Las Vegas Style
Whoo HOO! This pic is a little sexy for even my tastes, but I love how it came out. And really, it very much tipifies what a Vegas Trip should be. Sex, booze, and rock and roll. Oh, and concrete trucks and rocks. Right? no? Oh yeah, just you, Karin.
THis was the first time I was back in Vegas since about five years ago or so, Pat's first visit in about a week (oh yeah, he was just there last week for the start of the NCAA March Madness crazieness), and also our first trip alone without the kids. It was more difficult for me than I imagined - I struggled through the first 36 hours - feeling like I abandoned my children and wondering how I would survive without their hugs and kisses. After I realized the kids were WAY WAY fine without me I was able to settle in and enjoy. By the way, the kiddos had a great time with Mema & Papa (BIG shout out to my parents who came to us for the week - THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!).
Even though we were both busy with separte work obligations, it was really great to get away. The show itself was amazing - what felt like miles and miles of big machines and new technology. Not sure if it was miles and miles, but it sure felt like it to my feet. I managed to have supremely comfortable shoes though (thank you DANSKO!), and only got one blister....which was between two toes. Still not sure how that happened. I got lost twice on the first day, but subsequent days were easier to navigate. I had four classes, two of which were very worthwhile, so that was worth my visit alone.
In addition to the daytime learning & exhibits of the ConExpo / Con-Agg show, Pat and I managed to sneak in a show (Las Vegas, the Show - very entertaining), attend a swanky private corporate event at Surrender at Steve Wynn's Encore Hotel, visit the famed Vegas establishment Spearmint Rhino, and ate some delicious meals. Maybe embibed in a little adult beverage consumption. Maybe. We stayed at Paris Las Vegas, and even though the room smelled a little bit strange, the accomodations were very nice.
I lost a little money at the tables and was getting no love from the slot machines. I decided if I was going to blow my money I might as well get a little something in return, so I went shopping the next day instead. Also managed to secure a manicure pedicure too. It was fantastic...but I kept falling asleep :) So relaxing!
It is good to be home, and back into the regular madness of the work week. I feel refreshed and ready to apply my new knowledge to my job....and maybe spark some innovative quality initiatives :) Hooray for Aggregates!
Showing posts with label City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label City. Show all posts
Friday, March 25, 2011
Las Vegas Style
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Girls and boys days
Long before we had actually planned to take over the NW Indiana O'Brien's home due to our relocation, we had planned to have a family gathering. The boys were going to go to a Tiger's Game (vs. the Sox), and the girls were going to go American Girl Place to celebrate Larkin's 5th birthday with a special birthday lunch. Liam and I decided to go with the girls, and we had a fabulous time. Much more fabulous, in fact, than the 3 hour rain delay that the boys got to experience....even though they did score Curtis Granderson autographs on thier hats :)
The whole American Girl thing is very foriegn to me, so I thought it would be fun to go and experience it first hand. Its pretty much all about celebrating being a girl and all the things that go along with it it....oh yeah, and buying crazy expensive dolls and crazy expensive accessories :)
During the lunch, Liam and I were able to score a "loaner" doll, so we didn't have to sit alone. Luckily I found a cute little boy, so Liam wouldn't feel too overwhelmed by all the chicks. He was so cute with the doll. He gave him high fives, was playing with his nose, eyes and hair, and the cutest of all, feeding it with the cute little cup and saucer :)
Even though Liam didn't nap more than 30 minutes all day - he was a champ!! Even when he spilled chocolate milk all over himself :) It was a fun day!
The whole American Girl thing is very foriegn to me, so I thought it would be fun to go and experience it first hand. Its pretty much all about celebrating being a girl and all the things that go along with it it....oh yeah, and buying crazy expensive dolls and crazy expensive accessories :)
During the lunch, Liam and I were able to score a "loaner" doll, so we didn't have to sit alone. Luckily I found a cute little boy, so Liam wouldn't feel too overwhelmed by all the chicks. He was so cute with the doll. He gave him high fives, was playing with his nose, eyes and hair, and the cutest of all, feeding it with the cute little cup and saucer :)
Even though Liam didn't nap more than 30 minutes all day - he was a champ!! Even when he spilled chocolate milk all over himself :) It was a fun day!
Monday, May 25, 2009
A Grand City Weekend
I keep putting off posting, with grand hopes of uploading / processing my photos to include in the posts....but then I just get lazy and end up not posting at all.
So, I figured I should record the weekend's events, then add photos later. Maybe.
We had a great weekend - one of our last ones in the city - so we decided it would be great to be tourists in our own city. Friday, we spent the morning at Shedd visiting the new, re-imagined Oceanarium. It was actually quite lovely - a bit crowded and hectic, but overall a great visit.
Saturday we didn't do much as a family, because I had a birthday party to photograph downtown - but it was a lovely day to spend celebrating!
Sunday was sunny, but chilly and windy......we took a train ride downtown and took an architectural cruise on the Chicago River (Shoreline Cruises - check them out!). It was a pretty awesome 60 minute tour, even with a squirmy wormy toddler, Pat & I both enjoyed ourselves. Then, a quick lunch on Navy Pier and we jumped on the train back north.
That is definitely one of the things I'm going to miss - access to amazing public transportation. The EL is not right outside our door (like it was when Pat lived in the Gold Coast), but its a nice, easy stroll, and such a very nice way to see the city (at least the elevated portions of the Red Line, anyway). I love passing through the neighborhoods and seeing all the decks and brick buildings.....and especially passing Wrigley Field. Just a cool place to live, you know? I'm thankful for the time I've lived here...but I know that its time to move on. I'm ready to head back to the 'burb living. Its just more my gig anyway.
