Trip Countdown

Dear Friends and Family,

Hopefully, if all the stars align, we'll be on a plane tomorrow to go see my grandfather for a week. Our neighbors from Minnesota are flying out as well. And, thanks to some help from the Senator, all three will be on the plane on Saturday. (There was a mild to moderate panic with getting a new passport for one of them.)

I won't be posting while we're traveling. See you in a week.


Cheers!
mouse

Out of Balance

Dear Friends and Family,

I have lost all semblance of balance in my life. Working until 7 o'clock has become a regular facet of life for me. Now, I enjoy the work and the day goes quickly but it's been impossible to hit the gym. It's been over a month since I've had anything resembling a workout.

I donated blood on 2/22 and that didn't go well. So, Mr. mouse told me to skip working out for a week until I gave my body a chance to heal. Then, I had crazy week when I worked until 10 o'clock every night preparing a presentation. The next week I went to the gym on Tuesday and came down with the flu on Wednesday. The week after I took off again to give my body another chance to heal. Then the past two weeks have been the 7 o'clock nights. Now 7 pm isn't late, but when the gym starts shutting down at 7:45 and closes at 8, I don't have the time to do the workout I want.

I think I need to start thinking about other options... There's basically three components to my workout - cardio, upper body weights and lower body weights. I'm looking at a corner of our dining room and wondering if I can convert it into a mini gym... A nice elliptical, some free weights, a bench, a yoga mat, a mirror, some speakers for my ipod... Hmmm... I think we're onto something here.


Cheers!
mouse

Overslept

Dear Friends and Family,

Must have shut off the alarm clock without realizing it. Will write tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

9 Pounds and Counting

Dear Friends and Family,

One more week. One more weigh in. One more pound!


Cheers!
mouse

When It Rains It Pours

Dear Friends and Family,

We've had a lot of quiet weekends at home doing not much of anything. It's been good down time, but somewhat of an anomaly for us. Things are about to get busy.

We've got one free weekend in April. We've got one free weekend in May. June is booked out. And, we're now taking reservations for July and August (both guests in town and visits out of town). To put it in perspective, that's eight free weekends between now and Labor Day which marks the official end of summer.

We're thinking about starting a new tradition. Supposedly, we get some pretty good views from our deck of the planes en route to downtown for the Chicago Air & Water Show. Sounds like a perfect excuse for a deck party. Weekend of August 18th and 19th if anyone is interested in joining us as we scope out the scene this year.

Other than that, time to get ready for work.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Mr. mouse is potentially trying to plan a trip out to Seattle for possibly Memorial Day weekend to see some friends if they're free.

Pure Bliss

Dear Friends and Family,

Took the early bus home. It's warm out. There's still daylight. I am on the deck. It is heaven on earth.


Cheers!
mouse

03.26.07: Surprise Visit

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Monday!

Our weekend started Friday night with two phone calls. One from my sister in which she agreed to email me going forward instead of calling twice a day. Yeah! And, one from one of my best friends from grad school to say he was in town for Saturday, did we want to get together? Of course!

Saturday, we slept in, then, picked up my friend from his hotel. Came back to do some grilling on the deck. It was overcast and warm when we went out on to the deck, but cold by the time we were done. We hit the mall to pick up a gift for my cousin's baby in Korea. And, then went to pick up my friend's wife from her conference. Had some sushi for dinner and then dropped them off at their hotel room.

Sunday, we slept in, then, spent some time cleaning up the place. Midday, we spent a couple of hours on the deck - this is why I love summertime in the city! Afterwards, I spent more time than I should have scanning in some old pictures I need to bring back to Korea. I was originally scanning them in at 300 dpi, but Mr. mouse scornfully asked why I didn't do a higher resolution. Does he realize the grief he can cause with his sometimes completely ignorant questions? He made me feel like I was skimping on quality to save time. No, instead, let's scan them in at 1200 dpi. File size? 500MB a picture. Time per picture? 1 hr vs. 5 minutes. My splitting headache halfway through? Three Advil. Nicely done, Mr. mouse.

He made a delicious dinner while I was battling the computer and scanner - grilled salmon, polenta and a mixed greens salad. It was so good, I decided to forgive him. Plus, I had points left over for some ice cream and rice pudding.

Hopefully, this week isn't too hectic, since theoretically we're getting on a plane in a couple of days for vacation.


Cheers!
mouse

Goal in Mind

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been pondering what I will do to celebrate hitting my goal weight. I know it's still like 6 months away, but I didn't want to hit the moment and be like, uh, okay, that was nice, now what? I've thought about a new wardrobe, but that's actually something I've been forced to build as I go since none of my old clothes fit me anymore. I've toyed with jewelry, but that's so not me. I've thought about a beach trip, but it didn't get me as jazzed as I thought it would. There's dinner out, but that's not "big enough" to celebrate my accomplishment. I could buy myself a toy, but that seemed like a last resort idea. I don't like buying things. We have too many things already.

Well, I've come up with an idea! I am so jazzed about it! I want to go to a spa resort for a week. I'll have to do some research. But, I think that's what I want to do. For a whole week or at least four days, eat healthy, take long walks, attend seminars and classes and workshops, work out, get a massage or two and unwind and relax and reflect and understand what my future looks like. This I'm totally excited about! So much better than any of the previous ideas. Now, I'm really motivated to tackle the last ten.


Cheers!
mouse

New Category - Family Drama

Dear Friends and Family,

Two more phone calls yesterday and I realize I'm gonna need a category for this. Mr. mouse is totally disengaged from all of this. He wants nothing to do with it.

