Tag: elsa

Lead (II) Sulfide, IL

One of the things that wanted to do on this trip was go on a road trip to Galena, which is on the other side of the state from Chicago. We decided that Sunday would be our day to head out there, but first, we’d finally get to the Taste of Chicago.

We left for the Taste around 10am and walked there. Turns out they were actually opening earlier than the originally proposed 11am. So once we got down to the other end we started buying our treats. As usual, I stuck to Taste portions and wound up spending 3 sheets of tickets for the day (giving 3 tickets to Elsa as well).

I started off with some mustard fried catfish from BJ’s Market & Bakery. Next was Ricobene’s Italian breaded eggplant which was in a small bun. This was very tasty. I then picked up an Irish egg roll from Abbey Pub & Restaurant, 1/2 a tamal from Carbon Live Fire Mexican Grill, and churritos (which are mini churros which aren’t filled) from Churro Factory. I returned to BJ’s and went in with Judi for a peach cobbler. I finished my Taste excursion with a non-Taste portion of Bacio ice cream (chocolate hazelnut gelato) from Cafe Gelato. Although the Taste is a shadow of its formal self, there were still lots of yummy places to eat!

Once we had rested up from the return walk from Taste, we loaded into ‘s car and she drove us to Galena. I navigated with the aid of my phone and CoPilot Live app. I had “avoid toll roads” so we did wind up most of the trip on US20 West which took us through a few more small towns than Elsa wanted to drive through. (And too many highways than my dad would prefer to drive on. Heh.)

When we arrived around 6pm, we checked in to the Chestnut Mountain Resort (which was about 8 miles from Galena and off in the “mountain” roads). It reminded me a little of Hueston Woods, where my folks, sister, and I used to go when I was a kid. We ate at their upper scale restaurant, the Sunset Grill. I had a nice salad which had blackened shrimp, pine nuts, gorgonzola cheese, and mixed greens. It was very tasty. Judi and I decided to finish with their strawberry shortcake, which we discovered was their short of strawberries cake. It was still tasty and the ice cream we got on the side helped.

Judi and I then took a walk around the grounds and chatted with a lady working in the gift store. We had a lovely view of the Mississippi (and Iowa on the other side) from both the resort and from our room. I also discovered a path I decided I’d walk along the next morning.

The next morning, we all woke up a bit early mainly because none of us thought to shut the blackout curtains. Whoops. I took the walk I had intended to take, and then we went down to the Summit restaurant for breakfast. I had eggs over easy, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast. Yum!

After we checked out, my phone was once again our navigator to Galena. We parked across the river from the town proper and walked over a nice foot bridge to get to the town. We purchased tickets for a trolley tour and wandered the streets a little before the tour began. Turns out Galena (an old mining town known for its lead (II) sulfide – aka galena – mines) has five levels to it. Main street was on level one and our tour took us on all five levels. Which was just as well as the day became so hot, we never left level 1!

Apart from being known for galena, Galena was home to Ulysses S. Grant (whom we loved to joke was Judi’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandpappy) and we saw his childhood home and the home he was given after being president. We also so the huge stair steps that run through that town that he would climb daily (often twice a day as he’d eat lunch at home). “No wonder he drank” said our tour guide.

After the tour, we went to Chef Ivo’s for lunch. Judi had studied the tourism booklet we’d gotten at the resort and had decided the previous night that we’d eat at Chef Ivo’s. She ordered some pork shank as appetizer (my first time having shank and it was pretty tasty) and I got a half rack of St. Louis ribs with an apple glaze barbecue sauce. My sides were slaw, spiced apples, and the tiniest cornbread muffin you ever did see. But everything was tasty, even the fried catfish that Judi had ordered and let me taste.

We shopped along Main Street until the girls were pooped. Then I continued on down the street until I realized that Galena, IL (like Chester, VT) doesn’t allow my Pay As You Go service to work. If the girls couldn’t get ahold of me or me ahold of them, I figured I should curb my shopping spree and return.

We still had a hot walk back to the car to go, but we all made it safely. Elsa then drove us home, this time with my phone allowing toll roads in the mix. So the way back was shorter (and would have been even shorter still but for the traffic once we got to Chicago) than the way there.

It was time for supper, so we walked to the Nepalese place for supper, only to discover it’s not open on Mondays. We wound up going to Zapatista (a Mexican joint) instead. I had another salad, this time with goat cheese and carmelized pecans. Judi then suggest splitting a flan, which I agreed to. We had a vanilla flan, which I seemed to enjoy more than Judi did.