But I digress....
Today was a leisurely day as well, the local cemetery - Rosehill Cemetery - has a Memorial service & Parade every year. Being that its only a block away, we decided to actually make it to the parade and service this year instead of just walking through the Isle of Flags later in the day (as we have the two years previous). Its a beautiful sight, actually. Flags that have graced the coffins of local veterans line the pathways along the cemetery's entrance (donated by friends and family). Even before I knew the flags' origins, I thought it was beautiful. We made it partway through the ceremony (we missed Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the Civil War re-enactment) and headed home with an incredibly tired Liam. I've also been admiring our neighborhood a lot lately as we walk through. Very nostalgic, I've become. I'll miss the old buildings, the old old trees.....
Then I spent the afternoon babysitting a sweet little girl, and now I'm home. I can't seem to shake these damn headaches - I'm sure they're just allergy related, but they are annoying just the same.
Tomorrow is our home inspection on the new joint. Thanks to Gayle for the recommendation on inspectors! Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!!!
So, I figured I should record the weekend's events, then add photos later. Maybe.
We had a great weekend - one of our last ones in the city - so we decided it would be great to be tourists in our own city. Friday, we spent the morning at Shedd visiting the new, re-imagined Oceanarium. It was actually quite lovely - a bit crowded and hectic, but overall a great visit.
Saturday we didn't do much as a family, because I had a birthday party to photograph downtown - but it was a lovely day to spend celebrating!
Sunday was sunny, but chilly and windy......we took a train ride downtown and took an architectural cruise on the Chicago River (Shoreline Cruises - check them out!). It was a pretty awesome 60 minute tour, even with a squirmy wormy toddler, Pat & I both enjoyed ourselves. Then, a quick lunch on Navy Pier and we jumped on the train back north.
That is definitely one of the things I'm going to miss - access to amazing public transportation. The EL is not right outside our door (like it was when Pat lived in the Gold Coast), but its a nice, easy stroll, and such a very nice way to see the city (at least the elevated portions of the Red Line, anyway). I love passing through the neighborhoods and seeing all the decks and brick buildings.....and especially passing Wrigley Field. Just a cool place to live, you know? I'm thankful for the time I've lived here...but I know that its time to move on. I'm ready to head back to the 'burb living. Its just more my gig anyway.
But I digress....
Today was a leisurely day as well, the local cemetery - Rosehill Cemetery - has a Memorial service & Parade every year. Being that its only a block away, we decided to actually make it to the parade and service this year instead of just walking through the Isle of Flags later in the day (as we have the two years previous). Its a beautiful sight, actually. Flags that have graced the coffins of local veterans line the pathways along the cemetery's entrance (donated by friends and family). Even before I knew the flags' origins, I thought it was beautiful. We made it partway through the ceremony (we missed Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the Civil War re-enactment) and headed home with an incredibly tired Liam. I've also been admiring our neighborhood a lot lately as we walk through. Very nostalgic, I've become. I'll miss the old buildings, the old old trees.....
Then I spent the afternoon babysitting a sweet little girl, and now I'm home. I can't seem to shake these damn headaches - I'm sure they're just allergy related, but they are annoying just the same.
Tomorrow is our home inspection on the new joint. Thanks to Gayle for the recommendation on inspectors! Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!!!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Yes, Virginia, nice & honest people DO exist!
Last week during our Thursday run, Pat and I came across a seemingly discarded baby carrier. It looked like it had been out all night - dirty, wet, and dejected :) OK, I know carriers don't have feelings, but this one was an Ergo...the same carrier that Liam and I favor now over our wraps. I decided if it was still there after our run, I would pick it up, wash it, and try to return it to its owner.
So I did....but I didn't get a chance to post a "found" ad on Craigslist or post flyers because we were in a scurry to get things set to go to Indiana this weekend. But luckily, a friend who I had mentioned the missing carrier to saw a flyer this weekend and called to leave the number. So I called the family and a very grateful mama and baby got their Ergo back this afternoon. Made me feel good and all warm and fuzzy inside! Hooray for doing the right thing, and for helping fellow humans :)
So I did....but I didn't get a chance to post a "found" ad on Craigslist or post flyers because we were in a scurry to get things set to go to Indiana this weekend. But luckily, a friend who I had mentioned the missing carrier to saw a flyer this weekend and called to leave the number. So I called the family and a very grateful mama and baby got their Ergo back this afternoon. Made me feel good and all warm and fuzzy inside! Hooray for doing the right thing, and for helping fellow humans :)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Happy Friday :)
Little honey bear is sleeping soundly right now.....while the rest of us are preparing for a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. I think its a pretty darn cool museum...perfect for us Nerdy types. They have a fantastic model train display, which is the main reason we're going because Pat Sr. likes model trains. In fact, they have a really cool G size (Garden.....pretty big) in their back yard. I'd like for Pat to have one someday too, but it will have to wait until we have a basement.
We don't have much planned for Mom & Dad O'Brien's trip this week. They said they just wanted to relax and spend time with Liam, and we've been doing pretty much that since they got here Wednesday night :)
Oh, and please say a little prayer for Karli girl. She's in surgery right now as we speak to reconstruct her ACL. I'm sure she'll come out good as new, but its still surgery and scary nonetheless.