I ignored the first call, but for some unknown reason answered the second one. I'm feeling manipulated. She's calling under the guise of keeping me informed. But, why keep me informed? She doesn't want help or advice. She just wants me to be aware. Does that warrant all these calls at 6:30 in the morning?!?!

Anyway, yesterday, the a-words came up in addition to the d-word. A-words? Affair and attorney. Lovely.

Really, I'm feeling torn. Our entire history together has been her getting herself into these crazy situations. And, then, once she's a couple of steps into (not before) the disaster calling me for help. Because I care and because she's my sister, I put my life on hold and pitch in to solve the emergency. Generally, there's no option to wait or triage because it's already crisis mode. I'm not a big fan of all the emotion and all the histrionics and all the time and energy. I'm so much more low key than that. How can two siblings end up so different? Well, Mr. mouse is even more low key than I am. Maybe he's a good influence on me.

So, I'm still debating how involved to get in this one. It's the first time I won't have Mr. mouse's whole-hearted support. And, I don't know if I want to deal with the general tension that'll surface in our home if I chose to become involved in their home. Doesn't she have anyone else besides me? Am I the only one? Or am I the best one? Or am I the most convenient one? Or am I merely old reliable?

I feel like she's old enough to be an adult and make adult decisions and deal with adult situations. But, she's not. Why am I saddled with the responsibility of the whole family?

Light bulb! That's what this is about. Because I'm the only one in my entire family to have their act together, my dad has always put it upon me. You're the one we all depend upon. You've got to help everyone because they need it. Why? What if I don't want to? What if I'm willing to let my sister and my brother follow their own paths and find their own places? I'm willing to take on the financial and emotional burden of supporting my parents. They've earned it. But, why as a sandwich generation should I be saddled with two perfectly capable albeit less than productive adults. Because they were less than perfect parents? Because we're siblings? Why? Am I not trying to accomplish too much already? Do I really need to accomplish it with an inordinate handicap thrown on top of it all?

My question to myself is, what am I not doing because I do this? What could I be doing with my time and energy if these emergencies and crises didn't arise. Would my sense of self and security and stability be higher. And, if so, what would I dare to take on? Now, that's something to think about.


Cheers!
mouse

Signs of Spring

Dear Friends and Family,

There's a bird chirping outside our window. Signs of spring :)


Cheers!
mouse

PS: My sister called last night while I was working. I didn't answer. She didn't leave a message.

Family Drama, Part 3 + Work Drama, Part 1

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm posting tonight because I've got to work tomorrow morning. More on that later.

My sister called Monday night. We were out at dinner so I didn't answer the call. She didn't leave a message. I got home and saw that she called the home phone as well. No message. OK. Yesterday, I felt obliged to leave her a quick message saying essentially - saw you called...

She calls this morning while Mr. mouse and I are headed into work together. I can tell, Mr. mouse is annoyed. He wants no part of any of this. I decide to nip it in the bud and answer the call. She promptly bursts into tears and I've got no patience for the drama, so I ask her what's prompting all of this. Turns out she and the brother-in-law had a meltdown on Saturday and the dreaded d-word came up. I can't say I'm very moved. I try to say all the right things, but it's going nowhere. I tell her I'm headed onto the highway and need to go. We hang up.

I can't say I have the time, patience, or even interest in really caring how this all plays out. It is somewhat good to know that perhaps all the drama about the trip was really about something else all together. Typical of her to not be able to articulate any of it to anyone. So, I'm less annoyed about her flakiness on the trip. Actually, couldn't care less at this point. But, the dilemma in front of me is whether I allow myself to be dragged into the relationship fiasco. I'm just not all that jazzed about getting involved. The title "He's Just Not That Into You" comes to mind. Can it apply to sisters? I figure I'll play it by ear and if I have the urge I'll answer the call, but if I don't, I'll let it go to voice mail. Is that okay? What's my obligation? BTW, totally rhetorical questions here. Not posing a survey question for my minute audience.

The funny thing is, as usual, her timing is impeccable. I've been busy at work but not impossibly so. I stopped by my desk to check e-mail before heading to the gym tonight. Three messages from my boss with the same subject line. Odd. Decided to read them quick. It's a request for some information on my project. Fine. From his boss. Okay. From his boss's boss. Now, I'm a little stressed. Why? Well, my boss's boss's boss, the originator of the email, is the Chairman of the frigging company. The second note outlines a presentation. Okay. The third sets the time line, 3pm tomorrow afternoon. STRESS STRESS STRESS.

I've got to log on soon to start work. I figure I'll be hammering away at it tomorrow morning. So, no new post tomorrow morning.


Cheers!
mouse

Izakaya Sankyu Japanese Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

Izakaya Sankyu is located in the same strip mall as Pusan Kalbi. It's not a traditional Japanese restaurant. It specializes in bar food. We had bacon wrapped mochi and squid leg calamari as appetizers. I had a bite of each since neither is very points friendly. They were both so good!

For dinner, Mr. mouse ordered a pork ramen which was very good and very affordable price-wise but very expensive points-wise. I tried a couple of spoonfuls because it looked so good. I wasn't disappointed. The noodles were fresh and the broth was dense and complex. I ordered the sushi roll special and a couple of pieces of maki sushi. Overall, the sushi was very good and hit the spot. I don't need fancy sushi or premium sushi. For my everyday fix, I need consistent good quality sushi at an affordable price. Izakaya Sushi fits the bill.

As for the bar menu, I'll need to learn Japanese to order from it, since it's written in Japanese on a little dry erase board when you enter. I'm sure it's all good, just richer than I am choosing to eat now.