This morning was finally our bike ride day. Judi tried to ride hers but her knee was hurting. So rather than ride Elsa’s spare bike that she’d brought (which was older and less comforable), I rode Judi’s bike. We went south on the bike path for almost 4 miles and then returned. It was warm but with the moving bike, was still pretty comfortable.

We’d decided to try the Nepalese place (Nepal House) again and had their buffet for lunch. I had a little bit of nearly everything and enjoyed it all. And then I decided to be foolhardy and when the girls went back to get the car, I walked to the Icon theatre where we were going to see Despicable Me 2. I survived the heat and beat the girls there (since they had to walk back to the apartment complex to pick up the car).

At the start of the flick, we were the only 3 in the theater, but during the trailers, another party arrived. The movie was very entertaining and will be added to my BluRay collection when it comes out.

After a short hop to Target, when then returned home (and once again, I walked both places). Now we’re about to head to the pool.

Tonight, Spanish tapas! Tomorrow *sniff* Elsa heads home.

Dim Sum and Then Some

The girls ( and ) and I have been having a great time. As you can guess from my icon, I’m currently in Chicago. The weather’s been perfect and we’ve been on many Grand Adventures thus far.

Friday morning, I headed off to pick up mom and we went to our WeightWatchers meeting. My weight was down again – whee! I’ve now lost 20lbs since I restarted WW. I decided my goal for this week is to gain no more than 2lbs during my time in Chicago. I may even lose weight (at the rate we’re going, I will!) I returned mom to her home and drove directly to the Columbus Airport.

The flight to Chicago and train to Roosevelt were both uneventful (just the way I like it), and Judi and I met on the streets near the station to get a late lunch. We tried out the new (since last September) Artists Cafe. I got a strawberry & spinach salad (with goat cheese and pistachios and such a small amount of vinaigrette you’d think I’d put it on myself. Heh) and water. Judi tried one of their gyros. We both enjoyed our lunches.

Back at Judi’s we vegged a bit and then eventually went to the pool. I didn’t think it was warm enough to swim, so we didn’t dress for the occassion but went to sit and read. That didn’t last long because when Judi found her dog sitter there (she’d borrowed Judi’s pool fob) the lady talked & talked & talked. I can get into that state sometimes, but Judi assures me that this is her default state. We eventually untangled ourselves and returned to the room.

Elsa arrived before 6pm and we decided we’d go off to Ma & I for some Thai food. There was a 20 minute wait, but we sat & chatted and were eventually seated. I, of course, ordered pad Thai (with tofu) and, once again, it was very delicious. Ate it all, too! (I think the WW points assigned to pad Thai in the database is a bit low, but I’m not changing ’em!)

The three of us went for an evening walk along the lake path and it was simply beautiful to watch the skyline get darker and darker. Judi has a lovely city, especially at night. And as we returned from out walk, we popped into Little Branch cafe and ordered ice cream. The pistachio was yummy!

We’d decided that Saturday morning would be our Dim Sum day. Elsa got up earliest and then rode her bike off to a nearby farmer’s market. When she returned, I took a walk around the Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. By the time I was back, Judi was up and ready to go, so we headed to Chinatown and Three Happiness, our Dim Sum place of choice.

We were good girls at Dim Sum and didn’t overeat. Well, Judi and I had two sesame balls each, but I did track it! It’s funny, Judi had surreptitiously wrapped the last sesame ball in a napkin, intending to take it home for later. And then one of the waiters popped by and handed her a small takeaway box to put it in. And she thought she was being subtle! 🙂

We stopped at Target on the way home and Judi got some essentials. Then we returned home. After awhile, Elsa and I took a walk around museum campus, which started out perfect, but was just a smidgen warm by the end. I grilled her about names of flowers and wildflowers, but probably won’t remember any of ’em when I get home.

For supper that evening (I had no lunch – just ate most of the cherries that Elsa had bought at the farmer’s market) Elsa made us salads with fresh greens, tomatoes, peppers, onions, raspberries, and strawberries topped with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette. She also found a package of Jiffy corn bread mix and made that up, but realized after the fact that it was probably out of date. (Judi found the expiration date – it was 2008.) They were dense but still tasty. She’d also had some brie/bleu cheese hybrid she’d gotten at the farmer’s market which we also had with supper. A very filling meal.

