Today we got the keys to our new apartment. Thanks to a co-worker who had a few friends and a truck, we were able to get a fair amount transferred tonight. Talk about a lifesaver! It really helped a lot, especially since one of Eugene's brothers has several exams next week and won't be able to help us after all. Luckily, a friend of mine also offered to help, so hopefully we'll be able to get it all done. It's much appreciated, since I can't do much. I can carry small things and clean, but obviously I can't lift anything. We have until Monday to finish, but we're working that day.
The new apartment has smaller closets than this one, so storage will be a challenge. The kitchen cabinets are deep, but narrow. At least the storage locker is much bigger. Also, we'll have a dishwasher--something I haven't had in an apartment in years. (I would always tell people I had a human dishwasher--Eugene.) But the important thing is that Baby A will get a nursery. That's more important than us having an office now.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Dreaded Drink
I try not to say too much about my pregnancy, but today's visit to the doctor was worth blogging about. Today was the day for my gestational diabetes test. It's a simple one: you drink some orange liquid they give you, wait for an hour, then have your blood drawn. I've heard people complain that the liquid is sickly sweet, but I didn't think it was that bad. Eugene sniffed the bottle and thought that just the odor was bad enough. At least I didn't get nauseated, but that's why the doctor's office recommends having something to eat beforehand--as long as it isn't sweet. Hopefully I'll pass the test; if I don't, I have to do a special three-hour fasting version. But in the meantime, everything seems to be going well. The only thing is the baby doesn't want to move for Daddy. I'll call Eugene over when I feel the baby kicking, but of course the kicking stops as soon as Eugene touches me. OK, I admit it; the baby gets its stubbornness from me. ;) It's that Irish-German heritage of mine. Should be interesting to see how the Filipino-Irish-German all comes together.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Harmony Sweepstakes
Sorry I've been MIA the last few days; between work and packing for the move, I've been too tired to do much on the computer. I'm only now catching up with reviews and e-mails and so forth.
Eugene and I did get to go out last night with a friend of ours. We attended the Harmony Sweepstakes, a regional contest for acappella groups. I'm pretty sure I blogged about this last year, but in case you've forgotten, several groups perform for ten minutes in front of a panel of judges and a general audience. The winning group gets to attend the national contest. This year there were several groups, including one from Madison. I'm afraid Eugene and I were disappointed with their performance. Their songs weren't as good as the sound clips on their site, and they were very stiff on stage. We preferred a group called Home Free. They introduced their set as "all the wrong songs to sing in the Harmony Sweepstakes," and it was quite funny. We will never sing "YMCA" the normal way again. But the group that stole the show was Nightwatch, the 2003 Harmony Sweepstakes winners. They had a new act parodying Broadway musicals--and they performed in costume. (A witch, a cat, a masked man in a cloak, and a knight in armor. Hopefully you recognize the shows.) We think Home Free was in first place until Nightwatch came on. They won both the popular and judges' vote.
We spent most of today packing for the move, but since we ran out of boxes, we needed to get out and run some errands, which gave us a chance to enjoy the weather. I hope it's this nice this weekend too.
Eugene and I did get to go out last night with a friend of ours. We attended the Harmony Sweepstakes, a regional contest for acappella groups. I'm pretty sure I blogged about this last year, but in case you've forgotten, several groups perform for ten minutes in front of a panel of judges and a general audience. The winning group gets to attend the national contest. This year there were several groups, including one from Madison. I'm afraid Eugene and I were disappointed with their performance. Their songs weren't as good as the sound clips on their site, and they were very stiff on stage. We preferred a group called Home Free. They introduced their set as "all the wrong songs to sing in the Harmony Sweepstakes," and it was quite funny. We will never sing "YMCA" the normal way again. But the group that stole the show was Nightwatch, the 2003 Harmony Sweepstakes winners. They had a new act parodying Broadway musicals--and they performed in costume. (A witch, a cat, a masked man in a cloak, and a knight in armor. Hopefully you recognize the shows.) We think Home Free was in first place until Nightwatch came on. They won both the popular and judges' vote.
We spent most of today packing for the move, but since we ran out of boxes, we needed to get out and run some errands, which gave us a chance to enjoy the weather. I hope it's this nice this weekend too.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Catching Up with Friends
Today I did something I've been meaning to do for a while: I contacted several of my friends. A few of my friends don't use the Internet or e-mail much, if at all, so I wrote them brief snail-mails with our new address. I also e-mailed someone I've meant to contact for a while to see how she's doing. When you're busy treading life, it can be easy to let people you don't see every day slip away from you. I tell myself every so often I should call my friends, but it can take me a while to follow through. I imagine once the baby comes it'll be even harder. It's still important, though.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Visiting My Parents
It's amazing how quickly time can pass without you noticing it; recently Eugene and I realized we hadn't visited my parents since Christmas Eve. Their anniversary (#48!) is this coming Wednesday, so it was high time for a visit. We therefore drove up to see them and my grandmother today. They wanted to go to Red Lobster for lunch, so we met them at the house and then all went up to Madison together. It's too bad we didn't get farther than East Towne. After lunch (which they didn't let us pay for), we stopped at a Babies-R-Us to show them some of the items we'd picked out. Mom already has a bunch of clothes already for Baby A. At least I won't have to do laundry so often. We hung around to have dinner with them as well and talked for a while before heading back. We got in about an hour ago. It's too late to pack tonight, but maybe I can catch up on my e-mail and work on my outline.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Packing Update and Cold Cards
Tonight we finished packing my paperback collection. It took about a dozen boxes. This does not include my hardcover fiction or nonfiction, let alone Eugene's collection of cookbooks, history books, or photography books. No wonder he said we should start our own library!
