12.30.08: Home for the Holidays

Dear Friends and Family,

We went home for the long weekend.

Thursday, we flew out to see Mr. mouse's folks. They picked us up at the airport and we spent the day at home catching up, watching TV, and preparing Christmas dinner. They made turkey and gravy, sweet rice with sausage, crab cakes, egg rolls, lobster bisque, cranberry jelly, asparagus and pumpkin pie. Can you say stuffed?

Friday, we did some shopping, went to Mr. mouse's mom's site (she passed away, I never had a chance to meet her), had dinner and then did some quick shopping. While we were at Whole Foods, Mr. mouse bought a stuffed monkey for Pioneer. It made it that much more real for me. It's the first thing we've purchased for them since finding out we were expecting. It made me cry.

Saturday, we drove over to my parents' store. We spent some time with my mom and then headed downtown for some shopping and to take in the holiday vibe. If you're wondering what's with all the shopping, it's mostly gift exchanges to get other sizes, colors, etc. We met up with my sister and brother-in-law and my brother for dinner. I think my mom really enjoyed seeing all of us together.

Sunday, we met up with my uncle and aunt for lunch. Then, we headed over to see my grandmother. I had my expectations set low since she has good days and bad days. But, Sunday turned out to be a good day and she recognized us all. I didn't tell her about Pioneer, but it was so good to spend time with her. We swung by my other uncle's place, but he wasn't in. Dinner was a simple affair at home with my brother and parents. Then, we watched Iron Man, which I have to admit, I enjoyed.

Monday, we woke early and headed back home. We toyed with going on one last trip. But, ultimately, with the Gaza Strip headlines and just feeling like doing stuff around the house, we decided to take this week to begin preparing the house for Pioneer.


Cheers!
mouse

12.22.08: Winter Solstice, Whoppee!

Dear Friends and Family,

The winter solstice usually gets forgotten in a whirlwind of holiday prep and because I'm too depressed to deal with the dark. Well, happy winter solstice, everyone. Sunday was freezing out, but, it also meant it was bright and sunny. I'll take stupid cold and sunny or overcast and simply cold any day of the week. And, now, the days are getting longer. Yeah!

Friday afternoon, we went in for our ultrasound. Seems like Pioneer continues to thrive and grow. They measured a lot of different bone lengths like the femur and the other two leg bones and the three major arm bones. And, they checked the spinal cord area over to see if there's any openings or irregularities there. And, they look for organs like the kidneys and stuff to see if they look normal. And, if you want, they check for gender. The only cause for concern is that part of the placenta is somewhere over the cervix. Hopefully it'll move sometime in the next 20 weeks. If not, we're looking at c-section.

We spent the rest of Friday catching a bite to eat downtown then walking through an outdoor market looking at Christmas ornaments.

Saturday we drove out to the burbs for our next doctor's appointment. Then, we stopped at the mall to finish off our Christmas shopping. I spent a little more than I intended to on my mom, but a little less on my grandma, so I guess it all ends up even in the end. We picked up some bagels and roast beef at a little Jewish deli and headed home for the afternoon.

Most of Saturday disappeared into Christmas card productions with a lot of the time dedicated to updating addresses and stuff. But, by the end of the evening we had a stack of cards ready for the post office which is always a great feeling.

Sunday morning, we drove out to the mailbox and picked up the mail. Our neighbors mailed us a box of treats - yummy! We stopped by the post office to pick up stamps and mail off the cards. And then we hit Chinatown for lunch and some groceries.

We napped in the sun and woke in time for dinner and some football and the glorious feeling of not having too much to do before the holidays.

Two more crazy days in the office and then an amazingly long break.


Cheers!
mouse

12.15.08: Winding Down 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

Two more weekend updates in 2008. About now is when I wonder, where did the year go?

Friday night, B and Chef M came over for dinner. Mr. mouse made chicken tortilla soup, steak, sauteed potatoes, baked squash and green beans. Chef M made a lovely reduction sauce of shallots, balsamic vinegar and port wine for the steak. I skipped on the sauce, more because I wasn't in the mood than because I was concerned about the minuscule about of port in it. We broke out the Scrabble board for team Scrabble - B and Mr. mouse vs. Chef M and me. We won, yeah! Eggnog, cookies, and chestnuts filled what little space was left in our stomachs, and I felt like the holiday season had finally begun.

