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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

Death & CHA

First, Pat's Uncle Joe passed away this Friday. He lived in Buffalo, NY (where Pat's parents are from)......Pat is headed to NY with his brother & sister for the viewing and funeral early tomorrow morning......I opted (or rather Pat insisted) that I stay behind - even though I feel pretty bad about it. Yes, I know I've never met the man, but Pat is my husband and I want to be able to stand beside him through this kind of stuff. The issue is me sitting in a car for 8 1/2 hours Monday & again on Tuesday - for a total of 17 hours in two days. That's with normal people. I would probably add a little more time onto that if I went to take into account me peeing every two seconds, and needing to stretch my legs, hips and back. I think at most, I might be in the car for work about 5 hours in a day - and even then I'm stopping at least every hour or so to rest and stretch. Medically safe, probably - comfortable and fun for the whole family? Probably not.

We had another death this weekend too - Rev. Dick McCool - a family friend for many years - passed away. He was a paraplegic (or was it quadriplegic?) that lived around the corner from us. Keith and Kyle used to help him out with daily activities when they were in high school......and I think Karli did to some extent as well. He recently had another surgery, which didn't go very well - and slipped into a coma. One he wouldn't awake from :( I didn't know him very well - but he was always the most kind man.......I know he'll be missed.

::::::::::::OK ENOUGH GLOOM AND DOOM:::::::::::::

Before I get myself crying again - lets talk about something more light hearted. I spent most of the weekend at a scrapbook trade show put on by the Craft & Hobby Association. Very very cool experience. I'll be taking photos of the projects that I completed hopefully tomorrow, so I'll share more then - but lets just say it was a whirlwind of seeing all the new products displayed so creatively was about enough to make me want to paper scrap again instead of digital! I MUST venture more into hybrid scrapping......when I get a little more room to work, anyway!

The other cool thing is that I went as a member of the A Cherry On Top creative team - so I was able to meet some of my online friends in real life!!! We got together for dinner on Thursday (I think there was 9 of us) and had a great time! 3 people were the store owners, four of us were on the design team, and two were designers - from all over the US. It was too cool :) And I got to meet some Scrapbook Celebrities - and I even won a book that was signed right there by Becky Higgins herself! It was cool because the book isn't even in distribution yet - not until September 1st - so when we saw the book it was the first time she had as well! Yeah, I know its cheesy, but we all have to have passions, right?

So now, I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is a big work day, and then I have to do some serious cleaning around this house. Ta ta!

Caught in the Act

Oh yeah. He doesn't like my cats at all. No sir. Not one bit. He just tolerates them.



Whatever dude. Just admit you LOVE them!!

Camping Etc.

This weekend Pat O'Brien and I headed out to our first solo camping trip to Illinois Beach State Park. We had fantastic weather, and all in all, I'd say it was a heck of a way to spend a weekend. We mostly just chilled by the campfire or played in the sand (even making a few sandcastles!!!). It was quite a relaxing weekend after a rather hurried, intense work week, and a nice way to enjoy the company of my wonderful husband without the distractions of computers, cell phones and televisions.

Here are a few photos, click on the cluster for a larger view (frames by Nancy Comelab):They came out pretty nice anyway. I'm glad I bought a remote :) I got a few other flower pictures that came out neato burrito, but I'll have to save them for another day. And Holy SCHMOLY man - look at that BELLY! And I still have two months to go!!! Speaking of which - that is mostly why I haven't been religious at posting lately. I'm just so stinkin' tired the last thing I want to do is try to find the least uncomfortable position to sit and type....know what I mean? Actually, during the camping weekend as I was sitting mesmerized by the fire, I wanted to grab my computer and type up a post to capture the contentment and deep thoughts I was having....but that would have required me to get up out of the chair and get my computer in the car, and well, that just wasn't happening!

We did have a couple cool sightings that I didn't capture on "film".....a cute little baby skunk tried to investigate our site, but our flashlight ran it back into the brush. We also saw a momma deer dash across the road, only to be followed by her sweet little spotted fawn. And there were a TON of bats flying around at dusk capturing the plethora of mosquitoes for dinner. A very cool sight....from a distance :) OH - and the STARS! They were just amazing! And, if we looked south we could actually see the light pollution put out by the city of Chicago, even 70 miles north.

Hey, is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to snag a position to golf today with the Dubuque Homebuilders Association. I really wasn’t that heartbroken over the ordeal because already at 8:00AM it was about a billion degrees out, 98% humidity and the sun hadn’t even come out yet. So I was content to plant a kiss on Pat O’Brien at the Tee Box, and make my merry way into the city.

The trip wasn’t a loss though, because I was able to entertain my customer and spend some time with other industry personnel at the great dinner we had last night, and at the local Greyhound Racetrack / Casino into the wee hours of the morning (which, to my pregnant body, is anything after 11:00PM – I made it until about 1:00AM, then I had to call it a night). We also had a dinner this evening after golf, but that is neither here nor there. No big prizes were won – but Pat’s team did win the 1^st place in the 2^nd flight (whatever that means). So we had a $20 shopping spree in the Pro Shop.

Oh, I guess I should clarify. We’re not actually in Dubuque, IA – we are in East Dubuque, IL, right across the river. All the fun stuff (i.e. CASINOS) is in Iowa, though. Pat taught me how to play craps….which we won a nice little chunk of change last night…although I promptly lost it all at the blackjack tables. We went back again after lunch today and came home $100 or so up. Craps is a fun game – super exciting when lots of people are involved. I don’t think I could explain it to you – but I probably could play for a while and not lose my ass doing it.