Overall rating: 8/10

Izakaya Sankyu Japanese Restaurant
1176 South Elmhurst Road
Mount Prospect, IL 60056 map it
(847) 228-5539


Cheers!
mouse

10 Pounds and Counting

Dear Friends and Family,

I've hit a new point in my Weight Watchers journey. Ten pounds to go until goal. At my current rate of loss, I estimate it'll be another three to six months to lose the final 10 pounds. Then comes maintenance. Still, after the past year, it isn't as daunting as it sounds. It means continuing to do what I do every day and hopefully continuing to see results.

Honestly, if for some unknown reason I plateau at this point, I'm okay with not losing the last ten. I'd be curious as to why I stopped losing, but I wouldn't get bent out of shape about it. I'm okay with where I am, the last ten is more for me than it is for my health. I'm squarely in the middle of average, so it's 90% psychological and 10% physiological at this point. I'm relatively certain if I went to see a doctor they would be fine with me losing the ten pounds if I asked, but they wouldn't prompt me to lose the ten pounds if I didn't ask.

Here's to life in moderation.


Cheers!
mouse

03.19.07: Local Life

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been over a month since I've been on a plane and two and a half months for Mr. mouse. That has to a record for him. We spent this weekend doing more stuff locally.

Saturday, we slept in. And, then headed out to the Verizon store to look at calling plans for Korea. Since Verizon is CDMA, it was almost too easy. You activate your phone by dialing *228, option 2 and then you sign up for international calling for $4.00 a month. We'll see if it works when we get there. Then, we headed over to the mall to look for some spring clothing for me. Found a couple of cute sweaters that'll work for the next couple of weeks. Tried on some pants, but found I'm between sizes right now. And, ran out of steam before we could get to button down shirts. I'm so not a shopper. I don't have the patience for it all. In case you're curious, here's one of the sweaters I bought.



We returned some pieces and parts to Ikea, had a quick snack at Mitsuwa, bought some groceries, and headed home for dinner. Saturday night, we headed out to a bar. Not because it was St. Patrick's Day, not because it was round 1 of the Sweet Sixteen games, but because it was the opening race for Formula 1. We found a bar that carries the races live. We got there about 5 minutes before the race was scheduled to start and I wasn't sure how it would play out... Half the screens were tuned to the pre-race coverage and half to the basketball game. Audio was for the game. A couple of people in race gear were sitting around having drinks. Figured, at worst, we'd watch the game without audio. Ninety seconds before the start of the race, they tune all the screens to the race and switch over the audio. Yes! My favorite driver got pole and won the race. I could not have been happier.

Sunday, we had a morning of starts and stops. Around 4 pm, we realized the day was essentially over and neither of us had a plan for what we wanted to accomplish for the day. Well, maybe we did have a plan, but neither of us had communicated our plan to the other. I made a photo book for my grandfather. We caught up with the neighbors on trip planning. We ate dinner. And, then went to sleep around 10. There went the weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

March Madness - Day 1

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I are engaged in our annual basketball competition. We have our bet going on this year's NCAA bracket. Mr. mouse is playing for a video ipod and I'm playing for new luggage. Results so far?

mouse: 14 pts
Mr. mouse: 12 pts

Neither of us has lost an Elite Eight team yet, so it's really close. 16 more games today. I can't wait.


Cheers!
mouse

Retirement Nest Egg

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I decided to switch gears on what to do with our discretionary income. Instead of paying off the mouse pad, we decided to put the money towards retirement. It's a much bigger goal to tackle, but figured if we don't start making some serious commitment towards it we won't start making some serious progress on it.


Cheers!
mouse

Wide Open Spaces

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm not sure where this thread of posts will eventually lead, but that's not a good reason not to start down the path.

A whole bunch of things came crashing together yesterday morning during the first 10 minutes of my bus ride into work. A mini enlightenment. I love those! It means I'm one teeny, tiny, infinitesimal step closer to enlightenment.

I was thinking about all the stuff that's gone down with my sister. And, I pulled out my ipod to manually select a song. Everyone's got a song - the one you turn to in your moment of need. For one of my colleagues from grad school, it was Yellow Submarine by the Beatles. A consistent one for me is Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks. It's not a song I grew up with, but it's one I can relate to moving far from home on my own after college. And, moving farther from home with Mr. mouse after grad school.

I need my space to grow and to be me. Maybe that's why staying local after college didn't make sense. And, maybe that's the problem with my sister. She gets in my space and I feel like it suppresses me. I'm still on my own journey of my own self-discovery and I don't have the time or patience to pause or hold my journey to be therapist to her in her journey. I'm too selfish for that. I used to have a lot of guilt about it all. There's so much baggage associated with growing up Korean. But, at some point in the past, I shed a lot of that baggage because I'm not willing to let it confine me and constrain me. Well, I think I'm shedding more of that baggage now. I've always made exceptions for my sister. Now, I don't feel much guilt at all, lumping her baggage in with other toxic baggage I've left on the road behind. My life is about me.

Collision point #1: VW billboard. I must pass it a million times a day. But, I saw it for the first time yesterday. "Misery has enough company. Dare to be happy." Dare to be happy? Isn't happy a natural frame of mind? Maybe it isn't. It's a very interesting choice of words. Dare to be happy. Do I dare to be happy? Maybe...

Collision point #2: Marianne Williamson speech (aka Nelson Mandela speech). I gave a copy to my Dad for Christmas several years ago. And, it came to mind yesterday, on the bus. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." Isn't that our deepest hope? That we are powerful beyond measure? Is it also what we fear without realizing it?