Saturday, we slept in until noon. It was heavenly to sleep in. Mr. mouse went to pick up the mail while I worked on Christmas card content. What did we do with the rest of the afternoon? I can't seem to recall. Crossed a couple of errands off of the list, but mainly I stayed inside and futzed about.

Saturday night, we drove out to the hinterlands to attend my department holiday party. I wasn't sure what to expect walking in since I'm new to the group. In the end, I had a ton of fun, meeting everyone's spouses and just talking outside of the work context. I'm glad we went.

Sunday, I spent the morning fighting the burps. Mr. mouse made some French toast to try to settle my stomach. It worked for a little bit and I finished off the invite to our annual January party. Then, the burps hit with a vengeance. I spent most of the day just trying to catch my breath. Mr. mouse used the opportunity to clean the house and spend time organizing.

A couple of my work friends arrived at four with their young daughter, Elanor. And, we headed out to an early dinner, as in 5 pm dinner. Elanor was a champ. She sat in the high chair and played the whole time. It was perfect, if a little early. We were home by 6:30 and decided to get the tree trimmed before turning in for the night.

This week, we must get out cards and begin Christmas shopping. Ack!


Cheers!
mouse

12.08.08: Weekend with Friends

Dear Friends and Family,

We flew back to see some friends from the Mouse Winter Cabin days. We had a potluck at our friends' house. It was a wonderful chance to catch up with everyone and to show off the bump. Well, either everyone is being extremely kind (and I'm being totally gullible) or the bump is a figment of my imagination. Sigh.

Pioneer also got their first gift! Ms. Jordan brought them a little rattle. How sweet is she?

Sunday, we had a slow morning - coffee, bread and fruit with the neighbors before heading out for some crack pizza. We ended the day at the mall looking for tops (for me) and jeans (for Mr. mouse) before flying home and crawling into bed.

What a fun way to spend the weekend.


Cheers!
mouse

Seychelles: Fri, Sat, Sun - Our Trip Out and First Day

Dear Friends and Family,

Our flights out went without mishap. And, we enjoyed our first day in the Seychelles just settling in and checking out a nearby beach. Lots of time for napping, jumping the waves, soaking in the scenery and just relaxing.

What We Did


Fortunately, the flights went without a hitch. Chicago -> Washington DC -> Kuwait -> Dubai -> Mahe. The longest layover was in Dubai. We found a nice quiet corner, bought some delicious mint tea, and, discovered free internet access which makes the time fly. Total travel time? Approximately 20 hours.


We rented a car and drove across the island of Mahe to our hotel. Our room wasn't ready so we hung out in the lobby for around half an hour enjoying the view and some delicious lemongrass tea. Then, we spent about an hour indulging in a slow assault of the breakfast buffet. And, we spent some time on the beach finishing up a game of Scrabble.

Our room was (finally) ready. We unpacked, showered, changed and headed out to the beach for the afternoon.


Our first beach in the Seychelles! I have to say, I love the feeling of soft sand on my toes, and the sound of the surf, and the smell and taste of salt in the air, and the sight of the bright sun in the sky. The beach. It's one of my favorite places to be. And, this one was a beauty.

There were a bunch of local kids running in the sand and jumping the waves. We went for a swim. And, then, decided to explore the rocks on the edges of the beach. It was fun climbing and taking photos. And, when we found the perfect rock, we spread our towels and napped together in the late afternoon sun. Got up just in time for sunset photos. And, then headed over to a restaurant for dinner.

What We Ate


Plane food. Warm nuts. Tomato lentil soup. Salad with grilled scallops. Lamb curry with spicy chickpeas and spinach and rice. And, for dessert, fruit with cheese and cheesecake. Can't complain.


More plane food. This time, a quick box lunch of pasta salad with chicken, roll and the ever present and anonymous chocolate mousse cake.


Pioneer wanted dinner before we boarded our last flight. And, all of the food options in Dubai were American fast food joints. Burger King, Italian chicken sandwich and Spicy vegetarian burger.


We had time and I was hungry, so we took our time with brunch. I had a fruit plate, followed by a smoked fish plate, followed by a cured meat plate, followed by an English plate (beans, sausage, tomatoes, bread), followed by several cups of tea and fruit juice. It was just nice to sit and enjoy the breeze and the ocean view and let it sink in - we were in the Seychelles!