Cold Cards: Today during lunch one of my coworkers discovered someone had left a couple of business cards in the freezer. He also left them there because he thought it had been done for some reason. Later on, while I was making my mid-afternoon snack of half a bagel with cream cheese, I put the cards on the lunch table because it made no sense to me that they stay in the freezer. I'm sure this says something about our characters, but exactly what I'm not sure. I guess I need to blog before 10:00 at night.
Cold Cards: Today during lunch one of my coworkers discovered someone had left a couple of business cards in the freezer. He also left them there because he thought it had been done for some reason. Later on, while I was making my mid-afternoon snack of half a bagel with cream cheese, I put the cards on the lunch table because it made no sense to me that they stay in the freezer. I'm sure this says something about our characters, but exactly what I'm not sure. I guess I need to blog before 10:00 at night.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Turning It On Again
My first concert was Genesis back in 1992, at Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. It was the summer after graduation, and I was working up in Madison and spending time with friends. We went as a group to the concert. Later on, I bought the live CDs to relive that time. So, fifteen years later, as the group reunites, Eugene and I knew we wanted to go see them again if possible. We missed the presale, but I updated my account information on Ticketmaster and hoped I'd be able to log on when tickets went on sale.
For some reason Ticketmaster didn't update my e-mail address, so it took me several tries to log in this morning. By the time I succeeded, there weren't any tickets left, even though it was still just a couple of minutes after 10:00. Still, I kept trying (and mistyping the verification code), hoping something would change. Something finally did, but it wasn't what I expected; they added another date. I immediately checked for tickets. Something else I never thought would happen did: Ticketmaster offered me tickets on the main floor. Despite the high price, I was tempted for a moment. If the seats had been closer--within the first ten rows or so--I might have taken them. But I figured I might not be able to see from twenty-one rows back, and I couldn't justify the price. So I let them go and found another pair on the lower level. They were still top price, so I searched on price and found a more affordable pair, still on lower level. This time I bought them.
The concert is in October, which will be about three-four months after the baby is born. Hopefully Eugene's parents will be able to babysit. (It's a bit strange having to worry about that.) If it doesn't work out, hopefully we'll have a chance to sell the tickets and get our money back. But it would be even better to go, as I'm sure we won't be doing any more concerts for a while after this one.
For some reason Ticketmaster didn't update my e-mail address, so it took me several tries to log in this morning. By the time I succeeded, there weren't any tickets left, even though it was still just a couple of minutes after 10:00. Still, I kept trying (and mistyping the verification code), hoping something would change. Something finally did, but it wasn't what I expected; they added another date. I immediately checked for tickets. Something else I never thought would happen did: Ticketmaster offered me tickets on the main floor. Despite the high price, I was tempted for a moment. If the seats had been closer--within the first ten rows or so--I might have taken them. But I figured I might not be able to see from twenty-one rows back, and I couldn't justify the price. So I let them go and found another pair on the lower level. They were still top price, so I searched on price and found a more affordable pair, still on lower level. This time I bought them.
The concert is in October, which will be about three-four months after the baby is born. Hopefully Eugene's parents will be able to babysit. (It's a bit strange having to worry about that.) If it doesn't work out, hopefully we'll have a chance to sell the tickets and get our money back. But it would be even better to go, as I'm sure we won't be doing any more concerts for a while after this one.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Accomplished
You know you're getting old when Saturday becomes a Chore Day, and it doesn't help when you can't even sleep in. I was up at my normal time during the week, so I just stayed up. But I did get a lot done today. First, I brought the car in to have the emissions checked (it's an Illinois thing). The last time I had to have this done was about five years ago in the summer; I had to wait for half an hour or forty minutes. This time, there were more attendants than cars, and I was done in less than ten minutes. (The car passed, which was no surprise, since it's not really that old and still has fairly low milage.) Then I picked up a few things at Target, bought groceries, and filled up the tank. After lunch, I ran a few more errands. By that point, I needed a break, so I finished a chapter review. I reviewed Sue's latest chapter and worked on a novel outline while we were at the bookstore tonight. And of course I bought several more books to add to the Towers of Unread Books. At this rate, I'll never read them all, as I can buy them much faster than I can read them! Now if I can only sneak a Book Day back into my life....
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Running Willy-Nilly
I've meant to blog in the last few days, really I have, but sometimes I'm too tired at the end of the night or too busy trying to work on outlines for my stories. But sometimes you just have to post.