Anywho – instead of working (like I should have been – but there wasn’t sufficient internet access) I filled my morning with a trip to a place to cross off my life’s To Do list – visit the Field of Dreams movie filming site. I didn’t really have high expectations, since it is just a ball field in the middle of a corn field. But it was a cool place, and I find it impressionable enough to get a souvenir magnet and poster. There were families running the bases, and groups of young men trying to hit a long ball into the corn. Also I noted lots of people taking pictures, the hot humid air hanging around, people browsing the souvenirs and appreciating the beauty of the tranquil surroundings. Oh and corn, lots of corn. The sad thing about the whole visit was that the feud between the two families that own the site kind of overshadowed the magic and sanctity of the game and the movie. You can read more about the Lansing/Ameskamp rift HERE. Sadly, its always all about money.

Despite the overshadow of the feuds, Field of Dreams is still a great movie. Baseball is still a great game. It was a fitting way to spend the morning heading into the All Star break. Go Tigers :)

“This field, this game, is part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good, and it could be good again. Oh people will come. People will most definitely come”

- From the movie, Field of Dreams.

The Massey Trio at Silvie's

Friday night Pat and I traveled a long 3 miles to see Kyle play with The Massey Trio at a bar called Silvie's. I, of course, brought my camera along....even though low light concerts are about the hardest thing to shoot, I did my best and caught a few cool shots. The nice clear ones were taken of Kyle before the show outside.....with Jim's super shiny cool guitar he borrowed since his own is in the shop. The grainy ones are from the actual show. It was hard to get pics of Kyle because there wasn't any direct light on him at all....but I did my best. I'll have the rest loaded up to flickr after I get back home.






This week will be long for me - Pat and I are headed to Dubuque, IA in a few mintues for a customer golf outing, then we'll spend the rest of the week in Sales Meetings. But, on Thursday we'll head to Illinois Beach for a weekend of Camping :) I can't wait!

Scrappy Bloggage :)

Just thought I would share a couple new layouts completed by me recently:

Pup Parade
This one is for a photo swap I did at ACOT. Doesn't this pupster look fake? Totally the cutest. Full credits HERE.





Hanging Lake
I finally was inspired to scrap a few more old photos. Full credits HERE.


Tippecanoe :) I actually did this one right away, cuz I was totally lovin' the photos. Then I realized I didn't even do a camping re-cap. I will...promise. But for now, enjoy this layout :) Credits HERE


I have more I could share.....but I shall save them for another day :)

Karin & Pat's Wussified Triathalon

It was a fantastic morning - a cool 63 degrees, with a light drizzle. Its a perfect day for a race really. I'd much rather run in that than a hot sunny day! Pat and I biked down to the start of the event (about three miles away), got all checked in, visited with the neighbor peeps and started our 2 mile walk :) We finished just before the first 10K runner did.....it was about 32 minutes or so. I feel like I did pretty well - kept up the pace even through some mild braxton-hicks contractions and the constant feeling of me having to go pee.

Here's a picture of the fabulous finish line :)


It wasn't as big of an event as I expected, but it was a good vibe, and pretty fun. And, we were back home by 9:30AM, already feeling like we had accomplished a lot for the day. It just feels good to get out and exercise, and still have the rest of the day ahead of you, you know?

So now, all I have to do to complete my mini-wussified triathalon is to take a bath :) OK, so its not exactly swimming, but close enough, right?

He loves me, he really loves me :)

Pat and I are officially registered for a walk/race event this weekend. Wanna know what its for?

Proud to Run 2007

Totally not Pat's idea (shocking, I know) :) But I think he's awesome for participating and letting me sign him up. I think I've mentioned before that we live in a very gay friendly area - and some of our new neighbors/friends mentioned that they have signed up for this event - and when we were having our condo BBQ a few weeks ago we were talking how it would be cool for us to do it too. But, since Pat hasn't run in a while, and there's no way in God's green earth your going to get this preggo pants to run, we signed up for the 2 mile fun walk. So we still get to support our friends, and celebrate lesbian and gay pride. And we get a cool T-shirt. Here's last year's design:

I don't think we'll be headed to the Pride Parade though - which is on Sunday (this year's marshall is former NBA player, John Amaechi). We haven't had a lazy weekend to ourselves in a while, so I'm sure we'll just chill and enjoy not doing anything on Sunday.

I think participation in this event officially makes me an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgendered) ally. It kind of makes it sound like a super hero or something. Said in my best action movie promo voice "We're part of the Allied Forces - defending the world against evil wrongdoers everywhere." I'm not much of an activist, but its always nice to stand up for something in some way - even if its just a small donation or gesture like participating in a walk. And, as I read somewhere.....just because I'm straight, doesn't mean I'm narrow.

Weekend plans!

We're going camping this weekend! Somewheres in Indiana - Tippecanoe State Park, I think? I've got to do a bit more shopping and packing yet - but I'm just excited to finally spend some time out of doors :) We'll be headed there with Mike O'Brien and his family - and taking a canoe trip on Saturday. It will be strange since I haven't camped in a while without my parents, and they are the supreme campers - their pop up has everything you need in it! We'll just be tenting it, so we'll see what's up. So far, the weather looks good....if not a bit hot.

WOW! What a weekend!

Whew! We had a whirlwind weekend! We had a great time (albiet way too short) with Danica and Brad, even though the Tiger's lost. No runs whatsoever....only like, four hits or something ridiculous like that. What a bummer. I did get some fantastic pictures though - and already made a great LO! (click to enlarge)


I also took a zillion photos of Seamus's T-ball game, and hangin' out on the deck at my parents house (Friends and Family Oh My!) Saturday, but I'll have to post those later. OH wait - I did test my camera out and take some pics of Kyle playing pool basketball.....check out his mad skilz.....and my mad camera action! You can see the droplets of water!!! (click to enlarge)

The pictures are still kinda blue for my taste, but I haven't figured out how to get all that right on my camera - its still running on auto mode. Those pictures were shot with continuous shoot - 3 frames per second. I LOVE that option!