Collision point #3: The phoenix. I've always loved the story of the phoenix and how it consumes itself in flames and rises from its ashes into something more. It reinforces my own beliefs in reincarnation. Everyone gets to try again. And, sometimes it may be necessary to go through the re-birth cycle to give yourself the room to grow.

The mini enlightenment: Maybe it's about making the space I need, being free to be me, daring to be truly happy, being powerful beyond measure and allowing my own rebirth. Where does it lead? I'm not sure I know yet, but I feel like it's going to be one helluva journey.


Cheers!
mouse

First Day Shirt

Dear Friends and Family,

A quick, light post before I get to the heavy lifting.

Yesterday, one of the three guys I work really closely with and I came in dressed alike. Granted, we were both wearing dark blue shirts and black pants, but it was still funny because that's not a common color combination for either of us. It gave us several good laughs throughout the morning.

Well, half way through the day, I point out, not only as we dressed alike, but our badges are dressed alike as well - in dark blue shirts. Well, I realize I'm wearing my first day shirt. And, he realizes he's wearing his first day shirt as well. OMG, we had way too much fun with it. Don't ask me why. It cracked us up the whole day.

I mean, what are the chances?!?!


Cheers!
mouse

"Schaumburg" Korean Restaurant Options

Dear Friends and Family,

After lots of experimentation, I think we've settled on three restaurants that meet 99% of our basic Korean eating out needs. We'll still try additional places.

Pusan Kalbi is our favorite overall restaurant. Our favorite dishes? Maeun kalbi tang, kalbi tang, duk mandoo guk, and bibimbap. Closed on Tuesdays.

Cho Dang Soon Tofu is our favorite soon tofu restaurant. Our favorites are the mixed soon tofu which includes a little bit of everything, the seafood soon tofu, the beef soon tofu, the pork soon tofu and the dumpling soon tofu. They've got a combo with kalbi and seafood soon tofu for when you want a little of everything. The kalbi is actually pretty good.

New Seoul Restaurant is our favorite grill restaurant. Grilled beef. Mmm... So far, we've had the kalbi, bulgogi and the haemul pajun, a seafood pancake.

Life is good.


Cheers!
mouse

New Seoul Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

We went back to New Seoul Restaurant for dinner last night and it was every good as the first time we went. A tiny restaurant with very little going for it in terms of atmosphere, the food is absolutely delicious. The barbecue is over open charcoal, not gas. We had the kalbi and the bulgogi last night. Both were very thinly sliced, melt in your mouth tender, and well marinated. The last time we were there, one of the owners tossed some chestnuts on the grill for us when our meal was done. I think that endeared him to me forever.

Overall rating: 8/10

New Seoul Restaurant
638 West Algonquin Road
Des Plaines, IL 60016 map it
(847) 439-3720


Cheers!
mouse

Make Your Mark

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, I was waiting for Mr. mouse at the bus stop, and my mind started wandering. It was still sunny out thanks to the hour time change. And, it was warm. And, I was feeling much better. The general euphoria was running pretty high.

I was part of a women's leadership forum at old work. And, I was a skeptic when I first joined. But, after multiple conferences and working in smaller teams on women's issues, I think it made more of an impression on me than I realized.

I didn't realize how much stronger a person I am now for the learnings I've had from the program. And, I didn't understand the business fundamentals for running such a program at the time. But, I do now. If you can truly empower 50% of the working population and galvanize them to make their mark, it impacts your bottom line.

My respect for old work and fondness for what they were trying to achieve is one notch higher. And, I recognize that I am a better person for having been involved in such a tremendous effort.


Cheers!
mouse

03.12.07: Weekend Recovery

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm feeling better now. The fever, aches, chills and weakness are gone. I've still got vestigial coughing and sneezing, but I feel tons better than Friday. I'll be venturing into the office for the first time since Wednesday morning. I think it was a smart thing to work from home Thursday and Friday. I didn't realize how sick I was until I started feeling better.

Saturday was a miserable day. I woke feeling achy and feverish and wondering when in the world I would start feeling better. Mr. mouse was so patient with me. I know he accomplished a bunch of errands while I slept, but I have no idea what they were. The highlight of my day was going out on the deck for about 10 minutes before retreating back to bed for more sleep and tea.

Sunday was a much better day. I woke feeling better. I still had a slight headache so I continued taking the Advil. But, I had the energy to climb the stairs without feeling completely whooped. It was a nice day out (high of 54 for the day) so I got to spend a couple of hours on the deck to get some air and a change of scenery. Keep in mind, since coming home early on Wednesday, I haven't stepped outside the confines of the mouse pad in almost five days now. We assembled the table, not an exact match, but close enough for now, and the double wide chaise. And, we spent a couple of cycles arranging all of the furniture on the deck. I have to say, it looks good and I can't wait for spring! Mr. mouse grilled a steak for us to share, but we ate it downstairs because I didn't want to push my luck with feeling better.

the chaise

Slept decently and am now having my morning tea. Will take it slow at work today.


Cheers!
mouse

Flu?

Dear Friends and Family,

Home again.

Mr. mouse thinks I have the flu. My symptoms? Aches, chills, slight fever, coughing and congestion. I've been taking the Advil every four hours to keep the aches and chills at bay. Now, I think it's just a waiting game. Mouse vs. the flu bug.

One thing it helps explain is why I was so beat after my workout Tuesday night. I thought it was because I hadn't been to the gym in a week and a half. So, I forced my way through the workout even if my entire body was screaming stop. Now, I think the workout was so tough because I was already feeling off Tuesday afternoon. In retrospect, I should have listened to the cues my body was giving and cut my workout short.

