12.31.07: Quiet Weekend at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a quiet weekend at the mouse pad to close out 2007. After our fall and winter travel schedule, we were looking forward to a couple of quiet days catching up on errands. The days are blurring together. Let me see if I can remember Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday. For the life of me, I can't remember how Saturday started off. I know we slept in since I didn't eat breakfast. My guess is we slept in. I had a long morning of catching up online while having my tea. I made an mushroom and swiss cheese omelette for brunch. We started our Christmas cards. We did laundry. Mr. mouse did a Target run. We went grocery shopping. We had bulgur and chicken and soup for dinner. And, I experimented with some kalbi tchim (essentially, Korean short rib stew) for dinner for Sunday night. I'm 99% certain that's how the day went, but the morning is still a little fuzzy.

It was therapeutic to do the Christmas cards. Granted, they're clearly arriving after Christmas this year. It's the time we spend that makes it a tradition and a whole day affair - word smithing our letter, making the cards, signing the cards, randomly sorting the signatures, organizing addresses, writing a couple of lines, stuffing the cards, sealing the envelopes, stamping the envelopes, and dropping them off at the post office. It feels like a major accomplishment to get them done. And, it feels like the year is truly closed out now.

Sunday. We got up early and had breakfast. We headed out to return a couple of things we bought as potential gifts that we ended up not using. We mailed our cards. And, we went eye glass shopping. Nothing caught my eye. I think I'll have to spend some time in January looking some more. We completed our returns. Mr. mouse got a free shirt at Brooks Brothers which is always a nice bonus. And, we came home to have our kalbi tchim for dinner. It came out good. I was happy with it. We started a loaf of whole wheat bread that should be ready for dinner tonight. It's therapeutic to be making more of our food - reduces the "not food" I need to report on Tuesdays. And, we spent the entire evening planning out our Christmas gift purchases for ourselves. More on that once they arrive. (Instead of exchanging gifts, we opted for the joint functional presents this year.)

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!


Cheers!
mouse

12.24.07: Home for the Holidays

Dear Friends and Family,

After a flurry of last minute Christmas shopping and bag packing and cooling our heels at the airport, Mr. mouse and I made it home for the holidays.

Actually, we had a great dinner on Friday night to kick off the weekend. We went to Shikago and made a seven course treat for ourselves with a nice glass of wine. (Restaurant reviews should be coming this week. I promise.) Then, we ran to hit the stores for last minute gifts and stuff.

We left Saturday and got into town mid-afternoon. We took a cab over to my grandmother's. She wasn't doing well at all. I'm not sure if it's old age, a bad day, or the extra food my sister gave her, but she didn't recognize Mr. mouse or me. She would for a second, but then, she'd forget, and we were strangers visiting from the church. She forgot she has seven living children and that my grandfather passed away almost seven years ago. It broke my heart. I can't believe she's such a different person from when we saw her last year.

We went out to dinner Saturday night with the entire family. I think it's pretty important to my parents to be able to get us all together for at least one meal. Then, I had a chance to catch up with my mom over coffee before turning in for the evening.

Sunday was a typical day in the extended mouse household. My mom left early to go to church. We (all the kids) were supposed to drive over by 9:15 to join her. She calls around 8:30 asking my sister to tell a little white lie when people ask where her ex-husband is. Could she just say he didn't come without going into the whole divorce story? She threw a fit, of course. And she refused to go to church. So, then, it'd be awkward for the rest of us to show without her so my mom told all of us to stay at home. Okay. Not like either Mr. mouse or me had any skin in the game. My sister fell back asleep. Mr. mouse, my dad and I went out for brunch at the local diner.

We came back. My dad napped. My mom ran over at church. My brother and sister woke up. We hung out waiting for my mom. We ordered pizza. She came home just as we were eating. We finished eating. We took the family photo. We opened gifts. My Dad headed out for a wedding. We ate dinner at home with my mom. Mr. mouse and my sister installed the new TV and ended up having to rearrange the living room to get enough viewing distance between the TV and the couch. We watched TV before turning in.

Gifts. Well, we mis-judged on sizes for both of my parents. I re-ordered the gifts in the right size. They'll be arriving here in the next week or so, saving me the hassle of going out last night or shipping it from home. Perfect. My brother got us a GPS unit, which is awesome, except Mr. mouse's dad gave Mr. mouse his Christmas gift early (when we visited in August) and it was a GPS unit. Fortunately, my mom wanted it and bought it from us. My parents gave us cash, as usual. And, my sister got us a gift card for a steak dinner, a box of chocolates and a bottle of champagne. Fun.

We're headed out to see my grandmother again today before heading over to Mr. mouse's dad's house.


Cheers!
mouse

12.17.07: One Year in the Mouse Pad Together

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful sense of karma. Last weekend, last year, was our move from the mouse house to the mouse pad. And, coincidentally, we were in the Twin Cities last weekend. And, this past weekend was our first weekend in the mouse pad. And, coincidentally, we were at home this past weekend. It's like we planned it. Only we didn't, which somehow makes it even better.

Saturday morning we slept in. It was cloudy and grey and wintry and wet. And, I realized how closely linked my mood is to the weather. I was struggling. I was dragging. We went to pick up our package - the kill a watt meter - and came home. I baked another loaf of bread. And, spent the rest of the day and evening grousing and grumbling as the snow came down. It wasn't the snow per se, it was the cloudy, dark sky that had me down. Mr. mouse went shopping Saturday night, and I used the time to finish off my electrical usage audit - will publish separately.

Sunday we got up early because a friend called Mr. mouse. I was enjoying my morning tea when I realized, SUN! The sun was out! I dragged my tea by the brightest window, pulled back the curtains and drank in the light. After breakfast, we decided to go out and shovel some snow - partly because our association plowers hadn't come by yet, mostly because I wanted some light. OMG - it was simply awesome to be out in the bright sunlight. I was giddy. When the official snow removal people came, we hung up our shovels and headed out onto the deck. We broke out two of our recliners and basked in the sunlight. Mr. mouse took a picture - me, in the lounger, with all my winter gear on. It was fabulous. Then, we were nosy neighbors and watched the entire snow removal process because we were bored and just enjoying the day.