All in all - it was a great weekend, even though it involved a TON of driving! We even went to church - two weeks in a row - WOO HOOO!

Nothing beats Jiffy.

I'm speaking of blueberry muffins, of course. There are a lot of fancy schmancy muffin mixes out there, but none satisfy me like the traditional ol' blue box. Have they even changed thier packaging since 1930? Its rather retro. I've eaten them all my life, but it wasn't until college when I found out they were made in Chelsea, MI (one of my roomates' father worked there - so we always had ample supply in the house). Home grown and yummy goodness!

I just had a major craving for some for dinner - luckily I had a box on hand and popped them in - 14 minutes later delectable golden brown goodness arrived and was ready. *sigh* I adore them just out of the oven, with a nice pat of butter in the middle - melty and ready to go in my belly! I already ate three - but I suppose I should be nice and wait for Pat to get home so he can have some too. *sniff* our house smells so good too! I wonder if they have Jiffy Blueberry Muffin in a candle available somewhere......

heh heh :)

I headed to Wisconsin yesterday to visit some customers. Pretty normal day, I must say. This customer took me to the normal "first visit" lunch spot - a local soup and sandwich place called "Baumgartner's" - we had a fantastic lunch.....great beef and barley home made soup and a fabulous grilled chicken sandwich. Then, I was informed that I must take some cheese home with me. Huh? Yeah, that's exactly what I said. But, I figured its the customers' hometown, so he must be proud of it for a reason.

Turns out Green County, Wisconsin is famous for its Swiss heritage and its cheese. The little joint we had lunch at has been around since 1931 - it was quite the treat, really. I bought some Swiss, Monterrey Jack and 25 year old cheddar (or something like that). I had some of the cheddar today - it would have been even more fabulous paired with a great wine....alas, I did not partake in a glass......

I just thought it was funny. Pat O'Brien and I call Wisconsin "Cheeseland" and affectionately refer to its inhabitants as "Cheeseheads" all the time. I found it rather amusing that I actually purchased Wisconsin Cheese!

Weekend Beautification :)

We had another great weekend in Chi-town :) Friday I purchased my present for making a baby - a Nikon D40x digital SLR Camera! It came with two lenses, a big memory card, and a fancy carrying case too! It wouldn't have been any fun waiting until after September to get it - so now I can practice and learn so when the baby does come, I'll be an old pro!

Saturday we went to see the Brewers play the Florida Marlins (part of entertaining some customers of mine). Fantastic weather, and very beautiful park!

The good guys lost though. There were lots of home runs :) And beer, brats and polka music. There was no mistaking we were in Milwaukee!

Here are a couple of shots of Prince Fielder (son of old Tiger Cecil Fielder...but apparently they are estranged). We had pretty good seats, 19 rows behind third base, but the zoom lenses that I got with my camera were, I must say, pretty darn cool. Not telephoto or anything, but still cool :) Definitely leaps and bounds above my point and shoot Sony! I've still got lots of learning to do about this camera, but so far shotting in auto mode seems to work out OK (Click on photos to enlarge).

Today we spend beautifying our courtyard with the rest of our neighbors! Pat got to plant flowers. He did it so willingly........


Hey, at least you weren't pulling weeds, man.

After the clean up and planting, we had a little courtyard barbecue, and just hung out visitng our neighbors. We met the other couple who was expecting a baby (I've been trying to meet them for a while now). She had her baby 10 days ago! Cute little dude - its strange to think we'll have one of our own in just over three short months........

Time for sleeping I suppose. Maybe I'll post some kitty photos tomorrow :)

Shortest Lived Cat Toy - EVER

Greetings from Chesterfield, Missouri :) Pat and I took a drive down here this evening to go to a Quality Council meeting tomorrow morning. How romantic - a work trip! We had a great dinner with some friends, and are now settling down in our hotel room, ready for a good nights sleep. I thought maybe we'd hit a casino, but dinner ran a bit longer than expected, and I'm lame now too, so we just decided to stick around the hotel.

Before dinner, we decided to go to the PetsMart across the street, because we've been meaning to buy some kitty hairball treats and some more food for Milo & Thalia. Yes, I realize most people don't go pet shopping 250 miles away, but its *RIGHT* across the street, and that is closer than waiting to go when we get home. Anyway, so we're killin' some time, and I decide the kitties need a new door hanging mousie, because Thalia pretty much wore the other one out. The problem being the ones I like I can only find at Meijer.......but I digress.

So, I'm looking for a suitable replacement, and find a cute, grey mousie that hangs from a door. Not lifelike at all like the old one, but still cute enough. AND - it made life like squeaky noises. Just little ones :) Seriously, they were really tiny. Barely audible. Pat gave me "the look" when I shook it to show him as if saying "Yes, that is a great idea. That won't be annoying at all at 3:00AM when she decides to play with it across the hall". I ignored him and we walked out of PetsMart with all our goodies in hand.

I got the look again about three minutes later when we hit a bump in the parking lot and we heard a faint little squeak coming from the back. And again. And again.

Yeah, that won't be annoying at all on the 5 hour drive home tomorrow!!!

Needless to day, the mousie toy was promptly returned to PetsMart after dinner. Hmmm...maybe I should start listening to this Pat O'Brien guy in the first place!

Happy Post Memorial Day Weekend :)

YAY! We did get some grilled meat this weekend :)

I was thinking to myself that really, we didn't have any big plans - but now that the weekend is over, I suppose we were rather busy. A quick breakdown for you:

Friday - shopping and Pirates of The Carribean. Pirates was pretty good, although about a half an hour too long. But, still worth the price of our admission and popcorn goodies!