For reasons I'd rather not discuss online, we've put off buying a house. Unfortunately, this means that we're still living in a small apartment. But last night, as I was discussing our lease with the landlord, I found out that there's a larger apartment available at a lower price. It's still a two-bedroom, but they're roomier than what we have now. (And the kitchen is bigger too!) That apartment would be available April 1st. After discussion, Eugene and I decided to make the switch. That means we have three weeks to pack and move. I can pack some things, but obviously I can't lift anything. Good thing Eugene's brothers are available to help us. Add to that the fact that we're starting childbirth/childcare classes next month, and it's no wonder that we're outracing headless chickens. I just hope this move doesn't turn out to be an April Fool's Day for us.
For reasons I'd rather not discuss online, we've put off buying a house. Unfortunately, this means that we're still living in a small apartment. But last night, as I was discussing our lease with the landlord, I found out that there's a larger apartment available at a lower price. It's still a two-bedroom, but they're roomier than what we have now. (And the kitchen is bigger too!) That apartment would be available April 1st. After discussion, Eugene and I decided to make the switch. That means we have three weeks to pack and move. I can pack some things, but obviously I can't lift anything. Good thing Eugene's brothers are available to help us. Add to that the fact that we're starting childbirth/childcare classes next month, and it's no wonder that we're outracing headless chickens. I just hope this move doesn't turn out to be an April Fool's Day for us.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Visiting the In-Laws
Eugene and I visited his family today. We haven't seen them since January, and he wanted to show off my growing baby belly to them. We also brought over some things to put into storage. Space is already at a premium in our apartment, and with a third occupant coming, it's going to get crowded in here very quickly.
On the way, we stopped at a nearby baby store to check out a mattress for the crib. (The crib shipped to work last week, but Eugene still needs to pick it up.) We also looked at bedding; we're not quite sure what pattern we're going to get, but we'll probably buy it there instead of online. Now if we could only make up our minds about which stroller to get, we'd be doing well.
Sure enough, Eugene's parents oohed and aahed over their future grandchild. They didn't even notice my haircut until later, when we were having a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We hung out with his brother for a while and discussed a couple of other things with his parents before returning home.
On the way, we stopped at a nearby baby store to check out a mattress for the crib. (The crib shipped to work last week, but Eugene still needs to pick it up.) We also looked at bedding; we're not quite sure what pattern we're going to get, but we'll probably buy it there instead of online. Now if we could only make up our minds about which stroller to get, we'd be doing well.
Sure enough, Eugene's parents oohed and aahed over their future grandchild. They didn't even notice my haircut until later, when we were having a late lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We hung out with his brother for a while and discussed a couple of other things with his parents before returning home.
Friday, March 02, 2007
No News Is Good News
Remember a while back I posted a blog entry about how some attention-seeking people ought to be shunned as punishment? Turns out out least some media sources are trying the idea. AP ignored Paris Hilton (a name I never thought I would use here) for a week to see what would happen. You can read about it here.
I'm a little disappointed it was a non-event in some ways, as she didn't do much that was newsworthy during the blackout. It would have been interesting to see if the ban would have had more impact. Again, I'm not sure if something like this would ever work, as it goes against human nature. But isn't human nature something we're supposed to rise above?
I'm a little disappointed it was a non-event in some ways, as she didn't do much that was newsworthy during the blackout. It would have been interesting to see if the ban would have had more impact. Again, I'm not sure if something like this would ever work, as it goes against human nature. But isn't human nature something we're supposed to rise above?
Thursday, March 01, 2007
New Link
"Topical Heat," Maria Zannini's writing blog, has now moved to Blogger under a new name, "Maria Zannini." Check it out!
(Ironic, isn't it, that I'm now using LJ for my writing blog? Someday I have to figure out how to add links to that template.)
(Ironic, isn't it, that I'm now using LJ for my writing blog? Someday I have to figure out how to add links to that template.)
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Quotes of the Day
Some andecotes to amuse you...
I drink peppermint tea every day during lunch at work. (I used to switch teas, but I'm not sure which ones are safe during pregnancy, so I stick to peppermint. It was recommended by americanpregnancy.org, so I figure it should be OK. So far, Baby A seems to like it.) The particular brand that I like best prints quotes on the paper tag of each tea bag. Today I saw a quote I hadn't seen before: "A great man is always willing to be little," by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I wondered right away how I as a short woman should take this. If I'm involuntarily little, does that make me great? (Ha! I wish.)
On the way home from work, I saw a car with this bumper sticker: "Christopher Columbus didn't need directions...and neither do I!" Silly driver, I thought, don't you know Columbus was trying to reach the West Indies? I hope that's not where the driver wanted to go, as he/she will probably be as successful as Columbus.
I drink peppermint tea every day during lunch at work. (I used to switch teas, but I'm not sure which ones are safe during pregnancy, so I stick to peppermint. It was recommended by americanpregnancy.org, so I figure it should be OK. So far, Baby A seems to like it.) The particular brand that I like best prints quotes on the paper tag of each tea bag. Today I saw a quote I hadn't seen before: "A great man is always willing to be little," by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I wondered right away how I as a short woman should take this. If I'm involuntarily little, does that make me great? (Ha! I wish.)