I had pre-ordered tickets for us to see the Navy Pier fireworks on a boat, so around 7:45pm we headed off to Navy Pier. Our original plan had been to take the bus, but that had been changed to car trip. This turned out to be not the best idea we’ve had for the trip, but it all worked out in the end.

When we got to Navy Pier, the main parking lot was full. So we were shunted to alternate parking. Having never done this before, we wound up on lower Wacker and then upper Wacker and Judi finally got us to streets she knew better. We eventually found a parking garage (the prices? OUCH!) and then walked toward the pier (once we figured out where it was in relation to where we were).

It was a long walk and I was afraid there’d not be enough time to get some Haagen-Dazs ice cream before we had to queue for the boat. Judi was more optimistic and insisted I stay in the line. We got our (teeny tiny) scoops of mint chip ice cream (very yummy, and really, the size I should get) and found Elsa at the boat booth. We wound up being nearly the last on the boat, but we still found seats on the bow and waited for launch.

Once we were underway, the boat found a spot and just sat there, playing music from a Pandora radio station. The music wasn’t overly loud and some of it was good. But the star of the eveing was the fireworks show. We could actually see the barge that the fireworks are fired from and the time between light & sound were almost instantaneous. It was the best way, IMO, to watch fireworks.

We got our entire hour (plus change) on the boat and then made our way to the trolley stop that (a) is free and (b) has a stop near our garage. The first trolley was after a 20 minute wait but filled before we could get on. The second was another 10 min wait, but we were the second party aboard. It did get us near the garage and so we got our car out of hock and returned home.

Today we’re off to Taste of Chicago (the dying carcass that’s left of the original Taste, which used to be spectacular) and then on to Galena, IL for a night of dining and day of shopping. The lodge has free wi-fi, supposedly, and wasn’t as expensive as some of the places. (Well, it’s off season for a ski lodge. Heh.) I suspect the fun will continue as normal. 🙂

Summer Vacation thus far

Although midsummer eve isn’t even here yet, I’m well in the thrall of summer. Mom and I have gone on a number of bike rides in the Troy area, the latest one was 12.8 miles. I spent time at the Lake with and . I went to the Troy Strawberry Festival, the Lost Creek Antique & Garden Show, and the Yellow Springs Street Fair. I’ve read several books. And I’ve vegged out on World of Warcrack. So it’s been a great start to the summer!

My last day of school was nearly two weeks ago. It was a teacher work day and I was allowed to zip off during the work day to pick up Judi from the airport. We stopped at The Brick House in West Milton for lunch and then I returned to the school. I gave Judi a tour of the new school building and then finished getting my room ready for summer. Of course, as soon as I was done, the heavens let loose with a frog strangler to strangle all frogs. During one of the points of less rain, I ran out (OK, walked quickly) to the car to pick Judi up. After a stop at home, we headed off to the Lake.

We’d been at the Lake for an hour or so when Judi needed to use the toilet, whereupon we discovered that there was water on the floor in the bathroom. Eep! I couldn’t see where the water was coming from (apparently, I’m blind because it was obvious the next day, according to Papa, that it was coming from the water softener) but I called the parental units and let them know. I cleaned up the mess as well as possible and it looked like we had the leak under control for now.

Elsa arrived later that evening, so after hugs and a bit of gossip, we headed to Brucken’s bar for supper. Having tried their “sex with the captain” cocktail before, I ordered it again. It’s basically a “sex on the beach” but with Captain Morgan’s spiced rum instead of vodka. I also got one of their Brucken burgers and ate Elsa’s fries. (She said I could!) Dessert was at the Dairy King around the corner.

The next day, I tried to start my “new summer regimen” of getting up early and talking a walk. (It’s been working sort of well so far. Some days are better than others!) The main plan for the day was for our Elsa dinner. She’s prepared some pork ribs before she drove down and I grilled them to her specifications. We also had grilled onions with a mustard sauce that she’d made, and her sour cream potato salad. The folks joined us for lunch (dad brought his World Famous Slaw) and we ate well.

While dad was there, he surveyed the leak, which seemed to be getting bigger, and saw its origins. He contacted the plumber who installed the softener and made arrangements for calling on Monday. Meanwhile, the girls and I would sleep in my house a couple of nights while the water was shut off at the Lake.