We don't have much planned for Mom & Dad O'Brien's trip this week. They said they just wanted to relax and spend time with Liam, and we've been doing pretty much that since they got here Wednesday night :)
Oh, and please say a little prayer for Karli girl. She's in surgery right now as we speak to reconstruct her ACL. I'm sure she'll come out good as new, but its still surgery and scary nonetheless.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
It's Official
I am officially car-less. I turned in the vehicle, my keys, my telephone and my computer today. That really made this all seem so, well, final.....even though its been a couple of days since I was let go. I ordered my Chicago City Pass last night, so hopefully I'll get that soon. In the meantime, I'll just be using the disposable cards we have to use public transportation.
Of course, all this really isn't that big of a deal, because Pat still has his vehicle....and the majority of couples in the city have one car (if they have a car at all). Its just kind of a big deal for me since most of the transportation in my life has been by car.....driving......my four wheel office. I actually liked driving hours on end. Now, its time to get used to a new way of living.
I guess I should start by breaking down the transportation system here. There is the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) and they operate the buses and trains (the "EL" - colored lines - red, blue, orange, etc) in the City of Chicago. Then there is PACE (not sure what that stands for) which operates buses in the suburbs, and The Metra, which is the commuter trains from the suburbs as well....there are many different lines that go from Milwaukee to Joliet, and a zillion stops in between.
I started off on this new foot by taking public transportation today from the office. Deerfield, IL is about 20 miles north of where we live. Driving it takes about 30-40 minutes or so door to door (closer to an hour now that the Eden's is all F'd in the A). I took the Metra from Deerfield to Edgebrook, walked a block, then took the 84 Peterson bus all the way home. It was super easy, took only about an hour total, and cost about $5.00 - not too shabby.
The relative ease of it all actually had me thinking that I might come to enjoy this.......but I should probably wait to make that assessment until I travel with a wee little one a time or two. One of the things I really enjoyed was being able to really look at the city. I mean, REALLY look - the style of homes, the streets, the people. It was pretty cool. Especially the people part. I think I heard at least 5 different languages on my way home. I LOVE that about the city. One of the big reasons why I would like to stay here for a while - I think its great to expose Liam to that kind of mix instead of being in a super suburb where its all super white bread (not that there's anything wrong with white bread.....its just so...well, bland). It was especially nice because everyone appeared to be happy and social and in a good mood....it was a beautiful day outside, no doubt that was the reason.
So, I will be reliant on public transportation here for a while anyway. If we were to get another vehicle, it would most likely be only if I went back to work somewhere not accessible by the vast network of buses and trains here, or if we moved out into the 'burbs....and all that is up in the air right now.
And, as a wise friend once said "Sometimes the unknown is much greater than the known". Indeed.
Of course, all this really isn't that big of a deal, because Pat still has his vehicle....and the majority of couples in the city have one car (if they have a car at all). Its just kind of a big deal for me since most of the transportation in my life has been by car.....driving......my four wheel office. I actually liked driving hours on end. Now, its time to get used to a new way of living.
I guess I should start by breaking down the transportation system here. There is the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) and they operate the buses and trains (the "EL" - colored lines - red, blue, orange, etc) in the City of Chicago. Then there is PACE (not sure what that stands for) which operates buses in the suburbs, and The Metra, which is the commuter trains from the suburbs as well....there are many different lines that go from Milwaukee to Joliet, and a zillion stops in between.
I started off on this new foot by taking public transportation today from the office. Deerfield, IL is about 20 miles north of where we live. Driving it takes about 30-40 minutes or so door to door (closer to an hour now that the Eden's is all F'd in the A). I took the Metra from Deerfield to Edgebrook, walked a block, then took the 84 Peterson bus all the way home. It was super easy, took only about an hour total, and cost about $5.00 - not too shabby.
The relative ease of it all actually had me thinking that I might come to enjoy this.......but I should probably wait to make that assessment until I travel with a wee little one a time or two. One of the things I really enjoyed was being able to really look at the city. I mean, REALLY look - the style of homes, the streets, the people. It was pretty cool. Especially the people part. I think I heard at least 5 different languages on my way home. I LOVE that about the city. One of the big reasons why I would like to stay here for a while - I think its great to expose Liam to that kind of mix instead of being in a super suburb where its all super white bread (not that there's anything wrong with white bread.....its just so...well, bland). It was especially nice because everyone appeared to be happy and social and in a good mood....it was a beautiful day outside, no doubt that was the reason.
So, I will be reliant on public transportation here for a while anyway. If we were to get another vehicle, it would most likely be only if I went back to work somewhere not accessible by the vast network of buses and trains here, or if we moved out into the 'burbs....and all that is up in the air right now.
And, as a wise friend once said "Sometimes the unknown is much greater than the known". Indeed.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Huzzah!!
We had a fabulous night last night!!! We were actually able to keep a surprise from my mom, and presented her with her birthday present, a trip to see Wicked and stay one night in a swanky hotel downtown :) She was pretty impressed, especially since it was all my Dad's idea. He's so cute sometimes. Anywho - the girls all loved it - not sure if I can say the same for the guys......but still a must see in my book. Here's the crew on the way out of the Oriental Theatre:
Then today was a pretty huge day because we got new countertops finally!!! I was kind of nervous that the color I picked wouldn't go well with the floor and the cabinets, but it looks INCREDIBLE!! The people did a great job, and I will be sure to recomend them to all my friends :) We ended up going through Costco, and I'm so glad we did. Great experience! Here's what it looks like (sans faucet - the plumber is on his way to hook up that and the garbage disposal).
The only bad thing is that Pat had something come up for work, so instead of shopping on the Mag Mile with my family I stayed home with the contractors, but worse things could happen.....
