Girl's Night Out!

Katie and I usually have a little birthday celebration between her birthday and mine, since they are so close. Last night we had an impromptu "girl's night out". We first went to select a different camera case for the new camera given me by the family for my birthday (early). It's a Sony Cyber-shot 10.1 megapixel dream!

Armed with the new camera we were off on our evening adventure! We stopped to pick up a small case to protect the camera which will live in my purse. Following that we went to Applebee's and had the House Sirloin dinner. It was delicious! Katie had a plain baked potato and I went for the mashed variety and had mushrooms added to my steak. We had fun taking all sorts of wacky photos of the table, our food and ourselves.

Since two babes like us could not be seen in my travel worn Kia we then stopped by the carwash and had all the grime from the Chicago trip washed away. I'm surprised my headlights were still visible through all the bugs; Yuck! Anyway, we drove over to the American Fork Cinema and bought our tickets for that dazzling flick "Mamma Mia!" I honestly do not think I have laughed so much in a film for a long time. It was fun and enjoyable. There were actually a few men in the theater, which was filled nearly to capacity.

As you can see, we really love our shoes! Here we are inside the theater waiting for our mid-birthday celebrating movie to begin!

The movie was so fun and funny we would have to recommend it to women everywhere. Just beware of the galley scene on the boat if you do not want to see the bare backside of a middle-aged man! The movie will be especially enjoyable when shared with a group of your best girlfriends. The only thing that could have made our evening better was to have Christy along as part of our Girl's Night Out.

Third Time's the Charm?

I have tried to post on our one full day in Kenosha twice already but something keeps happening and the post disappears. Better luck this time!

After we left the Museum of Science we drove straight to Kenosha, Wisconsin. After checking in to the room at the hotel we found the bathroom was not sufficiently clean. As I started to clean the sink I kept finding hairs around the room that were too long for Jeff's and too short and light colored to be mine. Gross!
We called the front desk and the manager on staff was THE only employee on the premises. She gave us a new room. This bathroom sink did not have soapy scum on the back but it did have a long hair and a dead bug. Enough! She could not come clean the room for us until late in the evening so we took sanitary wipes and did it ourselves. She decided to comp the room for us that night which was fine with us.

The next morning we met up with Phil, Susan and the girls once again. We all went to visit Elsa & Julie. Elsa was the boys' old nanny and Julie is her husband. These visits have become much more important lately as Elsa's health is suffering. We always have an enjoyable time visiting with them!

We planned on taking them out to dinner but once the bill was to come Julie insisted he pay for all of us instead. Jeff took lots of silly pictures as we were visiting so I'll post them in a slideshow!


Among the pictures Jeff took on the tour around the city were photos of the places Phil and Jeff lived and attended school. The most significant one is the picture of Radio Shack. That's where Jeff would go after school to hang out, promising the salesman he would eventually buy a computer. Gramma J made that dream a reality by buying a computer for the boys from that store. So this Radio Shack is where their technical careers began.

We left Kenosha the morning of July 28th and took two days to get back to Utah. It was a long drive but we enjoyed listening to the 3rd Fablehaven book on CD as we drove. It makes driving much less tedious. I think everyone should try it!

Kenosha Slide Show: http://www.slide.com/r/TfM2tdjA7T_0871pnQ9pw0Sxokujy8Fd?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Katiebug Appreciation Day

We choose this day, the first day of our journey home, as the official Katiebug Appreciation Day. Katie has worked tirelessly at cleaning up after our dog and cats while we've been away and for cleaning out and reorganizing the pantry and all the freezers. Other items of interest will be discussed later in the day with Katie herself. :)
So, in appreciation for all you do, we wish you a Happy Katiebug Day! We love you very much and will be home soon to apply the afore-mentioned appreciation in person.