For dinner, we went out for Indian food. We ordered dal, chicken tikka masala, and sag aloo with lots of bread. The food was excellent. I hadn't had Indian in so long.

What I Learned

Some very simple things, really. After a long hot bath and some serious sand scrubbing, I rediscovered ten really cute toes underneath all of the dull winter build up. I need to take better care of my feet.

And, after dinner, we were walking back to our bungalow. Mr. mouse looked up and remarked, "stars." I was transported back, instantly, to Moorea, the sky is just filled with stars when you're not by any man-made light sources. It looks creamy. It's beautiful.


Cheers!
mouse

12.01.08: Back Home

Dear Friends and Family,

We got home early Saturday morning from a vacation that really couldn't have been more perfect. (Note: will be writing about it throughout the week this week.) And, spent the weekend catching up on random errands and readjusting our body clocks to Central Standard Time.

We landed to a brisk but decently warm day filled with sunshine and made the most of the weather and the empty roads by:

1. picking up shoes from the cobbler
2. picking up pants from the tailor
3. picking up mail
4. buying a Christmas tree

We came home and unloaded the tree and put it into a stand which we filled with water. We'll have to decorate it one night this week since we're off to see friends this upcoming weekend.

We fell asleep early Saturday night. And, forced ourselves to sleep through until about seven on Sunday morning. Sunday, we:

1. tried on the pants (welcome to maternity wear)
2. tried on a bunch of maternity clothes a friend gave us
3. changed the car tires to snow tires
4. got a car wash
5. went to the gym (whoopee!)
6. roasted a chicken for dinner

We fell asleep early Sunday night too. And, made it until 3:47 this morning which is only 13 minutes ahead of the alarm clock.

And, it's back to work and day-to-day life and holiday preparation. It snowed last night so we woke to whiteness and that quiet that snow brings.


Cheers!
mouse

11.17.08: Weekend, What Weekend?

Dear Friends and Family,

If everything goes to plan, we're off to vacation on Friday for a week. Between that, tying out odds and ends on the old job, getting off on the right foot on the new job, and catching up from two weekends worth of friends, we had a crazy weekend this weekend.

We had our follow-up doctor's appointment on Friday. And, Pioneer seems to be doing fine. Heartbeat's in the 150s - sounds like PacMan according to Mr. mouse. I spent a very frustrated 30 minutes trying to get our appointment schedule sorted out. Honestly, I thought Mr. mouse had it under control, but I think he's too much of a softie. They had us coming in a billion and one times for our appointments. Seriously, need to combine visits so I'm not MIA at work, people.

Saturday, we drew up our list of errands. And, it was daunting. We:

1. returned our library books
2. dropped off dry cleaning
3. spent some serious lotion time to try to avoid stretch marks
4. took our weekly picture
5. dropped of pants at the tailor
6. picked up a prescription
7. picked up book for work
8. called our friends with the news
9. picked up the mail
10. picked up a couple of "maternity" tops and bras
11. and... food shopping

Sunday morning, I finished off the "quick hitter" list with an evite for a Christmas get together. Then, bless Mr. mouse's heart, we made Thanksgiving dinner together early. Mr. mouse knew I wanted to, but wasn't feeling up to it energy-wise, so he went and picked up all of the stuff Saturday night while I was napping. We didn't do the whole shebang (e.g. pies) but we did make the turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potato, sweet potato, green bean casserole, corn, and cranberry relish. And, afterwards, Mr. mouse made turkey stock with the carcass. I got through my work emails and "finishing up" a deck for my old department. And, we went out for dessert to celebrate Pioneer.

Still on the docket for this week (which is a crazy week at work and chock a block with vacation prep) is scheduling our next ultrasound and alumni council work - I'm beginning to regret signing up for it. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have it hanging over my head this week. Sigh.

