The Sunday evening before my birthday Andy surprised me with an amazing gift: dinner at my pick of restaurants in Chicago. Generous brother, that Andy. Of any in the city, the one I chose is Ma & I, a Thai and Japanese restaurant and sushi bar. It is right around the corner from our place, so we walk past it frequently on the way to the Lake, the Museum Campus, or the Magnificent Mile. The entire front wall of the restaurant is a bank of windows that completely retracts when the weather is nice, allowing the diners the luxury of a patio atmosphere while maintaining the modern Thai ambiance indoors. The wall of windows also serves another purpose: the alluring smells of the Thai and Japanese cuisine seep from the restaurant, drawing all within the vicinity to investigate the delicious aromas. As you pass the front windows you can see the beautifully presented, aromatic dishes the diners are eating... and your mouth begins to water.

For weeks I had been bringing up Ma & I every time we discussed where to go eat, but we always found ourselves somewhere else at the end of the night. So when offered the opportunity to pick with no interference, there was no question where we were going for dinner. The windows had worked their evil magic well.

The food was so worth the wait. Whenever we go out for Thai food, regardless of where we go Stephen gets the Pad See Eiw with beef (a traditional Thai dish of rice noodles, Chinese broccoli, eggs, and sweet soy sauce). It is his favorite Thai food, and I think it is his way of comparing one restaurant's food with another's. Unlike the thin noodles to which we had become accustomed at our favorite restaurant in Memphis, both Thai places we have tried so far in Chicago have served the dish with wide rice noodles much more like dumplings. And these at Ma & I tasted freshly made. Stephen said it was the best Pad See Eiw he has ever had.

I started out with a bowl of Tom Kha (aromatic coconut milk broth, galangal, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and citrus leaves). It was amazing - so spicy and sweet. When trying to decide what to have for dinner, I figured it was time to branch out - no more chicken for me. So I held my breath and picked the duck. I am always afraid to try new things when we go out because if I do not like it, then Stephen had to pay for it and he ends up frustrated with me (he already says taking me out to eat is like paying to feed a bird, anyway). But this time Andy was paying, and it was my birthday so I guess I did not really care who was frustrated with me.  So I had the Roasted Duck Curry (boneless duck in red curry cooked with pineapples, cherry tomatoes, bamboo shoots, bay leaves, and edamame, served with jasmine rice). I had no idea what I was getting myself into... Poor Stephen. Now I know I like duck. The sauce was unbelievable - the perfect combination of spicy curry, sweet pineapple, and depth from the bay leaves.

My meal may have been outstanding, but you should have seen Andy's. I am not sure I have ever seen Andy not clean his plate, especially not with sushi. But he could not this night. And not from lack of effort. I think he may have eaten an entire raw tuna all by himself. He got the Ma & I Glory (5 pieces of sashimi, 5 pieces of sushi, spicy tuna roll, and yellow tail tuna roll). And according to Andy, it was glorious. Andy had all he wanted, and more. You should have seen Stephen and Andy squishing little orange fish eggs between their teeth to make them pop - it was entertaining. They convinced me to try one. I came to the realization the only part of sushi I do not like so far are the Nemo-like fish eggs. Gross. But the sushi and sashimi was fantastic. The fish literally melted in my mouth. It was delicious. And after Andy ate all he could hold, there was still a third of the platter left. It was crazy!

So, for all of you out there who, like us, love Bangkok Alley - we have found a new Thai place for you. If you make it to Chicago to visit us, we will take you to visit Ma & I. And hopefully you will find the cuisine just as incredible as we did. Thanks for the perfect birthday present, Andy...

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Everything is not exactly the way we want it, but for now it will do. We are no longer tripping over boxes - for now, out of sight is out of mind, and in the closet they will stay for the time being. It is hard to talk room to room because the concrete floors and ceilings cause amazing echos, so area rugs would be nice. A couch to watch TV on would be an improvement, but office chairs hold you up so I am not complaining. Eating off our apartment dishes could be nastalgic, but I just find it entertaining. At least we have a bed to sleep on now rather than concrete! All will come in good time...

Sunday: the beach! I love the beach!

Lake Michigan. The sand is a little more corse and not as white as Florida, but the waves can be just as big. The water is a little chilly this late in the year, but as long as the sun is out, being at the beach feels fantastic. We had a wonderful day. We swam, I laid on the beach and read while Phen and Andy walked the beach. Then we went to Lou Malnati's for Deep Dish Chicago Pizza for Dinner. Mmmmm... I love Chicago. Have I said that yet?

