Adventures in Life

The majority of this past weekend was spent deciding which items in our apartment we could live without. The new place is significantly smaller than the current apartment. So, all of our furniture will not fit. Three trips were made to Target to purchase more storage totes. Initially Gabe did not see the point in the plastic totes, but after he started using them to pack his belongings he quickly became a believer. The third trip to Target was made to procure additional totes since the original purchase number did not factor in the ones that he would use. Finally on Sunday after we had had enough packing for one weekend we went to the dinner and a movie place and watched You, Me, and Dupree. It was pretty good, but not one that I would rush out to see again. My plan this morning was to get up early and finish some packing...that didn't happen. So, my plan was to come home from clinic and finish some packing...that didn't happen either. I was in clinic by 8:00 a.m. and I didn't get home until 9:30 p.m. So, I probably am not going to pack after entering this blog...I think that I am going to bed.

Posted by at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. They were very good even if they did come out of a can. My mom makes good cinnamon rolls and they don't come from a can. We were going to see a movie, but by the time we were ready to go, it was too late. Instead we went to an outlet mall in Indiana. It was fun to walk around (it was an outdoor mall). After shopping we decided drive to Michigan since we were really close and neither of us had been to Michigan before. We stopped off at a rest area and walked around a bit. Then we decided to come back to Chicago. We just finished dinner, and think that we are about to watch a movie. This weekend turned into a lot of shopping, but I must say not a lot of purchases came from it.

Posted by at 8:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Today we started out at the grocery store doing the weekly shopping. After grocery shopping we came back to the apartment and packed a picnic lunch. We then drove to Elmhurst, found a park, and enjoyed our lunch there. It was really relaxing. We went to the Yorktown Mall and I bought a couple of things from Eddie Bauer. The New York & Co. was going out of business so everything in the store was 50% off. I found a couple of shirts. There were a lot of things that I would have liked to purchase, but the sizes had already been picked over. Naturalizers was also having a 50% off sale, so I purchased a pair of clinic shoes. They aren't the most attractive pair of shoes that I have seen, but they are pretty comfortable. Afterward, we came back and made dinner and watched a little T.V.

Posted by at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday Gabe and I were up early to start the journey to Belleville, IL. One of my friends from college was getting married. I actually received a quadruple bonus. Julie, Mylisa, Natalie, and Al were all there as well. I am sad to say that I had not seen most of them since we were at the same college. I will say that we do talk and email each other though. It was a lot of fun. Some of us even made a pact to call each other at least once a month. We always have a ton of fun together. Hopefully some of them will be able to make their way north to visit sometime soon. We decided to head back to Chicago after the reception. We didn't arrive back at our apartment until around 2:00 in the morning. We were both so tired that I think we were both asleep by the time that our heads hit the pillows. Today we went to the movies with Nicole and Andrew and watched Superman. I must say that it was much better than I had expected. I still think that Superman looked way too young though. After the movie I have just been doing some things around the apartment...hanging up pictures, laundry, etc. Gabe has a project, paper, and final this week, so he has been pretty busy today working on "school stuff". I have four more weeks of school until my next rotation. I must say that I am not looking forward to the act of moving itself, but I am eager to live in a new location. I will miss this apartment though, it is the only place that Gabe and I have lived in together. I think that I am going to do some Sudoku before heading to bed.

Posted by at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Congratulations to the newlyweds (July 15, 2006) Robyn & Adam!

Posted by at 1:56 AM | Permalink

Nothing too exciting has been going on since my last entry. I just finished working on my low vision presentation. It is on Choroideremia. I am meeting with the other two people in my group tomorrow to look over the information. Luckily we don't have to actually give the presentation until the 21st of July. We should have plenty of time to revise it before next Friday. I talked to my niece tonight. We were talking about books. Now I wish the next Harry Potter would come out and James Patterson would release another Alex Cross book. I have dispensing tomorrow morning and then I am off to Peds to do Vision Therapy. Fun stuff.

Posted by at 8:44 PM | Permalink

Happy Birthday Aaron! I hope that you have a good one!

Posted by at 10:50 PM | Permalink

We found somewhere to live yesterday! Actually, we just went because I wanted to see an additional layout of the apartment. Gabe had stopped by after work one day and decided that he liked the new layout better. So, we drove to the apartments, took a look, and before we had signed a lease. The funny thing is I only went there to look at the apartment. We had discussed it before we went and decided that we were staying there. They like my dogs, there is an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, and a work out facility. It should be pretty nice. The location will cut down on the commute time that both of us will have to get to work. The only downside is that I really needed to move mid-August, but the apartment will not be ready until early to mid-September. I guess that we will work with what we have. I must say that it feels good to know where we are going.

Posted by at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I actually posted this as a comment in one of my entries, but so you all can share in the festival, I am going to repost it as an entry.

At the Rayne Frog Festival in Rayne, LA, a Frog Queen is crowned. There is also a frog derby. You can also try frog legs while you are there, but that just seems wrong to me since they are crowning a queen and all...do they eventually eat her?