We went shopping afterwards, in the neighborhood. Then, we hit Borders for a Christmas gift and ran into one of our friends from work. They've been over a couple of times and we've got dinner Tuesday on the calendar. It should be fun. Afterwards, we went out to dinner. Then, turned in for an early night.

The sunlight totally made my weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

12.10.07: Twin Cities

Dear Friends and Family,

What a wonderful feeling! With our travels this year, we've been able to see a ton of friends we hadn't seen in so long. I feel like the past two years, the weekends were about cleaning up/setting up the houses to be put on the market. And, this year, we were able to use the weekends to catch up on all of the different house visits that were way overdue. And, we saved the two best for last - seeing our Twin Cities brethren and going home for the holidays.

We originally had grandiose plans to fly out Friday night, but we both had too much to do work-wise and home-wise to pull that off. So, we stayed in Friday and finished up a bunch of stuff. Then, we headed out first thing Saturday for the airport. Picked up the rental car, and stopped by our old dry cleaners. It was so good to catch up with her. She and her husband are both doing great. They're almost like an aunt and uncle to me - always asking if we have a baby yet and offering to take us out to dinner. They want us to stay over the next time we're in the Twin Cities, which will be tough, since, honestly, there are so many places that make more sense. They're always so glad to see us. It was a great way to start off the trip.

From there we went to our neighbors' house to drop off our stuff. Mr. mouse dropped me off at Salut for lunch with my girlfriends and he went back to the house for some Guitar Hero action. At Salut, we decided to forgo the table they had set up for us and grabbed a table at the bar instead. It worked beautifully because people came and went throughout the day instead of everyone showing up at once. I got to see Trixie, friend, and G. Then, G had to go and Mr. mouse showed up. And, friend had to go and Kris showed up. And, when Kris had to go, Ms. Jordan and my Turkish friend showed up. So, it was a steady stream throughout the day. And, Trixie, the trooper, showed up first and stayed the whole time. I love her. Everyone seems to be doing well and, fortunately, no one's changed a ton from the last time I've seen them. I do need to schedule phone time with Trixie once her travel schedule calms down so that we can really catch up on stuff you can't really talk about in group talk. And, I get to see everyone again in January for the party. It'll be great.

We went back to our neighbors' house to get ready for dinner. We had a mini-reunion planned with the three families on our little street. As usual, the food was absolutely delicious - samosas, chicken curry, vegetable curry, rice, naan, and yule log. But, even more important than the food was the company. I really miss being in the Twin Cities when I think about all of the people I've grown to care about, and how little I get to see them. But, then I realize how much I love the mouse pad and the other people we get to see and I realize how fortunate I am. The whole crew is doing well minus a couple of people being in varying stages of cold recovery. One pair are grandparents now. And, another just bought a new computer. And, the girls are both growing older. You can see the transition from kids to preteens. It's scary how quickly time flies.

We all turned in early to let people catch up on sleep and recover from colds. Plus, the neighbors had a big soccer game Sunday morning and we had been up since 4 to catch our flight. Sunday morning, we had a chance to sit back and relax before we all headed out for the day. Mr. mouse and I picked up some pastries and headed out to St. Paul to see my middle school friend. I was a little scared. What if it was all awkward and we had nothing to say once we caught up? I can be such a goose. It turned out to be fabulous. They have the cutest little house in St. Paul and two darling children who, like everyone else's kids, want to put on a special show for guests. Mr. mouse really bonded with them, as he always does. And, I got time to catch up with my friend and her husband. She's had such a rich life with Peace Corps and working on environmental initiatives and everything. I feel a little lame in comparison. But, I console myself in the fact that I at least recognize the need for change and am doing little things towards making the world a better place. Plus, in ten years, if all goes right, I'll have the flexibility to do something different work-wise, and that motivates me. It was so good to see her. And, we'll have to catch up more the next time we're there or she's out here.

And, from there, Mr. mouse and I headed out to Punch for some delicious pizza. I put a quarter of the pie in the box to prevent temptation from turning into bad pizza move II for the week. It was just the right amount. I love their pizza, I really do. And, we hit the mall real quick to look for turtlenecks. My dry cleaner gave us a gift card, which we originally gave her, and we needed to spend it while in the Twin Cities. I got three wonderfully warm turtlenecks and had $27.53 left over that I used towards my mom's Christmas present. End of month accounting will be a little tricky, but I'll manage.

We got back to the house, watched some football, candled my ears, and ate sushi take-out for dinner. Then, we lazed on the couch watching FoodTV (cable is such a treat) until Mr. mouse checked up on flights. Turns out flights were looking dicey Monday morning due to weather over the weekend and a bunch of flight cancellations. Figuring better safe than sorry, we hauled @$$ to get to the airport for a late Sunday departure. Got home just before midnight, and here we are - 10 more work days left for 2007.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Just curious what a year ago today was like... Here's my post from 12/10/06. Wow, what a difference a year can make. Good for us!

12.03.07: Live Music Capital of the World

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend flew by. We flew down to Texas for the weekend to see our friends from the first mouse house. The flight down was uneventful. We ate. We read. We played Scrabble. Our neighbor, the Dad, came to pick us up at the airport. He's been on Jenny Craig and looks fabulous. Kudos to him for sticking to it!

Saturday morning, we had a slow morning in the house. We ate some fruit, drank some coffee, and lazed around the house. Then, we headed out to lunch to meet up with some of my old friends from work. It was going to be a party of twelve (2 families, our neighbors and us). We got to the restaurant a little before noon and grabbed a couple of stools at the bar waiting for people to show up. And, wouldn't you believe it - another couple we were really close with showed up for lunch! I had left them a message telling them the details of our lunch plans, but since they hadn't called me back, I assumed I wouldn't get to see them. Turns out the message got garbled so they didn't have my phone number, but they did have the lunch details, so they just showed up. I was so jazzed! We grabbed a table at the bar and ordered some chips and salsa and queso and guacamole and some iced tea and just started catching up on the last five years. It was so good to catch up. Around 1 o'clock, we assumed the others were no shows, so we ordered lunch at the bar. Our neighbors showed up, so it was six of us, and we had fun.