Monday: more laundry

So, I finally finish the laundry. We have been in Chicago for 8 days, and I have been doing a steady 9 loads a day (I counted; just a little OCD) except for yesterday when we took a break from moving and went to the beach. And I just finally completed the laundry today. But that gets all the cat hair (and hopefully the dander) out of our stuff. And things are finally settled into the loft... no more boxes out, nothing else out of place. Except, of course, the things we need to buy.

Tuesday: cleaning

So, now that there is no cat hair in the clothes I have to get it all out of the loft. And I think we attempted to bring home half the beach from the Lake, too. Yeah - no exaggeration - when I swept this morning I got 1/4 cup of sand off every 4 feet of floor. I cleaned everything really well. It took hours, but the place is spotless. Then we went out and bought a lot more stuff last night (by the way, selling all your stuff and starting over is expensive, just in case you wondered). We finally found a coverlet for the bed at Linens and Things (it is a winter green on one side and a silver-blue on the other) and are getting silver sheets to go with it, but we still have to find area rugs. We have not bought new dishes yet (we are using the ones we bought when we got married). And we have not got a couch, either. We're sitting in office chairs to watch TV. It looks kind of crazy to walk in the living room when we're watching TV, actually. But everything else is pretty much in order now.

Wednesday: I really, really want employment...

I am mainly looking for a job now. I'm going to try going to websites of corporations that have their headquarters within Chicago's downtown loop (where we live) and apply for administrative assistant positions online. Because I would only be working for a year until I start grad school, I figure that would be a perfect job. It pays really well here, I would not have to work nights, weekends, or holidays (which would allow us to come home when we want), and it would work great for me starting classes this January. So we will see how that goes. There are also a couple of temp-to-hire agencies I plan to look into.

Thursday: Company!

Still looking for a job today. We just found out we are having our first company tomorrow. Our friend Nate (who is also Stephen's employee) and his wife Tessa are coming in from Ohio for the weekend and bringing their 19 month old son.

Chicago is fun - I love the area in which we live. Practically everything we need is within walking distance.  There is a grocery store called Jewel Osco (like Kroger) a block from here, even carrying $100 worth of groceries it is easy to walk. I know, we have done it. But they have a parking lot and you could drive if you wanted. There's a Target that is a couple of blocks away (it is rediculously large, I am talking 2 stories here). There is a Whole Foods within a mile, and a Dominick's across from it (another grocery store), and we drive to them in the rain but usually walk otherwise. There are several other things like that, all within walking distance. And, of course, a Walgreens on the corner and another within sight of that one.

That is part of why we like the South Loop district so much. We really like the idea of having a place where you have the ability to walk to restaurants and grocery stores. Our El stop is less than a block from us as well. We can hop on it and get to almost anywhere in the city, easily. Feel free to ask anything else you are curious about and I will do my best to answer.

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I must say, this was my favorite Labor Day weekend of my 28 years. Had our first visitors to the big city. Nate and Tessa came, and it could not have been a more perfect weekend for company. The weather was perfect, the friends were incredible, and have I told you lately I love this city?! It is everything I  wanted... there is so much to do, so much to choose from at any given moment, I sometimes forget to catch my breath.

Friday: new city, new rules

Friday night we took them to Lou Malnati's for Chicago Deep Dish. After waiting over an hour just to get in the door we learned something: never go to the most popular pizza joint in Chicago on Friday night of Labor Day weekend when you are starving. By the time we got our food we had been there more than 2 hours, but oh, was it worth it. (Are you seeing a trend with how often we eat at Lou's?)

Saturday: good day, good food, good music

Andy went with Nate and Tessa to the Aquarium while Stephen and I went to the beach. This is the last weekend the beach is open, and Stephen and I really wanted to spend time there.  A komodo dragon exhibit was at the Aquarium that everyone else really wanted to see, and it only runs through Labor Day. Stephen and I figured we saw the komodo dragons in Washington DC, and once you have seen one, you have seen them all, right? So we walked the city down by the river, then went to the beach for several hours while everyone else went to the Aquarium. The Aquarium here is supposed to be the biggest salt water one in the world - more than 90,000 gallons of coral reef. It has sharks, whales, penguins, all kinds of stuff. I really want to see it some time. But this weekend I just wanted to spend time at the beach while I could. They close the beaches after Labor Day because it is too dangerous for people to be out there without life guards. So, everyone met up about five o'clock and we grilled steak, corn on the cob, and new potatoes out on the 4th floor Sky Garden of our building while listening to the Jazz Festival from Grant Park.  All in all, a very pleasant way to eat dinner and watch the sunset over the Chicago skyline. Then we walked to Navy Pier to watch the end of summer Labor Day fireworks.