Keith and Heidi are on their way over as well tonight, so it will be a full house. Funny story about that - Keith bought tickets to what he thought was the Tigers / White Sox game at Comerica Park - last Saturday. But they were actually for tomorrow, Here, in Chicago. It works out OK because everyone will be here for my Mom's actual 50th birthday, but it looks like its going to be a giant suck fest as far as weather......the forcast is 40 and snowy/rainy. Poop-ola. I was able to snag my company's tickets last minute though - so if nothing else we can hang out in The Stadium Club and stay warm. Hey man, we can't let the tickets go to waste if our customers don't want them!
K - time to go pick up the boy....who, by the way has two front teeth now!!! They are so cute :) I haven't been able to take a pic yet, but trust me when I say they are the cutest teeth you've ever seen. And I'm not at all biased. Here's a couple photos of him anyway....sitting up like a big boy and chillin' in his sweet shades. *sigh* what a doll :)
Then today was a pretty huge day because we got new countertops finally!!! I was kind of nervous that the color I picked wouldn't go well with the floor and the cabinets, but it looks INCREDIBLE!! The people did a great job, and I will be sure to recomend them to all my friends :) We ended up going through Costco, and I'm so glad we did. Great experience! Here's what it looks like (sans faucet - the plumber is on his way to hook up that and the garbage disposal).
The only bad thing is that Pat had something come up for work, so instead of shopping on the Mag Mile with my family I stayed home with the contractors, but worse things could happen.....
Keith and Heidi are on their way over as well tonight, so it will be a full house. Funny story about that - Keith bought tickets to what he thought was the Tigers / White Sox game at Comerica Park - last Saturday. But they were actually for tomorrow, Here, in Chicago. It works out OK because everyone will be here for my Mom's actual 50th birthday, but it looks like its going to be a giant suck fest as far as weather......the forcast is 40 and snowy/rainy. Poop-ola. I was able to snag my company's tickets last minute though - so if nothing else we can hang out in The Stadium Club and stay warm. Hey man, we can't let the tickets go to waste if our customers don't want them!
K - time to go pick up the boy....who, by the way has two front teeth now!!! They are so cute :) I haven't been able to take a pic yet, but trust me when I say they are the cutest teeth you've ever seen. And I'm not at all biased. Here's a couple photos of him anyway....sitting up like a big boy and chillin' in his sweet shades. *sigh* what a doll :)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
River Green....
We had a fabulous morning, and my two boys are both beat so they are taking naps as we speak :)
We met our pals Ben and Keren at the train station, and headed downtown to see the Greening of the Chicago River. Yes, I've got lots of pics, but those will come later. After freezing our bunz off for a while, we started heading to Dick's Last Resort, and after a few zillion phone calls, met up with our other buddies Gina, Jason & Audrey.
Lunch with green beers was fab, and then we headed home. Pat, Liam and I took the train. Or at least started to. We got one stop up and then the train stopped. No one was sure why. So we got off, and apparently, some guy stole a purse, then jumped UNDER the train and started running!!!! I thought that crap only happened in movies! We figured it would be awhile before they started back up, so we just walked a bit north and then caught a cab.
So now, its nice and quiet, and I'll have time to edit some of our photos, and hopefully post a few tonight. Until then - CHEERS! And happy St. Patrick's Day weekend!
We met our pals Ben and Keren at the train station, and headed downtown to see the Greening of the Chicago River. Yes, I've got lots of pics, but those will come later. After freezing our bunz off for a while, we started heading to Dick's Last Resort, and after a few zillion phone calls, met up with our other buddies Gina, Jason & Audrey.
Lunch with green beers was fab, and then we headed home. Pat, Liam and I took the train. Or at least started to. We got one stop up and then the train stopped. No one was sure why. So we got off, and apparently, some guy stole a purse, then jumped UNDER the train and started running!!!! I thought that crap only happened in movies! We figured it would be awhile before they started back up, so we just walked a bit north and then caught a cab.
So now, its nice and quiet, and I'll have time to edit some of our photos, and hopefully post a few tonight. Until then - CHEERS! And happy St. Patrick's Day weekend!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Social Peeps!
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind as far as our social life goes. Really, the past year we haven't made any inroads as to making new friends and such. We would occasionally go out or have people over, but for the most part we just kept to ourselves. Which isn't a bad thing, really. I think part of us wanted it that way, since we spent so much time apart....we just used the opportunity to "soak each other up", if you will.
That's definitely all changed recently.
I think my depressive state was partly caused by not having really any good friends in this area, and I kept lamenting and longing for my family and my BFF's far far away. By the suggestion of an online buddy, I checked out Meetup.com to see if I could find any groups to join. (Have I mentioned this before?? Not sure....but I'll keep going anyway). Anyway, I've meet some really cool peeps from that group, and actually we had a playdate last week for us and Liam with some really great people - Gina, Jason & their daughter Audrey (who Liam thinks is super cute :) ). Gina and I really clicked, so it was really cool to spend some more time with her.
OK Ok - let me just break down our social calender for the past couple of weeks:
Tuesday 2/19: Girls night at cute little bar from meetup.com
Friday 2/22: Amber and Will came over for dinner, and played scrabble (my new favorite pastime, in person and on Facebook). Amber kicked all our butts to high heaven.
Saturday 2/23: Baby proofing class through meetup.com - We met a cool couple from Muskegon (thanks to Liam's U of M bunting!). Pat also met up with his old college roomate Ben, who lives just about a mile away from us!! They got in touch through Facebook. Who knew how resourceful that silly website would be!
