5 years

So, we celebrated our 5 year anniversary last Friday (the 30th)

DH and I are a really great fit. After 5 years (including a sort of rough 1st year) we still like being with each other. In fact, we like being with each other so much that we don't have to do anything on our anniversary. :)

So we got home from work and were about to go out to dinner when we both realized that we were beat and we didn't want to have to deal with "restaurant stuff". So we made home made pizza (see, I DO love him) and watched TV. It.was.awesome.(not the pizza part, that was just whatever...)

We also decided that this would be the last year for gifts because we've finally reached a point in our relationship where it is no more validated with something than without.

Needless to say, DH got me this:





and because it was a custom ring and he had it made over Christmas - he couldn't wait a WHOLE month to give it to me, so I got it on Christmas day.

On our actual anniversary he got me lovely roses. I really like flowers. There's something about the complete frivolity of flowers that feels so decadent.



So...what did I get him? Well, like a genius I ordered something that was on back order so it's still not here. In the off chance that DH might actually read this post, I'll have to write about it later, if it ever gets here.
Read more...

Transportation Woes

I like to call them Toes. Prepare yourself, this is sort of long...

So DH and I take the train to and from work. It's generally not that big of a deal, because we get to save on gas and don't have to fight traffic or pay for parking (both REALLY great things).

However, with the record breaking cold we had the week prior to our leaving Chicago for Utah (it was warmer at the North Pole, btw), riding the train became increasingly difficult. On Wednesday, the 14th. I got out early. I was going to get home and maybe do a load of laundry and start packing. It was going to be great. I arrived at Union Station to find a sea of people milling about the tracks. It sort of reminded me of those pictures you see of the corrals in denver with all the cows. It was kind of like that.

I call DH and I'm like, hey, you should leave early and so should your boss. Our train line is NOT working!!!

It turns out that metal, when left in sub-zero, frigid temperatures doesn't work as well as we humans would like it to. So Amtrak (which also uses our tracks) tried to get into Union Station and lo and behold, the metal switches that allow trains to "switch" from one track to another stuck. The train derailed (no injuries) and shut down ALL THREE TRACKS for the rest of the evening.

I live off one of the busiest lines leaving chicago and so for our track to not work delays 10,000+ people PER COMMUTE and pushes all those people to other train lines or other forms of transportation. It is not pretty.

So I head to the OTHER train station that we have here in chicago and find a line that will take us mostly close to home and if we hurry, we might actually get a seat!

Now, normally, this is bad enough, but because DH and I both work downtown, we have another transportation dilemna once we depart from this alternate line. We are then stuck at the train station with no way to get home...

For this, I would like to thank my Mom. She came and picked us up with ultra heavy traffic and the fact that she was having the LDS missionaries over for dinner that night! My brother stayed home and finished dinner and played host while my mom spent over an hour of her life driving to the middle of some super packed, podunk little town to pick us up and then drop us off at our house which is in no way close to where she needed to go. So...Thanks, Mom. I don't know what we are going to do when you move to Cleveland!

So, with us leaving for Utah that friday, we are thinking, geez - one more day and then we are SO out of here!

Please remember bad things generally come in threes.

On Thursday night, we are completely packed and ready to go. My mom, once again, is saving the day and driving us to the airport at 4:00 Friday morning so we are sleeping at her place to make it easier. We leave our apartment and start driving to my parents house when DH notices this odd thumping noise.

We stop at a parking lot and yep...we have a flat tire. Please remember, it's like 20 below. DH stays out in the cold to change the tire and I go inside the store to shop and whatever. DH's out there for like 20 mintues and I'm trying to figure out what's going on. When we finally reconnect, he tells me that he couldn't get the tire off. It was frozen on! Some good samaritan took pity on him, grabbed our spare tire and proceeded to throw it at the frozen tire. That was the only thing that got it off. :)

So, DH was freezing and couldn't feel his fingers or toes or really most of his legs, but we made it to my parents house and my mom (our savior once again) said she's take our car in to get the tires fixed while we were gone.

And Finally...

We get up on Friday morning and load the car. As we're driving the temperature is -18 (without windchill) and so we were VERY cold for a VERY long time until the car warmed up.

We get to the airport and check our bags, no big deal. Very typical airport stuff. We shoot through security and find our gate, nbd. We are sitting there, waiting to board and they finally open the gates. They call the first zone (we're on Delta) and then stop them before they can board. Something seems to be wrong...

Apparently the emergency lights didn't work. Our crew was working to fix it, but then 30 minutes later they mention something about how they won't work because it's too cold. (It get's better)

We're on the north side of the tarmac and there are no buildings to block the wind from the rest of the runways. It finally comes out that some genius at O'Hare thought it would be a good idea to leave the plane out.overnight.in record breakingly cold weather.