Sunday: more sunshine, good food, and good music (wish every weekend was like this)

We found a very eclectic place, Howie's Diner, right around the corner off 13th Street for lunch. When I say eclectic, I am not kidding - I had a cod sandwich, Stephen had a hamburger, Andy had polish sausage, Tessa had a BLT, Nate had Philly Cheesesteak, and Arden (their 19 month old) had pancakes. But all the food was fantastic, and very reasonably priced. Stephen's comment  with the first bite was, "Crap - I was hoping the food was bad. This place is going to be way too easy to come to on a regular basis."

After lunch we all spent the day at the beach. Before I saw Lake Michigan I never would have believed how much like an ocean it is. It is absolutely beautiful. So clear, so green, so full of waves. And yesterday it was actually warm! It was a wonderful day. We had a lot of fun. Last night we grilled hamburgers, Italian sausage, and kiabolsa, and had cole slaw on the Sky Garden while once again listening to Jazz Fest and watching the sunset before Nate and Tessa had to head back to Ohio.

Monday: last sunshine of the season...

Stephen and I went to the beach by ourselves for hours and hours (Andy had to work) It was a perfect day. The weather was incredibly warm for Labor Day in Chicago, in the low 90's and so sunny. Stephen and I actually argued about whether or not 90 was warm for this time of year in Chicago - so, of course he Googled it. Appearantly, there have only been 5 days this year that have reached 90 degrees, including this one. After spending so many days at the beach in a row, Phen's really dark and I'm really pink. But oh, so happy.

All in all, it was a great weekend. When Stephen and I used to sit around in Memphis and look at each other saying "I'm bored - let's do something. What do you want to do. I do not know. What do you want to do?" Over and over. In a monotonous cycle.  Because Memphis had nothing to do - it was this of which we were dreaming.  I am sure we could be bored and lazy if we tried, but it is easy to be active and not sit at home here. I have done enough sitting at home for a lifetime. I love being out with my wonderful husband.  We are both truly happy... It is not just the entertainment. We have found an environment we have been looking for for a long time. Stephen wanted out of Memphis before we even married. This is a dream fulfilled for him. A huge part of him is satisfied that never has been before. I am happy, too. Things have been rather nuts. But I love the part of the city we are living in, and the loft we got meets our needs perfectly.  We have had a lot of fun buying all new furniture, bedding, and everything that goes into completely setting up a new place. When we set up the house I pretty much did everything by myself, but this time Stephen's really taken ownership, too, which has been cool.

At this point, it does not matter what we do not yet have, I can not describe to you how happy I am. I love it here. I love the city. I love everything being so busy. I love being able to walk to anything I want, being able to do anything at any hour. Although I miss my family, I love the individuality of being my own person. After everything that has happened to me, I need to grow, I want to grow... and I think we can flourish in this environment. I am not the same person I was even a year ago. I have changed a lot. I do not really know how to describe it, except to say I am a lot more me than I use to be. My personality seems to have fermented in what happened over the past few years, and I stopped caring what other people think. I am also a lot more laid back and low maintenance. I think I like myself a lot more this way. All the history and grief that weighed me down feel like shackels that have been removed, leaving nothing but a dim memory to help me remember to be grateful for every day I live. In spite of everything that has happened in my life, or maybe because of it, I am happier than I have ever been.

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Thanksgiving this year was especially meaningful. Not only was it nice to spend the holiday with family after moving away this year, we were blessed with a gift of time with them we did not expect. Stephen and I did not think we would actually get to be with family for Thanksgiving day this year. Although I was off work earlier that week, we thought I would have to be back at work that Friday. So we came in town early, planning on driving back to Chicago Thanksgiving afternoon. But I got an email Thanksgiving morning saying I did not have to be back at work until Monday of the following week. So what we thought would be a quick trip to Memphis, rushing to see all our family and friends, in the end was a nice leisurely trip lasting more than a week. And a little something extra to be thankful for this year - my Mom forgot to pass out the corn at dinner!