The original plan was for the three of us to go to my Aunt Becky’s for cards, but Elsa wasn’t have much luck with the task she was working on that evening, so she stayed behind while Judi and I went. So Judi got to meet Dona and Jill and see my Aunt’s new place. Sadly, Judy wasn’t there – I was hoping to introduce Judi to Judy. When we returned home, Elsa and Judi and I played the youth Trivial Pursuit that I’ve had since the ’80s and I wound up winning cuz I kept getting the easy questions. Heh. The next morning, we tried to have pancakes and sausage, but for a few issues: we’d forgotten to pack the sausage and Elsa’s grill. We improvised with mini scones and cereal and some OJ I bought at the local gas station. Then we were off to the Troy Strawberry Festival.

I’d taken Judi to the Strawberry festival before, but this was Elsa’s first time there. We parked at Meijer and took the shuttle (a school bus) to the festival. We found several things we wanted to purchase at the first few booths. I tried a very yummy strawberry sushi dish, had my usual strawberry lemon shake-up, had a strawberry empanada, and stood in line with Judi for ages for a pork chop sandwich. Elsa and I picked up the yard decorations we’d spotted at the start of the show and then returned to the shuttle.

After shopping a little at Meijer, we returned home to veg before we headed out later for dinner and a movie. IIRC, the dinner was Panera (yay for the strawberry poppyseed salad!) and the movie was Now You See Me. We all enjoyed the movie. Back at my house, Judi and I played Muppet Monopoly, which she eventually conceded to me. Go me!

Monday morning, we pack up the car again and headed to Bob Evans on our way back to the Lake. We got there late enough that we had brunch for breakfast. Heh. Dad was already at the Lake (as was the plumber) and when we arrived, he zipped off to lunch. We all just vegged at the Lake and eventually the bathroom was free for use of public (or whatever). For supper, I grilled a flank steak, which Elsa had prepared and later sliced. I also grilled some zucchini and baked a potato for Judi and I in the coals. Supper was very tasty. We then spent the evening by the fire.

Tuesday was Elsa’s last day with us. She made us blueberry pancakes and sausage (finally, success!). Then she packed up and headed back home. Judi was starting to get twitchy due to lack of Internet, so we went to the book store & coffee shop in New Breman for lunch. Then to Wagner’s grocery (which had better wifi than the coffee shop) for a few more odds and ends. That evening, we grilled hotdogs and had leftover potato salad and slaw.

Wednesday was a shopping day. We met the parental units at Kohl’s and both Judi and I found stuff (I got 5 pairs of shorts, all size 16, and a new swimsuit, size 18 – whee!) which we could then use my 30% off card. Then the folks drove us to Tipp City for lunch at Coldwater Cafe. I had their lobster and crabcake salad, which I love. I think Judi liked hers too. The folks returned us to the Kohl’s parking lot and Judi and I stopped in at the new cake shop, the Cakery, and bought a cupcake each. Mine was cookies and cream, Judi’s was key lime. Mine was good, I can say. We had leftover ribs for supper. And I think we got something ice creamy at The Dairy King.

Thursday was Winging It day. We had no real plans, other than a vague idea to go see Star Trek. We decided to have breakfast at Waffle House. On our way south to Sydney to the Waffle House, I had Judi check on her cell phone when Star Trek played at the Evil Puppy Mall. She also saw listings for the Greene, and I thought – well I’d never taken Judi there… There was an 11:10 IMAX showing according to her phone, so we headed on down after our WH breakfast and arrived at the theatre at 11:05. Which, apparently, was when the movie (not in IMAX mode) was showing. Tickets were only $4 each, so we went.

After the movie, which we both enjoyed (what can I say, I was expecting a popcorn movie and I got one!), we left the Greene (it was raining, so outdoor shopping was out) and headed for the Evil Puppy Mall. Sadly, Judi wasn’t allowed to hold any of the evil puppies (and thankfully they had no Pomeranians to tempt her). We then went to Red Slobster for lunch and then Best Buy. By then it had stopped raining, so we had time at the Lake to veg. But then we wanted just a bit of food to eat and decided to go to Dairy Queen. I had a burger and a blizzard (mint Oreo).

Friday morning we vegged some more and then eventually got the car loaded up. It was the day to return Judi to Chicago. We had lunch at the Friendly’s near the airport, then I dropped her off. I headed on to Troy where mom and I then took a bike ride. We finally got on the path north of Eldean road and it was lovely. It’ll be even nicer when they get that connected to the Piqua bike path. The folks and I then went to the Lost Creek Antique & Garden Show. We waited at the entrance for about 20 minutes waiting for them to open, then we made a bee-line for the flower vendor mom loves. She bought 4 plants which were all lovely (as every who later saw us carrying them said), and then we were able to look around the show. That night I got to sleep in my bed again with the kitties!