We left to go do some shopping at a new mall that's been built since we left. And, we got a call from one of the no-show families. They had lost track of time and wanted to get together Sunday morning. Done. No clue what happened to the last family. I need to call/write later this week. Did some walking. Did some shopping. Bought a Christmas ornament. Then, we headed out to get some barbecue for dinner. I love the food down there. It's a good thing we've moved. Otherwise, it'd be a constant temptation.

Sunday morning, we got up early to meet our friends for breakfast. They have an absolutely darling three year old. I cannot believe she's as old as she is. I have a sneaking suspicion time goes even faster once you have kids. We spent some time afterwards driving around downtown, taking pictures and enjoying the warm Texas sun. We drove back to the house to pack and get ready for the flight back. We went boot shopping, picking up a belt and buckle instead. Then, we had a quick lunch and some ice cream before heading to the airport.

Our flight was looking dicey. So, we rented a car and headed on the road to Houston. It's a drive Mr. mouse has done often for work. We stopped off to pick up some snacks along the way. I slept the entire car ride. Our flight was delayed, so we logged on to do some work. Then, we boarded the plane. Mr. mouse is sleeping. And, I'm going to get back to work. Figured this was a good break and that I'd be exhausted tomorrow morning.

It's been very therapuetic, having the time to do all of the trips we had been postponing - Boston, Miami, Detroit, and now Texas. These are the moments that make life so special - connecting with all of our friends and spending time with the people we love.


Cheers!
mouse

11.26.07: Thanksgiving Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

There's nothing more exhausting than trying to get an exhausted, cranky, over-extended person to stop doing what they're doing and to go to sleep. But, more on that later.

Just in case you thought we'd spend the entire weekend doing nothing (which would have been absolute bliss for me) - we got our butts in gear on Saturday. Oh, and don't ask what we did Friday, because I already can't remember. Saturday, we slept in. Then, after breakfast, we went to the tailor to drop off some pants to be hemmed. We went to the consignment shop to drop off some dresses, skirts and coats to be, hopefully, sold. We came home to knead some bread. We went to get our eyes examined (my prescription is one notch down now, yeah!). We baked bread. We went to the salon to get our eyebrows shaped. We ate dinner. We napped. We took a cab out to see a friend play at a bar. We hung out until midnight. We took a cab home. Mr. mouse broke a lamp shade in our bedroom trying to readjust the lamp after four beers. We cleaned up. We slept.

Sunday, we ate breakfast. Then, we drove up to the tree farm. We picked a lovely blue spruce with unbelievably prickly needles. We had it shaken and packed and loaded into the car. We drove it home. We set it up. We decorated. Mr. mouse broke an ornament. Maybe we should rename him Mr. butterfingers? We cleaned up. We finished decorating. We slept.

And, now, it's Monday. And, I can't believe the weekend went as quickly as it did. Hopefully, I can stay on top of my sleep this week and not run a big old sleep deficit. And, I'm counting down the days until the weekend when we get to see more friends. It's the most wonderful time of the year.


Cheers!
mouse

11.19.07: Friends in Town

Dear Friends and Family,

Our neighbors from the mouse house came to visit us for the weekend.

We met up Friday night at the airport and took the train to Smoque BBQ for dinner. We got a hodge podge of food; brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, St. Louis ribs with slaw, corn bread, fries and baked beans; for the five of us. I stuck to the brisket since they were out of chicken. Then, we came home and booted up the Wii for a night of fun and games.

Saturday morning, I got up early to do some work. We had breakfast in the house; baguette, eggs and bacon; before heading out to 2007 Chicago Toy & Game Fair. There were a bunch of cool games. My favorites were Portrayal, Nacho Loco and Last Word. I believe Nacho Loco and Last Word will be for sale at Target this holiday season. And, Portrayal is in small local shops. It was a fun way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.

We headed downtown to see them "turn on the lights" on Michigan Avenue for the holiday season. Turned out to be a bust. Mobs of people, nothing to see. Fortunately, Due was on the itinerary for dinner so it wasn't a complete waste of a trip. We got home and played some more Wii.

Sunday morning, I got up early to do some more work. We headed out to Bongo Room for breakfast. I got the cornbread cranberry pancakes with the pecan maple syrup butter on the side. It was huge, so I had two pancakes which is really four pancakes and gave Mr. mouse my last pancake. We got ready, packed up the PS2 for them to take with them, and headed out to the Field Museum for the afternoon. We got there just in time for me to join a free tour of the Inside Egypt exhibit. Never one to turn down anything Egyptology related, I separated from the group for about two hours to do that. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Corner Bakery before doing the Evolving Planet exhibit. I love the museum. It's a great way to spend the afternoon.

Dinner was at New Seoul Restaurant. I keep forgetting how good their barbecued meats are. We need to go more often. Quick trip out to the airport to drop everyone off and Mr. mouse and I hit the supermarket for our Thanksgiving stuff. And, that was the weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Jello is fun.

11.12.07: Emerald City + A Good Night's Sleep

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday night, Mr. mouse and I went out to dinner to celebrate his birthday. We went to an awesome restaurant called Spring and had the chef's menu. This place might become my favorite celebratory dinner spot. We got home, and since I was exhausted, we promptly fell asleep on the couch.

It was an early Saturday morning. We packed and headed out to Seattle to see one of Mr. mouse's close friends who, coincidentally, shares a birthday with Mr. mouse. The flight out was smooth - we played Scrabble, ate breakfast, and got some work done. We got picked up at the airport. I'm stunned at how quickly the kids are growing! And, we went to Chinatown to pick up some food. Got home and chowed down. Our friend's sister-in-law just moved to Seattle recently, and she joined us for the afternoon. We went to the sculpture garden and then to the supermarket. Mr. mouse made basil chicken, steamed striped bass, and salt and pepper shrimp for dinner with bok choy, eggplant and rice on the side. Mr. mouse's friend and I baked a cake and made whipped cream for frosting. The kids loved the whipped cream. It was hilarious watching them.

I totally crashed Saturday night after dinner. I was SO tired. Mr. mouse and his friend stayed up and caught up while we were all asleep. Sunday morning was another early morning. The morning flight canceled, so we had a 1-stop trip back vs. a non-stop. Still, we got home around 4:30 and slept until this morning. I feel so much better now. The cold seems 95% better, I'm caught up on work and I'm caught up on sleep. Life is good.