Live and learn.


Cheers!
mouse

Wonton Gourmet

Dear Friends and Family,

All caught up!

We went to Wonton Gourmet this past Monday for dinner. We ordered three dishes, the barbecued pork with rice, the shrimp chow mein and the dumplings aka potstickers. The pork and rice were standard issue Chinese style barbecue pork with rice. The chow mein was crispy and the shrimp was tender. The dumplings were good, but a little greasy.

The serving sizes are just a bit larger than either Mr. mouse or I could finish on our own. So, if we order two dishes, we have 25% of each left which is not enough to pack but too much to finish on the spot. So, we ordered three dishes and had one and a half left which is enough to ask for a doggy bag. As an added bonus, the service is super quick.

Overall rating: 7/10

Wonton Gourmet
1405 South Elmhurst Road
Des Plains, IL 60018
(847) 427-1183
http://www.wontongourmet.com


Cheers!
mouse

Wicker Park Brunch Options

Dear Friends and Family,

Now that I've written a week's worth of entries in a single day, I might as well summarize the brunch options in a single post. We've tried five places so far. According to metromix, there's a total of 28 places in the area that serve brunch, 29 if you count del Toro which apparently doesn't show on their search. So, as you can see, our job is far from done.

Of the places we've been to, here's my take on each (listed alphabetically with ratings in parenthsis):

• Bongo Room (8) go early, killer sweets for breakfast
• Feast (8) seating not an issue, solid breakfast choices
• del Toro (8) long waits, best savory brunch options
• Milk & Honey (8) seating usually okay, healthy brunch
• Moonshine (7) rarely a wait, Bloody Mary bar

Cheers!
mouse

The Bongo Room

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

We've learned the hard way. Go at 9 o'clock sharp, or be prepared for an hour wait. If you miss the first seating, head elsewhere for brunch. There are too many good options to make the wait worthwhile. Unless you have company, then the wait may be worth it.

The Bongo Room has a seasonal menu. Their specialties are creative pancakes and French toast. We usually order individual breakfasts and then order one chocolate French Toast to split amongst the group. It's so yummy, but it's overkill for one person unless you've got a serious sweet tooth. Lots of photos on flickr, if you're curious.

Overall rating: 8/10

The Bongo Room
1470 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 489-0690
http://www.bongoroom.com/


Cheers!
mouse

Moonshine

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Good for large groups and for hangover brunches. They have a make your own Bloody Mary bar with every conceivable condiment and hot sauce to personalize your drink. I'm a simple hot sauce and horseradish kinda gal, but haven't had many Bloody Marys since starting Weight Watchers, too many points. The food? It's good. The wait? Usually non-existent. The drinks? That's the reason to go.

Overall rating: 7/10

Moonshine
1824 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 862-8686


Cheers!
mouse

Milk & Honey Cafe

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Milk and Honey was the very first brunch place we tried after moving to Chicago. They've got the healthiest brunch options with a yogurt, fruit and granola option and an oatmeal option. Their granola is so good. It's sold through supermarkets locally. I am thinking about picking some up once I am on maintenance. For brunch, they have coffee, a variety of teas and juices. And, in the summertime, they've got outdoor seating which is a nice way to start the morning.

Overall rating: 8/10

Milk & Honey Cafe
1920 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 395-9434
http://www.milkandhoneycafe.com


Cheers!
mouse

del Toro Cafe y Taberna

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Wow. This was long, long ago. I have trouble remembering what it was I had for brunch and it's no longer on the menu so I'm going off of memory. I had a dish that was a combination of roast pork, eggs and patatas bravas, their version of home fries. Word of warning, the wait for food is long and the drink service is spotty. But, the food itself is very well done. It's a good place for brunch if you want foodie food and cocktails. For healthy food, I'd do Milk and Honey. For dessert for breakfast, I'd do Bongo Room. For killer Bloody Mary's, I'd do Moonshine. For space and honest food, I'd do Feast.

Just realized, I need to add Milk and Honey, Moonshine and Bongo Room to the eating out posts. Will it never end?

In case you're wondering why I write these food posts, it's for two reasons. If you come to visit, you've got a list to purview beforehand. And, it's to help me remember where I've eaten and what I thought of the place since I can't keep them all straight in my head.

Overall rating: 8/10

del Toro Cafe y Taberna
1520 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 252-1500
http://www.deltorocafe.com


Cheers!
mouse

Le Bar

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Met up with some friends at Le Bar, the hotel bar for the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. Self billed as a stylish modern bar featuring floor to ceiling glass walls, inviting library area and specialty martinis, and an extensive selection of champagne and wines, Le Bar is a typical hotel bar. It's quiet enough to have a conversation, and the wine list is extensive. I'm not sure I'm the hotel bar type. I think I prefer restaurant bars or wine bars, but I still had fun going out.

Overall rating: 7/10

Le Bar
20 East Chestnut Street
Chicago, IL 60611 map it
(312) 324-4000
http://www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/2993/fiche_hotel.shtml


Cheers!
mouse

Dublin's Pub

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Almost done. Two from the weekend of Feb 10th. Two from the weekend of Jan 27th. And one from this past week. Then I'll be all caught up. Phew.

We went to Dublin's Pub for late night eating. We had gone once before for burgers when I got back from a two week jaunt through India. Jet lagged and craving beef, we hit Dublin's Pub. The burgers are excellent overall, but greasier than I like them nowadays. They have some obligatory Irish dishes like fish and chips and Irish stew, but overall, it's standard bar fare.