Saturday morning, I headed off to Troy again. This time the folks and I headed on to Yellow Springs for their Street Fair. We had lunch at Ha Ha Pizza (sadly, their calzones weren’t available due to the large crowds they always get at the Street Fair). I found a lovely wooden bowl at one of the vendors at the fair and it was still available when we were leaving, so I purchased it. Now I have a gorgeous bowl for my fruit.

Sunday was just going to be Clean Trina’s House and Do Tons of Laundry day, but that was changed slightly when mom called to say she had 2 tickets to see Dreamgirls and she’d buy my dinner if I joined her. What can I say? I’m a sucker for dinner and a Broadway show. We ate at The Spaghetti Warehouse (I had pesto on spaghetti with zucchini and grape tomatoes and a Mango Tango bellini) and then walked from there to the Schuster Center. The show was excellent – I’m glad we were able to see it.

Monday was Clean the Lake Day, which I did. I even had some time to see and relax while I was there. Tuesday, mom and I took our longest bike ride of the season so far (which was the aforementioned 12.8 mile ride). Today, I’ll be returning to the folks to spend a couple of nights. Tomorrow is water aerobics and WeightWatchers in the morning followed by Supper Club in the evening. And I’m sure we’ll do something fun on Saturday.

So this has been a great start to my vacation. Next week my two college courses start (one on stoichiometry demos, one on lab safety), so I hope to get those going well. Once I complete these, I’ll be at my Masters +15 and able to scoot up a little on the pay scale at work. Whee!

Summer’s Nearly Here!

Wow – time is still going Warp Speed. Tomorrow is the last day for students. Friday’s the last day for teachers. judiang is flying in Friday and we’re going to spend a week at the Lake. elsaf will be joining us for part of it too. YAY! Friends together again!

This weekend is the Troy Strawberry Festival. Currently the weather is looking… wet. But 50% chance does mean it might not rain just as likely as it might… Here’s hoping!

I think I’ve mentioned this on Twitter already, but I have made the plunge into Crazy Cat Lady-hood. I purchased a Pet Stroller for the kitties. I’m in the acclimatizing process now – letting them sit in it, trying the hood up & zipped. No movement yet. Once my vacation week with the girls is done, my *plan* is to go for walks early each morning with the kitties. My thinking is this: (a) It’ll be cooler in the morning and (b) hopefully not as many people can gawp at the Crazy Cat Lady.

I’ll also be re-upping to WeightWatchers once the vacation is over and start attending the Friday morning meetings. It does work for me (albeit slowly) and I’ve not been all that good at keeping to the program without the meetings. Though I’ll miss the ladies from work.

Here’s hoping the pool at mom & dad’s association will be reopening this summer. Last I heard from mom, the patio furniture wasn’t out yet, but there did seem to be people working on the water, at least. Cross fingers! The ActiveLink that I have from WeightWatchers is water-proof.

Oh, mom and I have started riding bikes this summer. We had a 7 mile ride on Saturday followed by another 4.5 mile ride on Monday. Wonder if I can talk mom into another run tomorrow evening? Want my butt to get acclimatized (just like my cats).

Anyhoo, hope that this summer (or winter, for you antipodeans) is a great one for all of you! If the two classes that I’m taking this summer don’t kill me, I’ll probably be stronger for it! 🙂

First Christmas of the season!

Today was our day inside. We started the morning with elsaf making us a breakfast of pancakes & bacon (mmmm, bacon!) and I had whole milk with mine (OMG, whole milk!) Tasty, tasty. Then we didn’t eat at all until supper time, cuz Elsa was making us our Christmas Dinner. (Well, OK, we all had a slice of butter bread from the loaf of bread that Elsa baked.)

I did take a short walk to Jewel (with a stop into Trader Joe’s for grins) to get a few essentials that we needed. Oh, and I took Patty (judiang‘s doggie) out for walkies once. She wanted to get back inside ASAP to watch Elsa cook, so we weren’t out long.

Elsa had e-mailed us last week asking for votes on the dinner. The consensus was rack of lamb, mushroom soup, asparagus, rice pilaf, and lava cakes. She added a red currant & wine sauce, pear salad, and from scratch rolls to that menu.

