his celebration:
08 October 2007
The marathon was brutal
So, yesterday was the 30th running of the Chicago Marathon.
The weather was absolutely brutal. So much so, that the city decided to cancel the marathon 3.5 hours into it, mainly due to the ill-preparedness of the marathon organizers (they ran out of water & Gatorade). Of the approximately 36,000 people who started the race, approximately 25,000 of those runners completed the race. Those that were running at a slower pace were instructed to walk & also forced to board a bus to make their way to the finish line.
My friend Jen and I were out cheering our friends on, around the 8-mile marker. I had a huge Cookie Monster balloon, to make it easier for the runners to spot us, at a very crowded part of the race. All of our friends running were able to locate us, with the last being Teri & Tyler. It was Teri's first marathon (a mere 2 years after proclaiming, "you have to be clinically insane to think running 26.2 miles would be enjoyable) - they stopped at our location, Teri needed to the phone to contact her mom to alert her to the fact that they were about 30 minutes behind her scheduled pace. Luckily, Jen brought bottled water & we were able to give each one of them a bottle (as the last water/aid station was nearly out of water, they weren't sure what to expect going forward). Teri and Tyler weren't allowed to finish, so I feel awful for Teri - she'll never have a "first marathon experience" again, and this was a crappy way for her to start.
Another friend of mine was interviewed by CBS 2 in Chicago - the video is in the link provided. Don't feel bad laughing that they interviewed him as he was laying on the ground, as he's ok now. At the time, notsomuch. He's one of the first interviews - http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=36205@wbbm.dayport.com
The weather was absolutely brutal. So much so, that the city decided to cancel the marathon 3.5 hours into it, mainly due to the ill-preparedness of the marathon organizers (they ran out of water & Gatorade). Of the approximately 36,000 people who started the race, approximately 25,000 of those runners completed the race. Those that were running at a slower pace were instructed to walk & also forced to board a bus to make their way to the finish line.
My friend Jen and I were out cheering our friends on, around the 8-mile marker. I had a huge Cookie Monster balloon, to make it easier for the runners to spot us, at a very crowded part of the race. All of our friends running were able to locate us, with the last being Teri & Tyler. It was Teri's first marathon (a mere 2 years after proclaiming, "you have to be clinically insane to think running 26.2 miles would be enjoyable) - they stopped at our location, Teri needed to the phone to contact her mom to alert her to the fact that they were about 30 minutes behind her scheduled pace. Luckily, Jen brought bottled water & we were able to give each one of them a bottle (as the last water/aid station was nearly out of water, they weren't sure what to expect going forward). Teri and Tyler weren't allowed to finish, so I feel awful for Teri - she'll never have a "first marathon experience" again, and this was a crappy way for her to start.
Another friend of mine was interviewed by CBS 2 in Chicago - the video is in the link provided. Don't feel bad laughing that they interviewed him as he was laying on the ground, as he's ok now. At the time, notsomuch. He's one of the first interviews - http://cbs2chicago.com/video/?id=36205@wbbm.dayport.com
Hooray for football season!
And kudos to my teams beating up on the state of Wisconsin this weekend!
03 October 2007
27 September 2007
I went to McDonalds and didn't order fries!
So, as I've started paying close attention to what I'm consuming this week, and while searching for alternatives in the area around my office, I decided to check McDonalds, just to see how bad their salads are for you. I was pleasantly surprised at the choices and the nutritional value of them.
So, I ordered a Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken. I opted against the ranch dressing, instead, I ordered the low-fat Italian dressing. I pay and patiently wait to the side for my salad, thinking this could be great or it could be a disaster. As I'm handed my salad, I notice it's in a different bag than the normal red & white bag the regular, bad-for-you McDonald's food is served in. I take this as a sign that I should show it off as I'm making my way outside to find a seat. Sort like, "Hey guys, I did go to McDonalds, but look! I bought a salad!"
As I'm toting my salad bag around, I find my seat at a table outside. I look around to make sure everyone knows that while I did get McDonald's, I ordered a salad (I probably should have made a sign). I opened it up, it didnt look half bad. I drizzled a bit of my dressing on the salad and had my first bite of the chicken. "Ooh, it's warm!" I surprisingly thought to myself. I fiddle my way through the contents of the salad to notice that there are bacon bits AND cheese included. "This is the best not-bad-for you salad I've ever had!" I almost exclaimed out loud (which would also help to alert those around me that I ordered a salad from McDonald's. I really don't know what it is, or why I feel the need to make sure others know what I'm eating. I think it's probably partially due to trying everything to hold myself accountable. As if strangers seeing what I eat will help, but whatever).
I finish up my salad, chug down the rest of my water & get up to take a walk. I figure I should get walks in at lunch while the weather still permits. I don't plan out my walks prior to lunch, I just head a direction & walk. I eventually reach a point to turn around or start heading back to the office. This week, I've ended up taking 1.2 and 1.3 mile walks. Pretty cool.
Anyway, the moral of the story, err, of this post: McDonald's offers other items that aren't so bad for you! Give them a try someday, you might be surprised.
So, I ordered a Bacon Ranch Salad with Grilled Chicken. I opted against the ranch dressing, instead, I ordered the low-fat Italian dressing. I pay and patiently wait to the side for my salad, thinking this could be great or it could be a disaster. As I'm handed my salad, I notice it's in a different bag than the normal red & white bag the regular, bad-for-you McDonald's food is served in. I take this as a sign that I should show it off as I'm making my way outside to find a seat. Sort like, "Hey guys, I did go to McDonalds, but look! I bought a salad!"
As I'm toting my salad bag around, I find my seat at a table outside. I look around to make sure everyone knows that while I did get McDonald's, I ordered a salad (I probably should have made a sign). I opened it up, it didnt look half bad. I drizzled a bit of my dressing on the salad and had my first bite of the chicken. "Ooh, it's warm!" I surprisingly thought to myself. I fiddle my way through the contents of the salad to notice that there are bacon bits AND cheese included. "This is the best not-bad-for you salad I've ever had!" I almost exclaimed out loud (which would also help to alert those around me that I ordered a salad from McDonald's. I really don't know what it is, or why I feel the need to make sure others know what I'm eating. I think it's probably partially due to trying everything to hold myself accountable. As if strangers seeing what I eat will help, but whatever).
I finish up my salad, chug down the rest of my water & get up to take a walk. I figure I should get walks in at lunch while the weather still permits. I don't plan out my walks prior to lunch, I just head a direction & walk. I eventually reach a point to turn around or start heading back to the office. This week, I've ended up taking 1.2 and 1.3 mile walks. Pretty cool.
Anyway, the moral of the story, err, of this post: McDonald's offers other items that aren't so bad for you! Give them a try someday, you might be surprised.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)