Overall rating: 7/10

Dublin's Pub
1030 North State Street
Chicago, IL 60610 map it
(312) 266-6340


Cheers!
mouse

Justified? Justified!

Dear Friends and Family,

I just noticed the button that allows you to justify text. Has that always been there? Have I just not noticed it for the past year? Huh... You learn something new every day.


Cheers!
mouse

Working from Home

Dear Friends and Family,

I never get sick. And, I have a certain amount of pride in saying that. So, it's tough for me to admit it, but... I am sick.

Yesterday was a fever, aches, chills, coughing, pale, flushed, tired, incoherent mess. I looked like death warmed over. And, my team kicked me out of our department staff meeting. They were concerned I would infect them all.

I stumbled onto the bus and then the train and made it home and into bed. My fever broke sometime over the night but still feeling sub-par. Still feeling contagious too. Thus, it probably makes sense to work from home today.

Hope to have better news for you tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Super H Mart

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Mitsuwa:Japan::H Mart:Korea.

We went in mid February since a friend recommended the place. H Mart is a gigantic Korean grocery store with every conceivable Korean food item available for purchase. I feel so much better knowing that if some bizarre craving hits, I'm sure to find it at H Mart.

Like Mitsuwa, H Mart has a food court. We ordered the old-fashioned dumplings from the dumpling shop. They were excellent. The dumplings were steamed. The skin was pearly and translucent. The filling had beef, tofu, kim chee and thin noodles inside. I could have eaten all eight on the spot, but I shared the plate with Mr. mouse. So good.

Overall rating: 8/10

Super H Mart
801 Civic Center Drive
Niles, IL 60714 map it
(847) 581-1212
http://www.hmart.com


Cheers!
mouse

Bob Chinn's Crab House

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

As the name implies, famous for their crabs. And, with good reason. Bob Chinn's manages to get an impressive array of crabs flown in from around the world for local Chicagoans to enjoy. You can have the crabs steamed, grilled, blackened, beer batter fried, sauteed, broiled or stir fried. I ordered the seafood gumbo and the steamed Alaskan King Crab legs with a baked sweet potato on the side. The gumbo was standard but a real treat for me since I don't get it often, the crab legs were delicious and the baked sweet potato was too soft because it was over cooked. My dad went through over a pound of crab legs. My mom ordered a fish dish; fish served in soy sauce with ginger and scallion. It was good but too salty if you had too much of the soy sauce.

The surprise treat of the night? Mr. mouse ordered a steak of all things. And, it was aged to perfection and then grilled to perfection. I had a bite and it was one of the better steaks I've had in a restaurant. At a crab house, no less. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

Overall rating: 8/10

Bob Chinn's Crab House
393 South Milwaukee Avenue
Wheeling, IL 60090 map it
(847) THE-CRAB
http://www.bobchinns.com


Cheers!
mouse

Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares

Dear Friends and Family,


Okay, I've struggled for the past fifteen minutes with writer's block. Here are the salient points we need to cover:

1. It's Tuesday. It's food day.
2. I don't have a sweet tooth. Good for me.
3. I'd rather eat small portions of really good food than large portions of junk. Someone wrote about this on Weight Watchers recently and I could really relate.
4. Mireille Guiliano talks about the same concept in French Women Don't Get Fat. I haven't read the book.
5. 1 Weight Watchers point per dark chocolate square.

I keep a bag for the random chocolate cravings.


Cheers!
mouse

Me - Life Status

Dear Friends and Family,

Okay, Trixie, read your blog and am feeling a little guilty. I maintain a list of blogger catch up topics to keep everyone caught up on my life. And, one of the items that has been on the list was written simply as "me - life status"... I've been trying to keep on top of our eating outs, and my Weight Watchers, and all the things we're tackling, but it's all the superficial stuff. On the back burner was a solitary reminder to tell you about me... The type of entry that takes longer to write after taking even longer to think about. I thought about writing it this morning even as I wrote about our weekend and all of the things we did. You've nudged me into action and for that I am grateful.

This past week was a killer at work. And, this upcoming week promises more of the same. I've enjoyed my job for the first ~3 months, but the long hours on top of the long commute really drags on the psyche. On top of that, last week is the first that smelled of corporate, bureaucratic mumbo jumbo. And, I question if it's a momentary lull in the momentum we've been building or if the honeymoon is now over. I want to give it a fair shake, and to be honest since I would have to pay back a boat load of money if I left within the first two years, I will be giving it a fair shake.

I know I bring up the money and peace of mind thing a lot. And, I know most of you are thinking, she's on crack, she has more money than she knows what to do with. And, I won't say you're wrong. I recognize, I am blessed. Mr. mouse and I are fortunate. I don't discount that we work our tails off, but we have been lucky. Neither of us have been laid off. We've both consistently had jobs we enjoy enough that pay enough. Now that we've consolidated into a single household, our finances are a lot more flexible. And, I haven't mentioned this before, but, if we're diligent we could potentially pay off the mouse pad within the next two years. And, I am one to mercilessly pursue a goal if a goal is laid out in front of me. So, that's been something to keep me motivated and engaged and occupied for the near term. After year two, we'll see where we're at and re-evaluate.

Life with Mr. mouse is going well. We've both had transition points in learning to live together and we've had tempers flare. But, all-in-all, I'm glad for this time together. The ordinariness of life in general isn't necessarily a bad thing. I remember having a conversation with Mr. mouse a long long time ago about how I felt our relationship had evolved from fireworks to a gentle, but constant fire (like the Yule log) and I wasn't sure at the time if that was a good thing. A couple years the wiser, I'm relatively sure it is a good thing. I won't say we're completely settled, but things are going well enough and I'm in no rush because I recognize rushing won't make it happen any faster.