So, what am I thankful for? In no particular order, I'm thankful for (and I'm sure I'm going to miss some of the stuff from my list yesterday and think of new ones, but such is life): the health and happiness of our friends and family, of my grandparents, and Mr. mouse's grandmother, and our parents, and my sister and new brother-in-law, and my brother, and Mr. mouse, and Pioneer, and all of our friends, for making it through the first trimester, for the first trimester screening results, for the stuff being bearable, for the bleeding stopping, for both being gainfully employed, for the promotion, for the raise, for having (almost) built up our cash reserves for a rainy day and taxes (plan is to have them in place by end of Dec), for paying down the house, for enjoying work, for a shorter commute, for nice weather so far, for all the places we got to go this year, for all the friends who came to see us, for our wellness, for good food, for balance and perspective, for laughter, for tears, for humility, for the elections, for the future and for hope. Wow, there's a lot to be thankful for.


Cheers!
mouse

11.10.08: Birthday Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

What a week. What a weekend. It started with the election. And, was followed by the screening results and sharing our news. And, was capped off by a fabulous weekend birthday visit from Mr. mouse's college roommate and family.

I had my last "work from home Friday" on Friday. Mr. mouse came home around 4pm and we headed out to the airport to get the minivan and the guests. It still blows me away what a year can do to kids. T-Rex is four now. And, she's totally in love with dinosaurs. Her brother, fan-boy, is two. And, totally in love with fans. While two years apart in age, only 3.5 pounds separate them in size. It's a sad, sad day when your younger sibling grows bigger than you. Fortunately for me, I had the size advantage until sometime after college, but alas no more.

We picked up deep dish on the way home because we figured a 45 minute wait at the restaurant wasn't on the high priority list for either the parents or the kids. Afterward, the kids discovered our basement which can be a treasure trove of random toys just waiting to be discovered. Fan-boy's pick of the night? A model Cathay Pacific plane. T-Rex found some Mardi Gras beads and a JAL plane, but she was more interested in all of the dinosaur books Mr. mouse borrowed from the library.

Saturday, we ate in - bread from Zingerman's, muffins from Red Hen, eggs with basil from our box. Then, we loaded everyone into the minivan and drove down to the Field to visit Sue, our resident T-Rex along with her friends in the Evolving Planet exhibit. I petered out after lunch and took a nap on one of the sofas in the museum lobby while everyone else went to see another exhibit on animals. T-Rex was fascinated by all of the videos in the exhibits. I wonder how much of it she absorbed. Her brother? I think he was just along for the ride.

On the way home, we all passed out while Mr. mouse and friend picked up cupcakes and sausages. We snacked on the sausages at home and then the kids played while Mr. mouse and friend went out for groceries. T-Rex played with a magnet calendar while fan-boy found a singing frog White Elephant gift that he ended up taking home with him. Dinner was stir fried bison with onion, curried bison with potatoes, sauteed sea bass with butter sauce, and stir fried napa with garlic. Afterward, we busted out the cupcakes and first fan-boy and then T-Rex sang Happy Birthday. Mr. mouse and his roommate share the same birthday so they had number candles. Fan-boy had candles on his cupcake. And, T-Rex didn't want candles on her cupcake because she didn't want to deal with the smoke.

Sunday, the kids got to eat cupcakes and pizza for breakfast. Then, we headed out into the cold to see the bean at Millenium Park. (Side note: I had a serious case of the burpies on Sunday that got pretty bad on the car ride out. They just wouldn't stop. ) We took some pictures by the bean and then by the fountain with the faces and then hightailed it to the car. We drove down to Chinatown for dim sum and then to Wicker Park to walk through the shops. I was tired and burpy so I sat in the car and read the paper while everyone went for a walk.

It was off to the airport for the return trip. Then, Mr. mouse and I headed out to work for 30 minutes to pack my desk for my move to my new desk. My new desk is sad. I may want to talk to the admin about moving out some of the furniture. It's way too cramped for me.

We came home and I was exhausted from all of the burping. I cried when I realized how quickly the time was going. I wish I could slow it down so I can savor our life together. Instead, the years go faster and faster. And, I guess I'm greedy. I want them to last forever. Even more exhausted, we napped together until almost midnight.

We got up in time for birthday dinner - fried rice - and a couple more birthday hugs. Mr. mouse spent some time organizing photos while I read in bed. We ended the night with a bout of burp-induced queasiness and about three hours of light sleep.