Cheers!
mouse

11.05.07: Motor City Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

We drove out to Michigan Thursday night for our dentist appointment. Normally, we schedule them for Saturdays, but we needed to reschedule to go to Boston a couple of weeks ago. I have to say, I do love making a long weekend out of it. It gives us so much more time to see friends.

Friday, after the dentist, we drove out to see our friends Dan and Debbie and their two boys. Then, we headed out to the mall, to pick up a suit for me before heading out to dinner. In case you're wondering, I've got 13 food reviews to do. I will catch up. I will catch up. I will catch up.

Saturday, we slept in, got some work done, and headed out to see Mr. mouse's friends, Dave and Pam, their two kids, and amazingly, their dog from almost who is 14 years old. We had lunch with them. Their kids are old enough to stay home alone if Dave and Pam want to have an evening out alone. Wow!

For dinner, we headed over to see a third batch of friends - Rob and Lisa and their two kids. Dan and Debbie came by as well. We had Korean food followed by cupcakes and ice cream. Lisa always picks up my favorite ice cream. She's so thoughtful. I love her. We stayed up to play a couple of rounds of mah-jongg, but turned in pretty early.

Sunday, we slept in, headed out for some dim sum, picked up some bread, and drove home. We got home around 6 o'clock, which was perfect for eating dinner, tidying up the kitchen and still turning in at a decent hour. I caught a cold Saturday night, so the extra rest was good. And, one of our friends missed his connection, so he came over for the night.

And, there was the weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

10.29.07: Little Cuba

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a quiet weekend in Miami with one of my childhood friends. She and her husband have two kids now. The older boy is turning four next spring and the younger boy is about 18 months old. It was a ton of fun playing with the older one. He's at an age when he wants to interact with people. The younger one is cute, but he's not really into strangers. He's kinda shy.

I flew down on Friday evening (didn't get as much done on the plane this time) and Mr. mouse flew down on Saturday afternoon. We spent the whole weekend at their house playing with the kids with the exception of Saturday night. Their friend offered to babysit, so we went out for a super nice dinner together. Okay, this will be my week of catching up on food posts. I promise. I think. Unless something more important comes up.

We flew back yesterday afternoon, drove home, and tried Puerto Rican food for dinner. Mr. mouse watched Game Four of the World Series while I snuggled on the couch. And, now, it's Monday morning.


Cheers!
mouse

10.22.07: Beantown

Dear Friends and Family,

We went to Boston for the weekend. Our neighbors from the mouse house had a long weekend and were out there as well. We flew in Friday night and landed close to midnight. After getting our bags and our rental car, we headed to a friend's place to drop off some deep dish pizza and apple soda. (He stored the pizza in his fridge over the weekend for us.) I was starving, so we went to The International House of Pancakes before checking into our hotel.

Saturday morning, we headed into Boston and met up with the neighbors and my friend for dim sum. It was a first time for everyone. The barbecue pork was a big hit as usual. For me, it was a chance to do dim sum sans pork. Dim sum was tough to do without eating pork. The two toughest for me were the turnip cakes which have chunks of pork in them (I was able to pick out the pork) and the congee which has shreds of pork in it (I was able to pick out about 50% of the pork). To be honest, not eating pork makes dim sum easier, points wise. It's always a points buster and by limiting the number of dishes, it makes it a lot more doable. Anyway, I've got a ton to write about, so moving on...

We headed to Harvard to walk the campus. And, afterwards, we sat on the banks of the river to catch an afternoon snack, some rays and the Head of the Charles. The weather was sunny and warm all weekend. Next, we went for some of Mr. mouse's favorite ice cream. Then, we headed to MIT to walk the campus there. And, last but not least, we drove through the Back Bay area before heading to dinner on the North End. Dinner was at a tiny restaurant that Mr. mouse found online. Next, we headed out for cannolis to bring back to our hotel room for dessert. The neighbors came over and we enjoyed a glass of wine before turning in for the night.

Sunday morning, the Dad had to head out to the airport early. But, the Mom and Daughter met up with Mr. mouse and me for breakfast. We went to a bakery that one of Mr. mouse's friend's friend started up. It was the cutest place. I'll have to do a slew of food reviews later this week. We dropped off the Mom and Daughter at the airport. We picked up the pizza. We headed out to see one of Mr. mouse's friends who lives in the suburbs of Boston.

They have two children. The older of the two was born when Mr. mouse and I got married. And, she's grown a ton since then. She's the cutest button ever. And, she's amazingly articulate for her age. She's at a fun age. And, she has a younger brother. He's four years younger. He's a little shy when he first sees you, but once he opens up, he's crawling all over you. We played with them for the afternoon. And, fortunately, our flight was delayed by an hour, so we had some extra time with them before heading to the airport.

Flew home. Head a humongous fight with Mr. mouse over the stupidest of topics. Made up. Ate desert. And, turned in for the night.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: I forgot how much work you get done when traveling. The flights are an excellent time to catch up on stuff.

10.15.07: Weekend at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

Boy, did the weekend fly.

We had dinner at home on Friday night - bison steaks, brown rice, grilled zucchini and caramelized onions. Mr. mouse listened to the baseball game on the radio before we both turned in for the night. It was super cold and I was tempted to turn on the heat, but we didn't. We made it through. Eight more days to go. Fortunately, some clouds moved in and it's supposed to stay warmer until 10/22. And, I can do one more cold day. Oct 23rd. I can make it.

Saturday morning we got up super late. And, we ran errands all day. We dropped off some clothes at a consignment shop. We went to the book store and picked up two books. And, we went to the grocery store to pick up supplies for a potluck we were going to Saturday night.

The theme for the potluck was Japanese food. We brought three types of grilled rice balls stuffed with salmon, Korean beef, and carrots. And, we brought one of the hits of the night - Japanese brown curry. We made it with chicken, potatoes, carrots and onions. I saved two servings for myself. I love Japanese brown curry. I'm glad Mr. mouse thought to make it. I didn't think others would like it. But, one of the guys asked if he could take the leftovers, so I'm assuming people liked it. We met a bunch of new people. I can't wait for the next one. I think it's a recurring thing - the next one is Greek food. I'm thinking dolmades, maybe skordalia. We'll see.