I think I cleaned the cooking dishes 3 times during the day, it took that much cookware for the meal, but it was worth it when we finally sat down for our meal.

The pear salad was very simple – sliced fresh pears with bleu cheese, walnuts, and a poppy seed dressing (no lettuce). Very tasty. She’s made the mushroom soup (with sherry) before and it was once again very yummy (and I’m not overly fond of mushrooms). The lamb was cooked perfectly and the sauce complimented it well (and was also good on the pilaf). For out-of-season asparagus, they were pretty good. And the lava cakes were spongy and nice, especially with a side of ice cream.

After the meal, we opened presents. I got lots of nifty stuff, including a real surprise – a K’nex roller coaster thingy that Judi got when she was in the studio audience of the Anderson Cooper show. Pretty darn nifty!

I managed to get stuff packed into my bag (and into another bag). I tweeted several photos from the meal tonight, along with a few gift photos. If you visit this lockerz.com page, you should be able to click on the photos that I tweeted tonight.

Tomorrow I fly home for more festivities! Woo!

Entertainment Time!

Today has been a fab day full of entertainment.

We started out (late) to Dim Sum, like usual. Man, I love dim sum. And I was a somewhat responsible eater, keeping WeightWatchers points in mind. And still had lots of yummy things.

On our way back, we stopped off at Bed Bath & Beyond and Best Buy for a few things. I found a Christmas present for the kitties at BB&B, too.

After a spot of resting at judiang‘s, we left for Navy Pier for my surprise of the weekend: Judi had ordered us tickets to see Miriam Margolyes’s one-woman show Dickens’ Women. Woohoo! With Elsa driving, we arrived with plenty of time so mooched about in one of the stores before getting to our balcony seats. It was a small venue and there wasn’t really a bad seat in the house. Miriam was excellent and the show was entertaining. And I realized I have a lot more Dickens to read!

Supper was also at Navy Pier (well, we paid for all day parking, might as well stay longer) and we went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. I had an Angry Orchard crisp apple cider (I do so love those) and a salad with shrimp, crab, and lobster on it. Ate half of the salad and so today I was good for my WW points, I think!

Our final entertainment for the day was another 3D HFR showing of The Hobbit. The first time for elsaf and second time for me. Judi had tickets too, but sadly a sinus headache prevented her from going. So she lent us her phone (which had our tickets on it) and keys (so we could get back into her apartment) and dammit if I didn’t think to send all sorts of tweets & facebook updates about how cool trina is etc. 😉

Now we’re all together (Judi’s feeling better) and ready for another day tomorrow. Woo!

Seas and Ships and Ceiling Wax

Wow, December is half over and I’ve not updated once. And many’s the time I’ve thought “I should post that to LJ” and then never did. My round tuits are around here someplace…

First off: The Hobbit. Ever since I saw Peter Jackson’s take on the Lord of the Rings, I wanted him to tackle The Hobbit. And then when he cast Sylvester McCoy in it, I got even more excited. I’m pleased that judiang got into Richard Armitage, because the Armitage Army have been a great source for Hobbit info. 🙂

Anyhoo, for mom’s birthday last year, I got her tickets to my favorite ballet (The Nutcracker). This year, I got her tickets to a movie with my favorite actor in it. 🙂 So yesterday, mom, dad, and I went doon sooth to the only theatre in the area showing the film at 48 frames per second. We got ideal seats and enjoyed the flick immensely. The picture quality is so crisp, and I never got nauseous once (which I always do in 3D movies). The folks enjoyed the flick too, and neither recognized Sylv in his role (though dad had pretty much narrowed it down to Radagast). Woo!

As for Sylv in the flick – wonderful. But then I would say that. Heh. I was pleased by the amount of the movie that he’s in. Hope he shows up in the other two, too!

In other news: After our trip to Ikea in MN, I decided to go the next weekend to my own Ikea (which is even further doon sooth than the theatre where we saw The Hobbit) and get the stuff I’d decided I liked in MN. I measured my trunk and knew that everything would fit – probably. And it did. I got a dining room table (small & square that expands out to a bigger rectangle when needed), 4 dining room chairs with extra seat covers (I have cats, you know), a coffee table (Lack, with a shelf), and some candles. I even planned ahead with Weight Watchers and knew how many points my meal would be. Heh.

WeightWatchers: I am on it again through work. And believe it or not, am losing despite Thanksgiving and the upcoming holidays. I’ll be surprised (though pleasantly so) if I lose over the break.