Off to the new job today. This week's priorities? Starting the new job off with a bang, finishing out a couple of loose ends with the old job, and picking up my neglected Alumni Council work. Next week, it'll be vacation prep. And, before we know it, the holidays will be upon us.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Fred and Gen called Sunday morning. And, we were able to celebrate on all four counts (election, job, Pioneer and birthday) together.

11.03.08: Birthday Surprise

Dear Friends and Family,

We spent the weekend in the Motor City with our friends and our dentist.

Saturday morning, Mr. mouse and I went in for our regular teeth cleaning. Then, we drove out to Zingerman's in Ann Arbor for lunch. Instead of buying one of their pre-made sandwiches, we bought bagels, roast beef, and butter and made our own sandwiches. They were so good! We also loaded up on olive oil, balsamic vinegar, strawberry jam, and sardine oil while we were in the store.

We checked into our hotel. And, then we picked up groceries. Then, we drove over to our friends' house where a group of friends were waiting for us - we had planned a surprise birthday party for Mr. mouse. And, he was totally surprised! Yeah, us. Lot of food, lots of cake, lots of catching up, and a sad, sad game of Clue Jr. made up the evening.

Sunday, we met up with Joey for lunch. Then, we all went over to a friends' house to watch the F1 race. Joey and I fell asleep on the couch. Mr. mouse had a good chance to catch up while we slept.

I'm glad our dentist is in Detroit. It provides the perfect excuse to go back twice a year and see all of our friends.


Cheers!
mouse

10.27.08: Mini College Reunion

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend went by in a flash.

We flew out on Saturday to New York to see both friends and family. We landed early Saturday morning and took a cab over to the store. My parent, Mr. mouse and I stopped by a diner for some breakfast and to catch up on the latest news. My parents store lease got extended! Whoopee! I'm so happy for them.

Then, we took the train downtown to see my college roommate for lunch. It turned into an impromptu reunion because, amazingly enough, our three close guy friends were all free. It was so good seeing all of them! We need to go back more often.

Saturday night, Mr. mouse and I went out to dinner with my mom; my dad had a prior commitment he couldn't get out of. Then, we took a cab home and spent the evening catching up. I was pretty tired from the flight and from dinner, so by 10PM, we were all in bed for the evening.

Sunday, they dropped us off, bright and early at the airport. Got back home, took a nap, spent some time cleaning the basement, napped some more, watched Game 4 of the World Series, and turned in for the night.

I need to pack for my work trip this morning. I may or may not write tomorrow depending on whether I pack my computer for the trip. If not, see you Wednesday.


Cheers!
mouse

10.20.08: Work and Sleep

Dear Friends and Family,

Another quiet weekend at home. Saturday morning, I got up early and did some work. Then, we drove out to pick up our mail and eat lunch at the Mitsuwa food court - miso ramen soup, rice with pork bits, steamed shrimp dumplings, pot stickers, chicken feet, and rice balls.

We ran a couple of errands and came home. I think I slept the rest of the day since I don't have any recollection of Saturday evening.

Sunday morning, we both got up early and did some work. Then, Mr. mouse headed into the office for a call while I worked/napped at home. Spent the evening watching random clips on hulu and before you knew it, it was bedtime.

And, now it's Monday. We're headed home this weekend. I'm so excited to see my parents.


Cheers!
mouse

10.13.08: The Accidental Marathoner

Dear Friends and Family,

It's late Monday morning and I'm just beginning my day. We had friends in town this weekend for the marathon and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more. I needed a break.

Friday afternoon, I went for my mammogram. And, Mr. mouse headed to the airport to help a friend of ours. Our Turkish friend's mom was flying over from Turkey and had a layover/transfer here. She speaks no English, we're relatively certain most gate agents speak no Turkish. Mr. mouse hung out with her to make sure she made her flight okay.

The timing worked perfectly because Chantal and Eric (two new friends from Canada) flew in right when Mr. mouse was done. They all took the train down together. And, we headed out to Due for some deep dish action. We came back and crashed. Mr. mouse stayed up to let our friends, Fred and Gen, in.

Saturday, over breakfast of toast and fruit and eggs, we had a chance to catch up and make plans for the day. Mr. mouse took the marathoners down to pick up bibs and gear while Fred and I walked the neighborhood to pick up lunch stuff. Chantal, Eric and Gen had all registered for the race. But, Chantal wasn't running because of a change in plans. And, Eric was planning on dropping out at the 35K mark - to get a training run in for the Philadelphia marathon, but not overextend himself. Gen, she was running.