Sunday morning we got up super late again. I spent Sunday morning trying to sort through all of the pre-natal vitamin requirements in the two books and on WebMd vs. my Canyon Ranch multi-vitamins. According to WebMD, I'm good. According to one book I need more iron. And, according to the other book, I need a million and one supplements. I have to say I was thoroughly confused and feeling 100% inadequate to the task by the time I was done reading. So much for research.

We sorted through more clothes and dropped off seven bags at a donation point. And, one bag at Plato's Closet. We went to Ann Taylor Loft for a pair of pants, a sweater and two tank tops. Then, we went to Bloomingdale's for slacks for Mr. mouse. They've gone seriously upscale with their assortment - $150+ slacks for men. We went to Macy's next. And, found some that work for everyday wear. We went out for dinner to Brasserie Jo. And, when we got home, we fell asleep on the couch. And, that was the weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

10.08.07: The Dark Side of Hammock Time

Dear Friends and Family,

We've been having an absolutely gorgeous Indian summer this fall. And, I've been almost religious about taking advantage of it whenever possible. My hammock and I have become best friends. I traded more hammock time on Friday afternoon for work time on Friday night. It was worth it, especially since my 2007 hammock days must be drawing to a sad, sad end.

Saturday morning we got up early. We spent the morning getting the house ready for our marathoner guests. Fred, his girlfriend, and another couple we met in Montreal (Fred's girlfriend's friend and her husband) were all flying in on Saturday. I found about 15 minutes to spend on the hammock on Saturday morning, but, frankly, it was almost too hot to be pleasant. I felt myself burning, which given my tan foundation says something about the weather.

We went to the airport to pick up Fred and Gen. Mr. mouse headed home. And, we headed downtown to pick up bibs and to drive the course. Wow. 26.2 miles is not trivial. I'm 100% sure I'd need some very serious training to even consider it. And, even then, I'm not sure I could play the mental games needed to get through it. We had a big ole pasta dinner Saturday night. We made signs and put together a plan with our cheering points on them. And everyone turned in early. That is, everyone, but Mr. mouse.

Mr. mouse made, in my opinion, a very bad judgment call to stay up until 1AM, head out to the bar, and watch the Chinese Grand Prix, until 3AM. I told him I wasn't going. And, that I would be watching the race next Sunday at the bar. But, he decided to go and watch it live. I don't know why.



Sunday morning - race day. We all got up at 5:30 to see our runners off. Mr. mouse gets up as well. He wants to change the plan and rent bikes. He's been big on the bike thing all night Saturday, so I acquiesce to his bent. We rent online. He drops the runners off at the park while we all have breakfast. And, I can tell he's tired. He's getting all testy with me and accusing me of getting excited - all signs he's tired and not processing info well. Whatever. We leave for the race. It's already 75+ degrees out.



We combo bike/cab over to the bike rental shop. They're not open. We're guessing they're on fall hours and will be opening at 9. We head over to mile marker 4-ish to cheer on our girls. I'm already feeling overheated. The same sun that makes for glorious hammock time makes for killer race condition. We see them. They're hanging tough. We head back over to the bike rental shop. No freaking sign of the guy. The concession stand guy says the bike guy doesn't show until 10-ish. Well, that's not going to work. Two of us head over to mile marker 10-ish. And, two head down to Navy Pier to pick up these damn bikes. They make it back in time. We almost miss the girls (they're in a zone and we're looking as hard as we can to see them) but get them replenished on water.



Here's where Mr. mouse's judgment isn't doing well. I know this is the tightest part of "our" race to get to the next meet up point. Mr. mouse is feeling great now that we're armed with bikes. And, he's feeling tired. In his mind, there's plenty of time now. And, he's slowing down. It's hot out. We begin to worry about our runners. We dork around in getting our bikes unlocked and getting going. We make it to the half way point. It's a sea of people. We think we've missed our runners. We can't be sure. They were with the 4:00 pace setter at the first point. They were closer to 4:15 at the second point. It's impossible to gauge where they are. It's impossible to see them. It's impossible for them to see us. It's brutally hot. The sun is shining mercilessly. It's not going to be pretty. Runners are walking.

We race ahead to mile marker 16-ish. We're 99% certain we're ahead of the girls. We set up base camp. The plan it to meet up with them and go the rest of the course with them. The 4:00 pace setter went by ~5 minutes ago. We should be in good shape. The runners have stretched out by this point. They're aren't a lot of cheerers. We should be able to see our girls in the race. We wait. And wait. And wait. And, there's no sign of them. Now, we're in between a rock and a hard place. There's no way they could have beat us to that point. There's no way they haven't made it to this point yet. There's no way they could have passed without us seeing them. Um... Okay. Now what? We split. Two go way ahead to try to find them again. Two of us wait. The weather is playing mind games with us. If it had been a brisk fall day, we would have been 99% certain they would have kept pace. And, wouldn't have waited as long as we did. But, with the heat, you can't be sure. They slowed the one time we saw them. They might have slowed more. Turns out they ran right past us without us seeing them. The best laid plans...

The two of us waiting decide to leapfrog the first two. We make it to a half mile before the finish. We find out they've called off the marathon due to record breaking temperatures. We glad they did. The runners really looked wicked tired when we saw them at the 16 mile point and the hardest part is yet to come. The first pair find the girls. We bike back to meet them. The two guys join the pair to walk to the finish. They had, very smartly, started walking with a couple of miles to go. Mr. mouse and I lock up our bikes and meet them at the finish line.



There's a long and convoluted process getting bikes returned, bikes home, people home. I won't go into the details here, but suffice it to say, we got it all in place by around 4:30. Mr. mouse grilled up a bison steak for all of us to nibble on. Then, we headed out for dinner. We gorged at Adobo Grill on a bunch of dishes and some margaritas before high tailing it over to Coco Rouge to pick up some chocolates for dessert. We all passed out pretty early.

Next year, we can prep better. Rent bikes the day before. Dress our runners in some high visibility clothing. And, use technology to make it easier - real time, personal tracking GPS! I can see Fred buying one. He's a gadget guy. And, it makes find them trivial. Or at least a ton easier than it is right now.