Love,

Mom & Papa

Saturday at the Museum

We arrived at Chicago's Museum of Science & Industry just before 10:00 Saturday morning. We left around 4:30 that afternoon. It was a long day. Let me try to describe the interesting things we saw and the fun things we did. First we saw baby chicks hatching and then we saw their older siblings all fluffy and soft. We were not allowed to touch them but they did look incredibly soft. Had they not been inside a locked container I'm sure the crowds would have taken them out and cuddled each and every one. There were scale models of both Seattle and Chicago. The detail was amazing! There were simulators of all sorts, games to play, technology to play with, simulated cow milking machines and even the Wright Flyer to see. There were full scale planes on the upper balcony level. We had fun in the Hall of Whispers and viewing ourselves on a thermal imager. There was 'Brain Food' to eat at the cafeteria but it didn't seem much like brain food to me. Too much sugar and fat for the brain to maintain equalibrium! There was even an example of how manure can be used as energy on a farm. There were lines for the Navy flight simulator and the Coal Mine but the wait was far too long for any of us to spend time waiting. We had an enjoyable time with Jeff's brother and family at the museum. Upon leaving we headed for Kenosha, Wisconsin which I shall write about tomorrow.

Navy Pier, Chicago

It's sort of like an amusement park, but not quite. It's a long pier extending into lake Michigan on the East Side of Chicago. Friday, after finishing up the boat tour we met Jeff's brother, our sister-in-law and two nieces there for lunch and some fun.

There's a huge ferris wheel, sort of. The seats are semi-enclosed baskets that rotate very slowly on a ferris wheel frame. They go slow enough to let passengers get off and onto the ride. Bekah was not afraid of the ride but when Jeff and Phil threatened to rock the carriage she was not happy at all!



Since Phil's family lives in Michigan and we live in Utah, we don't get to see one another all that often. Any reunion is an occasion to celebrate!


We ran into this unfortunate woman on the pier selling flowers for a dollar. She was hoping to raise enough money for the surgery that would cure to her disfiguring disease. Thank goodness we came along. With the dollar we gave she was instantly cured. It was a miracle! We were so happy to have been able to help her out in her quest for normalcy.

No, really this is our sister-in-law Susan. We love you Susan and thank you very much for playing!

We were also able to see the Cirque Shanghai Gold. It was very entertaining. We took a lot of pictures and some video. We hope you enjoy the show! Until I can get the slides to show just click the link in the post above.

The Slide Show: http://www.slide.com/r/5zr7BPPX7D8gNQ_tHsC60F-8NqDVe8mD?previous_view=mscd_embedded_url&view=original

Got Architecture?

Chicago does! Since the reason we were here in Chicago was for Jeff to attend a Software Architecture Conference, we felt it would be appropriate to spend our free day seeing Chicago's architecture by boat. It was a 90 minute tour (never take a 3-hour tour...) on the Chicago River and was both interesting and fun.


Before boarding the boat, however, we stopped off at this little Market-Cafe called Fox & Obel for a bite to eat. It was an EARLY cruise! Once we were finished with breakfast we boarded the boat and took our seats; Us being Jeff, Jim and I.


The tour guide's name was Al. He helped us discover the deeper beauty of architecture and how it has meaning in the materials and lines of the structure. I think we learned a lot more than we'd expected about building in general, let alone the specific buildings of the Chicago skyline. We're glad we went and it was an experience we enjoyed very much.

Now, if you'll watch the slide show below, you can see some of the really nice architectural gems the City has to offer.

The Beauty of Chicago's Architecture

Mister Toad's Wild Taxi Ride

So here's what happened...

We got into a cab at about 5:20 to go downtown. We wanted some Chinese food and read good reviews about this place called Yen's. About 70 minutes later we were finally dropped off outside the restaurant. The cab driver thought we said 4856 so we were 20 blocks north of where we should have been. I actually fell asleep in the cab!

We had to backtrack down N. Clark Street through thousands of Cubs fans on their way to Wrigley Field. They have this strange obsession with trudging to the park or any of the open sidewalk bars to watch their favorite team lose. I have no idea what the attraction is but they are nothing if not devoted!

We had to split the difference of what we owed the Cabbie since he blamed it on our not understanding his accent when he repeated back the address Jeff gave him. I will not tell you the amount we had to pay for that cab ride but I will say we got $6 off the final outrageous price.

The restaurant, when we arrived, turned out to be a hole in the wall with excellent Chinese food. We had the most delicious crab and cheese filled won-ton we'd ever eaten. We ordered Orange Chicken, Moo Shu Pork and Mala Shrimp, which was very spicy. It was good. We brought left-overs as I'm the only one who ate the Moo Shu. The ride back was just over 1/2 what we paid to get there. Yikes!

