Tag: Vacation

Judi’s Pool for the win!

When discussing our time sharing that we do, elsaf, judiang and I have decided that Judi’s pool beats out the relaxing lake cottage that I have or the double dose of dogs that Elsa has. We wound up there twice today. And probably will be back again tomorrow. Judi’s pool rocks. And the oddest thing? Nobody seems to know it’s there except us!

So, this morning, after being rudely awakened by a some alarm whose battery was going dead, I got up around 9am. We puttered about waiting for Judi to wake up, and then headed off to Chinatown for Dim Sum. Mmmmmm! We love Three Happiness. Always good Dim Sum. 60 seconds after sitting down, we were snarfing up lovely delicacies. What they were, who knows? But they were tasty and plentiful.

We waddled back to the train station, stopped at Jewel for ingredients for lamb curry (which Judi will make while Elsa teaches) and then rested a bit in the apartment. But soon it was time for the pool. We spent nearly an hour in the water, enjoying the cool water. The wind was down from yesterday, but it was a bit chillier and overcast. Every so often it would sprinkle, but we figured we were wet already, so who cared if it sprinkled. We snoozed in the lounge chairs to dry a bit before we headed back to the apartment.

I installed Nero onto Judi’s computer (one of the pieces of software she’d bought at Target yesterday) and then Elsa and I created a DVD to test it out. Elsa showed me how Nero 7 can do animated backgrounds for the menus. Pretty cool. While it was transcoding, we headed off to Taste for supper. A short cab ride later and we were pushing our way through the crowds (more than yesterday) to get to various eateries. I would up using more than 3 strips worth today. But that’s because I wound up getting some non-taste portions. And cuz I’m a greedy pig. Elsa wound up with the most tickets left over. And here’s the things I tried today:

  • Dolmeh (baked grape leaves stuffed with vegetables, nuts, legumes, and herbs) from Pars Cove Persian Cuisine

  • Enchilada from La Justicia

  • Toasted cheese ravioli from Bella Luna Cafe

  • Collared green egg rolls from C’est Si Bon

  • Sweet potato biscuit from C’est Si Bon

  • Cannoli from Pompei

  • Saganaki (fried cheese) from Atrium

  • Deep dish cheese pizza from Connie’s Pizza

  • Blueberries and chocolate bread pudding with caramel sauce from Cyrano’s Bistrot

‘Twas all yummy and I’m still full! We think we’ll go see Al Gore’s movie tomorrow, and for sure we’re going to see the fireworks tomorrow. So YAY! Here’s hoping folks are having even half as much fun as we are. And if you are, well then we’re having twice as much fun as you. 😉

It was a very good day

judiang and I slept in late. After a light breakfast of Special K Vanilla Almond cereal, we went up to her swimming pool. I puttered around in the pool while Judi first watched from a distance and then later put her feet in the water. I did everything I could think of to convince her that she should get a swimsuit. It worked. 🙂

We walked to Howie’s for lunch (or rather, second breakfast) where I got an egg, cheese & bacon sammich on a bagel, plus hash browns and apple juice. Unfortunately, I’d left my CTA pass back in the apartment, so we walked back, double checked the time of elsaf‘s arrival, picked up my CTA pass, and then headed back into the city. Our destination = Target. Our target = Swimsuit!

I picked out several 2-piece swimsuits that Judi might like (not bikini – it’s these nice ones that look like 1-piece swimsuits but aren’t) and she eventually picked out the lesser of the evils. Which is good, cuz if she hadn’t I was going to have to go all Medieval on her ass and force her into one. We picked up beach towels (3 – one for her and one each for the “2 guests” she’s allowed to bring to the pool), sun screen, sun glasses for me, software for her, and then headed out.

A quick stop at Walgreens and then we were off on the Orange Line to Midway. Yup, it was nearing time for Elsa to arrive. Yay!

Elsa’s flight was on time and she arrived in baggage claim not long after landing. Waiting for her bag was the biggest wait, but it was the 15th one off her plane (yes, I counted) and we were soon on our way back.

First order of business – Elsa had to download the new Ep of Doctor Who. Once it was downloaded and a DVD was being built on my laptop, we took our bathing suits, left our dignity behind, and went for a swim. Judi’s first time in her swimming pool! She’s been here over a year, and it was her first time. She loved it. Yay!

We had a lovely time in the pool, watching our towels blow into the water was especially fun (well it was for me – mine was the only one that *didn’t* – heh!) We were there for over 45 minutes and had shown Judi a number of things that a non-swimmer can do in a pool. (The deepest end is 3’10”, so if Judi wants to drown, she’s gonna have to work awfully hard at it!)