Saturday - crip crappity crap crappy day! All rainy and gloomy :( But, we grabbed our umbrellas and managed to get out for a nice long walk down to our friend's store The Wooden Spoon so I could purchase a muddler. Being that I have been sooooo into virgin Mojitos lately, I figured I really needed one. And, it works famously I tell you! On the way back home we stopped at the Hopleaf bar for a drink, and I tried another new non-alcoholic brew....that I can't think of the name of right now....Claust-something...from Germany. It was pretty good - very hoppy.

The evening brought celebrations for my cousin Will's 29th birthday! We went to dinner with Will, Amber and two other couple friends of their's for a night of Tapas at Cafe Babareeba - it was a great choice! All the food, drink and desserts were so yummy!!! Of course, the company makes the dinner, and that wasn't too shabby either :) To those of you who say dates wrapped up in bacon sounds horrible, you would be terribly terribly mistaken! It was a fantastic flavor explosion - and everyone should try it!!!!

Sunday - after Bike The Drive was finished at 10AM, we headed down Lakeshore drive to visit our favorite O'Brien's for a day. It was crappy when we arrived in Indiana, but it cleared up and actually turned out to be a great day! We played some catch, lounged in Mike's fabulous new hammock, and ate hot dogs and brats on the grill! YUMMY :) Then, we watched both the Tigers and the Piston's lose, and headed to bed.

Monday - after a fabulously prepared pancake and sausage breakfast, we left Mike & Kristen's and headed back home. I had a nice afternoon nap, and then we took advantage of the nice day and went for a walk. I kind of wanted to hit The Chicago Botanic Gardens, but Pat didn't really want to drive anywere, so instead of our normal walk we decided to head to The Rosehill Cemetary. Before you get all wierded out and think we are crazy - They had a Memorial Day parade earlier that morning, and we figured Memorial day is as good a day as any to walk through a cemetary. Folks, this cemetary is HUGE, old and the entrance looks so cool. It was designed by the same dude who did the Water Tower downtown. Its the largest cemetary in Chicago, and turns out, 3rd largest in the world....something like 350 acres. Really, it was quite pretty. They had tons of flags out, and some incredibly ornate monuments. I'm glad we walked through.....and we might just do it again.

That brings us to today....just working from home today, I've got a billion things to catch up on - which I should start right. about. NOW!

If you don't know....

What keeping score looks like in baseball - here's an example I found on Wikipedia from a game in 2000.....

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!

Big Ol' Mean Customer Man

I knew what my strengths and weaknesses were coming into this sales position. As a matter of fact, my weaknesses are the reasons why I was slightly afraid to persue a career in sales. Those weaknesses, you might ask?

Basically being sensitive and taking everything personally.

I think that may be the death of someone in sales - its not always a happy go lucky touchy feely position. I've done a great job so far, learning to separate the customers' anger and frustration from feelings directed at me - but its not always easy for me to make that separation. So, in times when I am unable to (for whatever reason) we end up in a situation like today. I talked to a customer (who didn't remember who I was - not shocking, I was warned people wouldn't associate me with the position for at least three meetings - so I'm not taking that personally) and had some important issues to discuss - and instead of being a smooth resolution of a small problem, it became a tirade on how my company is a big greedy monster that makes it difficult to accomplish what is in effect best for its most loyal customers.

Point taken.

There is truth to that statement - because of my company's size and breadth its often easier and more efficient to take the long way around of things as opposed to trying to fight the long giant red tape in order to get it done the "right" way. His response to my proposed solution was "If you need to disguise it or hide it in order to get it done, I'll play along". Ouch. I was able to continue the conversation professionally...but when I hung up the phone I just started bawling. Of course I called Pat because the big ol' mean customer made me cry, but after a few minutes I realized how silly it was.

I couldn't even really say why I was crying, but now in trying to analyze the situation I understand (I think) the reason - I mean, the reason besides the fact that my body is all hopped up on crazy, uncontrollable, pregnancy hormones. The customer's last comment I took personally, and the way he phrased it made it seem as if I was doing something less than ethical, or basically being a slimeball sales person. And if there is one thing I pride myself on, it is my ethics - and if there is one thing I despise its slimeball sales people. And I hate being thrown into that group. Its not the first time I've felt that, and I suppose it comes with the territory, but it still sucks. And I knew it would suck, but I'm doing my best to try to fight those stereotypes and not let it get to me. I think maybe being a woman, and being with child makes me a little more sensitive than most, but I'm learning how to cope and deal and take it with stride like all those seasoned vets out there.

On the flip side, I've got a great day planned tomorrow. Its the first day of the Crosstown Showdown (not as much panache as the Subway Series, is it?) and Pat and I are taking a customer into enemy territory (the customer's a Sox fan) for a nice lunch and a fabulous afternoon Spring Ball Game at Wrigley Field. I guess I'll be wearing my Sox hat.....or I could be completely non-commital and wear the Sox hat with a Cubs shirt :)

Heidey-Ho!

I've returned from my travels, greatful to be back in the Midwest after a few days cooking in the hot Sonoran Desert of Tucson. We had a great time - I've got a lot of photos to share, but I'm too lazy and tired to go through them right now....so it will have to wait.

What I will do right now, however, is share a photo. A while back I wrote about a cute picture of my cousins and Karli at her first Tiger game at Old Tiger Stadium. Here it is!

Whoa, been a while, eh?

OK - I had no idea it had been that long since I posted!

We spent a few days in San Diego on a honeymoon, then promptly returned to Chicagoland only to turn around and head to Lake Geneva Wisconsin for a work meeting. Ex.haus.ted. Here's a Lay Out I did of it.....if you click on it you can see it much better.