Fred and I had a great walk over to the fruit/vegetable store. Then, we stopped by the wine store to pick up some champagne for Sunday. Then, over to our favorite meat store for some delicious rib eye steaks. And, last but not least, the bakery to pick up toast for breakfast the rest of the weekend. I love shopping at a bunch of specialty stores vs. one generic store. It was also a great chance to catch up.

After lunch, we headed down to Millennium Park to see the park and pick up the bike. Then we chilled at home before starting the pasta pot for dinner. I love a simple pasta. Mr. mouse made tomato sauce Saturday night with a tomato from our crop share, olive oil, garlic and basil. I could have eaten the whole box of pasta myself. Gen made a fabulous salad. And, we had chicken sausage and crop share green beans to round out the meal.

Put the runners to bed. Fred and Chantal made signs while Mr. mouse and I headed out to Target. We picked up some noise makers, some markers, some poster board and party favor medals. We wanted to give Eric one, just in case he didn't finish the full marathon, for finishing the 35K.

Sunday, I had some stuff to do at home. Mr. mouse and Fred dropped the runners off at the park. Then, Fred, Chantal, and Mr. mouse loaded all of their gear onto the three bikes and headed out to watch the race. I had a template to track and estimate the runners arrivals at various check points. One thing we agreed to this year is that we'd always be on the runner's left hand side. So, there wasn't this perpetual guessing game we played last year.

It was hot. But, not as bad as last year. Gen finished. And, so did Eric. He had mentally decided the night before to go the distance. And, in fact, he finished ahead of Gen. I met them all in the tent with some champagne and we slowly made our way home.

Showers. Champagne. Cold pizza. Leftover rib eye. Stories. Laughs. And, we were ready to head over to Spring for dinner. Two more friends joined us for dinner. The wine was excellent. The oysters delicious. The Thai lobster wontons delicate. The fish, well, it's always good. And, dessert, well we were almost too full for dessert. But, I've found a new love - grape sorbet. And, to finish it off, the taste of chocolate at the end. This time it was citrus basil.

We passed out when we got home. And, this morning Chantal and Eric headed to the airport and Mr. mouse headed to work. Fred and Gen are going to see a couple of museums. And, I really should log on soon and start work.


Cheers!
mouse

10.06.08: How is it Already Monday?

Dear Friends and Family,

The weekend flew by. Saturday, I woke early, did some work and then napped. We headed out to the Museum of Science and Industry for the afternoon to see the Smart Home. We got a exhibit resource guide with all sorts of ideas on how to be more green.

Then, Mr. mouse dropped me off at home. I watched Fast Food Nation while he went shopping for some fall clothes. Dinner was a handful of Lemon Heads and Sour Patch Kids. I can't say it's the healthiest, but I fell asleep shortly after the movie, so I forgot to make something.

Sunday, we woke up early again. We went out for dim sum and then more fall shopping. I picked up two new sweaters (sorry, can't find pics online). And, Mr. mouse picked up two new slacks for work. Then, he dropped me off at home. I napped and did some more work while he went out for groceries. We ate, did some house cleaning.

And, it's Monday.

Weather outlook for this Sunday? High of 62° and a low of 47° with a 30% chance of showers. Got some more house cleaning to do this week.


Cheers!
mouse

09.29.08: Wedding Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

I made it back home and I'm still in one piece...

We drove down on Thursday for the family dinner at PF Chang's.

Friday, we spent the morning with my mom and then my aunt and cousin. Afternoon was the rehearsal at three, followed by an airport run to pick up my dad, my uncle and my other cousin at five, rehearsal dinner at seven and sleep at ten.

Saturday dawned bright and early. Nails, hair, makeup at nine. Then, we hung out at my sister's hotel room waiting for the photographer. We helped my sister dress, sent her off, wolfed down lunch, squeezed me into my dress and shoes, loaded the bouquets into the car and headed over for pictures.

The wedding was beautiful. The reception was a lot of fun. I had the chance to catch up with my cousin and to get to know one of the bridesmaids while Mr. mouse spent the evening taking pictures.