We returned to the flat, dried, switched clothes, and then headed off to Taste of Chicago. It was time to GRAZE. And graze we did. I bought 3 sets of 11-tickets ($21) and wound up with only 4 tickets left. The girls had even fewere than I did. It was a successful venture in Foodsville. Here’s the bits that I had:


  • Steak taco from Taqueria Los Comales
  • Flan from Taqueria Los Comales
  • Pav bhaji with bread (hamburger bun, actually) from Arya Bhavan
  • Vegetarian Tomale from A Natural Harvest
  • Sauerkraut perogies from Kasia’s Deli
  • Mustard-fried catfish from B.J.’s Market & Bakery
  • Pad Thai from Star of Siam
  • Bailey’s Irish Cream ice cream from Kitty O’Shea’s/Hilton Chicago
  • Pineapple sundae from Zephyr

Sounds like a lot (well, it WAS – and all good!) but I usually just get the “taste” portion. Only the flan and Bailey’s Irish Cream were regular sizes. (Still awfully small, though). Hoping to test many more items. There’s several new restaurants which have booths, so will have to check them out for sure. Yum!

Anyhoo, we tiredly returned from Taste and our feet/ankles/toes/knees were all waging war on us. But we got home, watched the new episode (wowie!) and then the David Tennant ep of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased). (If Judi had a REAL DVD player, we could have watched Eurovision.)

‘Twas a fun and busy day. If our feet/ankles/toes/knees let us, we’ll do even more tomorrow.

Chicago Again

Yay! I’m back in Chicago staying (as usual) with judiang. The flight (out of Columbus) was uneventful. (Reminder to me – I’m parked in 10C in the Blue Lot.) Judi was there at the foot of the escalator when I headed to the baggage claim.

We took the Blue Line to Jackson then switched to the Red Line. Then a short walk to Judi’s place and it was time to sit out on the balcony while Judi burned some hot dogs for us. The weather was perfect out there as I sat and watched the city lights and Judi’s neighbors. She’s got the perfect place for voyeurs. I think I’ll get her binoculars for Christmas.

Tomorrow, elsaf arrives and we’ll do all sorts of fun things, like Taste of Chicago. Should be a fun weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend at the Lake – 2006

Ah, it’s good to be in the 3-season room at mom & dad’s cottage at Lake Loramie again. It means (a) summer’s nearly here, (b) the girls are visiting, and (c) I can nap whenever I want!

Yesterday, I picked judiang up at the airport, took her to KFC for lunch, brought her back to my place, and then finished up at work. After work, the high school teachers were treated to an ice cream sundae bar in appreciation for the great OGT (Ohio Graduation Test) scores that the sophomores got this year. 82% or higher passed each of the tests (Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies, and Science) and 76% passed all 5 tests. Yay sophomores! Yay teachers!

When I got home from work, Judi was sleeping (no! such a surprise!) so I geeked a bit, transferred some David Tennant vids from her laptop to my PC (for burning onto a DVD for watching this weekend – providing the DVD player here can play ’em) and played with Leo a bit. Once Judi was rested up, we zipped off to BW’s for booze (amaretto sours, of course) and wings, chatted with my coworkers there (many of whom Judi met on our trip to Italy last summer), and then bugged out. We then headed to Pizza Hut to get pizza for the Shorts. I ordered 2 large pizzas, going halvsies on each. Pineapple/cheese, sausage/pepperoni. I figured there’d be something for everybody – and there was.

Once we got to town, I dropped Judi off at Becky’s with the pizza, then popped round to Robbins’ gas station for some chips (ranch Doritos and Munch ’ems) and pop for the Judester and myself. Back to Becky’s for pizza (Becky, Deanna, mom, dad, and my little cousin Taylor were also in attendance) and conversation. And then it was time to play cards. Dad and Taylor bugged out at that time to their respective homes. And in honor of Granny, we started the game off by all saying “Shit!” in unison. We miss you, Granny!

So we played our usual game of Shanghai Rum and, as usual, complained the whole time about it. “Why are we playing this game?” “I hate this game!” “Crap, another bad hand.” You’d think we were a group of masochists, but honestly, it’s FUN to play and bitch about!

As for who won, well, it’s not that important. But I suppose if you really want to know, judiang will probably have the blow-by-blow on her journal. 🙂

After the game, mom went home cuz she had to work the next day (blech) and Judi and I returned to my place. I gave Leo a day’s worth of food, which he proceeded to eat. Then I packed and we headed off to the Lake. We chatted on AIM with hergrace and elsaf for awhile as we got caught up on LJ and chatted on IRC. Then around 2am, we finally headed for bed. And I proceeded to wake up at 5:30am. I think my cat finally has me conditioned. I didn’t get up until 8am, however. So there, Leo!

After half an hour of playing CoH on Judi’s laptop, I started vacuuming the floor (cleaning up after the plumbers who had to install a new water softener yesterday). And I’ve got stuff soaking in the sink (cuz mom & dad couldn’t wash because of the plumbers) which I’ll get to after this.

Elsa should be arriving around noon and dad will get here soon, so we’ll have hot dogs on the fire and whatever else we pick up at Wagner’s before they arrive. Yay! It’s so good to be at the Lake! Yay for memorial day weekend!

