The Windy City

So earlier in August I schlepped myself back to the good ol' Mid West. As I may have mentioned before, I remain smitten of this area of the country thanks to my Minnesota college days. It's a beautiful place and wether it be true or not, I find it relaxing after the frenetic Bay Area lifestyle (what really is that anyway? I kind of think of it as ALWAYS being on the way somewhere and trying awfully hard to look very casual meanwhile spending quite a bit of cash on that casual, earthy [northface jacket, $300 jeans, Toms shoes, iphone 4, Prius, etc.] look...not that I care or anything...I digress). Anyway, I was en route to a wedding in Milwaukee of a college friend and went early to spend time with my dear friend but never posted the photos. I do believe that I've already posted about this but I want to get up the pictures so that I don't forget that this ever happened, which is really why this blog exists, so that I can remember things that I've done, not that I forget easily or anything...I do believe that I've already posted about this but I want to get up the pictures so that I don't forget that this ever happened...

Anyway, Chicago pics here-you-go!

O'Hare airport...this one's for you Dad!

 

The Chicago Cultural Center...a super neat free museum that is so much more that the name implies. It's a BEAUTIFUL old building that houses several exhibits that change from time to time. People also take advantage of the fabulous architecture for their wedding venues. Me, I love the architecture mostly, though the exhibits were pretty cool. There was one on a MId Western architecture but for the life of me I CANNOT remember his name and I believe that his exhibit has moved on so the cultural center website offers no solace for me...help me out here! Anyway, the bean is also on the right. It was, as I mentioned several posts back, that it was beyond humid but sunny and very summery that day in the city. 

Some pretty pics of the cultural center. I had chosen the wrong sort of url/html/whatever-l from Photobucket because they weren't super clear, even though these were taken with a real-live camera and not just my phone, but now they're much better. There were very nice quotes about books up on the walls and beautiful mosaic work as well as the lovely rotunda.


Random Wrigley Field Shot!

More Cultural Center beauty...I am a sucker for buildings and history, all rolled into one! Actually, the Cultural Center has a really neat-o history. It was not the first city library but it was basically the first official library built to be not just a library but a...wait for it...cultural center! What I think is super cool, though I wonder how some more conservative citizens of the time felt, is that a 1% tax was levied upon the citizens of Chicago so that it could be said that the library was truly that of the city residents (check it out here). Groundbreaking was in 1892 and the building stands solidly still today. If you're ever in the city, go check it out and appreciate all that it has to offer.

¡El frijol!

This was Marshall Fields and now it's Macy's. I love-love-love old and classic department stores (Menkins, anyone) so I just HAD to take some pictures in Macy's, though I tried my hardest to look discreet (an oxymoron, no? "Look discreet"...). It just tickles me pink and makes my week when there's a food court and book store and toy store and clothing and everything else all in one place. One of my favorite memories growing up is when my memaw took me to London when I was ten. She and I are kindren spirits for many reasons, an appreciation of shopping being one of them and I swear that we visited the Liberty House store, Hammonds the six or seven storied toy store (which had quite a nice cafeteria!), Marks and Spencers and Harrods just about every day and made our rounds. Anyway, the favorite part is the pet store that was inside of Harrods and that you could walk out of that building with a brand new outfit, some books, a make-over, a dalmation puppy and lunch in your tummy.

The main rotunda area.

The book store.

 Book store.

The toy store.

My friend and her friend. He was nice enough to treat us to a boat ride down the river that night. The evening was sooooo warm and pleasant; being on the water and seeing the lights all around us was super awesome...thanks for the ride friend!






Maybe not our finest moment, but you can't say we weren't feeling the love!








Oh those silly girlz.

The Chicago part of my trip was a blast and it was sooo so so so good to see my friend. Stay tuned for Part-II of the midwest excursion as well as what else is going on in my life...

Darn you Parade Magazine...

Do you read Parade Magazine? I'm definitely not ashamed to admit that I do like to read the Parade Magazine that faithfully arrives every Sunday if I can find it; the newspaper in my grandmother's house tends to grow legs and meander around, splitting up sections willy nilly and Parade happens to be a repeat offender. The whole "darning" of said magazine, though, refers to today's article that you can read here and cry your eyes out about like I did. It's about a young couple who recently got married but face quite a bit of heartache since the groom has been battling a very rare and agressive form of cancer. It just about shot me through the heart to read about this pair and how optimistic and in-love these two are, so mozy on over to that link and check it out and you just might realize, like I did, that the trials and tribulations that plague your days really aren't all that bad.