Before I close out on the weekend - my middle school friend wrote. She is in St. Paul. I'm so looking forward to seeing her the next time we're out there. Yeah! And, in sister news. The drama begins again. This time it might be serious. It's tough to gauge. She found out she has a ginormous cyst in her ovary. And, she's hesitant to get it removed. Somehow, now, she states children are very important to her. I think this is more a function of her current boyfriend and the irreversibility of getting an ovary removed, but who knows. Whatever. I'd slice it out without a second thought. I'm on this roller coaster yet again. Lord, help me.


Cheers!
mouse

10.01.07: Weekend at Home

Dear Friends and Family,

Much as I love the travel, I have to admit, the weekends at home are nice as well.

Friday night, after dinner, we walked to the gym together. Mr. mouse signed up for a membership as well. Yeah! Then, we drove out to the bar to watch qualifying for the Japanese F1 race. We thought it was on at 11 pm, so it was a mad dash to get there. But, it was on at midnight, so we had all the time in the world. I ordered an espresso and a margherita pizza. Mr. mouse had a diet coke and the Polish plate (pierogis, polish sausage, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and a stuffed cabbage). We watched qualifying and then came home and went to sleep.

Saturday, we didn't get up until almost noon. We spent the day up in Schaumburg running errands. We returned a bunch of clothes. We picked up the rest of my fall wardrobe. It feels good to know I'm done with the mad clothes dash. Theoretically, next winter, 80% of what I own will still fit. I'll need to augment, but this 100% turn thing will be done. Now, it's time to overhaul Mr. mouse's wardrobe, his clothes are getting a little to ragged for work.

Saturday night we went back out to the bar for the race. This time, we didn't eat dinner beforehand. I had two espressos, French onion soup and a grilled chicken sandwich with grilled mushrooms and onions. Mr. mouse had the pork chops which looked just like wiener schnitzel and more diet coke. The race was run in the pouring rain. We got home around 2:30 in the morning and went straight to bed.

Sunday, I got up early. We spent the entire day cleaning and organizing. We finally decided on where to place the three rugs we got in Turkey. There's something about a house that's under control - all neat and everything. It makes me feel at peace and relaxed. I love it.

I have to admit. I'm tired this morning. With staying up late both Friday and Saturday and with waking early on Sunday and sleeping poorly last night, I'm looking forward to my nap on the bus. Speaking of which, with joining the gym here, I'm seriously considering selling the car and doing the bus thing 100% of the time. Then, I can sleep every day.


Cheers!
mouse

09.17.07: Too Full and Tired to Write

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been up for about thirty minutes and am still trying to find some sense of equilibrium. We had a gut busting dinner last night at Adobo Grill. And, I had a ton of iced tea. So, I was up until 2 AM. Ugh.

Where did the weekend go? Friday, I went into work for a presentation. Took the bus home. Got home around 7:30. Mr. mouse and I had dinner at home. He made stir-fried tilapia and we had it with rice, broccoli and some leftover Korean sides we had. We played a rousing game of Scrabble Friday night. We each got a bingo - he got rousing and I got slangier which he anagrammed into islanders. I love relaxing evenings doing nothing.

Saturday was chock full of errands. We got up early, ate breakfast, got organized, and headed out for the day. First on the list was dropping off some food at a food bank. No luck, the place we went to had no idea why they were listed on line as accepting food donations. Why is it next to impossible to give away food?!?! Then, we went to pick up mail and mail off a camera. I got my ipod and my Banana Republic order. Still on the list - another surge protector, the blueprints, and my commuter pass. I feel like Charlie Brown, getting all excited about the mail.

From there we headed out for some shopping. We took advantage of a pile of stuff from the linen closet that we wanted to donate. A local department store was running a promotion - bring in apparel and/or home textile items, get a coupon for each item brought in. We'll take 20, thank you. We traded those coupons in for some boots, some tights, our annual Christmas ornament, my mom's Christmas gift, and two new winter coats. I have to say, it's a pain in the @$$, having to replace your entire wardrobe with the seasons. I'm looking forward to next year, when I have a base I can start from, and I only have to supplement.

Next on the list, lunch, conveyor belt sushi. Will write more about it later this week. Then, it was off to the mall to redeem a 30% off coupon we got in the mail from Lucky Brand Jeans. My last pair of jeans were loose already. So, I went in to try on some new jeans. The saleslady told me that they stretch. You need to buy them snug. So, I bought a new pair. I went with the straight leg this time instead of the boot cut. And, they're a size 0/25. They'd better stretch or I've got a new pair of skinny jeans. We tried on some more coats and fall jackets at the mall before heading out.

Next on the list, Home Depot. We picked up some face plates for the new outlet, some more compact fluorescent light bulbs, and a new switch for our bathroom light (it's been acting up). We got caught in a ton of traffic on the way home and ended up taking the local roads. It was almost 7:30 by the time we got back.

You would think we started winding down for the night. But, no. I did a quick wardrobe change and Mr. mouse dropped me off at the gym. I joined a fall fitness challenge at work and needed to get some exercise in. I did an hour on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the free weights. I'm thinking about joining the gym. That way it's not a trade-off between taking the bus and working out. I'm seriously considering it... While I was at the gym, Mr. mouse dropped off some checks at the bank. Cross another errand off the list.

Since I had points coming out of my ears between eating sushi for lunch and earning 8 points at the gym, we headed out to Coalfire Pizza for dinner. I was full at three slices, but I couldn't resist and had the fourth slice. I should have stopped at three. Next time I will resist the urge.

Then, we turned in for the night. Just kidding. We came home and changed out the outlet. I can't tell you how much I like my new outlet. We replaced a standard outlet with a pretty orange one with a surge protector built in. We added a metallic screwless faceplate and the thing is a huge upgrade in form and function. I'm in love! We also learned something about the mouse pad in the process. Because all of our wiring is run through conduit and our boxes are metal, there's no separate ground wire, the box itself is a ground. Mr. mouse had to make a late night run to Home Depot for a multi-meter to test it all. We read online and wanted to confirm that all was good before installing the new outlet. I love it. I can't wait for the second one to arrive. Then, we turned in for the night. For real.