Sunday 2/24: Jason, Gina & Audrey come over for a play date that lasted a few hours! It was very cool!
Thursday 2/28: Gina and I head out for dinner at Fronterra Grill and a girls night downtown at a little boutique bar called NV Penthouse.
Friday 2/29: Meetup.com day at the Museum of Science & Industry (we actually didn't meet anyone there, because we were late, but it was fun trapsing around the museum with Pat and Liam anyway)
Saturday 3/1: Not a particularly social day with other peeps, but we did take ourselves to have Lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. Liam's first trip there! I tell ya, the smoking ban in Illinois has made it possible to take our little man everywhere!
Sunday 3/2: It was STINKIN' beautiful outside, so we took the opportunity to take Liam for a walk and met up with Ben and his wife (who's name is Keren....but pronounced Karin...how cool is that??!) for lunch/dinner at The Little Mexican Cafe.
*whew* We've been busy! And, let me say, it has made a world of difference in my attitude. Am I still tired - yes. Still a bit depressed - yes. But it almost feels like Chicago is my home now. I'm building a network of friends, getting into a groove with work, and generally enjoying myself more.
That's definitely all changed recently.
I think my depressive state was partly caused by not having really any good friends in this area, and I kept lamenting and longing for my family and my BFF's far far away. By the suggestion of an online buddy, I checked out Meetup.com to see if I could find any groups to join. (Have I mentioned this before?? Not sure....but I'll keep going anyway). Anyway, I've meet some really cool peeps from that group, and actually we had a playdate last week for us and Liam with some really great people - Gina, Jason & their daughter Audrey (who Liam thinks is super cute :) ). Gina and I really clicked, so it was really cool to spend some more time with her.
OK Ok - let me just break down our social calender for the past couple of weeks:
Tuesday 2/19: Girls night at cute little bar from meetup.com
Friday 2/22: Amber and Will came over for dinner, and played scrabble (my new favorite pastime, in person and on Facebook). Amber kicked all our butts to high heaven.
Saturday 2/23: Baby proofing class through meetup.com - We met a cool couple from Muskegon (thanks to Liam's U of M bunting!). Pat also met up with his old college roomate Ben, who lives just about a mile away from us!! They got in touch through Facebook. Who knew how resourceful that silly website would be!
Sunday 2/24: Jason, Gina & Audrey come over for a play date that lasted a few hours! It was very cool!
Thursday 2/28: Gina and I head out for dinner at Fronterra Grill and a girls night downtown at a little boutique bar called NV Penthouse.
Friday 2/29: Meetup.com day at the Museum of Science & Industry (we actually didn't meet anyone there, because we were late, but it was fun trapsing around the museum with Pat and Liam anyway)
Saturday 3/1: Not a particularly social day with other peeps, but we did take ourselves to have Lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. Liam's first trip there! I tell ya, the smoking ban in Illinois has made it possible to take our little man everywhere!
Sunday 3/2: It was STINKIN' beautiful outside, so we took the opportunity to take Liam for a walk and met up with Ben and his wife (who's name is Keren....but pronounced Karin...how cool is that??!) for lunch/dinner at The Little Mexican Cafe.
*whew* We've been busy! And, let me say, it has made a world of difference in my attitude. Am I still tired - yes. Still a bit depressed - yes. But it almost feels like Chicago is my home now. I'm building a network of friends, getting into a groove with work, and generally enjoying myself more.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Info from Wedding Venue
My Dad picked up a pamphlet from the Park House that we got married in, and I've been wanting to type in the information to share.....finally, here it is!
Berger Park
Cultural Center
6205 N Sheridan
Come on in!
We're the Berger Park Cultural Center at the corner of Granville and Sheridan, right off the beach just before you reach Loyola Campus. You can't miss our beautiful landmark mansion. Perhaps you've driven by or got off the 151 or 147 Sheridan bus and wondered what does on in there. Well come on inside and take a look at our building and our Creative Arts Program Schedule.
Downey History
Downey mansion was build by M.T. Powers in 1906 at the cost of $20,000 for Mr. Joseph Downey who came to Chicago from Ireland in 1856. Mr. Downey was on the Board of Education, the Com. of Buildings and the Com. of Public Works during Mayor Swift's administration. The architect was W.C. Zimmerman. The mansion is two and one half stories of gray roman brick with a large overhanging hipped roof in the prairie style. The coach house is constructed with the same brick and overhanging roof and is two stories in height. The house originally was constructed with "Imperial Spanish" roofing tile. Both the mansion and coach house has had interior and exterior changes over the years due to modernization and tenant use. The original floor plans and pictures of the interior are available for viewing by request. The Downey House is significant historically as one of the few remaining examples of the lake-side mansions that once lined Chicago's lakefront from Lincoln Park to Evanston.
Mr. Downey passed away in Florida in 1925. His widow Lena Downey opened the mansion to community service as a "Home for the Destitute", "House of Good Shepherd", and "Chicago Home for Incurables". When Mrs. Downey passed on in 1934 she left the property to the Kliens who donated it to the Clerics of St. Viator in 1944. In 1973 Developers acquired a lien on the 3.5 acres and in 1979 proposed a high rise condominium complex development for the property. The Edgewater Community Council and many other local community groups joined in a lobbying effort which induced the Viatorian Fathers to accept a reduced amount for the sale of the property to the Chicago Park District in March of 1981.
The acquisition was one of the last sizable pieces of lakefront property in Chicago and provided the neighborhoods of Edgewater and Rogers Park with a public resource for the community recreation. The land, including 450 feet of lakefront and the 1906 Downey and 1909 Gunder mansions, was named Berger Park. The two mansions and their coach houses are located at 6205 and 6219 N. Sheridan Road.