Essentially, we weren't boarding a plane, we were boarding a plane shaped block of ice with a metal frame. About an hour after we were supposed to leave our gate attendant got on the PA and very proudly explained that they got the emergency lights situation fixed! Almost as an afterthough, he added that we still won't be boarding because the plane needs to be de-iced and that can't happen until someone de-iced the de-icing trucks.

Go ahead, you may need a minute to think that one through.

My guess, is that the same brain trust that thought it would be a good idea to park a plane outside, also thought to leave the de-icing trucks out in the same weather.

Finally, we board the plane. It's almost two hours late for departure, but at least everyone was already there and waiting to board.

Ok. This is REALLY long. Congrats on reading that. Now drink some hot cocoa and wrap yourself in a blanket, because that made me cold just writing it!

Read more...

Brrr....

I wear commuter shoes to and from the office.

And, like a moron, I left them at work today. I got halfway to the bus stop and I couldn't figure out why I was so amazingly cold. It was like I couldn't feel my toes anymore.

I then looked down and realize it's because I'm wearing "inside shoes" not "outside shoes".

Serious genius at work folks.

Also, I'm totally putting off writing about Utah mostly because of the transportation escapades prior to our trip and the fact that I have like ZERO pictures. Who goes on a trip and doesn't even turn on their camera!?
Read more...

Ok. This one's even better.

I really need to get back to work...


Read more...

Funny

Ok. I'm getting around to updating the last week or two, but until I do - this is funny.



Who knew you could buy it so cheap?

Try this website. It's full of really fun things that weren't meant to be funny.
Read more...

I've had enough!

When I left my house this morning it was - 18 degrees Fahrenheit. With the horrendous windchill it was probably closer to the negative 30s.

Since I'm pregnant and I have next to no patience for ANYTHING, we left. We flew out of town and touched down where the scheduled high was almost 50 degrees warmer. Walking off the plane I thought to myself are your kidding me? Why didn't we do this sooner!?

So where is this land of sunshine and warm rainbows? Salt Lake City, UT. Yep. A Prim ski destination is where we chose to warm up. That's the particular brand of crazy we subscribe to out in Chicago.

I have to say, I'm glad to be here and I hope to see any of you that are out here! We have a week of fun and sun and NOTHING ELSE!


***As an aside, I've been asked recently if I've noticed any mood changes with my pregnancy and I have to say I haven't. The only thing I've noticed is that almost everyone that I come in contact with has simultaneously decided to annoy me. a lot.
Read more...

weather

It's like this...only no Jake Gyllenhaal


Read more...

Oh Lindsaylou, Why do I ever doubt you?

Oh Lindsaylou, why do I ever doubt you?

Your twice pregnant and 3 times a mother-ly wisdom always wins out in the end.

I feel much better than I did on Sunday. I'm still somewhat nauseous, but compared to Sunday, this is an absolute cake walk...on a warm sunny day...with a cool breeze...and slow music...with extra chairs.

I think it was only the stomach flu (as you correctly deduced), which I have never really fully experienced to this magnitude. I'm not surprised I missed it, just embarrassed that I took to my blog to curse mother nature.

Now we're probably going to have an extra long winter.
Read more...

I thought this was supposed to get better?

I thought my second trimester was supposed to be the good one!? (warning TMI ahead)

Ok, so some of you may know that I was mostly nauseous almost the entire first trimester. No vomiting, just this desire to do nothing but eat until I felt better or puked (and then felt better).

That never happened...

I am now solidly into my second trimester and I vomited so much and with such intensity this morning I about blacked out. (I warned you about the TMI)I couldn't breathe and I've burst capillaries in my face. I look like "Crater Face" from Saved by the Bell! (Anybody? Obscure SBTB reference?! - I know you all watched it, so don't even act like you don't remember the zit cream episode.)

I'm due on June 23, and I'm seriously not interested in having this continue for the next 6 months. I still have seminary for another 4.5 of those 6 months and I'm still working through all of that.

Not cool, mother nature...not cool.
Read more...

A hitch in my get-a-along

I have come to the realization that I can no longer wear heels.

This is distressing to me since most of my shoes have at least a 1in heel or higher.

Why can't I wear heels anymore?

Mostly because for the past four weeks it feels like my right leg is trying to detach itself at the hip and walk away on it's own. I now sleep with an abnormally long pillow between my knees and ankles and have only recently (this morning) realized that heels make it worse. Today is the first day in many that I can get up from my chair at work and not walk like an 80 year old woman. It still has a distinctive pain to it, but it's much less than it was, say yesterday.