Sunday morning we slept in. Then, we had a lazy breakfast. Mr. mouse made some fried rice with leftovers from the fridge. I reheated some pancakes I had made a while ago and froze. And, I made a cup of hot chocolate. Yum. Yum. We spent a couple of hours tidying up the house and doing laundry. Then, we headed out to drop off more donations and to walk through a local art fair. If you're wondering why we have so much stuff to donate, it's because I've been building little piles of stuff - to reduce the amount of extraneous stuff we have in the house. Today, it was 2 towel sets and about 20 pieces of glassware - mismatched wine glasses, champagne flutes, and a set of margarita glasses. After the art fair, we came home and heated up more leftovers for lunch. I made fried rice. And, Mr. mouse had pad thai. Then, I napped on the hammock for an hour trying to get rid of my farmer's tan. It's a little better, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to run out of days soon.

We headed out for another bike ride. This time, we took the train downtown and rode down the southern half of the trail by the lakefront. I think it's beginning to grow on me. I've gotten better at the balance thing and the getting the foot in the grip thing and the gear shifting thing. I'm looking forward to fall riding. It should be a lot of fun. We took the train back. Actually, I took the train, cramming myself and my bike into an already full car. And, Mr. mouse, decided not to get on his car, and instead rode home. Apparently, he had a ton of fun weaving through traffic trying to race my train. Good for him.

From there we headed out for dinner. I was fine with dinner in, but Mr. mouse was in the mood for dinner out. We went to Adobo Grill. I started with the butternut squash soup. It was heaven - velvety smooth with grilled corn and pumpkin seeds and some mole to add a touch of spice. Then, I had grilled skewers (beef, chicken and shrimp) with corn tortillas. Followed by duck tamales. And, I split the chocolate cake with Mr. mouse. This is why I'm still feeling full this morning.

We pushed the rest of our list to next weekend. And, I might have a late night or two this week because I didn't open my work bag over the weekend. That's okay. It was worth it.


Cheers!
mouse

09.10.07: Eh, It's Monday

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm struggling with how to summarize the weekend. Friday was a frustrating day. I didn't get nearly as much work done as I thought I would. Mr. mouse came home late. He's been crashing on a presentation for work. I ate dinner without him.

Saturday morning, he told me he'd have to work the weekend. He left for the office for the morning. And, I actually felt liberated. I was looking forward to a day alone. I had my tea. I got a ton of work done. And, I was just getting ready for my afternoon plans (lunch, walk, shopping) when he called. He was headed home. We ate lunch together. Then, I stuck by my guns. I went for my walk, my shopping errands and my return walk. We ate dinner on the deck and I went to bed shortly thereafter.

Sunday morning, he had to take a call from home. Then, we spent some time cleaning and organizing. Then, I went up on the deck in a swimsuit to try to even out a bad farmer's tan. Some success, but there's still some obvious gradations going on. Next, we went to the airport to pick up some tickets for Mr. mouse's dad and to the mall to return some tops and bottoms. We tried a new place for dinner. Then, came home to futz around. I turned in around 10. And, Mr. mouse crashed on the guest bed for the night.

It's Monday, and I'm feeling totally unfulfilled from the weekend. Maybe it was the intrusion of work into the weekend. Although, truth be told, it wasn't much of an intrusion. It was the not knowing, really. I don't know. I'm just feeling kinda eh this morning. I have a yoga class tonight. Maybe it will help.


Cheers!
mouse

09.04.07: Just Plain Happy

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a most excellent three day weekend.

Friday, I went in to work to have lunch with our intern before he leaves for school. And, surprisingly, the traffic wasn't bad coming home. I slept on the bus and listened to my ipod on the train. Friday night, we went out for dinner. I had a craving for Turkish, so we went back to Turquoise. It was packed, but worth the wait. We came back and crashed for the evening.

Saturday, we spent the day cleaning and organizing. I finally feel like I have gained some semblance of control. It's been bad since before we left for Turkey, so it's been almost two months. The kitchen is clear. The dining room is clear. The only thing we need to tackle is the piles accumulating of donate/sell. We spent Saturday afternoon swapping out our light bulbs for more energy efficient ones. Then, we ran the usual errands - Home Depot, Target, and groceries. We found an awesome new supermarket that carries some choice skus I grew up with. Yeah, mouse! For dinner, we had pasta with a tomato cream sauce. I'm stunned at how good it can taste with just a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream.

Sunday, we decided to install the new dishwasher. It's been sitting in our dining room area forever. We got about half way through before we had to leave. We met up with one of my friends from work and her husband for a tour of a local vineyard. We bought two bottles of wine, a port and a white port. We then hit the local Korean supermarket for some kalbi (pre-marinated short ribs) and some mandoo (dumplings!) for dinner. We all went back to their place and heated up the food. My friend and I played some bad pool after dinner while the men folk took in some VH1. Before you knew it, it was 11PM and time for us to head home.

Monday, the extra day is such a treat! We finished installing the dishwasher. It went smoothly. We spent a lot of time getting the alignment just right. And, now we have a quieter dishwasher that's more energy efficient with a delay start mode. I love it! We finished off clearing out the kitchen. And, then, we went for a bike ride. We went up and down the lake. The weather was beautiful and a lot of people were out grilling and celebrating the traditional end of summer. There's something about the smell of charcoal and lighter fluid that takes me back in time. It's the quintessential smell of childhood summers. That and Coppertone 4. Funny how powerful scent is. After the bike ride, we hit the Whole Foods for some fish. And, then made dinner - blackened catfish, mashed potatoes and a salad. Then, it was laundry and hammock time. Then, it was dessert and CSI. Then, it was time for bed.

While we were on the hammock, I remarked to Mr. mouse, how much of a difference a year can make. Last year, I was SO unhappy. Things were super rough at work. And, I wasn't sure how we'd do on the mouse house. And, I was half-dreading moving, since I'd miss all of my friends. But, mostly work sucked. And, now, I'm so happy, I almost feel guilty about it. My mom asked me what I was going to wish for on my birthday. And, I told her I wasn't sure. I have everything I want. I did make a birthday wish. But, you have to keep it a secret or it won't come true.


Cheers!
mouse

08.27.07: Um... Okay, Let's Go

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday night, Mr. mouse came home and asked if I wanted to go to Seattle for the weekend. His friend could get tickets to the Seattle Seahawks/Minnesota Vikings pre-game. We had plans with one of my colleagues for dinner, but she was okay canceling, so, on a whim and a prayer, we decided to go up to the Emerald City for the game.