Downey Mansion has since been restored using architectural drawings and photos of the interior and exterior of the building. The building is currently being used as classrooms for the Berger Park Cultural Center featuring pottery, music, painting, drawing, lapidary and creative writing.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHEW - my fingers are tired! Not sure if any of you, dear readers, are interested in reading that whole thing, but at least now its documented in my blog, so I'll have the knowledge for years to come :)
Berger Park
Cultural Center
6205 N Sheridan
Come on in!
We're the Berger Park Cultural Center at the corner of Granville and Sheridan, right off the beach just before you reach Loyola Campus. You can't miss our beautiful landmark mansion. Perhaps you've driven by or got off the 151 or 147 Sheridan bus and wondered what does on in there. Well come on inside and take a look at our building and our Creative Arts Program Schedule.
Downey History
Downey mansion was build by M.T. Powers in 1906 at the cost of $20,000 for Mr. Joseph Downey who came to Chicago from Ireland in 1856. Mr. Downey was on the Board of Education, the Com. of Buildings and the Com. of Public Works during Mayor Swift's administration. The architect was W.C. Zimmerman. The mansion is two and one half stories of gray roman brick with a large overhanging hipped roof in the prairie style. The coach house is constructed with the same brick and overhanging roof and is two stories in height. The house originally was constructed with "Imperial Spanish" roofing tile. Both the mansion and coach house has had interior and exterior changes over the years due to modernization and tenant use. The original floor plans and pictures of the interior are available for viewing by request. The Downey House is significant historically as one of the few remaining examples of the lake-side mansions that once lined Chicago's lakefront from Lincoln Park to Evanston.
Mr. Downey passed away in Florida in 1925. His widow Lena Downey opened the mansion to community service as a "Home for the Destitute", "House of Good Shepherd", and "Chicago Home for Incurables". When Mrs. Downey passed on in 1934 she left the property to the Kliens who donated it to the Clerics of St. Viator in 1944. In 1973 Developers acquired a lien on the 3.5 acres and in 1979 proposed a high rise condominium complex development for the property. The Edgewater Community Council and many other local community groups joined in a lobbying effort which induced the Viatorian Fathers to accept a reduced amount for the sale of the property to the Chicago Park District in March of 1981.
The acquisition was one of the last sizable pieces of lakefront property in Chicago and provided the neighborhoods of Edgewater and Rogers Park with a public resource for the community recreation. The land, including 450 feet of lakefront and the 1906 Downey and 1909 Gunder mansions, was named Berger Park. The two mansions and their coach houses are located at 6205 and 6219 N. Sheridan Road.
Downey Mansion has since been restored using architectural drawings and photos of the interior and exterior of the building. The building is currently being used as classrooms for the Berger Park Cultural Center featuring pottery, music, painting, drawing, lapidary and creative writing.
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WHEW - my fingers are tired! Not sure if any of you, dear readers, are interested in reading that whole thing, but at least now its documented in my blog, so I'll have the knowledge for years to come :)
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Culinary disaters and other dissappointments
*whew* its been so long since I posted, I guess I need to do somewhat of a weekly recap. Last Friday was Pat's 31st birthday - so I decided I needed to make him a cake. From scratch. Which was a bad idea from the get go seeing as how I sometimes have a negative attitude towards stuff made from scratch. Its deep seeded and would take more explaining than I care to go into right now - but suffice to say it was a bad idea before I started.
Last year, I surprised Pat with a new, nice Gary Fischer bike - that he totally wanted, and liked and uses often. I spent good money on it, because I knew it was exactly what he wanted - and I knew he wasn't expecting it. I was told this year to not spend that much money....which pretty much nixed the Blu Ray Disc player or 80G iPod off the list. So that in itself creates all this pressure - I could get him something that he needs (Socks and underwear, anyone?) and be totally lame, or try to come up with something fun and romantic. Which is what this BLU event was supposed to be. Back in February, we went to what we thought was a similar event at Shedd, and it was actually kind of fun - so it seemed like a good choice.
Let me back up again: Earlier on Saturday we had the opportunity to go out shopping, and also stopped for a yummy dive lunch at the Bunny Hutch, and then played 18 holes of super retro mini-golf. The place was awesome. And I got a hole in one on the WINDMILL people - the WINDMILL!! I also kicked Pat's butt by like, 5 strokes. It was awesome.
I was hoping to have a perfect view of the boat parade and fireworks from the North Terrace (as advertised in the BLU promotion), but there weren't very many seats around, so Trixie & Buffy took all of the seats, and Chaz & Thurston were blocking the areas around the girls, so basically I didn't get any good shots at all. We were packed like sardines. Save for this semi-blurry view of the Chicago sunset, that I had to beg some ol' biddy to let me stand in front of her for three seconds.
While standing in line for strawberries & chocolate, I saw them open up an area, which allowed Pat to go and scope us a spot to actually sit down and maybe even eat. We scored a mini-steak burger from Gibson's (OHHHH SOOOO YUMMY!) and were able to enjoy our chocolate covered strawberries in peace. But we were completely out of view of the fireworks at that point, so all we saw were a few glows, booms and smoke coming back out of the harbor. I did snap this city shot (again, blurry) through the glass squeezed between a couple people:
So I made the cake (and a huge mess, as almost always one accompanies the other). And it was tasty. But, since I can't do anything half assed I was trying to be all professional and stuff cutting and trimming. Hey, I figured I've seen enough episodes of Ace Of Cakes - I'm almost professional myself. WRONG! I mutilated the cake, but I figured I'd be able to save it the next day when I assembled it and put frosting on it.