Friday: car rides, caking and baking

We headed back into Memphis on Friday after I finished working. Driving after working a full day is fine with me - Stephen will not let me behind the wheel during road trips anyway, and the back seat of the car makes a perfect love seat for me, curled up with a quilt and pillows. I just laid there and entered recipes from Ms. Janice and Gran, actually being productive during that 8 hour trip. 

We got to Becca and Guy's that night, to find Becca in her pajamas attempting to bake. She had done a wonderful job with the first cake - a beautiful strawberry concoction that smelled delicious, intended for Thanksgiving dessert. What she was struggling with was figuring out how to use a new cake baking kit my mother gave her - it bakes cakes with holes in the middle so they can be stuffed. Between the two of us we figured it out - then figured out we had done it wrong. Regardless, the end result was a striking chocolate cake filled with mint chocolate chip ice cream, topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. Baking with my sister, something she was known for her unwillingness to do before marriage, was a fun welcome home.

Saturday: McFarland Family Game Night

After a leisurely day Saturday, the entire family came to Bec and Guy's house that night for dessert and games. Bec already had her house beautifully decorated for the holidays, creating an fun atmosphere to play games and kick off the holiday season. Daddy surprised every family with gifts of Starbucks Christmas Blend, a new holiday travel mug for the girls, and new stainless steel thermoses for the boys. Evidently, he was really feeling the holiday spirit, and with a family obsessed with their coffee he picked perfect gifts. 

With a cup of coffee and a slice of Bec's ice cream cake we all gathered for some serious competition - Pictionary and Cranium, boys versus girls. If I remember correctly, the girls lost, but only because the boys got lucky with the dice... It was a wonderful night and great way to kick off the Thanksgiving holiday with family.

Sunday, Monday, & Tuesday: good friends, good food, good times

During the days Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday the time was simply spent relaxing with family and friends- from watching TV, helping Becca cook delicious dinners of Chicken Pot Pie and spaghetti, the boys grilling hamburgers and making french fries. All the normal, everyday things we would do together on a weekly basis while living in Memphis. Routine things that seem mundane until you are deprived of the companionship of those you love by moving or loosing someone. Suddenly, to experience them again is precious beyond expression.

Sunday morning I was in for a treat. Long before the rest of the house awoke, even before the sun rose, I met Becky Carpenter at Starbucks for coffee. Our friendship dates back almost a decade and half, during which we have helped each other walk though college, family crises, and marriage. When she married Jake Carpenter almost 6 years ago, she moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina - and since then our time together has been scant and precious. Therefore, finding ourselves in Memphis at the same time, there was no way we were willing to miss the rare opportunity to linger over coffee and conversation.

Tuesday Becca and I spent the day with Jenny and the kids at their house, helping Jenny prepare food for Thanksgiving dinner. Becca, Jenny, and I sat at the kitchen counter and cooked, as Reece read to me aloud from Shel Silverstein (that kid is beyond smart) and Alli talked to herself (or an imaginary friend, who knows) about why her nails should be painted. Over peeling and cooking sweet potatoes for casserole and helping Jenny prepare things for her family's Thanksgiving, we managed my idea of a perfect visit. When it was time to make the Caramel Pumpkin Pies, even the kids got in on the baking - Alli helping me assemble one and Reece the other. I cannot think of a way I would rather spend the day than conversing with my sisters in the kitchen and playing with my niece and nephew, whom I sorely miss. 

Wednesday: Mexican Stack with a side of Cranium

Wednesday evening the Fam all gathered at Scott and Jenny's again. At the time we thought this would be our only Thanksgiving with them. Jenny had made Mexican Stack - a buffet array of regular taco ingredients, plus rice, coconut, nuts, and several other things I do not specifically remember. In my new spirit of trying everything once, I left nothing out of my Stack - each person assembled their own meal individually on a plate, hence the Stack. All of the ingredients together sound kind of scary, I know.  I was amazed at how well the individual flavors blended, with the ingredients not normally in taco salad combining to yield a depth of texture and flavor completely unexpected. 