On the way home from work, I saw a car with this bumper sticker: "Christopher Columbus didn't need directions...and neither do I!" Silly driver, I thought, don't you know Columbus was trying to reach the West Indies? I hope that's not where the driver wanted to go, as he/she will probably be as successful as Columbus.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Snowy Day
Today, the farthest I ventured was to the exercise room at the center of our apartment complex. With both snow and rain, I didn't want to go anywhere. Eugene did run a few errands, but we decided not to visit his parents as we'd planned. Perhaps next week. In the meantime, I baked a dozen rolls and CROWW (Cinnamon Raisin Oat Walnut Whole wheat bread), posted two crits on the workshop when it came back online, and finished going over the third draft of Lennon's Line. Oh, and I also ordered the crib and some more maternity clothes. So it was a productive day, but I'm still not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Guess I need more luck the next time we go to Vegas. (grin)
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Life List
Since I visited two states for the first time on this trip, I thought it would be a good time to update my state life list. I'm told I visited Arkansas when I was a toddler, but I don't remember it. I counted it anyway.
create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
Vegas Vacation, Part Two
OK, where did I leave off? I don't think I finished Day Three. Eugene and I had dinner at a nice restaurant in our hotel. Then we walked around the Strip for a bit. We wound up at the Belliago again so Eugene could view the Ansel Adams exhibit for himself. I wandered around and played video games while I was waiting for him. We finished the night by playing The Simpsons and eating sorbet.
Day Four
Wouldn't you know I'd wake up feeling sick again? I've heard of some women having morning sickness throughout their pregnancies, but I'm still inclined to think it was too much food. It wasn't as bad as before, but I skipped breakfast with Eugene and spent the morning resting. By afternoon, however, I was feeling better and decided to go around a bit. The weather was gorgeous, so I'm glad I was able to get out. I took the monorail to the Mirage to see their dolphin/big cat exhibit created by Siegfried and Roy. The trainers there interact with the dolphins, but they don't put on a scheduled show the way zoos or aquariums do. I watched them for a bit, both above and below water, before checking out the other animals. They were quite active for the middle of the day; in particular, there were two beautiful white lions, both male, that scratched trees and played with each other. I'm not the photographer Eugene is (and my camera has significant shutter lag), but I still got some shots I was happy with. There were also white tigers, black panthers, and leopards. I picked up some stuffed animals and gradually made my way back to our hotel to meet up with Eugene.
We took the monorail over to the Hilton (I think it was the Hilton) for dinner and the Star Trek exhibit. By the time we found a place to eat, it was a bit late, but we were still able to see the exhibit. Mostly it was a timeline of Star Trek's future history and artifacts from the show. There were also exhibits devoted to the aliens. The experience ended with a simulated shuttle ride; the premise was that the Klingons had kidnapped us from the 21st century in an effort to seize one of Picard's ancestors, and the Next Generation crew had to return us to our time. They had some neat effects; the ride started with us lined up in front of some doors, then the lights went out. When they came back on, the doors were gone. Unfortunately, due to my pregnancy, I had to skip the actual shuttle ride, since the motion was too violent. That just meant I went down to the gift shop right away. I picked up something for the baby and an autographed of Nimoy; Eugene bought a tribble to add to our stuffed animal collection. We then went to Quark's for chocolate fondue. An Andorian was wandering around, but he left before we could take a picture of him. Eugene still found ways to take pictures of Oscar with aliens.
Day Five
Today was the highlight of our trip: a visit to the Grand Canyon. Eugene skipped the last day of lectures for this. We set this up through a tour group that picked us up from our hotel. (Unfortunately, Eugene forgot his jacket on the bench; we weren't able to recover it later.) We met up with others at another hotel before boarding a bus to take us to an airport outside of Vegas. From there, we flew in a puddlejumper to the Grand Canyon. En route, we passed over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. In setting up this excursion, I'd tried to take my condition into account and find a trip that wouldn't strain me too much. One thing I hadn't thought of, however, was that small planes are more subject to bumpiness than bigger ones. The flight was a bit rough; I was holding onto the seat with one hand and my belly with the other. Baby A didn't seem to have any problems, however.
When we finally landed at another small airport, we picked up lunchboxes and boarded another bus. It took us to a spot on the South Rim. We had about 45 minutes to walk around, take pictures, and visit the gift shop. It was colder than I expected; there was still snow on the ground. I felt bad for Eugene, but he wouldn't have fit into my windbreakers. The views were amazing, however. After we were done at that spot, the bus took us to a second stop at Bright Angel Lodge. We took a few more pictures and bought more things at the gift shop. Eugene replaced his jacket; I bought some Native American crafts. By this time, the sun was setting, and we had to go back. We did see an elk, but I wasn't able to get a good photo from the moving bus. The flight back was much smoother.
We arrived back at our hotel after 8:00. We didn't finish with dinner until about 9:20, so afterward we hoofed it over to a restaurant we'd noticed earlier in another hotel. This restaurant, the Chocolate Swan, has been featured on the Food Network, so of course we were determined to sample its wares before leaving Vegas. The treats were well worth it!