I go out and buy a mini-starter cake decorating kit from the store, and proceed to try to make the frosting that Pat says is the easiest and yummiest to make. Well - once again, no such luck. The frosting turned out to be more of an icing (think: cinnamon rolls)....so I poured it over each layer, and basically just threw in the towel. I didn't even get a picture of it - it was so embarrassing. We did sing Happy Birthday and did eat the entire thing because although it was horrifying and mutilated, it still was cake and icing, and quite delectable. But the whole experience was rather traumatizing for me.
On Saturday, I had made plans to go to this benefit event at Shedd Aquarium called BLU. A great big "Save the World" kind of thing, where you get all dressed up and eat food and drink. Because it was in conjunction with fireworks and the Venetian Fest Boat Parade, I thought it would be a good birthday present for Pat. You know, a nice night out on the town before Baby gets here.
Let me back up. I despise buying presents. I hate the pressure and emotional turmoil that goes with it. Because really, even though its the thought that counts, why give something that someone either doesn't really love, or doesn't need? Then you've wasted all this energy and time trying to think of a good and/or fun surprise, only to be let down if the recipient doesn't think its the greatest well thought out gift in the world. Life would be much simpler if presents were agreed upon before hand - or chosen from a list. Kind of like a registry. It might not knock their socks off, but it certainly is guaranteed to be something needed / appreciated.
Last year, I surprised Pat with a new, nice Gary Fischer bike - that he totally wanted, and liked and uses often. I spent good money on it, because I knew it was exactly what he wanted - and I knew he wasn't expecting it. I was told this year to not spend that much money....which pretty much nixed the Blu Ray Disc player or 80G iPod off the list. So that in itself creates all this pressure - I could get him something that he needs (Socks and underwear, anyone?) and be totally lame, or try to come up with something fun and romantic. Which is what this BLU event was supposed to be. Back in February, we went to what we thought was a similar event at Shedd, and it was actually kind of fun - so it seemed like a good choice.
Apparently this evening was as doomed as my ill fated cake.
OK - back to Saturday night. We get there, and there is a big line - 20 minutes after the event was supposed to start. I don't know about you, but if I'm paying big cash to go to an event, I don't want to stand in line. At all. After we get in, there are only, like, 4 teeny tiny food stations - two of which are laden with onions and make you throw up a little bit in your mouth after eating them. Then, there are a million people standing in line to get one little cream puff at each area. Again, if I'm paying a lot of money for light, tiny dishes - there had better be sufficient areas so no one has to wait. Ditto with the booze lines - even if I am only getting a Sierra Mist. Top that off with a zillion Chaz & Trixie's - and its just not a good vibe. I know - what did I expect right? Its a benefit to save the world. Of course Chaz & Trixie and their yachting friends will be there.
The good things: Kettle One sponsored the event, and they had this really cool ice bar they were making cosmo's and dirty martini's for everyone (except me). I made it Pat's mission to drink as much as possible, so we could at least get some money's worth out of this gig.
They also had a nice selection of decadent desserts at the end...some almost too rich - but yummy! And, we got a nice Save The World bag with fun goodies (including a nice Porche Pen - because Porche was a sponsor and they weren't sending us all home with cars).
So, with our tired feet and aching backs from standing all night, we left at 10:30 and made our way home with the rest of the Venetian night traffic. Hopefully we'll look back at this birthday and laugh - but for now, ugh, what a disaster.
So, with our tired feet and aching backs from standing all night, we left at 10:30 and made our way home with the rest of the Venetian night traffic. Hopefully we'll look back at this birthday and laugh - but for now, ugh, what a disaster.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Sweet :)
Crosstown classic. Cubbies took two, Sox took one. Seemed a bit strange, having a NL & AL team duke it out this early in the season - but I suppose that is the point of interleague play. It was pretty awesome to have been a part of the opening game of the series on Friday afternoon - there was so much energy in that stadium! There were probably just as much noise made by the Sox fans as the Cubbies fans - so it was equal amounts of boos and cheers each change of the inning. Quite interesting actually.
And, I learned that it is apparently not cool to keep score during the game. Everyone made fun of me and said only 80 year old men keep track of that stuff. I personally think they were just jealous of my skilz. I've always thought it was rather fun. I'm not sure who taught me to do it, probably my dad......the skills were honed when I would keep the books on occasion for our softball during high school, or as an umpire during the summer kids leagues. I've let myself get rusty though - I hadn't done it in a while. I got 6 innings done (1 - 3 and 7 - 9) - I missed three because we left our seats to go hang out on the Patio in the middle of the game.
The day was beautiful - it was sunny at 70 ish. We decided to take the bus this time instead of the Red line. A good decision I think. Its about a mile to the Red Line station - but a little less than half that to the bus stop on Clark, and it drops you off right in front of Wrigley Field. Bus people are a different breed than train people though - it was interesting to see.
Pat and I had a great lunch with our customer outside on the patio at Tuscany, and then headed over to the ballpark. It was a bit chilly in the shade (luckily I brought a jacket) because the wind was coming right off the lake, but it was a nice day overall.
Instead of taking the bus we opted for a leisurely walk home (three miles or so?). It took forever because I was in sandals and walk kinda slow....but it was perfect for a stop at 7-11 to grab a coke slurpee :)
*sigh* I love a day at the ball park! Sure beats working any day! Oh wait - I was working :) I love my job!