After dinner, everyone retired to the living room for Cranium (my family seems unable to get enough of that game). The new addition contains even more crazy tasks, like using someone else's body parts to act out a clue rather than your own. In my family, Cranium is a highly entertaining way to amuse yourself at the expense of someone you love. 

While we were all playing games, Stephen was busy amusing himself behind the camera, which is most likely where he can be found at family gatherings. He seems to have replaced my mother as the most avid photographer in the family, which is saying a lot. Watching Stephen take pictures, Reece and Alli eventually wanted in on the fun. After snapping several with our camera, Scott pulled out an old one of his for them. To look at the world through the eyes of a 3 year old and a 6 year old offers a distinct difference in perspective than one normally views, with some things seemingly larger than life and the often overlooked becoming important. I had no idea.  

Thursday: a very Rainey Thanksgiving with the McFarlands

The Thanksgiving celebrations we were so blessed to attend began mid-morning at the Rainey parents'. With almost half the family currently residing in East Asia, gatherings at the Rainey's tend to center around Meg. Not even 2, she could rival Alli for most energetic and Emma for personality. Terribly fascinated with Honey, the dog with which she is not allowed to play (it bit Drew while Ben and Shellie were here last year), Meg resigns herself to refusing food, frequently pulling her bow out of her hair, and hiding Cheerios around the house like Easter eggs. Poor kid - adults are a poor substitute for cousins. I am sure she, like all of us, will be much happier at family gatherings when we have Ben, Shellie, Drew, and Emma back with us.

Everything considered, though, it was a wonderful Rainey Thanksgiving. The food, as always with Ms. Janice in the kitchen, was overly abundant, beautifully prepared, and incredibly delicious. The meal included a perfectly cooked, juicy turkey, delicately flavored cornbread dressing, bacon wrapped Grean Bean Bundles, and many other things I cannot remember. But I can remember my very favorite part of holiday gatherings at the Rainey's - the hot spiced punch. I would come home for the holidays just for that. 

From the Rainey's to the McFarland's - after lunch it was back to Scott and Jenny's house for our family Thanksgiving. Each person had their different contributions to family dinner this year - Jenny provided the most succulent turkey I have ever eaten as well as pumpkin pie, Becca a strawberry cake, Granny a delicious cranberry salad. My mom provided the rest. Her kitchen still being in pieces from the Great Flood of August, she purchased the remainder of the meal - but she and my Dad were never really clear on whom they purchased it from. Most of it was good food, despite not tasting like our family's traditional dishes. And their propensity for vague answers when we asked questions about where the food came from led us to eat it without looking too closely. Frankly, I think I only really ate Jenny's turkey - I never really made it any father down the buffet. 

For a holiday we had planned to spend in the car driving back to Chicago, it was a wonderful day. Topped off by Mom neglecting to pass out corn. In my family, there is (of course) a Thanksgiving tradition. I have no idea where my Mom heard about the idea or when she decided to instate it, but every Thanksgiving she puts 3 or 4 kernels of feed corn at each place setting. After dinner the idea is for everyone to go around and, for each piece of corn at their place, list one thing they are Thankful for this year. My Mom's ideas for moments like this are plentiful - there is one tradition of seriousness for every major holiday. The problem is getting my siblings and I to follow through on her intentions. The more serious the situation, the worse we tend to behave. Funerals in my family are not the sober events they probably should be, either. Inappropriate reactions to serious situations seem to be deeply rooted in our genetic makeup, so we should not entirely be blamed for the results. By now, my mother should know what to expect. She tells us what she wants us to do, something bad happens - kernels of corn dropped into the nearest candle, Scott's hair catching on fire as he leans over a candle, my shirt catching on fire from a candle, etc - all to badly suppressed laugher followed by my Dad telling us what bad children we are for not being serious. Inappropriate behavior escalates. My Mom gives my Dad a stern look, and he again attempts to control the situation before finally admitting we are just bad and beyond control. Then out of guilt we finally participate, through barely concealed laughter and poor attempts at serious answers. You think after years of this my mother would finally learn it never turns out the way she intends. But when everyone was ready to leave, she realized she had forgotten to do the corn and was as genuinely upset as the rest of us were genuinely relieved to have realized at dinner that corn was not there. One thing she has evidently learned, though - she no longer decorates holiday tables with burning candles. 