All in all it was a good outing, I had a nice nap, we were fed and ended up with a great horror story to tell. A very successful evening I'd say!

Legendary!

Have you ever heard of Gino's Pizza? We hadn't either, until we took a ride in a cab the other night. We asked the Cabbie where we could get some real Chicago style pizza and he suggested this place.
"Juno's" he said. He had a thick accent.
"Juno's?" we said.
He replied, "Yes, Juno's."
We asked, "How do you spell that?"
He replied, "Juno's; G-E-N-O".
"Oh, okay, Gino's! Thanks!"

Tonight we went to Gino's East. This may or may not have been the actual restaurant the Cabbie recommended but it was fun and it was good pizza. We took lots of pictures, signed our names on the bench we were sitting on and enjoyed the general chaotic atmosphere of the place.

We chose Gino's Legendary Deep Dish Pizza; a nice blend of cheeses, fresh pizza sauce, Pepperoni, Black Olives and Mushrooms. It was yummy! We had bread sticks and salad to go with it. I had my usual rootbeer to go along with my pizza! What you need to know about Gino's is you should bring something to write with! Bring a permanent marker in a bright color, or chalk or paint or nail polish. It doesn't matter what you bring, just bring something! The brick walls and furniture are covered with "autographs" and Jeff had to add his own touch.

Also, we got a voucher for preferred seating from the concierge at the hotel we're staying at. Without that we would have had to join the huddled masses waiting outside the Legendary restaurant. It's a popular place, believe me! Jeff and I were there with a friend, Jim, who sort-of works with Jeff. They work for the same company, though Jim lives in NY and we live in Utah but they work on the same team within the organization.
We were served by the Legendary Derek who is normally a bar tender at the Legendary Pizza place but is also fills in as one of the Legendary wait staff! As I said, we took a lot of pictures and we could not leave out our server. Here's a shot of the Legendary Derek, cutting our Legendary Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza at the Legendary Gino's East!

Well, what can I say about Gino's?

It's, well, Legendary!

Downtown Chicago...or is it Uptown?

Here it is folks, downtown Chicago as seen from the window of our room on the 26th floor. That structure to the right which looks somewhat like a bowl is Soldier Field (better picture below). It's an amazing structure with Greco-Roman columns that are not so visible these days. It was built in the early 1920's and after a remodel actually seats less people than it used to. That mass of huge buildings directly in front of you is "downtown". That's where I went today. I didn't take a cab like any normal tourist would have, I called for my car...

I took the handy directions I got off Mapquest and was on my way; the wrong way down the street. Once I realized I was not going to find E. 24th Street I turned around and went the other way. I found my turn and loped onto the freeway, too all the appropriate ramps and found myself looking down at the freeway I should have been on. No worries I just hopped off and headed north, found the street I should have exited on and continued bravely on my way.

The County Records office is located at 118 N. Clark Street. I found N. Clark Street and deftly zipped into the left lane so I could turn...onto a one way street going the wrong way? No. I was proud of myself for finding it at all! I went two blocks over and made a quick right, knowing I would find another one way street taking me back to Clark. I was in the wrong lane again.

After two passes and seeing nowhere to park, not knowing exactly which block it was on, I started heading south hoping I could find my hotel again. At some point I saw S. Clark and so I tured around and thought I could sneak up on it that way. No luck. I finally turned around again and found the hotel without too much problem. Where is the GPS when I need it? Packed up in the hotel room, of course. I told the friendly valet at the hotel if I called for my car again to remind me I don't really want to drive in Chicago!

Amidst the lunch time crowds of people walking, taxi's honking, road work and a maze of one way streets I have decided to try again tomorrow but I will pay for a cab. They seem to know where they are going! I am hoping to get a bit of genealogy done in this area so wish me luck!

She's so... ME!

I really wish I had a picture to post of me at Ellie's age; just over a year. My sister saw this picture and was delighted. She said, "I love that picture! She's so cute! Ellie's smile is just like yours was at that age. I remember how adorable you were at her age and that is your smile!"