This was our last night in Vegas, so after our chocolate, it was time to pack. I'm amazed we got all of our stuffed animals into our suitcases!
Day Six
We had a mid-afternoon flight back to Chicago, but we got to the airport well ahead of schedule. Given how busy security was, that was probably a good idea. I did get my first pregnancy comment from a stranger, so I'm definitely showing. (At least no unwelcome belly rubs were involved.) Other than that, the flight was uneventful. We arrived in Chicago before the storm, luckily. It's not the best welcome back, but at least we weren't stranded anywhere.
We're poorer in cash but richer in memories. I doubt we'll be taking any more vacations like this for a while, so it's good we were able to take one now.
I have too many pictures to post on the blog, so you can view some of them here.
Day Four
Wouldn't you know I'd wake up feeling sick again? I've heard of some women having morning sickness throughout their pregnancies, but I'm still inclined to think it was too much food. It wasn't as bad as before, but I skipped breakfast with Eugene and spent the morning resting. By afternoon, however, I was feeling better and decided to go around a bit. The weather was gorgeous, so I'm glad I was able to get out. I took the monorail to the Mirage to see their dolphin/big cat exhibit created by Siegfried and Roy. The trainers there interact with the dolphins, but they don't put on a scheduled show the way zoos or aquariums do. I watched them for a bit, both above and below water, before checking out the other animals. They were quite active for the middle of the day; in particular, there were two beautiful white lions, both male, that scratched trees and played with each other. I'm not the photographer Eugene is (and my camera has significant shutter lag), but I still got some shots I was happy with. There were also white tigers, black panthers, and leopards. I picked up some stuffed animals and gradually made my way back to our hotel to meet up with Eugene.
We took the monorail over to the Hilton (I think it was the Hilton) for dinner and the Star Trek exhibit. By the time we found a place to eat, it was a bit late, but we were still able to see the exhibit. Mostly it was a timeline of Star Trek's future history and artifacts from the show. There were also exhibits devoted to the aliens. The experience ended with a simulated shuttle ride; the premise was that the Klingons had kidnapped us from the 21st century in an effort to seize one of Picard's ancestors, and the Next Generation crew had to return us to our time. They had some neat effects; the ride started with us lined up in front of some doors, then the lights went out. When they came back on, the doors were gone. Unfortunately, due to my pregnancy, I had to skip the actual shuttle ride, since the motion was too violent. That just meant I went down to the gift shop right away. I picked up something for the baby and an autographed of Nimoy; Eugene bought a tribble to add to our stuffed animal collection. We then went to Quark's for chocolate fondue. An Andorian was wandering around, but he left before we could take a picture of him. Eugene still found ways to take pictures of Oscar with aliens.
Day Five
Today was the highlight of our trip: a visit to the Grand Canyon. Eugene skipped the last day of lectures for this. We set this up through a tour group that picked us up from our hotel. (Unfortunately, Eugene forgot his jacket on the bench; we weren't able to recover it later.) We met up with others at another hotel before boarding a bus to take us to an airport outside of Vegas. From there, we flew in a puddlejumper to the Grand Canyon. En route, we passed over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. In setting up this excursion, I'd tried to take my condition into account and find a trip that wouldn't strain me too much. One thing I hadn't thought of, however, was that small planes are more subject to bumpiness than bigger ones. The flight was a bit rough; I was holding onto the seat with one hand and my belly with the other. Baby A didn't seem to have any problems, however.
When we finally landed at another small airport, we picked up lunchboxes and boarded another bus. It took us to a spot on the South Rim. We had about 45 minutes to walk around, take pictures, and visit the gift shop. It was colder than I expected; there was still snow on the ground. I felt bad for Eugene, but he wouldn't have fit into my windbreakers. The views were amazing, however. After we were done at that spot, the bus took us to a second stop at Bright Angel Lodge. We took a few more pictures and bought more things at the gift shop. Eugene replaced his jacket; I bought some Native American crafts. By this time, the sun was setting, and we had to go back. We did see an elk, but I wasn't able to get a good photo from the moving bus. The flight back was much smoother.
We arrived back at our hotel after 8:00. We didn't finish with dinner until about 9:20, so afterward we hoofed it over to a restaurant we'd noticed earlier in another hotel. This restaurant, the Chocolate Swan, has been featured on the Food Network, so of course we were determined to sample its wares before leaving Vegas. The treats were well worth it!
This was our last night in Vegas, so after our chocolate, it was time to pack. I'm amazed we got all of our stuffed animals into our suitcases!
Day Six
We had a mid-afternoon flight back to Chicago, but we got to the airport well ahead of schedule. Given how busy security was, that was probably a good idea. I did get my first pregnancy comment from a stranger, so I'm definitely showing. (At least no unwelcome belly rubs were involved.) Other than that, the flight was uneventful. We arrived in Chicago before the storm, luckily. It's not the best welcome back, but at least we weren't stranded anywhere.
We're poorer in cash but richer in memories. I doubt we'll be taking any more vacations like this for a while, so it's good we were able to take one now.