Friday: 

Friday night Andy came to Bec and Guy's to join us for a last dinner - this time one of the old staples - Guy's hamburgers and fries. Dessert was a collection of leftovers: Ms. Janice's pumpkin pie and pecan pie, Bec's mint chocolate chip ice cream cake and strawberry cake, and my Mom's left over cookies. Andy was spending the night there with us because we were heading out of town again the next morning. After dinner, he and Guy settled into playing Xbox online with Scott and my Dad while Becca, Stephen, and I curled up in Bec's bed under the heated blanket to watch Family Guy. A wonderful end to a delightful last day spending time with my sister. 

Saturday: a return to the Great White North

The drive back to Chicago for me is always interesting - a good book or a good nap and its a very pleasant way to pass 8 hours. This time around, we hit snow about the time we crossed the Illinois state line, so the trip was even more interesting. Watching the snow fall begin to pile up on the trees and bushes lining the road, making the world appear fresh and magical. A nice end to a week of holiday celebrating, and a great way to start the Christmas season.

Believe it or not, this was Stephen idea (just stuck that in there for my family, who never gives him credit for things like this). He found this, and decided it would be a good idea for us to start date night and go out. The last time he had taken me to the opera was to Phantom, when he surprised me with a trip to Nashville for my 23rd birthday just to see it. He knew how much I had loved opera since I was in Jr. High; that was his first experience with it and he really enjoyed it.

What a great way to experience opera, with the sun setting over the Chicago skyline and just a hint of autumn in the air. My favorites were Act One from from Charles Gounod's Faust, and Act One from Verdi's La traviata. Faust's dance with the devil was humorous and chilling in one, the music powerfully moving. The piece from Verdi was about a young woman of society torn between her love of a farm boy and her life of vain pleasures and her family. Stephen usually hates high sopranos, but he really liked it - that's how beautifully it was done. I have never heard anything like it.

After the opera we walked through the city and down by Lake Michigan before walking home. I could get used to this...

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Yesterday was a beautiful day - actually, beautiful seems to me an understatement. It was incredibly sunny. So sunny I could actually feel the warmth of the sun on my skin for the first time in months. And even though it was quite windy, it was pleasantly warm. Well, I guess that part is all in perspective. To someone who has grown used to temperatures in the single digits, 30 degrees without a doubt feels warm. But most of all, it was a beautiful day because I got to spend the majority of it traipsing around the city, goofing off with my husband... and somehow, it turned into not just a beautiful day, but a beautiful weekend. 

We headed out into the sunshine around 11:30, just planning on walking to lunch at Portillo's, a famous Chicago hot dog restaurant. We had eaten there once before, a couple of weekends ago on the way home from Ikea. That restaurant, in Addison, Illinois, reflected a 1950's diner. The Portillo's in downtown Chicago was much larger, and had decor that reflected the mob era of the 1920's and 1930's. The owner of the restaurant seems to be intent on reflecting every era of Chicago history in his various restaurants, which makes it a fascinating place to eat. The food is good, too - I had a charbroiled hamburger (still not a hot dog, sorry Stephen) while Stephen ate a jumbo Chicago style hot dog - which means it's served piled high with crazy things (like a dill pickle spear and raw onions) all on a poppy seed bun. I think it sounds gross, but what do I know. He says it is really good. 

After lingering over lunch, enjoying the sunshine through the window, we headed home. Oddly enough, we did not make it there for another 4 hours. Oops. We became sidetracked, walking through parts of the snow covered city we have not seen since the hot days of August. Then we decided see how our favorite beach was faring for the winter. Now that was crazy. To stand on the same piece of beach where I had sunbathed in a bikini less than 4 months ago, currently crusted in drifts of snow and ice in places up to my thighs. The snow covering the sand so completely it appears to be a strange, alien kind of beach all its own. To view parts of the Lake I had enjoyed swimming in entirely crusted in ice, to stand beside it and hear the whisper of the water as it made it's way through the ice flows. And best of all, just as I was mentioning to Stephen how much I would love to go ice skating, to find my own private skating rink in the middle of the beach. I never even knew beach skating was an option. After enjoying the beach and all the winter pleasures it offered, we headed back through the city, stopping at Hershey's World to find a cup of something hot to warm our icy hands (note to self - you should probably wear gloves next time you go beach skating. Ice is cold). I have to say, I have never seen so much chocolate in one place as at Hershey's World. Becca and my Dad would go crazy, with ten pound Hershey's bars, mounds of Reece's peanut butter cups, and Kisses that looked like they weigh as much as I do. As good as the Hershey's hot chocolate sounded (to Stephen, anyway), we decided to go a less expensive route and save money for dinner. So it was off to 7-Eleven for a cup of cheap cappuccino, or as Andy calls it Crapaccino. Which I probably enjoyed much more than the hot chocolate, and it had the same warming effect which was really what I was after (I lost my gloves last week, and even on a warm winter day this is not a city in which it is smart to go gloveless). 