Sunday arrived and we met my parents, uncle and cousin for breakfast. Then, we spent some time walking downtown before loading them into a cab for the airport. We dropped by the museum and the creamery on our way home.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. My only question is... why do I get so upset when everyone assumes Mr. mouse is the shuttle bus operator for the weekend? Why are they so helpless?!?!


Cheers!
mouse

09.22.08: Red Ball Groupies

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a gorgeous weekend! And, we took some time each day to enjoy the weather since fall will be arriving soon. (Wait, it's here today!)

Saturday, we headed down to ITT to see the red ball. Mr. mouse has been following The Red Ball Project the last month while it's been in Chicago. He's become a groupie and people on the project know him and say hi on a regular basis. Strange, but true.

Then, we headed over to the Museum of Contemporary Art to see what they had going on. We serendipitously scored free tickets at the library. It was the last day of the Jeff Koons exhibit. I was a big fan of the chromed steel made to look like balloons. Nicely done.

We did a little shopping. Came home to eat dinner. Then met up with our Turkish friends who were in town for the weekend. Their son is six weeks old and super cute. He's still quiet and spends much of his time sleeping. I guess that's what babies do.

Sunday, we headed over to North Beach to see the red ball. It was a beautiful day. We rode out bikes so parking wasn't an issue. What'd we do after? Oh, we came home and since it had been WAY too long, we hit the gym. Then, we had dinner and watched a combination of the Emmys and Sunday Night Football before turning in for the night.

This is a short week. I'm taking Thursday and Friday off for my sister's wedding.


Cheers!
mouse

09.15.08: Quick Visit with Friends

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday night, Mr. mouse needed to work late at work. I guess I can't complain since he was so supportive when I was stuck late in the office for two weeks. We came home, made dinner and then conked out. Plus, it was a miserable rainy day, so I wasn't motivated to do much at all.

Saturday dawned another rainy day. We sloughed through the rain to run a couple of errands. Then, we called it quits, set up the rain buckets and headed out to the airport. Surprisingly, our flight left on time and we met our old neighbors for dinner Saturday night.

Sunday I woke feeling so refreshed. Had some coffee and a great shower. We had breakfast, a jog around the lake that left me feeling like sh!t and pizza as a consolation prize. I got some work done on the flight back and we had a quiet dinner last night. One of my funny food aversions from last year is back - oddly enough, I'm finding warm cooked meat unappealing. I'd be concerned except I went through the exact same thing last year. Maybe it's a seasonal thing.


Cheers!
mouse

09.08.08: Road Trip

Dear Friends and Family,

My sister's getting married in three weeks. And, my mom was going to come out to spend the weekend and to help my sister get her dress fitted. And, I was planning on going down to meet up with them and spend some quality time with my mother and my sister.

Notice the past tense in all of this. It didn't quite go down that way. My mom tripped over some stuff Saturday morning and lost her balance and fell and broke her wrist. With a fair bit of urging on our part, she stayed at home to rest and recover. And, instead, Mr. mouse and I drove down together to meet our future brother-in-law this weekend.

I slept a good piece of Saturday on the way down. We went down to Gray Brothers Cafe for dinner. My sister loves their fried chicken. Mr. mouse got the chicken and it's good. I opted for the roast beef with corn and green beans. Then, we went back to the house and watched Batman Begins which none of us had seen. By the time we were done, it was midnight and we turned in for the night.

Sunday, we all slept in. Then, we headed to The Indianapolis Museum of Art for brunch at Puck's. I had waffles and bacon and sausage. Then, I had a plate of jumbo peel and eat shrimp. Then, I had a sampling of the sole and duck with cantaloupe and honeydew, followed by dessert - bread pudding, macaroons, cobbler and a raisin cup. No wonder I slept a good piece of the ride up. Food coma central.

Sunday night, we went to Borders and then made dinner at home - pepper steak and green beans with rice. I think if we lived with my sister I'd quickly go back to the pre-Weight Watchers weight. It's food everywhere in that state.

Monday. Time for some tea and relaxation.


Cheers!
mouse

09.02.08: Wonderful Weather Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm at a loss for words as to how perfect the weather was this past weekend. It was sunny and warm with a cool breeze - all three days!