I guess that's what it comes down to. I'm content watching life sail by with it's little bumps and course corrections. No amount of stress and strain will make it go quicker nor will any amount of stress or strain make it slow down. It is what it is and, for now, I'm okay with that. I've got my Top 3 list which is really only a Top 2 list at the moment (wellness and tackling The List) but that's okay. It keeps me occupied. Who knows, maybe I'll wake up one day and feel like life has passed me by. I guess that's the risk I'm willing to take. At least for the day. Maybe 2007 will pass me by. A year of nothing after 2 years of non-stop action is okay.

Time to get ready for work. Trixie, cocktail call this week?


Cheers!
mouse

03.05.07: Clutter Control Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

First and foremost, how is it already March?!?!

Mr. mouse and I had a quiet weekend at home. We met up with a fellow alum for breakfast Saturday morning and on the way home stopped by a shoe boutique and bought three pairs of shoes. Then, we headed over to Schaumburg to hit the Ikea for some window treatments - all sold out, over to the mall to hit Victoria's Secret - finally had the time to figure out new bra sizing, back home for a redo on a lip wax, down to Piece for some amazing pizza and beer, and down to the Bolingbrook Ikea to check on window treatments - all sold out as well! It'd be nice if Ikea could get their inventory figured out, since the Schaumburg Ikea said the Bolingbrook Ikea had 37 in stock. We settled on a different pattern and bought all the requisite hardware. Then, we got groceries from the Meijers across the street and headed home.

Sunday morning, we slept in, tackled laundry, and then spent some time on clutter control. 100 items are boxed up and ready to be sent to Goodwill/food bank. 25 non-perishable food items, 25 books, 25 items from around the house and 25 items from cold storage in the basement. I feel great every time I look at the boxes. It's not a lot of stuff, but it's a step in the right direction. I don't think I'll miss a single item in them, so better they go to someone who needs them than take up space in our home. There's still tons more stuff, but figured we'll tackle it a little at a time. We spent the rest of Sunday watching a spring training game on TV, roasting a chicken and hanging the window treatments. They're up, but we need to revisit them next weekend...

And, that's how it's March already. We fill all of our time with all of the little random things that we've put off for over a year. Speaking of which, list status? Last status was on 2/12 at 24 items out of 152. Now, we're at 61 items out of 194. If the glass is half full, it's 30% done vs. 15% done -OR- if the glass is half empty, it's 133 to go vs. 128. Once we drop off the donations, the list will go down again. Five more days until the weekend :)


Cheers!
mouse

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

My mouth waters as I get ready to write this review. Having grown up on thin crust pizza, there's no escaping the craving for an alternative to deep dish. Both Santullo's and Piece got mentioned in a recent Chicago Tribune article on pizza.

Piece is a piece of pizza heaven on earth. The ratio of crust to sauce to cheese was just right. And, the cheese had the slightly greasy slightly orange hue that is reminiscent of true thin crust pizza. I ate half the pie for dinner and it was worth every bite. I can't wait to go back.

Overall rating: 8/10

Piece Brewery and Pizzeria
1927 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 772-4422
http://www.piecechicago.com


Cheers!
mouse

Portillo's Hot Dogs

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Twice in two weekends. On Weight Watchers. And, I made it through okay. We went both times for the Italian beef, once with my parents and once with our neighbors.

I asked Mr. mouse his opinion, since he's been to more Italian beef sandwich shops than I have. He rated it an 8 for good spiciness, being able to customize the level of juice, nice give to the bread, and a couple of other factors that I wouldn't have ever thought of. I like Portillo's because it has variety. If someone in the party doesn't want Italian beef, there are other options on the menu, unlike most places that specialize in Italian beef and that's all they serve.

Overall rating: 8/10

Portillo's Hot Dogs
100 West Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60610 map it
(312) 587-8910
http://www.portillos.com


Cheers!
mouse

Francesca's Forno

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

One of the first places we ate at after I moved here, I would have given Francesca's Forno an 8 after the first visit. But, I was back for a second visit two weeks ago and it wasn't as spectacular. The salad had a refreshing blend of greens. But, the pizza was completely overladen with cheese. I'll have to try it again and see if I up the rating after a third try. It's still a fine place to go to, but it's not good enough to preclude me from looking at other Italian restaurants in the area.

Overall rating: 7/10

Francesca's Forno
1576 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 770-0184
http://www.miafrancesca.com/restaurants/forno


Cheers!
mouse

Blue Fin Sushi

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

In my opinion, better than both Mirai Sushi and Aki Sushi. It was packed on Friday night when we arrived, but it was only a 15 minute wait to get seated. They asked if we had reservations. Ah, next time, make reservations! The only gripe? They don't come often enough to refill you on beers and green tea while you're waiting for your sushi. Come on! Refilling on beers is a great revenue generating opportunity, folks. I'm still willing to give it an eight since the sushi was good and the prices were reasonable that's the most important part of going out for sushi.

Overall rating: 8/10

Blue Fin Sushi
1952 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622 map it
(773) 394-7373
http://www.bluefinsushibar.com


Cheers!
mouse

Feast Restaurant and Bar

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

There are, oh, a billion brunch options in Bucktown/Wicker Park. Most have decent food, so when we're hungry our differentiator is the wait. There's never a wait at Feast. The food is good, a nice mix of sweet options for Mr. mouse and savory options for me. I had an omelet with roasted red peppers, carmelized onions and mushrooms. Mr. mouse had a thing that was chili, nachos, chorizo sausages, and other stuff tossed all into one. Our neighbors had eggs benedict, crab cake benedict and potato pancakes. Bloody Marys, Margheritas, coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice rounded out the brunch.