I must also confess that I've been very remiss again and decided not to post for more than a month. Well, I'm back and hopefully will be better about blogging. Since it's been work and life that has gotten in my way and I really do enjoy blogging and find that it helps me relax I'll hopefully be better about sticking to it since it brings some calm to a busy life! There are several things to catch up on, but I'd like to work in chronological order from the past; I've a bunch a pictures from my/our Chicago/Milwaukee trip that I'd like to post. I also want to catch up on the school year and how busily that goes. I also would like to catch up on just normal day-to-day biz-nass.

Anyway, that's about where things are. I'm going to post aforementioned information in upcoming individual posts so look forward dear readers!

wowzas!

Oh my, have I been remiss. I apparently decided to take off of blogging for about a month, unbeknownst to me. The school year hit me like a tidal wave that is still cresting, but it’s been great. My classes are good and I felt as though I was able to go into the school year with a good handle on planning, etc. I started some part time coaching soon into the school year which promptly zapped any free time that I had enjoyed, but that’s been good too.

We ended up having a great time in Chicago/Milwaukee. It was great to have time with my good friend and then M and I had an amazing time with our college friends.

I spent the last week or so of summer vacation buying pretty things for my classroom (pretty fabric to cover my corkboard, bright marker colors, etc.) and attending back to school meetings. My beginning of the year field trips went well (¡Gracias a Diós!) as was Back to School Night. The team and I and some faithful parents trekked up to Tahoe two weeks ago for an invitational meet and even though I was “working”, it was super nice to in Tahoe, if even for about a day.

I JUST saw a movie ad for “Secretariat” (I’m watching a USA marathon of Law & Order SVU since M s visiting his folks this weekend) and have decided that I MUST see it. I also want to see “The Social Network”. M and I have been subsisting on “Mad Men” (we’re on season three) and “Weeds” (Season two…old, I know, get over it) since we decided not to get cable whilst cohabitating with the Memaw so I’ve seen hardly any commercials so I have ni idea on what movies are out there. Have you seen any movies recently? Are there any that you want to see?

Speaking of things to see, I’ve been on a nasty book hiatus and I want it to STOP. I re-read “She’s Come Undone” by Wally Lamb as my last book. It is such a disturbing novel but has a beautiful story of redemption and I have read it several times. I keep meaning to start “Dead Until Dark” by Charlane Harris (it’s what “True Blood” is based on) so hopefully soon ☺

The weather has been crazy-dazy recently and we had a major heat wave this week. It’s since cooled down a bit and the days are beautiful and autumnal. Our street is lined with giant sycamore trees and the only downfall is the obscene amount of leaves that rain upon us every day. Amongst this picturesque backdrop my cousin J and my friend C ran the San Jose Rock and Roll Half Marathon this morning. It was a total blast. This was the second time that I’ve done it (last year with M and his fam = so much fun ♥) I love this race and there’s so much energy with bands at every mile and tons of people cheering. I wasn’t going to do it but my friend asked me and I figured that it would be a good tune-up before my big day!

Anyway, this was a great day and I’m really looking forward to M coming home tomorrow. I still have some grading left to do tonight (pooh-pooh) as well as major laundry, but I’m full and happy from my yummy dinner (home-made Greek quiche and copycats of two salads thanks to my friend C!) and the days have been beautiful so I guess I’ll be “ok”.

Hopefully I’ll be back sooner than last time! Happy beginning to your week ☺

 

PS

A good family friend died last week unexpectedly and we’re attending his memorial service tomorrow; please think positive thoughts.

Just some more pictures...

***So something is making this picture putting up/internet thing not happy right now so this is to be added to later...gracias***

I'm sitting in Chicago's Union Station waiting for my train to Milwaukee and also wading through the molassis like internet connection (it's actually probably most likely yeah I think it is just my slow computer) to play the JUMBLE (hello, lover...). Yesterday was a great day in the windy (read: humid) city. I got in a run and sweated like a stuck pig in the process but it was great because I got to run along the lake. We just kind of hung out afterwards and I got to go to the Chicago Cultural Center, a beautiful building that quenched my architectural thirst and had several really cool exhibits. I shopped a bit and then my friend's friend took us out on a boat down the river last night which was super nice because it was warm and very very pretty.

Yums at Sunnyside =)

  

Wuvs!

  

  

Fun at Sunnyside =)

I have some more Tahoe shots and will hopefully get up some Chicago ones soon =) Also, let it be known that I smashed my left pinkie finger in a car door last night and it's throbbing and ugly and painful.