Saturday, I went on my long awaited walk. I got about eight miles in just enjoying the scene along the lake shore. Then, Saturday night we did IMAX: The Dark Knight. OMG, I want to see it again, now. The backgrounds were gorgeous. And, the Joker was brilliant. Saturday night, we slept outside for the first time this summer. Finally!

Sunday, we packed a picnic basket and headed back to the lake. We picnicked and read and sunbathed and went for a swim and napped and enjoyed ourselves royally. Then, we headed downtown to hear Ornette Coleman play at the Chicago Jazz Festival. I had a ton of fun. In fact, I'm debating making next summer the summer of street festivals and trying to attend "them all."

Monday, I got as far as my hammock. I did a couple of chores around the house while nursing my blistered foot and then went upstairs to read on the hammock. We decided to break the rules and slept upstairs on a school night. We couldn't resist.

Oh, and how can I forget - Mr. mouse took me to dinner Friday night, at Spring. We ordered an oyster apiece, all five of the warm appetizers and then we split an entree and desert. It was delicious, but I was a too exhausted to do much besides pass out after dinner.


Cheers!
mouse

08.25.08: Making the Most of Summer

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm getting a little schizophrenic with my blog entry syntax. Something I'll need to ponder and make a decision on at some point.

Friday night, Mr. mouse and I turned in early (as in 6 o'clock early) and slept roughly 12/13 hours. We got off to a slow start on Saturday, and I was feeling a little mopey which didn't help matters any. We checked mail. We got Korean for lunch. I got a manicure. We made dinner and played Scrabble (403-301, Mr. mouse thanks to a leftover V on my part) while watching the last of the Olympics.

Sunday, we got up to go watch the F1 race at the bar. We biked out and then went on a 21 mile jaunt up to Glencoe through some pretty rough winds and some pretty rough cobblestones. I was exhausted by the time we got home. Dinner consisted of salmon, angel hair pasta and cauliflower soup. Closing ceremonies. And, we were in bed by 11.

And, now it's Monday. And, as my coffee mug states - let the stress begin.


Cheers!
mouse

08.18.08: Air + Water Show

Dear Friends and Family,

It was an almost perfect weekend of sun, fun and cupcakes.

Friday, after a crazy day of interviews, conference calls and emails, we headed out for the evening. We picked up cupcakes at Bleeding Hearts Bakery, Dinkel's Bakery, and Chaos Theory Bakery before heading out to dinner at Smoque Barbecue. Of the three bakeries, I liked the cupcakes at Chaos Theory best. They go out on a limb and make some fun flavor combinations that can become addicting - like their curry cardamom chocolate cupcake.

Note: We also had an cupcake arsenal built up from Sweet Mandy B's, Swirlz, and Molly's. I think my favorites overall are from Sweet Mandy B's. The best cake texture and frosting combination - classic flavors combined with flawless execution.

Saturday was the perfect day for the Air + Water Show. It was mid-80's with a partly cloudy sky and a cool breeze. I should have worn a swimsuit, but I knew we'd be seeing some of Mr. mouse's work colleagues, so I stayed with the tank top/shorts combination. Must get rid of some of the crazy tan lines I've gotten this summer.

We split for the evening with Mr. mouse and the Dad going over to Toyota Park to watch the Chicago Fire take on the DC United. Unfortunately, they lost 1-0. The Mom, the Daughter and I walked down to Navy Pier, had dinner and watched some performances at the Turkish World Festival before heading outside to watch the Navy Pier fireworks. We all drove home together, ate a couple more cupcakes and watched the Olympics on TiVO.

Sunday, we had a couple of friends over for a barbecue. We had jerked chicken, mini bison burgers, guacamole and chips, cucumber salad and bean salad while watching some flyovers, catching some rays and glorying in the summer sun. Around five, we headed inside to try all of the ice cream flavors. There was peanut butter chip chocolate chip peanut butter with a caramel swirl, watermelon, peach, basil, mint chocolate chip and a couple of other flavors. I think the peach was a big winner and the basil went over well. The basil is my favorite, by far. B and Chef M gave us a book on the history of ice cream. I can't wait to read it.

We crashed Sunday night in front of the TV and watched more Olympics while polishing off more cupcakes. And, now, it's Monday. And, there's one cupcake left per family. And, it's time to start getting ready for work. How did the week go so quickly?


Cheers!
mouse