Saturday morning, we woke and packed and left the house by 8AM. Our plan was to fly into Vancouver and drive down for the game. We would drive back up and leave early Sunday morning out of Vancouver for home. If time permitted, we had grand illusions of stopping for dim sum in Vancouver and Chinese in Seattle.

We left at 8AM. And, we just made it for the 6PM game. That means, between driving up to the airport, flying over, going through immigrations at the airport, going through immigrations at border control, and driving down through traffic, we spent 12 hours getting from point A to point B. Kill me now. We had just enough time to duck into the supermarket and pick up some sushi for the game.

The game itself was fun. It was my first NFL game. I'm not sure. I know I like F1 more. And, 95% certain I like baseball games more. But still, I enjoyed it. The funniest thing happened while we were looking for our friends outside of the stadium. Who do I spy? My cousin. Busted! Didn't tell her we were coming over. I couldn't believe it. What are the chances? I was so jazzed. We caught up briefly before the game and she came over to our seats briefly during the game. And, we caught up more after the game. What fun!

After the game, we all hemmed and hawed on what to do next. And, by default, since we were just by Chinatown, we ended up in a restaurant there with food in front of us. It was a perfect venue for just decompressing and chatting. After dinner, Mr. mouse and I roamed Chinatown by car looking for wi-fi access. We found it in front of a hotel. He logged on quick to check the flights before we headed up to Vancouver for the night.

I slept the whole way back. And, we slept in the hotel for a couple of hours before heading to the airport for our return flight. Back home by noon on Sunday, we showered and grabbed our gear for a day of relaxation on the deck. I wanted to make sure the hammock didn't blow away again like it did last week during the storms, so I planted myself on it with a couple of good books. Mr. mouse had the sofa with sunscreen and his newspapers. We had the radio and a cooler full of drinks. That's the last thing I remember. Cause, the next thing I know, it's 7PM, and a cool breeze woke me from my blissful nap. What a way to enjoy the day.

We had pasta and salad for dinner before heading out to the supermarket for our weekly groceries. And, that was the weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: We have five friends in the Seattle area. One is a school friend who I have no qualms about not looking up on such short notice. Two are Mr. mouse's friends who we saw at the game. One is my cousin who we also saw at the game, albeit in an unplanned sort of way. And, one is Mr. mouse's friend from college... If you're reading this, we look forward to seeing you in a couple of months for the annual birthday bash. And, if you're not reading this. Well, then, if a tree falls in the forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?

PPS: We were folding laundry last night. And, by chance I began to wonder about all of those probability problems from grade school about pulling to socks at random from a pile and having them match. So, I matched and folded socks with my eyes closed. Would you believe a pair matched? What are the chances?!?! Well, they could be calculated, but I'm too lazy for that this morning. It was fun seeing the mismatched combinations and watching Mr. mouse shake his head in amusement.

08.20.07: I <3 NY

Dear Friends and Family,

It feels good to be up and blogging.

Friday, we ate dinner and went up to the roof to get away from the houseful of clutter. With Turkey and the conference, the house still needs some love and attention to get to a non-crazy state. After watching a couple of videos, we promptly fell asleep. It was a little chilly and I got a couple of bug bites. I guess it can't be perfect up there every night. You'd get spoiled.

Saturday morning, we got up early and packed for a quick trip to the Big Apple. One of my best friends from college had a baby a month ago, and this was our chance to meet him and see her. We flew in to New Jersey, picked up our rental car, ate lunch, picked up a gift, and dropped by my mom's store. Guess what?!?! My mom didn't recognize me! Between the weight loss and the new haircut (more on that later) and the new dress, she took a couple of minutes before recognizing me. How cool is that? We only had an hour with her before we needed to head down for the banquet.

My friend is doing amazing. She looks a little tired, but that's probably because she's already back at work. The baby is doing great. He's about nine pounds now and I held him. He's officially the first baby I've tried holding. There have been other very brief Kodak moments, but this was for almost five minutes. I did okay. He didn't cry of anything. Go, mouse. Dinner was a very lavish affair. The banquet was 18 courses, almost all seafood. We each had our own canteen of shark's fin soup. OMG. I ate a month's worth of meals in one night. I even skipped four courses at the end - the rice, the noodles, the fruit, and the dessert soup. Between catching up with everyone, the mom, her brother, and one of my other college friends; and the food; it was definitely worth the trip.

We drove over to Mr. mouse's dad's place after the banquet. We chatted for a couple of hours before turning in for the night. Fortunately, Mr. mouse checked on flights Saturday night and noticed that we should take that the first flight home instead of the later morning flight we originally had planned. It was early, but we sludged through it and made it home. In hindsight, it was worth it because we would have spent the ENTIRE day at the airport otherwise.

But, back to Sunday morning. On our walk home, we walked past a bakery and picked up some breakfast. Then, we went to the farmer's market and picked up some fruits and vegetables. We got home. Ate. Then, Mr. mouse napped while I cleaned out and organized the fridge. It took almost two hours but it was totally worth it. We tossed most of the food from pre-Turkey. And, I cleaned all of the bins and shelves and walls and everything. It looks SO much better now. When did it get so gross?

We ate lunch. Then, I napped while Mr. mouse tackled the bathrooms and laundry. He was probably thinking the same thing about the bathrooms. We hit the supermarkets for the first time in a long time. We had a super simple dinner - salmon on top of mixed greens with crab bisque. We made stock a long time ago - and added lump crab meat and a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream to the stock. It was super easy. I'm totally jazzed about making more stock.

We finished up the night making some more food. I tried making a bulgur salad and Mr. mouse made ice cream with the leftover heavy cream. And, we did a little more clean up and organization. It's almost looking livable again.


Cheers!
mouse

08.13.07: Home Again

Dear Friends and Family,

I'll spare you a long post since I dumped a week's worth on you in fits and bursts. The reason I didn't write them over the week this week is because I'm going to a conference this week and I KNOW I want to write about it. So, Turkey kinda had to get crammed in there to make it all work.

Pictures coming soon.


Cheers!
mouse