What else this weekend......oh, we went to the Field Museum for the annual banquet for the American Concrete Institute Illinois Chapter - we had a great dinner, and I LOOOOOVE the museum....overall, very cool! Here's an oversharpened picture of Pat and I in front of Sue - the famed T-Rex. Notice my ever expanding belly and boobs.......they just won't stop growing!!!
And we also finally took our bikes out for a spin on the Lakshore - there were about a million people out! OH! And we bought a new mattress - it comes tomorrow. Today was less exciting - cleaning the condo in the morning and watching the Red Wings lose in overtime during the afternoon, capped off with a bit of Sopranos and Entourage.
And now folks, tis time for me to sleep. Ta ta!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
City Livin'
I'm adapting to city life. Traffic, parking, walking - all such things are going pretty darn well. I guess the parking situation makes a huge difference depending on the season. I was pretty much cursing it when I first moved here due to the fact that it was FRIGID outside, and walking a block in the frigidness just wasn't that much fun. Now, that its a bit warmer, I don't mind so much.
In fact, part of city living that I'm LOVING is the fact that we live so close to the lake. We went for a 5 mile run yesterday (in preparation for the Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday) and about half of those miles were right on the Lake. I've always had an affinity for the East Shore of Lake Michigan, being that we spent many a summer vacation traipsing on its shores growing up. But, I'm finding that fondness is just as strong for the Chicago Shore too. Even yesterday, with a bit of chill in the air and wind whipping from the North - the shore was full of life. Herring gulls squawking and riding the wind. People bundled up in winter gloves and hats on the beach trying to catch the breeze with a kite, with the cold choppy waves crashing behind them. People walking dogs, playing soccer, riding bikes, running along amongst the groomed paths and still sleeping trees. All with the skyline of the city of Chicago in the background. Its just always great to see humanity enjoying the natural resources together. Something about it just makes all feel right in the world.
I'm looking forward to purchasing a bike so we can hit the lakeshore paths soon. After this 8K, I don't know how much running I'm going to want to do. I like it and all - but I think biking will be more fun.
Anyway, even with that happy city picture painted brightly in my mind, I am reminded of how afraid of the city I still am sometimes. I've never really lived in the city....so I still have some small town girl cautiousness dwelling in the background. Things like "women shouldn't walk alone, especially at night" and "always be aware of your surroundings". I guess those are just common sense, personal safety things, but I can't always have an escort after dark when I park my car two blocks away.
The fear was recently brought back to life when a news story of a slasher was recently reported. We saw it on the news Saturday night, but with all the drunken hullabaloo in the background Pat and I couldn't really hear the story; although the footage they were showing of the neighborhood looked vaguely familiar. Turns out, it was our neighborhood - some dude was going around stabbing/slashing at random people, some in daylight, some at night. The last attack was Sunday late morning, they caught him on Monday. All day on Monday I didn't want to leave the house. It was rather creepy. I didn't like that feeling at all - it made me want to move to the suburbs where I could at least feel a bit safer - although shitty things and crazy people happen out there too.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll become used to and numbed by the kind of things that happen in the city, just like I've adapted to street parking and pushing in my side view mirror to make sure it doesn't get taken off by passing traffic. Its all part of human nature........to adapt. But I don't think I'll ever stop looking for slashers.
In fact, part of city living that I'm LOVING is the fact that we live so close to the lake. We went for a 5 mile run yesterday (in preparation for the Shamrock Shuffle on Sunday) and about half of those miles were right on the Lake. I've always had an affinity for the East Shore of Lake Michigan, being that we spent many a summer vacation traipsing on its shores growing up. But, I'm finding that fondness is just as strong for the Chicago Shore too. Even yesterday, with a bit of chill in the air and wind whipping from the North - the shore was full of life. Herring gulls squawking and riding the wind. People bundled up in winter gloves and hats on the beach trying to catch the breeze with a kite, with the cold choppy waves crashing behind them. People walking dogs, playing soccer, riding bikes, running along amongst the groomed paths and still sleeping trees. All with the skyline of the city of Chicago in the background. Its just always great to see humanity enjoying the natural resources together. Something about it just makes all feel right in the world.
I'm looking forward to purchasing a bike so we can hit the lakeshore paths soon. After this 8K, I don't know how much running I'm going to want to do. I like it and all - but I think biking will be more fun.
Anyway, even with that happy city picture painted brightly in my mind, I am reminded of how afraid of the city I still am sometimes. I've never really lived in the city....so I still have some small town girl cautiousness dwelling in the background. Things like "women shouldn't walk alone, especially at night" and "always be aware of your surroundings". I guess those are just common sense, personal safety things, but I can't always have an escort after dark when I park my car two blocks away.
The fear was recently brought back to life when a news story of a slasher was recently reported. We saw it on the news Saturday night, but with all the drunken hullabaloo in the background Pat and I couldn't really hear the story; although the footage they were showing of the neighborhood looked vaguely familiar. Turns out, it was our neighborhood - some dude was going around stabbing/slashing at random people, some in daylight, some at night. The last attack was Sunday late morning, they caught him on Monday. All day on Monday I didn't want to leave the house. It was rather creepy. I didn't like that feeling at all - it made me want to move to the suburbs where I could at least feel a bit safer - although shitty things and crazy people happen out there too.
Anyway, I'm sure I'll become used to and numbed by the kind of things that happen in the city, just like I've adapted to street parking and pushing in my side view mirror to make sure it doesn't get taken off by passing traffic. Its all part of human nature........to adapt. But I don't think I'll ever stop looking for slashers.
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