You know, times like this cause me to think back to the not so distant past when my view of pregancy was less than flattering. I would look at these women and although I was generally sympathetic to their pains, I was thinking, "Your uterus is expanding will you get a grip? It's not like your leg is going to fall off or your stomach will eat itself".

At this time, I would like to say, I'm sorry. My thinking was so horribly wrong that it's almost laughable. I'm sorry for my unsympathetic thoughts, because now I realize; Pregnancy isn't just about your uterus, it's like a virus that takes over your whole body.
Read more...

Tagged by LZA

LZA,

I'm not completely sure that I'm the R that you tagged in your post, so since I'm in doubt, I'll do it anyway and give you all the benefit of my amazing answers! *heavy dose of sarcasm*

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial - it's the only way to go.
3. When do you put up the tree? this year? Last week :(
4. Do you like eggnog? Alcohol free please!
5. Favorite gift received as a child? wow...my memory is awful.
6. Hardest person to buy for? DH
7. Easiest person to buy for? My neice, MM
8. Do you have a nativity scene? I made one in highschool?
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? neither this year (I know, bah humbug)
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Large & In Charge - a workout video from the 80s for the more plump aerobicist.
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas -are there any others?
12. When do you start shopping? December 15
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? cookies
15. Lights on the tree? white
16. Favorite Christmas song? All I want for Christmas is You - with the video that has that guy with the weird hair.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home.
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Target commercials
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? My mom had purple berries and green pears one year. That was really great.
23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? turkey
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? China

Read more...

Candi, This is for You.

Tag 1: Six Random things about me.

1. I moved 6 times in college.

2. I broke my left arm at age 6.

3. I have 6 winter coats in my closet. (Sadly, it hardly seems like enough!)

4. I teach seminary which STARTS at 6am.

5. Dave and I take the same train home which get's us to our apartment at 6p most nights.

6. 6 of my coworkers were fired on my very first day at Tribune Co. (Boy that was weird)
Read more...

*Disclaimer*

Please read before opening the following two posts.

I am readily willing to admit that I am over using the italics, bold, and capitalization functions in the following two posts. I also overuse the !!!exclamation point!!!

Consider it part of my pregnancy. As I share my little adventures (Here I go AGAIN!!!) I will occasionally be more emotionally attached to certain memories, like cereal and ice scrapers.

There is no explanation for this, so, as a collective blogging community, let's work together and hope this doesn't continue for another 6 months until little Schlomo or Bertha Jo arrives.
Read more...

The BEST day EVER!!!

Be Prepared for the awesomeness to come...

Sunday was a really warm day. It was like 51 degrees. In December, in Chicago, you just can't beat that. There was a little rain, but nothing a good wiper blade couldn't handle.

Anyway, I should know better seeing that I'm from here, but it got cold Sunday night.

Really cold.

But don't worry. It kept raining. And then icing.

I wake up on Monday morning for seminary and remember that I'm driving. Oh man, I'll need to make sure I leave early so I can scrape my car. I bet it's going to be just covered!

So in my mind, I'm having this dialogue: "Self, you better hurry.", "I know, Self, I'm going to give myself 10 extra minutes to scrape my car.", "Good thing, Self, because you're probably going to need it", "Self, don't be such a pessimist, you'll be fine with 10 minutes. It's not like someone dipped your car in ice and then froze it like an ice cube".

I walk outside and practically fell on my face. The parking lot is covered in a certifiably skate-able sheet of ice. I get to my car and I look at the windows. "Self, I think you are totally screwed", "Self, that doesn't help right now. How 'bout we open the stupid door and turn on the defroster?"

It takes me the 1st 5 minutes of my extra 10 minutes to OPEN THE DOOR. I turn on my car and let the defrosters start working. Has anyone else noticed the futility of blowing barely warm air on a piece of glass that is covered in almost 3/16 of an inch of ice?

So I start scraping. I realize my lame-o scraper from Utah (where they get normal snow) isn't going to cut it, but I don't have any other options. I'm hardly making a dent and after another 15 minutes (5:40) I have 4 inches of visibility on the drivers side only. Awesome.

I call the other teacher that I carpool with. Her car is in a nice dry garage. Can she drive today? TJ says yes, because she's awesome. I turn off my car and go inside. I can't believe that this is happening. we are SO totally late. TJ calls me back at about 5:45-5:47. Her garage door won't open. It's frozen shut. She has a clean car, but she can't get into it.

I go and start scraping again. By 6:00 (BTW, we start seminary at 6) I have 12 inches of visibility on my side and 5 inches on the passenger side. Good enough. I go and pick up 2 students and TJ. We get to church at 6:20 and some students have already come and gone. It's a sad day.