4 Day Weekend

Well, I’m now halfway through my lovely four-day weekend. I’ve been having fun. Yesterday, the folks & I spent the day at the Lake. The weather was very good to us. Pleasant during the morning & early afternoon, cloudy & rainy later when we were ready to watch The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. We all enjoyed the movie. And I’d like to see the same group do Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which I both enjoy a lot. (OK, so my favorite versions of them has Sylvester McCoy as Reepicheep.)

Today started out rainy & cloudy and became beautiful. Leo and I spent some time outside while I cleared my cart out of trash & straightened the garage a bit. (It’s still quite a state, but at least there’s room for my bike without being in the road of the car.) I let my car stay out in the driveway all night, so the rain washed it nice & clean. 🙂 The rest of my day has been goofing off & catching up on LJ. Oh and I did work on my online class some yesterday & today. (I’m taking an online class about whether one should make online classes available to people. It’s been an eye-opener for me. I don’t think we’re ready at Newton yet – too much work for the treen!)

Tomorrow it’s round to Becky’s for Easter. I guess it’ll be in the afternoon because mom works. It’s always fun to see my little cousins. (OK, so I see 4/5 of ’em at school most days – one of ’em at least 1 period every day, but still…) And I haven’t had a chance to wish Deanna a belated happy birthday yet. I think she’s turned 23? Eeep! I am so OLD.

Happy Easter to all of you playing at home! 🙂

Excess! Er, Success!

Tonight’s fabulous five-course meal by elsaf was amazing! Well, we’ve only gotten 4 courses done and we’re taking a break before we have dessert. But it was very good food! Elsa is a marvel. judiang, hergrace and I are grateful to our culinary friend. And all four of us are stuffed to the gills. We’re sitting around Judi’s faux fireplace and listening to her ’60s directory of MP3s.

Alas, tomorrow morning, Elsa & I are driving back to Michigan and then I drive back to Ohio. But first, Steph has promised to make us buttermilk pancakes. Yay!

With the leftovers that are currently chilling in Judi’s fridge, I think she’ll be able to go a week without having to visit restaurants or (her nemesis) grocery stores.

ETA: changed “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch” to “Can’t Help Myself” on Judi’s recommendation in Music.

Day Before Judi’s B-Day!

Today was a nice leisure day for all of us. (Well, until Elsa cooked supper – then she worked her butt off). After faffing about in the morning (because the garage was off-limits from 8am til noon), we headed off to Jewell to buy all the ingredients that elsaf and I didn’t bring in the car. Of course, after all that food buying, we, um, went out to eat for lunch. Heh.

Elsa drove judiang and I to Chinatown for lunch. We ate at Penang (a Malaysian restaurant & sushi bar) and filled up on sushi. I ordered ebi sushi plus the Maki Combo plate. More sushi than I could eat, but there ya go. 🙂

Afterwards, we shopped in Chinatown. We picked up some key pastries from a bakery and then visited several shops that sold lots of tat. One of the first ones we visited had a Lucky Cat who waves. YAY! I have wanted one since I saw the one our local Japanese place has. It was only $9.99, so I had to get it.

I priced several Mah Jongg tile sets in several of the shops, but nobody had one cheap enough for my cheap self. So I’m still without my Mah Jongg tile set.

After shopping, we stopped once again at Jewell to pick up the things we’d forgotten to get. And even managed to forget one of those! Whoops!

We rested up from our shopping before Elsa began her tutorial on Lamb Curry. Judi and I watched while she cooked & explained stuff. She was almost as good as Justin Wilson! (Without the thick Louisiana accent, that is.)

During the 1 hour simmering time, we just listening to music, chatted, and geeked. Elsa’s just added the cream to the curry, so we’re just about ready for supper. Yay! Smells wonderful!

Bangers & Mash

elsaf and I left Detroit this morning at 8:41am and drove to Chi town. Like we’ve been doing, she drove the city bits (start & end of trip) and I drove the straight bit in the middle. A stop at Taco Hell for lunch and a couple of restroom breaks weren’t enough to slow us down too much. We wound up at judiang‘s ahead of schedule (arrived 1:15pm local time). Yay us! We didn’t take any wrong turns or missed turns – we rock!

After decompressing for a bit, we walked with Judi to Howie’s, a nearby coffee shop. She had lunch while Elsa & I had muffins (mmmm, chocolate & cheesecake muffin!) Back to the Grant Hotel (heh) where we played around a bit while Judi napped. (Poor dear – she actually worked today!)

When suppertime arrived, we headed off to the South Loop Local, aka Grace O’Malley’s. I bought drinks (amaretto sours for me & Judi, diet Coke for our designated walker, Elsa). We all had Guinness & Irish Cheddar soup for starters & then moved onto pub grub. Elsa had shepherd’s pie (peppered with actual shepherd on top). Judi and I had bangers & mash (mine without the sauteed ‘shrooms, thankyouverymuch). It was yummy!

Now we’re back at the ranch, Elsa watching tonight’s Smallville (taped on Judi’s DVR), me typing this, Judi doing – well, not sure. Anyhoo, it was a fun day and we’ve got a fun weekend planned. I love hanging out with my friends!