Holidays: Probably my least decorated yet. Have the tree up, got a real wreath & roping and they’re finally up, and today got out the other things I’ll decorate with. Though not everything is in place yet. Didn’t swap out dishes like usual, though. Amy will be in after Christmas, so before Christmas, I’m doing a short weekend in Chicago to hang with Judi and elsaf. Should be much fun.

Holiday shopping: Mostly done with that. Not yet done with Amy, and there’s a few things to buy locally for mom and another friend. Oh yeah, little cousins… Hmmm.

Last week of school: This week is our last of 2012. If I get all of my grading done, I’ll be very pleased. That’s my goal for the week. One less thing to hang over my holiday. 🙂

Wow, 2012, you’ve gone by so fast. You know, 2013, you can take your time if you want (even though I AM ready to watch the second Hobbit movie. Heh.)

Fun without the Taste

Usually when elsaf and I come to visit judiang over the 4th of July holiday, we visit the Taste of Chicago. But turns out, Chicago has moved the dates of Taste until the 11th of July. So we’ve not been going there for variety victuals.

Elsa arrived late on Sunday, and it wasn’t long before we were all abed. Monday morning, Judi went off to work, so Elsa and I hung out for awhile until she returned. Then we went off to Three Happiness for dim sum (ooooh, two days in a row). During the week, you order off the menu. And turned out when we got done, the three of us ate about the same amount of food as the two of us had the day before. Heh.

We also popped over to Target after dim sum, like the day before, because Judi had tried out a personal float in the pool that worked well with her. And Target sells ’em, so she got one.

Judi lives near all these lovely museums, and so we headed off to the Adler Planetarium. With a suggestion from the lady selling us our tickets, we bought tickets for the Undiscovered Planets movie as well as the general admission. It was a dome movie and was quite nifty (though we were all tired and it was difficult to stay awake). I enjoyed the museum, but I think the girls were too tired to get much enjoyment from it.

So we returned to the apartment and Judi and I headed off to go swimming. (Elsa was feeling a little under the weather.) And after that, we grilled hot dogs & had dogs & beans for supper. Followed by ice cream – woo!

Our evening entertainment was watching The Artist. However, we discovered that Judi’s den DVD player is dying. And then discovered that her living room DVD player is dead. So we wound up sitting on her bed & watching the movie on her bedroom DVD player. Heh. Excellent movie, BTW. (Anyone else seen the DVD version and/or the theatrical version? If so, we’ve got a question for you…)

This morning, Judi returned to work again, so Elsa and I went to Little Branch Cafe for breakfast. I had an egg, bacon & cheese bagel sammich, has browns, and fruit. Oh, and a hot cocoa. Tasty. Then I walked to the grocery to return the video (RedBox FTW) and then on to Field Museum to see the Extreme Mammals exhibit.

Today was under a Heat Advisory from 11am on. So my goal was to spend only about 2 hours and head back to Judi’s by 11am. And it took nearly 2 hours to see the exhibit. The girls and I then went to Little Branch for lunch. After my walk in the heat, I decided I wanted cool, so I had a smoothie (mango, blueberry, vanilla, apple juice) and salad (with blueberries, strawberries, almonds, and yogurt dressing). Very yummy and cool.

We bought tickets to see the matinée of Crowns, a gospel musical. I knew nothing about the musical other than that. And learned it was about Sunday church hats and the ladies who wear them. It was a fabulous musical. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to dance. 🙂

Next was swimming time! All three of us were able to swim and we had a very nice time. Then Elsa made us gazpacho soup and I grilled corn on the cob and flank steak. Supper was lovely. And we followed it with ice cream. And Judi gets leftovers.

Now Elsa and I are watching Game of Thrones season 2 episodes. I won’t get the season done before I go, but I’ll be getting the Blu-Rays when they eventually come out. Alas, tomorrow I must leave here (but hooray, I return to my kitties).

Memorial Day Weekend – a month late…

judiang and elsaf often come down to Ohio for Memorial Day Weekend and we hang out at mom & dad’s cottage at the Lake. This year, Elsa’s schedule didn’t work out to let us do that. But when she finally got a Saturday off, we made plans to hit the cottage. So that’s what we did this past weekend.