Nine miles and 6 hours later, we finally made it home. After watching Transformer's (the movie, not the cartoon) with Andy, it was back out for pizza at Lou's. Back at home, as Stephen worked on our pictures for the day Andy started playing a new PS3 game. This eventually led to Andy and I battling it out in Tekken (I am not really sure how). And the day ended with my favorite bedtime ritual - Stephen and I curled up in bed watching Stargate. Una Mas (Gould, or something, for "one more" episode). I think I am slowly but surely crossing over to the dark side and becoming a geek myself...

For a wonderful weekend, that would have been enough. An amazing date day with Stephen, several incredible meals, and 9 miles of exploring our new city - who could ask for more? But this morning, the treats just kept coming as we took the train to Heaven on Seven for brunch. French Toast, Oyster Po'boys, Turtle Soup, and Cajun Eggs Benedict - what a brunch. 

Currently, Stephen is sleeping while I reminisce. I think having people in town coupled with all deadlines lately have worn him out. Not to mention our trek yesterday. Even if he sleeps all afternoon, it is worth it - for so far, I think this has been a perfect weekend.

Celtic Fest

Earlier in the week we made a few tentative plans for the weekend. There is always some kind of festival or other event going on somewhere in the city. This week it was Celtic Fest. This is one of the free festivals that is put on in Grant Park.  It was going to be two full days of music, dancing and other Celtic traditions. I thought we would at least go see Great Big Sea and then catch the fireworks at Navy Pier. We have only gone to see the fireworks once, and this time we were going to go all the way down to the pier to see them up close. They do them twice a week. Maybe we will check them out next week instead.

Record Rainfall

Hardly a day goes by that I do not go out and walk for a few miles in the City. Whether I go towards the lake and the parks or through the high rises, I just really enjoy getting out and walking the city. I don't mind getting a little wet, but everytime I thought the rain might be letting up I'd look at the radar and see that more heavy rain was right on it's way. We went out last week in similar conditions and ended up getting drenched. My only pair of shoes were wet for days.

It ended up raining about 6.63 inches yesterday, which is the most amount of rain that Chicago has seen in one day ever, or at least in recorded history. Typically the Chicago river and other water sources do not empty into Lake Michigan. This is to keep the quality of the water in the lake up. Yesterday, for the first time in 6 years, they opened the gates in 3 areas, dumping 4 billion gallons of rainwater an hour into the lake. Probably not a good time to go for a swim, but they say the water is cold enough right now that the bacteria will not survive for long.

Some of the area has already seen a bit of flooding and there is another 2-4 inches of rain expected today, but I think everyone considers themselves lucky not to be in Galveston.

Pure Laziness

I looked up all the things that Chicago has to offer when it's raining.  I found a lot of sources readily sharing this information. Not that I'm surprised, but there is a whole lot to do. Sometimes the rain can be a good excuse to explore things that you normally wouldn't if the day was nicer. There are all sorts of museums, attractions, theatres, shopping. You can even find a lot of things to do for free.

I decided that I can enjoy all of those later, I mean the winters are supposed to be harsh and all. I chose to hang out in bed for 95% of the day. I  enjoyed watching the rain, saw a couple of movies and slept the rest. Overall it was a great day, but today I might just take my chances with the rain.

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The end of September rolled around as it does every year without fail, bringing with it another birthday. But this year's presented new challanges. Not the age. My age does not bother me at all. Maybe at some point I will reach an age that will, but for now it is hard to be disturbed about the age when people continue to guess my age no higher than 22. My challenges this time around were much more serious than growing another year older...