This weekend was a Round The Clock scrap-a-thon - 52 hours straight for National Scrapbook Weekend! It went well, but I'm sooooo tired! Here are two magnets I made for a challenge I lead - the kitties are so precious!




Also got to see my cousin Will & his wifey Amber on Saturday evening - they came over for some dinner, to watch the Pistons kick the Bulls butts & for some Wii action :) It was great seeing them - they are pretty stinkin' fun peeps! And, they bring cheesy poofs with them, which makes them A-OK in my book!

We have a two day work week this week, then on Wednesday we head to Tucson to see Pat's mom graduate. So basically you won't see another post for another week or so. But I promise I'll be back eventually!

Just chillin' - watchin' the tube......

Proof positive that Thalia watches TV with me.

Honest - she sat there for a good half an hour, just watching the tube with me. Milo even discovered the TV today - he chased a dog from one side of the screen to the other, then came and sat next to me on the couch. Of course, he's less inclined to stay intrigued with something like Thalia is - and if he sits in the same place for more than 2 minutes, he usually falls asleep - but I digress.......

My real reason for posting is because I would just love to give serious, mad, amazing props to PBS and their HD programming. Top Notch, all the way! The program we watched today was called "Nature: Dogs that Changed the World". Here's the synopsis from their website:

NATURE's two-part special DOGS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD tells the epic story of the wolf's evolution, how "man's best friend" changed human society and we in turn have radically transformed dogs. Part one, "The Rise of the Dog," premieres Sunday, April 22 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS. Part two, "Dogs by Design," premieres Sunday, April 29 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings for both broadcasts).

Sweet lord - it was riveting! I just happened to stumble across it while looking for something other than American Idol to watch (with no Sanjaya, what's the point, anyway?), and I was engrossed from the beginning to the end credits. I guess I expect amazing things from Discovery with a big cable budget and all, but there are a lot of really great programs that PBS offers, and the HD stuff is right up there with the big dogs (pun intended). It makes me want to go to the website and make a big donation so they can continue to broadcast such quality programming, due to the generous contributions of viewers like me.

I guess it shouldn't be shocking, though. I remember watching all sorts of animal programs with my Grandpa Medel after coming home from school to their house. If Grandpa was out working in the yard, we could watch cartoons - but if Grandpa was inside watching TV, it was always on PBS. And, we never did mind too much watching those shows with him.......

Its Official!

Its official peeps!

29 1/3 years cavity free! I got my teeth cleaned this morning and they look (and feel) fabulous! Have I mentioned that my dentist rocks? Such a nice guy! And he made my yellow toof go away before the wedding (some kind of bonded veneer) so I don't look like a hillbilly anymore!

Its official peeps!

I am now Karin Therese O'Brien! I had my name officially changed and put on my brand spankin' new Illinois Driver's License. I have had driver's licenses in three states - Michigan, Colorado & Illinois. This picture is quite possibly the best one I've taken though - really fabulous dahhh-links. I had to surrender my old license, and also take a vision and written test. I was worried about the written test, but turns out I only missed one out of 35. I was bummed out though, even though the chick said "But you can miss up to seven". Well lady, let me tell you - I don't want to miss even ONE. Sub par performance I tell you. I guess I just didn't bring my A game.

There was a little bit of hullabaloo over changing it from Karin Therese Mayer Kelsey to Karin Therese O'Brien though. I shouldn't have changed my middle name in the first place - having two middle names just throws people off all the time. I thought having two middle initials would bring me fame and fortune - all the famously rich people do it. But really, over the past six years I've come to realize its totally not worth it. Most systems can't accept two middle initials. It just amounts to being a huge pain in the ass.

Anyway, after some consultation with the head honcho it was all straightened out. But now I have the pleasure of dealing with having an unusual last name. Is it O'Brien or O'Brian? Oh, we can't accept apostrophe's so should it be O BRIEN or OBRIEN? Top that off with having 1/2 in my address, and I'm making data entry just difficult! (yes, its 5926 1/2 - if your system can't accept halves, 5926.5 is fine - if not, just type out 5926 and a half) *sigh* my life is so hard.

Neighbors :)

Big weekend for me this week folks. I think I've been more productive in the last two days than I have in the past month.

**side note** As I sit here typing I'm distracted by a big giant orange fuzzy cat, who was rolling around on the new rug - but stopped mid roll and fell asleep. Its kind of funny. I always chuckle when he lays in this position. Its like he just doesn't have enough strength to roll over a bit more and sleep in a normal cat pose. He must. sleep. now.



**end side note**

Saturday morning Pat left for the American Concrete Institute spring convention in Atlanta. He'll meet up with lots of our co-workers from across the US of A and officially start spreading the news of our expected bundle of joy :) That's pretty exciting!

The same time he left, I also left to go to our storage unit to receive the rest of my belongings from Mexico. Keith drove down also to pick up the couch and his bed to take it back to Saginaw. Amazingly, everything fit into our 10x10 storage unit! HOORAY! I was concerned, but it all worked out OK.

After that Keith and I went back to the homestead, and took our old blinds to the Salvation Army. Keith took a nap while I washed the windows and then started adjusting the length of the new blinds. Pat spent most of the previous week or so putting them up - and they look so smashing!

Anyway, after Keith left to head back to GR, I started to get ready for my big gig - meeting the neighbors! Our upstairs neighbor Kelly invited both of us to go out bowling with some other peeps in the area, and I gladly accepted (Pat of course, was far far away).