Judi flew in Friday night and I picked her up. We had dinner at Panera on the way to the cottage and it wasn’t long after we arrived that we crashed. Saturday morning, we had bagels with a smear (which we bought from Panera the night before) for breakfast. Then for lunch, we went to New Bremen for Italian food at La Piazza. For me to learn YET AGAIN that La Piazza is NOT open for lunch on Saturdays. (I’m pretty sure I’ve taken her there for lunch before, but she’s still never eaten there…) So we went to the coffee shop down the street and had a nice lunch there.

Elsa arrived in the afternoon and I later grilled a burger (for Elsa) and hot dogs (for Judi & me). Elsa had brought along some German potato salad she’d made, plus we had store bought slaw and baked beans. We had a nice evening catching up and chatting about this, that, and the other.

Sunday was Movie Day. We went to Bob Evans for breakfast, then to the 11am showing of Brave (so only $4.75 for the tickets – 2D). We all enjoyed the movie. It’s a great mother/daughter movie, but it’s more than just that. We had Coldstone Creamery ice cream for lunch, then checked on the kitties (and I showed off my new ceiling monsters to the girls). The cats were sort of kind of getting used to the fans. (Indeed, they’re now OK with the fans in the Off state.)

Our return to the Lake saw us having much relaxation time. Elsa did a butterfly cut on a whole chicken and I marinaded it for a couple of hours. Then we grilled it and had it, fresh grilled corn on the cob, and grilled asparagus & onions. All very tasty. We spent the evening by the fire then followed up with a double bill of Puss in Boots and Beauty and the Beast. Animated films for the win!

Elsa made pancakes & sausage for us for breakfast on Monday. Then we relaxed, did a little bit of cleaning (I returned later to vacuum), and, sadly, headed out. I got Judi to the airport on time (with a McDonald’s lunch in the car) and we all arrived safely in our homes.

I’m glad the girls were able to come down for a visit at the Lake, even if it was shorter than any of us wanted. And best of all, I’ll be seeing them again this weekend, but in Chicago this time. Woo!

31 Days – 31 Books (day 8)

First, a Happy Birthday to my sister, who turns 37 today! She now has a year in which she can quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: “I’m 37, I’m not old!” Yay!

Now, onto the meme:

Day8 – Book that reminds you on a certain place

The first one that I think of is Dancing the Code, a Past Doctor Adventure by Virgin publishing. Just thinking of the book makes me think of B-WISER camp. And just thinking of B-WISER camp makes me remember that book. Heh.

Many other books make me think of my library – I often sit in my comfy chair reading books (with cat or cats on lap). Much of the Harry Potter series was read in this manner (though book 6 was also read at judiang‘s place). Christopher Moore’s Lamb makes me think of Chicago as well since I bought it (and several others) there when Narns Ignoble was doing a Buy 3 get 4 or some such deal. Loved the cover and the premise, so bought it knowing nothing else about it. Loved the book. Oh, and in a stark contrast, reading about the cold Swedish weather in the Millennium trilogy makes me remember the cruise that mom, Judi, elsaf and I went on since I started the trilogy while on that cruise. Yeah, places implant themselves in my books, and my books in places.

The rest of the 31 days:

Day1 – Book you are reading right now
Day2 – The book you want to read next
Day3 – Your favourite Book
Day4 – Book you hate
Day5 – A Book you can read again and again
Day6 – A book you can only read once (no matter you love or hate it)
Day7 – Book that reminds you of someone
Day9 – The first book you ever read
Day10 – Book from your favourite author
Day11 – Book you once loved and now hate
Day12 – Book that a friend recommended
Day13 – Book that makes you laugh
Day14 – Book from your childhood
Day15 – 4. book from the left on your shelf
Day16 – 9. book from the right on your shelf
Day17 – Close your eyes and get any book from your shelf
Day18 – Book with the most beautiful cover
Day19 – Book, that you ever wanted to read
Day20 – Book that you read at school
Day21 – most stupid book you read at school
Day22 – Book on your shelf with the most pages
Day23 – Book on your shelf with the least pages
Day24 – Book where nobody would expect you read/loved it
Day25 – A book where the main character is almost like you
Day26 – Book you would read to your children
Day27 – A book where the main character is your idol
Day28 – Thanks God this book was made into a movie
Day29 – Darn, why did they make this book into a movie?
Day30 – First erotic book you ever read
Day31 – Book series you are collecting

Almost missed sending this out today since we went out tonight to watch a double header (7 innings each) at the Dayton Dragons – only to experience the first game going to 16 innings before the Dragons lost. We opted to head home rather than watch game 2. Heh.