For weeks as it got colder and colder here in Chicago and I had no fall/winter clothes to wear (they had all been in one of the boxes that fell victim to the flood at my parents' house), I had been shivering every morning on my walk to the El stop and work. As I walked (often in skirts as the wind bit at my bare legs) I focused on my birthday. It is not that I particularly love birthdays. It is that I have some very generous people in my life who bless me every year with wonderful gifts I am privileged enough to pick out for myself. So on these cold mornings I was like Ebenezer Scrooge, gleefully counting his gold as I added up every penny family and friends were gifting me for my birthday to distract myself from the weather. (Make fun of me all you want, but some mornings in September here feel like January in Memphis...)

 With the arrival of my birthday, family and friends were generous beyond anything I could have imagined. Which presented a new challenge - now I had to find clothes on which to spend all this money. In Chicago you would think this would not be an issue. And just finding clothes is not. There are a plethora of stores on the Magnificent Mile, in Lincoln Park, in Lakeview... I could go on and on. Big chain stores, small chain store, boutiques, malls. I had already spent the day shopping with Jennifer and knew of several stores I really liked, but I also knew that I needed an entire new wardrobe this season and I would only be able to afford a single outfit in those stores. Maybe next year. So Stephen and I went to check out some of the other stores. 

Stephen and I spent a chilly but sunny day walking through the city, checking out clothing shops we passed along the way. Stephen found a new game: Bet I Can Guess How Much This Is (oddly enough, he's usually within $10). After several stores and the last pair of jeans I picked out being $185 on sale, Stephen decided we had to find another solution.

 The solution - an outlet mall in Aurora, Illinois, about 40 minutes from downtown Chicago. So Thursday following my birthday, Stephen and I set out for Chicago Premium Outlets. I have never seen an outlet mall like this: it is huge, containing 120 different stores of every imaginable kind and brand.

I have to say, though, as much as I was looking forward to new clothes I think I hated the actual shopping as much as Stephen. He tried so hard - he did not complain once, he looked at everything I tried on and evaluated it honestly, he was genuinely supportive. But Stephen is no Becca. For years now my little sister has been my very own personal shopper. Whether we were shopping together and she would pick things out for me to buy, or she would call me while she was shopping and ask if she could spend my money for me, or I would inherit her things that shrunk once she washed them, I think I may have become a little too accustomed to allowing my sister to pick out my clothes. I always miss my sister terribly, but that night it was like a physical ache. I need her buoyancy to make clothes shopping tolerable for me.

But we got through it, even without Becca. The Outlet actually had some really good deals. I was able to get 5 pairs of pants and 4 shirts, and have enough birthday money left over for a winter coat and a couple of pair of winter boots. So to my loving husband, my parents, the Raineys, Buddy, Becky and Jake, and everyone else who made all these new, warm clothes possible - I cannot thank you enough.

Shopping may have been difficult, but we did have a good time. And we made an excellent date night out of it. When we got back to the city we went out to Lou's for more deep dish (Mmmm, spinach and tomatoes). All in all it was a great date night - but not something I want to do again very soon. At least not the clothes shopping part. I'll take Lou's anytime. 

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I like Valentine's Day. Actually, I like any day that gives me an excuse to give gifts - I love trying to find just the perfect present for someone, searching and searching until I find what I think is the exact right thing. For Christmas you give gifts to everyone, so all that love and attention is spread over a multitude of people. But on Valentine's you can focus on just one or two people who really mean something in your life. I think this Valentine's Day was my favorite yet - presents, cooking, ice festivals, and long walks in the sunshine with Stephen - I think that may just be the recipe for a perfect holiday.

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During the first week of December, Stephen's business partner Aaron and his family came to visit. Though ostensibly for business, it was nice to get to spend some time with their family. With both of our families having moved out of Memphis within a few days of one another in August, it had been since right after their youngest was born that we had last seen them. They are living in Louisville, Kentucky while Aaron attends seminary there.

Being the first of December, the city was decorated for Christmas with a fresh dusting of snow on the ground. During the days, Aaron, Laurin, and Stephen would explore the city with the kids while I was at work. Despite the cold weather, they got to see Shedd Aquarium, Michigan Avenue, the Hancock Center, and many other things as they explored. I would meet them for us to go out to dinner each evening after I finished work at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. We had a good time taking them to various restaurants in Chicago, some we had been to before and some we had yet to try, enjoying both the food and the company of friends.

After we got in from dinner each night, Stephen and Aaron would get back to business while Laurin put the kids to bed. Although ultimately it was a short visit, it was a treat to get to spend some time with them and catch up for a while.