What a lovely thing it is to have an older sister who loves me so much. She has always loved having a little sister and I have always felt it from her. Can you believe she never even complained when I wanted to hang around her and her friends while they were playing? She never even thought about it until one of her friends said, "Why does your little sister always have to hang around with us?" And she thought, "I don't know. Why DOES she always have to hang around with us? I don't mind!" Or something to that effect. I just want the world to know how much I love my sister (and my brother, of course) and how grateful I am that she has always looked out for me and included me in her life.

Is Chicago Really MY Kind of Town?

So here we are, having arrived in Chicago after two days of driving. We had a lovely time eating fruit and veg, listening to books on tape the whole way. We stopped in Kearney, Nebraska about midway through the drive to sleep.

Today was the first day of Jeff's conference and I basically stayed in the hotel room all day playing; except for when we were eating the most delicious food! Breakfast for me was normal fare but Jeff had Crab Cakes Benedict. He says they were delicious.

For lunch we headed to The Chicago Firehouse. I had Filet Mignon and it blinded me to what anyone else was eating. It was soooo good! There were also the most delectable au gratin potatoes to accompany the mouth watering meat.

Once the day's sessions and lectures were over we headed to a place called "Catch Thirty-Five". There was a selection of sea food, salads and steaks to choose from. Since I had steak for lunch I opted for a blackened chipotle swordfish dinner. It was delicious as well.

So far, I'd have to say this trip was all about the food! Tomorow I'll be heading out to find the Cook County Vital Records Office. I'd like to search our a few family members while I'm here.

We were able to take these lovely photos of the view from our room today and this evening. As I was lying on the bed reading tonight I heard loud popping from outside and thought it might be fireworks. I was right! I'll try to add to the page as we go along but I'm not that good at remembering to blog and even worse about taking pictures to go along with the stories. Enjoy!

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Family search - Free genealogy

It's That Time Again...

Yup, the time of month every woman dreads; time to balance the checkbook! That being said I will tell you I had the strangest dream this morning. In my home, of course it wasn't really my house but similar to one I grew up in, I had a guest staying in the guest room. He came and told me there was some mildew on the wall. I went in and it was everywhere. Then he mentioned to me if it was in one room it would be in others. Nevermind that I had checked the other rooms already and there was none. I went back and there it was. Everywhere high and low. My guest, let's call him Dave Scott, somehow got Ty Pennington on the phone. Ty came with his magic phone to get the mildew cleaned up. No, the magic phone didn't work this time as I woke up before he could make more than one call. I would say I've been watching too many episodes of How Clean is Your House with Kim & Aggie, who point out all the dirt and muck! Don't ask me where Ty came into the mix; I suppose it's just that he makes thing better and this is a new house? Who knows! How is that for a crazy dream?

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity

On a Wonderful Day Like Today...

We had a visit from Megan! We, being the complete camera morons that we are, did not even think to take one picture. We consider ourselves camera morons because we often forgot to take a camera to a special occasion and when we do we forget to snap away. What on earth was left out of my DNA to cause such a phenomenon? I haven't the foggiest. I'm hoping I get a tiny but high megapixel camera for my birthday this year. I can at least have it with me at all times, even if I do forget to take the picture.

So back to Megan. She brought me a Paisley Maker all the way from California. Because she brought me such a lovely gift I let her go through my Creative Memories inventory and choose some compensation for herself. All in all it was a good exchange. Katie, Megan and I spent awhile looking over one another's albums, oohing and ahhing at appropriate moments and admiring the work involved.

We also had time to do the entire house tour. We went down and then we went up. We went out and around and then we went up even higher! Not a room was missed whether it was dirty or clean.

It was a very nice visit and we had such fun visiting. Katie and I were sorry when her ride came to pick her up but we did get to see Emily and Jessica which was awesome. Jacob was able to see two of his friends from California in less than a week with seeing Kaitlin last Friday and Emily today. What a week!

Thanks for coming Megan, we miss you!

Bridgestone Tires

I'm not into tires so much but tonight I saw the funniest commercial I had to watch it three times. This is my new favorite commercial and so I'm going to blog it! I don't know why people screaming with their mouths open wide is so funny but it's even funnier when it's an animal. You can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu9ibUWIq8A and please, no eating while viewing. You might just accidentally inhale your food and choke. This is the commercial they unveiled during the last Superbowl. It's hysterical. Enjoy!