I had a great time! In addition to Kelly & I, we met up with two couples who live across the courtyard (Yvette & Shannon, and Sarah & Katie), one couple from the Apartments across the street (Kyle & Denise), Alicia who lives next store (and also who rescued Milo when he mysteriously escaped a few weeks ago) & Ryan who is a friend of Sarah's. We went cosmic bowling (I stunk huge) and then went to Katie & Sarah's condo for some board games and more drinks (O'Douls for me). Another couple that also lived across the courtyard met up with us there (Jen & Mary). *whew* I think that was everyone! Everyone was pretty cool, and I was having a pretty good time just hanging out and talking about my fabulous husband and impending pregnancy :) It was nice to make new friends, kwim?

I think Pat got freaked out when I told him one of the girls wanted to throw me an "alternative" baby shower. I thought it was a nice gesture to welcome the new breeder to the area :) They told me not to expect traditional gifts - maybe a rainbow onsie, a softball & mitt, and maybe an Indigo Girls tape....LOL...

Sunday was equally productive - I finished up the blinds, picked up the bedroom and cleaned out my closet so no clothing that no longer fits was in there. **side note** I had a minor crisis Saturday night when all I wanted to wear was a stinkin' T shirt to go out bowling, but didn't have ANY that even remotely fit me. So after going through half of my closet, I wanted to get rid of the evil clothing that made me feel like a sausage. They will have a new home in the storage unit. **end side note** Then I headed up to the mall to take back some jewelry that I bought for the wedding but didn't wear. I also made a stop at Mimi Maternity / Motherhood and Gap Maternity to beef up my ever decreasing wardrobe. There were only about 10,000 million people out today. It was gorgeous! At the end of my shopping spree I decided I needed to get a pedicure (cuz my feet were exposed, and they needed a little work).

Then, I was exhausted and came home and took a three hour nap!!

I still have to write out thank you notes - those HAVE to go out this week! But its already 9PM and I haven't eaten dinner yet, and to tell you the truth, all this productivity has made me sooooooooo tired. So I may just go to sleep.

heh..

With the tragedy of Virginia Tech still fresh in our minds...there is only one option for us to heal.

Baby bunnies. Lots of them.



Feel free to watch, and rewatch as necessary!

Adios, dear friend.....

We've said goodbye to two pieces of machinery that have played an influential part of our lives. The first, was Pat's Giant TV. We sold it on Craig's List for a mere $300, a fraction of the cost he purchased it for seven years ago. But, along with saying goodbye to that TV, we really learned life lesson #682:

NEVER - EVER - EVER buy a TV that two normal strength people can't carry up and down the stairs EASILY.

That means giant 36" TV's that weigh 500 pounds SHOULD be out of the question. I was very happy to get rid of that TV - it had an awesome picture but was just too big. It was purchased by a young girl who just moved here from Grand Rapids. She had two dudes who were helping her carry it up THREE flights of stairs. Just a note, Pat and Kyle almost dropped it while going down a half a flight of stairs.

Alas, it is sold, a week after listing it, and I must say our new TV looks SOOO much nicer on the stand instead of on the floor :) Hooray for new TV's! Kyle has been hangin' with us since Friday-ish, and he agrees - its just awesome :)

Goodbye TV......

And, tonight, I signed the title and handed over the keys for my little vibe. I sold it to a really cool couple, Rhonda and Peter, and I feel like its in good hands. But man, it was tough to say goodbye. I feel like it was really part of my life! I know I'm not the only one who gets emotionally attached to vehicles......right? I'm not alone in this?

*sigh*

The best thing about it is how quickly it all took place. I posted the ad on Cars.com on late Friday night - April 6 - and essentially the car was sold a week later, although it took a couple days for all the paper work and such to be ready. Honestly, I was surprised about the response we got from the website. I signed up for the premiere listing ($55) but all and all worth every penny. Which reminds me, I have to edit the link as sold.......

I listed the car at $9995 and sold it at $9500, which is right about blue book value for the car. I originally thought I was going to lose $2000 on the car (seeing as how I still owed a considerable amount on the loan.......but I kept it under $1000 :) And now we can put that car payment and insurance to savings each month! WHOO HOOO!!!! GO ME!

Alas, without further adieu......I bid, Adios, mi carrito.....Que se vaya bien.....

Crap

I'm always full of good ideas.....seriously folks - really great, interesting ideas that would make for great, interesting blog entries.

Alas, those ideas are fleeting and I forget. Crap.

I will share this story with you from last week that I forgot to share.......

Pat and I pulled into a parking lot so I could run across the street to drop off a letter into a mail drop box. It was supposed to be quick, so Pat was kind of half assed blocking the entry to the parking area (it was a tiny, quick-e-mart type parking area, not a Target Mega Plex). When I dropped the letter off, I heard a loud "BUZZ BUZZ" honk of a cop car, and turned around to see a Police Car urgently sirening to make Pat move out of the way.

What was the urgency, you might ask?

Pat quickly moved to allow the officer to easily pass through, only to have him pull URGENTLY in front of the Dunkin Donuts.

How Cliche.

Lots O' Thoughts........

I can't seem to keep them all straight in my head, but I'll see if I can make this into a somewhat organized, coherent post. But if it goes off into a tangent, don't be offended.

::::::::::: WORK :::::::::::
I guess I'll start with work, since that is what I'm supposed to be doing right now. I had big plans to be out and about travelling today, but the weather is not cooperating and no one wants to meet up. This is getting tough - not having a routine, not knowing the customers well enough to just drop in. I have to have a plan to implement....like, visiting so many customers per day / per week, etc.

I managed to develop a master task list a couple of weeks ago so I can keep on top of the administrative part of the job, and it is working very well....but I don't have anything similar for customer visits, and I know I'm not getting out there as much as I should.....so, that is Priority Uno today - make a plan to get out visit customers and implement it by the end of this week. Got it? Good. Me too.