Hilariously enough. That's not even the best of it. As we are driving to seminary. We're talking about how those dumb seminary teachers should have cancelled seminary, and that we are never going to get there when out of nowhere, my windshield cracks.

Yep. starboard to port in two swift pops. It's taken me till today to write this post because if I wrote it yesterday I would have used words that would STILL get me in trouble with my Mom. And NO ONE wants to make her mad. (j/k mom) :)

So, as a recap, the best day ever included a car shaped ice cube. three stooges like antics, and a broken windshield. And it's not even 6:30am.
Read more...

Lots of goings on.

Okay, so I'm probably going to have to post something like a million entries. I've been tagged 3 times, and I've had some very interesting happenings in the last few days.

Okay (this is no the most eventful happening, but it is certainly on the forefront of my mind).

So I eat cereal for breakfast. This is a fairly recent change from my normal breakfast intake of...air. So I have purchased a few options. I have an old box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that I absolutely can NOT touch (more on that later), a box of honey nut cheerios, and a brand new box of flavorless bran flakes. All good choices.

I had bran flakes yesterday so I was feeling pretty fiberful, and thought I'd indulge in a big bowl of yummy honey covered oat rings. I got my milk, my bowl, my spoon and my cereal. I said my prayer, because I don't like soggy cereal, and what if my prayer is long!?

I then open that glorious box of cereal to find...Cinnamon Toast Crunch!!!!!! Oh, the horror!

Here's the problem. Due my particular condition, I have a rather strong aversion to things, like bean soup, and oatmeal, but most of all CINNAMON! I can't stand the smell or even thinking of it. *spine shudder*

Remember, I have seminary so it's like 5:15 and I yell DH's name in vain! HE must have done this!! The EVIL FIEND!! (OK, so maybe I'm a little hormonal) He comes running thinking that I've fallen to my death on the kitchen floor and then I feel bad. I tell him to go back to bed and that he wasn't supposed to hear that.

I then settle for bran flakes, day 2.
Read more...

teeth

So, remember this post?

Well, the filling just fell out. How's that for awesome? Now I have a giant hole on the side of my tooth and absolutely no contact between my two teeth. It sure makes food fun to eat. I invariably save some for later.

Luckily, my appointment isn't for like another week. *sarcasm*
Read more...

hmmm....

So I don't really know how to approach this topic. It requires some delicacy and forethought, neither of which are core competencies for me.

This happened,



Then this happened,



and then this happened,

and then finally, this happened...


Read more...

Bankruptcy...

Big news at the office...

Yep. Tribune Co., and almost all of it's subsidiaries, is filing for bankruptcy. Chapter 11 to be exact. That means we have a crapload of debt and a really poor way of managing it.

Thusly, we were given the option to file for bankruptcy or post our Q4 ad sales and have our debt to profit ration exceed the allowable limit set forth by our many creditors.

Needless to say, it has been a very busy afternoon. I'm very tired from all the conversations that I've had with vendors and contractors trying to calm them down. No one is losing their job and no one will be defaulting on payments (hopefully...), it's just a mell of a hess.
Read more...

Tagged

Okay, so I've mostly been putting this off, because I don't think that I have any fun pictures on any computer that I use. I finally found this one and thought is was pretty good, so here you go. BTW, no 4th folder anything, I'm lucky I have a "photos" folder let alone anything organized inside it.

This is DH and I at the Thanksgiving Point gardens back in May. Obviously the sun is in our eyes, hence the goofy expression on DH's face and the mildly annoyed expression on mine.

Read more...

Dear CTA...an open letter

Dear CTA,

I want to tell you how much I love you. For 2 dollars I can go practically anywhere and at practically any time.

You are so great. Your drivers almost always know where they're going and your suggested, but not quite accurate, schedule always keeps me guessing.

I have to say though, today was a bad day. I hopped on your 151 to Union Station thinking to myself, "what luck! I only had to wait a few minutes and I even got a seat!" Then you disappointed me CTA, your bus crapped out in the middle of Michigan Ave., only two blocks from where I was picked up.

I would have had a picture to show you, but it was so cold there was no way I was stopping. Besides, I needed to find a new bus to get me to the train station. You see, CTA, I have a head cold. A very nasty one, that required me to leave work early. It was so nice of you to accommodate my needs on the quick pick-up, but to then dash my hopes of a speedy trip two blocks down was abominable.

I would like to propose a solution. We are in this together and so we MUST work this out. How about you check your buses on a consistent basis for things like working batteries, and even alternators, and I'll not look for alternative transportation.

Deal?

All my love,

Rae
Read more...