The best part? They play a mix of 80s music all morning that kept us guessing and reminiscing.

Overall rating: 8/10

Feast Restaurant and Bar
1616 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647 map it
(773) 772-7100
http://www.feastrestaurant.com


Cheers!
mouse

Gino's East of Chicago

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Everyone's got an opinion on the best deep dish pizza in Chicago. Gino's a perennial favorite of many natives, just doesn't rank as high on my list. It's good... But, I simply love the sausage patty on the Uno pizza which I always order. The onions are chopped not sliced, which really does make a difference on the pepperoni and onion pizza Mr. mouse always orders. And, the Gino's decor still freaks me out with all of the graffiti. Reminds me of growing up in the City.

But, we're always willing to try places and see how they compare to our favorites, so we tried Gino's East over the weekend when our neighbors visited. We'll see how Giordano's and Lou Malnati's stack up to Due the next time they're in town for a visit. I'm curious to see what their favorite ends up being.

Overall rating: 7/10

Gino's East
633 North Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610 map it
(312) 943-9589
http://www.ginoseast.com


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Due blog post

Cuisine of India

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Small Indian restaurant in a strip mall. The service is super friendly. The food is spicy and not as sweet as Indian Garden. They don't have the yellow dal so we got Dal Makhni, black lentils. We also ordered Bhindi Masala and tandoori chicken. The chicken was tender and cooked just right. I could have eaten the entire chicken in that one sitting if I could have afforded it points-wise. The okra was a little salty, but still good. All in all, another viable option for when convenience is a premium.

Overall rating: 7/10

Cuisine of India
2348 South Elmhurst Road
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 718-1522
http://www.cuisine-of-india.com


Cheers!
mouse

Sakuma Japanese Restaurant

Dear Friends and Family,

Just catching up on old reviews.

Mr. mouse read about Sakuma online. A Reviewer put it on par with having sushi at Nobu. Having gone to Nobu, I figured it was worth a comparison. A colleague and I were totally geeked to make the drive out to Streamwood and try it.

Boy, were we disappointed. The nigiri sushi was average at best. The rolls were a huge disappointment. They were essentially kimbap with sushi based ingredients. Nothing at all noteworthy in either either the quality of the food or the presentation. Definitely not worth the 90 minutes we waited nor the higher than typical prices we paid.

Overall rating: 5/10

Sakuma Japanese Restaurant
43 South Sutton Road
Streamwood, IL 60107 map it
(630) 483-0289


Cheers!
mouse

Absolutely Exhausted

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm glad this week is over. I'm absolutely exhausted.

Work has been super busy; I was in the office until 10 three times in four days. The drama with my sister been a real drag. And, everything has been out of sorts this week. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep. I haven't had the chance to go to the gym. I haven't been bringing my lunch. And, I haven't been able to take any time to relax and unwind.

Put it all together and I'm absolutely exhausted.

I got a voice mail from my sister yesterday. She left a super dramatic message laden with sighs and pointed words with pointed emphasis and all the standard guilt-triggering phrases in the "this hurts me more than it hurts you" tone to inform us that she wouldn't be joining us in Korea after all. And, frankly, I was glad when I heard that. Because after all that we'd been through this past week, I didn't want to see her in Korea and have her ruin our vacation. And, frankly, I am glad I was so glad. I am done. I am so done. I am past the point of no return done. And, it feels liberating.

I won't be nasty and snide and try to avoid her and make a world of drama in reverse. But, Mr. mouse and I won't go down to visit her. We'll be unfortunately busy if she wants to come visit us. I'll return phone calls, but there might be a week or two lag because I'll call only if I truly have time and there's nothing higher on my list of priorities. And, I won't plan my trips home around her schedule, but I won't plan my trips to avoid her either. I'm just done.

I'm glad it's almost the weekend. It'll be a good chance to regroup and relax.


Cheers!
mouse

More Signs of Progress

Dear Friends and Family,

Credit card pay off complete. Eligible for 401k sign-up as of today. Starting next month, we'll start putting a little extra each month towards paying off the mouse pad.

More good signs of progress.


Cheers!
mouse

Family Drama, Part 2

Dear Friends and Family,

How can two people so closely related be so different?

I've been swamped at work. But, this is the week my sister feels we need to explore the entire history of our relationship with each other and explore all of the possibilities of the entire future of our relationship. WHILE I'M AT WORK!

Three phone calls Monday, two quick, but plaintive ones in the morning while I'm preparing for a meeting with my EVP and then one in the afternoon while I'm meeting with a colleague. A passive-aggressive email on Tuesday followed by another one on Wednesday. Then two more phone calls last night WHILE I'M AT WORK with two colleagues preparing a deck for a follow-up meeting with my EVP. She wanted an hour of my time last night while the my two colleagues and I were in the office until 10 o'clock. I'm fortunate in how understanding they, my colleagues, are and how good a working relationship I have with them.

This? Now? Last night might have been the straw that broke this camel's back. I don't have the patience for this. And, it's always about her. It's always a do or die situation that requires a million hours of talking. And, it can never wait. It doesn't matter if I'm busy. It doesn't matter if I don't have the patience for the drama. It doesn't matter because it's all about how she sees it.

I want to be there for her because we are sisters and somehow that's been ingrained in me as important. But, I can see how siblings grow apart as adults. We're just two very different people.


Cheers!
mouse