::::::::::: ARE WE SURE ITS APRIL? :::::::::::
Ugh. This weather SUCKS MY ASS!!!! I can handle a cool spring, but waking up to snow and sleet in APRIL just is NOT cool. NOT AT ALL. You hear that GOD - NOT COOL! I just want a nice spring like any other normal person on the face of this earth. If April Showers Bring May Flowers - what do April Snowstorms bring? Huh? Does anyone have an answer to this????

::::::::::: MORE TV NEWS :::::::::::
So, we're still trying to sell our ginormus old TV...therefore the new one is not set up in the appropriate position yet. But, do you think Pat could leave it in the box until we got the other one moved? Nosirreebob. The new TV is out and on the floor, all hooked up. Seriously, though, it is amazing. HD is amazing. We were mesmerized....the dishes didn't get done - we went to bed super late. I'm a huge fan of the Discovery channel in general, but the programs they have for HD are just, well, amazing.

The most hilarious thing about it - is the cats like to watch it too. No joke! Ok, not both - Milo is too lazy to really notice anything, but the minute we turned it on Thalia was sitting right in front of it WATCHING TV. She sat there with us all night the first night - eyes always on it - following the waves - the fish - the birds. Even when Pat was watching basketball (or maybe it was sportscenter?) she was plopped on the couch watching it. It is kind of hilarious!

::::::::::: CAR SELLING :::::::::::
Well, it turns out this process has been more promising than I expected. The car has been on the market for 5 days or so, and I've had a handful of inquiries. We actually showed it to a guy and his mom last night, and they made an offer, which we accepted. It is a bit less than we listed the car for, but a tiny bit more than our lowest acceptable price, and its almost sold, which is great.

However, there are some caveats to take into consideration when selling or purchasing a used car from a private party. Basically, I've taken the stance that EVERYONE could be out there trying to scam me....and I think these people feel the same way. What that means is that everyone is a bit jumpy about everything - which makes me even more uncomfortable.

The situation is this - I still had a loan on my car, so the title is not mine, free and clear. In order to give the title to the new owners, I need a lien release from the bank which holds the loan (in this case, Chase). This process takes a couple of days AFTER the vehicle loan is paid off. So, this would mean withholding the title after the purchasers give me the money. This makes people nervous. Understandably so! If I buy a car, and I give my money to purchase that car, I would want everything I need so it is mine free and clear too.

Thankfully, we had our tax return and bonus money available to pay the car off. So what we ended up doing is paying the car loan off last night in order to expedite the lien release process - with the intention that we would have the new owner's money in hand the day the lien release is here. Which should be Thursday or Friday. Hopefully. But, each time I talk to the potential owners, it just seems like they are skeptical about the whole situation. Again, understandable I guess.

If the whole deal falls through I know I'll be able to get other offers on the vehicle, it would just be nice if this whole thing was able to be done and overwith this week....you know? And even if it does fall through - the next process will be easier because we'll already have the lien release and everything taken care of.....and we should be able to survive until it is sold. Hopefully.

The other issue I ran into unexpectedly was telling the new potential buyers that I had the car with me when I was living in Mexico. That automatically sets off red flags (again, understandably, I guess). People just automatically have visions of "The Three Amigos" and chickens & donkeys running around in a barren desert front yard. I guess the common misconception is while there are many things that are different in some parts of Mexico - for the most part, at least in Toluca and Mexico City, its just as industrialized as it is in the US. The guy called and asked if they used the same octane of fuel and vehicle care as we do in the US. I told him yes, and assured him I took care of the car at a very reputable US trained mechanic shop, but I have no idea if he believed me or not. Just one more thing for them to be wary about.

::::::::::: BASEBALL :::::::::::
Last but not least, baseball. I have't been able to get into it much lately, and I'm not sure why. I'm getting much more coverage than before - but maybe its the overwhelming presence of Cubbie and Sox ball that makes me miss my Tigers even more. And, man, the Tigs aren't doing so hot.......I'm not sure what happened to our bull pen, but its not clicking....at least not yet. I still have hope that it will.

Of course, it could be that maybe, just maybe, its the weather.

I remember a few years ago (1998? 99 maybe?) around this same time I took Karli and our cousin's Janelle and Nikki to a Tiger's game at old Tiger Stadium in the cheap seats. They didn't have much interest in the game - but they did like being outside in the sunshine and blowing bubbles. It was gorgeous outside - mid 70's - not a cloud in the sky. The girls also took the cutest picture in the universe that day....I don't have it handy now...but I'll have to find it to show you....

OK, thats all for now. I've got to get to developing my big work plan.......

Selling Something?

Well, I finally dragged my feet long enough. Keith brought my cute litte vibe back to Chi-Town for the wedding, and I finally had to face the facts. I MUST SELL THIS CAR. *sigh* Its so adorable, so fun, and been through so much with me in the past 18 months, that I'm seriously sad to see it go. Alas, paying $400 for the payment and insurance just doesn't make any sense when its only parked on the street.

So, Pat and I went out this weekend, cleaned it up a bit and took some photos at the back of the Target parking lot - and I listed it on Cars.com. If you're interested, take a look at the Ad. I also put it up on Craig's List - and probably will look into placing an ad in the Trib or Sun Times in the next week or so.

*sigh* poor poor car. I wish I could keep it. *sniff* *sniff*

Also up for sale, our TV. We put it out on Craig's list today - its a 36" Sony Wega flat screen.....but it is GIANT. Like, 500 pounds giant - and a huge pain in the ass to move. Pat wanted to keep it for our future basement, but its such a pain to find someone to help move it, I think he realized that selling would be the way to go.

His consolation? A new 52" Flat Panel Sony Bravia HDTV.