I have too many pictures to post on the blog, so you can view some of them here.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Vegas Vacation, Part One
Eugene and I are in Las Vegas this week. He's doing continuing education; I'm on vacation. I have to pay for Internet access at the hotel, so I won't be on much until Saturday. But here's the trip so far:
Day One:
Eugene and I left the apartment at 8:30 a.m. to go to the airport. He’d checked us in over the Internet the day before, so check-in and security were a breeze. The flight itself was pretty uneventful too. I did manage to finish one book and nearly finish another by the time we landed.
I could tell the difference immediately. Even before getting off the plane, it was much warmer. And the bank of slot machines in front of our gate was a bit of a clue too that we were in Las Vegas. When we went outside to catch a cab to the hotel, there were palm trees and other unfamiliar plants.
All of the hotels here on the strip are huge. The whole first floor is dominated by row upon row of slot machines, ranging from penny slots to high-roller ones. Other areas are set aside for blackjack and poker, but I don’t know those games well enough to attempt them. Each hotel also has lots of shops and restaurants, the latter ranging from fast food to gourmet. The smoke wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be, but it’s still noticeable. By the end of my first night, I already had a sore throat.
After we managed to check into our room, Eugene left to sign in for his conference and attend lecture. I took off my long underwear, called my parents, explored the hotel, and relaxed until Eugene returned. We had dinner at one of the buffets in our hotel, then we explored two other hotels connected to ours by walkways. They were pretty similar to ours regarding the gambling, but the theme of each hotel was different. They also had different attractions. We ended up going through a shark reef exhibit in one of the hotels, The gift shop had a big stuffed orca, so we bought him as a friend for Oscar. After having tea at one of the Starbucks, we headed back.
Day Two
We both got up early; Eugene had lectures starting at 8:00, and I couldn’t stay asleep. We had breakfast together at the buffet before splitting up for the morning. I gambled five bucks while waiting for the hair salon to open, but my money was gone in less than five minutes. Video games give me more fun for the buck. When the salon opened, I made an appointment for a manicure in the afternoon. Then I set off to explore some of the other hotels. While the weather was much better than it had been in Chicago, it was still a bit cool for me. It was also overcast with some slight rain.
I stopped briefly in the New York hotel, but I was primarily interested in the Belliago and their fine art exhibit. That hotel had some of the pricier shops I’ve seen so far—not that there’s much point in me buying any clothes or shoes while I’m pregnant. The gallery had a special exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs. I was a little disappointed in not being able to see some of the old masters, but it was still interesting to see the photographs and learn more about Adams. Of course I had to tell Eugene about the exhibit so he can see it for himself. I had some sorbet before walking back to the hotel to meet Eugene for lunch, stopping along the way to pick up bottled water at a drugstore and check out another hotel. By the time I finally found Eugene, I was exhausted from all the walking. We had lunch with two of his godparents and our wedding sponsors; they were also there for the convention.
After my manicure, I relaxed the rest of the afternoon, too tired to explore. Eugene and I took a cab over to the Mirage to see the Beatles show “Love.” We had dinner at that hotel’s buffet. It was good; they had din sum, sushi (which I couldn’t have), and other seafood. My stomach was so tight I couldn’t even finish my salad, though. After dinner, we went straight to the theater and got seated.
“Love” was quite a show. I’d never seen a Cirque du Soleli show before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The theater was divided into quadrants with gauzy translucent curtains. Some of the cast members wandered around before the show started, offering entertainment. The show itself was showcased around the Beatle’s songs. It was vaguely biographical in the beginning, showing Liverpool in the aftermath of WWII and early Beatlemania. The Beatles’ voices could be heard occasionally, and clippings and movies were shown on two sceens. But most of the show was devoted to interpreting the Beatles’ songs. There were some recurring characters, such as a young girl trapped in a window and other woman in a long red dress. My favorite character was a guy who reminded me of Kramer from Seinfeld (which is more unusual because I didn’t watch the show very much). He appeared from time to time with a bouquet of yellow flowers, attempting to offer them to female characters but getting rejected each time. I felt sorry for him.
Some of my favorite parts of the show included “Something,” which featured women on trapezes swinging through the air while a man tried to woo all of them at once, and “Octopus’s Garden.” The costumes for that part of the show made the performers look like jellyfish. “Blackbird” was comical, as a man kept urging a group of four birds to fly. Every time they tried, they crashed. At other times, the show passed over the audience or even came into the audience. During one song, a bed rose into the air, and the sheets from it spread out over the audience. Unfortunately, they stopped a couple of rows shy from our seats; Eugene whispered to me he wanted a partial refund. It’s not a show that can be captured on DVD; there’s just too much going on all at once. Some of the interpretations were a bit abstract; I think it’s the kind of show you’d need to see a couple of times to get all of it. Still, it was great, the kind of thing I know John in particular would have loved.
We had talked about going around a bit more after the show, but while I was waiting in line to purchase a couple of souvenirs, I started to feel sick. We took another cab back to our hotel. Let’s just say it’s a good thing we did, as shortly afterwards I had to make use of a wastebasket. It must have been something I ate; I suspect perhaps it was the shrimp cocktail. The good thing is that it seemed to pass pretty quickly. Still, I crashed very early that night.