Posted by at 9:10 AM | Permalink

If your name matches the "mystery name", you might just win yourself a trip to Barcelona with a complete stranger. Apparently this poor guys girlfriend dumped him and left him with a non-transferable ticket to Spain. "All" you have to do to see if you get the trip is send him your name, address, phone number, weight, height, and some pics. He is just looking for friendship, but if more happens he feels "that is cool". I wonder why his girlfriend left him. I am just sitting here trying to figure out who would actually send this guy all of their information. If I am going to Spain, I will pay for it myself...or until I get a "real job" I guess Gabe will.

Posted by at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I didn't believe it when I read about it, but West Virginia has a "Roadkill Cook-Off". This is actually the 15th annual event of this type. If you are in Pocahontas County, WV on September 30, give it a try. First prize is $600.

My favorite rule is the first one.

"1. All entries must have, as their main ingredient, any animal commonly found dead on the side of the road - groundhog, 'possum, deer, rabbit, squirrel, snake, etc. Pigs, cows, chickens, horses, and goats also in that category also. However, it need not actually come off the side of the road (and most of the judges would prefer that it didn't)."

FYI, in 1998 WV approved a roadkill law that allows drivers to keep practically anything that is roadkill.

Posted by at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ever wanted to try silkworm pupae hummus, Sichuan scorpion stir-fry, or ant-chiladas with fire-roasted ants? How about cheering on your favorite cockroach in a race? Well, lucky you. You can do all of this and more at the 10th Annual Bugfest in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event takes place at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on September 16 and best off all, it is free.

Posted by at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, we watched the fireworks last night. Clara is terrified and wouldn't come out and watch them. Elsa just barked at the fireworks until she became tired and then she sat on the steps with Gabe and I and just watched them. We stayed out until 10:00 p.m. and then I decided to go to bed. Gabe asked what I wanted to watch on T.V. and I said nothing, I wanted to sleep. He then reminded me that the firework noises would stop me from sleeping, so we watched 2 episodes of Scrubs. We are a good way through the first season. So far they are pretty funny. Which reminds me, after I watch the first season I am going to retake the Scrubs quiz.

Posted by at 10:32 PM | Permalink

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Today was better...I guess. We have decided that we should spend the extra money and spring for the larger apartment in the first building that we looked at yesterday (the back-up plan). It is a nice apartment and the apartment complex has some nice amenities. Plus, the will take the dogs and even have a fenced in dog park for them. We thought about going to the Taste, but decided against it...neither of us wanted to fight the crowd. Our neighborhood usually has a fireworks display put on by the residents. We might watch it tonight. Actually they have been putting it on for a while now, sometimes the noises are a little less than desirable.

Posted by at 6:27 PM | Permalink

Today I must say was not the best of all days. We decided to look for a new place to live closer to Gabe's work and my upcoming externship sites. Let's just say that we were sadly disappointed. The only place that we saw with potential is a little more than we were willing to spend and it is pretty small. I guess all that I can say is we at least have a back up. We are going to have to increase the amount of money that we are willing to spend on rent in order to find a place that we are willing to stay. To add to the poor turn out of housing options my palm pilot fell out of my book bag onto the floor in the front seat of the car. Somehow the case managed to fall off and I ended up stepping on it, cracking the screen...they don't make my model anymore. Gabe decided to take me to one of my favorite places to eat and both the food and the wait staff sucked. Today just wasn't a good day. All I have to say is at least we have tomorrow to look, though I am not looking forward to it.

Posted by at 6:21 PM | Permalink

We are on our way back to Chicago. This morning wasn't too crazy. We watched a movie and ate some lunch. On our way out of town we stopped at my Dad's office and picked up some beef from the last cow that they purchased. We now have two coolers full of beef that we are bringing back with us. They have another shipment coming in October, so I have a feeling that we will be kept well stocked. I think that we are going to look for potential places to live this weekend. We only have a few weeks left at our current place and then we will be off to the suburbs. Just thinking about it makes me want to rent the Tom Hanks movie "The 'Burbs". That may be something fun to do tonight.

Posted by at 1:52 PM | Permalink

Today Clara thought that it would be fun to bark out the sliding glass window at 6:00 a.m. Normally this wouldn't bother me, but I was really looking forward to sleeping in today. The barking apparently only bothered me, and I went downstairs to quiet her. Gabe stayed in bed asleep. Finally the curtains had to be drawn to keep her from peeking out the window. At least here she will go outside. The sound of the fireworks in my neighborhood in Chicago scare her so much that she won't go outside anymore. She has managed to use the bathroom twice in our apartment because she really just doesn't want to go outdoors. The noises don't phase Elsa at all.
We ordered Mimmo's pizza and while we waited on it to cook Gabe and I hit the pool. It was pretty relaxing.
My mom's kitchen is pretty well finished. She just needs to organize some things. So, my sister and I went through about 5 boxes of kitchen items that she no longer wants. It was like Christmas. We just went through and took what we wanted. Unfortunately there isn't really room for us to bring it back right now, so we are going to get it next time we are down.

Posted by at 11:26 PM | Permalink