He deserves it though - he wanted to buy one back in February in time for the super bowl, and I almost had him talked into it, but we decided to wait so we could use the $$ for a nest egg instead. Well, turns out we should still have enough for the TV, to pay for the wedding, and still have some leftover to add to the nest egg fund. He used his bonus money from this year - and got a great deal on it from Circuit City - 10% off! No small amount when you're talking $475! And, because we also just got our tax returns back, we'll still be able to get a new mattress as well :) So everyone is happy!

Awww....how romantic :)

Our first married Holiday :)

:)

Wedding Spectacular on Ice

OK - not on ice...but it sounded like a good title. Well, its official :) I’m Mrs. Karin O’Brien :) and I’m very smiley about it :)

The wedding went very well, and aside from a few check in issues (and one other issue that I’ll discuss later) the weekend went off without a hitch. The weather even decided to cooperate, which was nice…..it was threatening to rain pretty much all day, and was relatively chilly (in the 50’s or so) – but much nicer than the rest of the strong Thunderstorms that traipsed through the area last night.

Basically, here’s a breakdown of how the day went…..since the family was staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, we started there with a Chicago Trolley pick up. From there we headed to the Downey Mansion at Berger Park for the Ceremony in the sun room. After an awesome, short but sweet ceremony given by Seth Fisher, we loaded the trolley up and rode around Chicago, stopping at a couple locations for bathroom breaks and a few photo opportunities. Then, the night ended with a fantastic dinner experience at Fogo de Chao – one of our favorite restaurants in Chicago.

I don’t think I could say enough good things about the professionalism, promptness, quality and just plain awesomeness of all our vendors…..I say vendors – but they were really much more than that! Sharla, the assistant in our office, made our bouquets and boutonnieres because she’s taking a floral design class….they came out exactly how I had it in my head! Seth delivered a fantastic ceremony, and I must say – he’s got such a great presence and voice – it was exactly what we were looking for. Just an all around nice guy! Victoria, our photographer, was just so stinkin’ adorable! Very flexible, friendly and attentive to our strange requests :). I can’t wait to see our photographs! Carla was the girl who came to the hotel to do our hair (me and Karli’s…..that is) – I found her at the last minute (on Wednesday) and she totally was awesome! Our hair rocked :)

Then there was Paul. Now, this guy was GREAT….he was the trolley driver. The kids wanted to sit right at the front of the trolley, right next to the driver and he was just chatting them up like they were old friends. And they were so well behaved up there too. Every request we had, he was just so, I don’t know……..Friendly? Courteous? Accommodating? I guess all those, and more. We even added another $20 to his tip…..we were very happy with his service.

So what are we going to do now? Nothing :) We’re taking a couple of days off of work just to relax…..we may go play some golf tomorrow if its nice, but aside from that we have no plans :)

:::::::::: POOP IN A BOX ::::::::::

So here is the part about the hotel stay that I didn’t go into detail before…..

But before I do that I think you all should watch the clip from when Justin Timberlake hosted SNL last year. Its not X-rated or anything….but if you have issues with the word Dick you probably shouldn’t watch it. I guess you might classify it as raunchy – but its pretty hilarious, and tough to get it out of your head once its stuck in there. Pat frequently gets it in his head…..his favorite part is the, uh, well….”instructions”.

Funny, eh? OK – now just keep that in mind.

One more preface…..I was pretty happy with the service the HGI gave us – it was a fantastic location right in the heart of downtown, and the sales group gave us a great price to boot. They worked with us for the various changes we had, and distributed most of the guest baskets that we made for the rooms (all six of them - LOL). There were some things, like the check in thing, and our suite didn’t have towels right away……but that could have been any hotel at any given time.

Last night, HGI also happened to host a Fraternity Formal for Alpha Tau Omega from Purdue University…..after their festivities some of them headed up to a suite down the hall from us for an after party. Yes, they were a tiny bit loud, but really nothing obnoxious – and we were so exhausted that we didn’t even really notice for long anyway. I was pretty understanding since it hasn’t been that long ago (hasn’t it?) that I was doing the same thing…….I do recall before drifting off to sleep there was some walkie-talkie noise, and then silence…so I’m guessing someone called security and they broke things up.

So we thought nothing of it….

We woke up this morning and were getting ready to take our stuff out to our car. I was standing by the door, my hand on the handle, and I smelled something a bit funny. Kind of like a poopy diaper or something, which I found to be odd. I opened the door – and found a nice log of human shit – in an open box – in front of our door.

Nice. Very nice.

I’m not sure if it was just an April Fool’s Day prank, or because they thought we were the ones who called security, or just because we had a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door….but I guess it doesn’t really matter. There’s not even any way to prove that it was an attendee of the ATO Formal…..I suppose it could have been some other rogue band of teenage to early 20’s boys (although I don’t recall seeing any throughout the weekend). So aside from that, who else would you peg it on? The family with three kids under the age of 10? How about the two couples in their mid 40’s away from the kids and out for a night on the town? Or the group of four women who just returned from a day of shopping their feet (and credit cards) off? My brothers? OK – don’t answer that one….I already asked them just to be sure and they assured me they didn’t.

Or, do you think it was the really drunk fraternity boys, ticked off because the suite party was broken up?

It takes a lot to disgust me (well, not now, since I’m much more sensitive to smells and sights now that I’m pregnant) – and I’m all for pranks now and again……but that was just plain ol’ GROSS. I called the manager and explained our “present” – and he proceeded to apologize profusely and comp all the charges for our stay. I wasn’t mad or angry at the hotel – its not their fault that drunk kids do idiot things now and again……and I wasn’t mad in general – just really grossed out. I was pretty happy they gave us a free room, know what I mean?

Now I think about it and really it’s kind of funny. At least they had the common sense to put it in a box as to not tarnish and stain the carpet, and for ease of cleaning. And, I can thank them for putting “Poop In A Box” in my head all day, sung along to the JT classic posted above….and a free honeymoon suite :)