Day Three
The morning was similar to the day before, except that I decided to stay in and rest to make sure the baby and I were both OK. It’s always reassuring to feel the baby kicking, though the kicks are still on the “soft” side. I met Eugene for lunch. Afterwards, I walked to the Tropicana to see two of their exhibits. Unfortunately, both of them were closed until further notice. So I went next door to the MGM Grand to see the lions on display. (They’re in a zoo-like exhibit behind glass.) They have two males less than a year old. I watched them for a little while, took a picture, and then walked to the Bellagio. The weather was sunnier today, but it was still a bit cool (for my taste) in the shade. Of course, it still beats Chicago this time of year! I checked out the conservatory, which was decorated for the Chinese New Year, and took some pictures. Then I sat in the lobby and rested for a while, closing my eyes and bobbing my head every few minutes. When I returned to our hotel, I treated myself (and the baby) to ice cream. Then I relaxed in the room until Eugene returned. We plan to go around some more tonight. I think if I go anywhere tomorrow, however, it will be by monorail. This is more walking than I do on the treadmill at home.
That’s all for now. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to blog again before we get back. I do have pictures, but I’ll upload them later.
Day One:
Eugene and I left the apartment at 8:30 a.m. to go to the airport. He’d checked us in over the Internet the day before, so check-in and security were a breeze. The flight itself was pretty uneventful too. I did manage to finish one book and nearly finish another by the time we landed.
I could tell the difference immediately. Even before getting off the plane, it was much warmer. And the bank of slot machines in front of our gate was a bit of a clue too that we were in Las Vegas. When we went outside to catch a cab to the hotel, there were palm trees and other unfamiliar plants.
All of the hotels here on the strip are huge. The whole first floor is dominated by row upon row of slot machines, ranging from penny slots to high-roller ones. Other areas are set aside for blackjack and poker, but I don’t know those games well enough to attempt them. Each hotel also has lots of shops and restaurants, the latter ranging from fast food to gourmet. The smoke wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be, but it’s still noticeable. By the end of my first night, I already had a sore throat.
After we managed to check into our room, Eugene left to sign in for his conference and attend lecture. I took off my long underwear, called my parents, explored the hotel, and relaxed until Eugene returned. We had dinner at one of the buffets in our hotel, then we explored two other hotels connected to ours by walkways. They were pretty similar to ours regarding the gambling, but the theme of each hotel was different. They also had different attractions. We ended up going through a shark reef exhibit in one of the hotels, The gift shop had a big stuffed orca, so we bought him as a friend for Oscar. After having tea at one of the Starbucks, we headed back.
Day Two
We both got up early; Eugene had lectures starting at 8:00, and I couldn’t stay asleep. We had breakfast together at the buffet before splitting up for the morning. I gambled five bucks while waiting for the hair salon to open, but my money was gone in less than five minutes. Video games give me more fun for the buck. When the salon opened, I made an appointment for a manicure in the afternoon. Then I set off to explore some of the other hotels. While the weather was much better than it had been in Chicago, it was still a bit cool for me. It was also overcast with some slight rain.
I stopped briefly in the New York hotel, but I was primarily interested in the Belliago and their fine art exhibit. That hotel had some of the pricier shops I’ve seen so far—not that there’s much point in me buying any clothes or shoes while I’m pregnant. The gallery had a special exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs. I was a little disappointed in not being able to see some of the old masters, but it was still interesting to see the photographs and learn more about Adams. Of course I had to tell Eugene about the exhibit so he can see it for himself. I had some sorbet before walking back to the hotel to meet Eugene for lunch, stopping along the way to pick up bottled water at a drugstore and check out another hotel. By the time I finally found Eugene, I was exhausted from all the walking. We had lunch with two of his godparents and our wedding sponsors; they were also there for the convention.
After my manicure, I relaxed the rest of the afternoon, too tired to explore. Eugene and I took a cab over to the Mirage to see the Beatles show “Love.” We had dinner at that hotel’s buffet. It was good; they had din sum, sushi (which I couldn’t have), and other seafood. My stomach was so tight I couldn’t even finish my salad, though. After dinner, we went straight to the theater and got seated.
“Love” was quite a show. I’d never seen a Cirque du Soleli show before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The theater was divided into quadrants with gauzy translucent curtains. Some of the cast members wandered around before the show started, offering entertainment. The show itself was showcased around the Beatle’s songs. It was vaguely biographical in the beginning, showing Liverpool in the aftermath of WWII and early Beatlemania. The Beatles’ voices could be heard occasionally, and clippings and movies were shown on two sceens. But most of the show was devoted to interpreting the Beatles’ songs. There were some recurring characters, such as a young girl trapped in a window and other woman in a long red dress. My favorite character was a guy who reminded me of Kramer from Seinfeld (which is more unusual because I didn’t watch the show very much). He appeared from time to time with a bouquet of yellow flowers, attempting to offer them to female characters but getting rejected each time. I felt sorry for him.
Some of my favorite parts of the show included “Something,” which featured women on trapezes swinging through the air while a man tried to woo all of them at once, and “Octopus’s Garden.” The costumes for that part of the show made the performers look like jellyfish. “Blackbird” was comical, as a man kept urging a group of four birds to fly. Every time they tried, they crashed. At other times, the show passed over the audience or even came into the audience. During one song, a bed rose into the air, and the sheets from it spread out over the audience. Unfortunately, they stopped a couple of rows shy from our seats; Eugene whispered to me he wanted a partial refund. It’s not a show that can be captured on DVD; there’s just too much going on all at once. Some of the interpretations were a bit abstract; I think it’s the kind of show you’d need to see a couple of times to get all of it. Still, it was great, the kind of thing I know John in particular would have loved.
We had talked about going around a bit more after the show, but while I was waiting in line to purchase a couple of souvenirs, I started to feel sick. We took another cab back to our hotel. Let’s just say it’s a good thing we did, as shortly afterwards I had to make use of a wastebasket. It must have been something I ate; I suspect perhaps it was the shrimp cocktail. The good thing is that it seemed to pass pretty quickly. Still, I crashed very early that night.
Day Three
The morning was similar to the day before, except that I decided to stay in and rest to make sure the baby and I were both OK. It’s always reassuring to feel the baby kicking, though the kicks are still on the “soft” side. I met Eugene for lunch. Afterwards, I walked to the Tropicana to see two of their exhibits. Unfortunately, both of them were closed until further notice. So I went next door to the MGM Grand to see the lions on display. (They’re in a zoo-like exhibit behind glass.) They have two males less than a year old. I watched them for a little while, took a picture, and then walked to the Bellagio. The weather was sunnier today, but it was still a bit cool (for my taste) in the shade. Of course, it still beats Chicago this time of year! I checked out the conservatory, which was decorated for the Chinese New Year, and took some pictures. Then I sat in the lobby and rested for a while, closing my eyes and bobbing my head every few minutes. When I returned to our hotel, I treated myself (and the baby) to ice cream. Then I relaxed in the room until Eugene returned. We plan to go around some more tonight. I think if I go anywhere tomorrow, however, it will be by monorail. This is more walking than I do on the treadmill at home.
That’s all for now. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to blog again before we get back. I do have pictures, but I’ll upload them later.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Missed Turns and Good Friends
Our friends Adam and Natalie came into town this weekend, so we planned to have dinner together and meet at the restaurant. Unfortunately, the directions from the Internet were flawed; a turn was left out. (And no, a "right out" wouldn't have helped either.) We realized we were lost about the time we were supposed to meet our friends. We called them to explain the situation, then luckily managed to find an alternate route on a folded map Eugene had in the car. We were nearly an hour late, which was quite aggravating. But our friends understood, and we had a good time talking to them.
I'd go into more detail, but we have to catch a flight later this morning. Time to turn int.
I'd go into more detail, but we have to catch a flight later this morning. Time to turn int.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Stolen from Sara
| You Are Bert |
 You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others |
http://www.blogthings.com/thesesamestreetpersonalityquiz/">The Sesame Street Personality Quiz
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Rose Day!
I found a big box at my desk when I came into work this morning. (The roads were much better today, BTW.) It had arrived last night after I'd left. Eugene sent me two dozen red roses and a box of chocolates. Of course I had to take a picture of the flowers after I put them in the vase: 
I had to work late tonight, plus I had to stop for gas on the way home. However, since Eugene was also running late, it wasn't a problem. We had dinner at home: shrimp and steak, potatoes, carrots, and salad. The baby ate well tonight! Plus, Eugene also made a chocolate tart topped with raspberries, and we also have chocolate-covered strawberries. We'll be having those soon.
As for gifts, Eugene spoiled me with a diamond necklace. (It has a pendant of dangling diamonds that are supposed to represent love growing over the years. There's a special name for it, but I don't remember what it is.) Unfortunately, my gifts to him didn't work out quite as well. I bought him three history books and a CD, but he already had two of the books. At least he laughed about it. I've already ordered a couple of different books (photography ones he wanted) for him through Amazon.
Need I say how lucky I am to have a husband who treats me so well? Happy Valentine's Day, my sweetie. I love you so much.
(Ok, better sign off before I get too mushy....)
I had to work late tonight, plus I had to stop for gas on the way home. However, since Eugene was also running late, it wasn't a problem. We had dinner at home: shrimp and steak, potatoes, carrots, and salad. The baby ate well tonight! Plus, Eugene also made a chocolate tart topped with raspberries, and we also have chocolate-covered strawberries. We'll be having those soon.
As for gifts, Eugene spoiled me with a diamond necklace. (It has a pendant of dangling diamonds that are supposed to represent love growing over the years. There's a special name for it, but I don't remember what it is.) Unfortunately, my gifts to him didn't work out quite as well. I bought him three history books and a CD, but he already had two of the books. At least he laughed about it. I've already ordered a couple of different books (photography ones he wanted) for him through Amazon.
Need I say how lucky I am to have a husband who treats me so well? Happy Valentine's Day, my sweetie. I love you so much.
(Ok, better sign off before I get too mushy....)
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