The fam came for a visit!

My sister Cher, her husband, baby Allen, and my mom came to the city for a visit yesterday. It was another beautiful day, so after cuddling with my sweet nephew for awhile, we decided we should take him on his very first trip to the zoo! So off we went to Lincoln Park Zoo, and it was there with the animals that we whiled away the day. Allen slept through the whole entire trip, but hey, we took tons of pictures and we can show him what his first trip to the zoo was like when he gets older!

This blog post is going to be very pic heavy, so I hope you enjoy the sights. I've posted a hodgepodge of photos from our trip to Lincoln Park Zoo. Of course, pictures are never as good as the real thing, so if you're ever in Chicago, I recommend checking out LP Zoo for yourself! It is free! Do not miss the conservatory if you are as obsessed with flowers/plants as I am. The sights and smells in there are heavenly!

Here is my nephew next to a mold of a polar bear foot at LP Zoo. He's pretty tiny, huh?

I loved watching this guy! Ostriches are definitely one of the coolest birds I've ever seen.

 

 

Not the greatest picture, but this guy was MASSIVE. I've never seen a beaver so large before!

This giraffe kept sticking her tongue out! Of course I didn't get a shot of that, but it was hysterical.

Helllllo Mr. Rhino. This guy was huge.

I sort of thought the one on the left was going to gnaw through the log...

 

 

 

This photo and the next five photos were taken in the LP Zoo conservatory. It is an incredibly beautiful, peaceful place, and I will most definitely be back when I need to take a break from the "hustle and bustle", or whenever I need to stop and smell the flowers!

Sweet little nugget nephew and his mommy and daddy leaving the zoo after a beautiful, fun day!

I hope you enjoyed the photos. I know Will and I really enjoyed showing our family around a little bit, and we are looking forward to their next visit when they can stay longer!

My mom was the only one who was able to stay overnight, and she left a few hours ago. I was going to post about the hilarity that ensued today when my mom and I went for our bike ride, but I think I will save that post for later this week!

Still no word about the job, and though Will tells me to be patient and give them until Friday to get back to me, I'm starting to get impatient!

I think I'll ask if he wants to go to Zberry get some fro yo to ease my mind! ;)

Ta ta for now!
Emme

90% done!

As I am writing this post, I'm laying on my bed which is placed directly across from two large windows with a breathtaking view of lake Michigan. We're finally here. We're about 90% unpacked, and we are already in love with our new city.

My observations so far:

1. We have a 24 hour door person at our building. There are actually 4 door people that rotate shifts. There are 2 men and 2 women, and 3 out of the 4 are wonderful, funny, sweet, intelligent people! The 4th one is a grumpy old asshole of a man who obviously doesn't enjoy his life (or job) very much.  Luckily, he only works part time on the weekends, so hopefully Will and I will be able to avoid him most of the time.

2. The first night we were here, our toilet was leaking when we flushed it. Uh oh. I went down stairs to the sweet door person, filled out a work order, and the maintenance man came the next afternoon. Um...huh? The next afternoon? Before we signed the lease we *specifically asked * if there was 24 hr. maintenance and were told yes. *sigh*

Anywho, it really wasn't a huge deal. The water wasn't GUSHING or anything. It was more of a slow trickle, and only after the toilet was flushed. The maintenance man came on Sunday afternoon. He was super nice and friendly and it's working just fine now, no leaks, so I can't really complain too much.

3. I suck at remembering names. I can remember 2 out of the 5 people we've met at this building so far. Fail. I need to start writing names down.

4. My husband is seriously a handyman. He doesn't give himself enough credit in that arena. In the two days that we've been in Chicago, he has put together our sofa bed as well as installed a new shower head. The shower head that was in there when we moved in on Saturday was so. evil. It either pelted so hard with water that you were wincing in pain and begging for mercy, or it sprayed so lightly and cock-eyed that you'd have to spend at least an hour in there trying to shampoo your hair and shave your legs. Sheesh. So we bought a new one and I am about to test it out once I'm done with this post.

5. The people that we have met so far have been extremely friendly. I have no idea why the stereotype exists that Chicagoans are mean or impatient (except while driving- this is oh so very true!)--everyone we've come across (with the exception of grumpy mccrabass part-time door person) has been really friendly, and genuinely interesting.

6. We are literally right off of lake shore drive. I thought that the constant noise of the cars traveling day and night would bother me. It really has the opposite effect. Will suggested (and I agree) that it's got this nice "white noise" quality that is really kind of soothing when you're trying to sleep.

7. Our kitchen is teeny, and I can't stress how much I love those little kitchen hooks for hanging up pots and pans! They're great for maximizing space in our small kitchen.

8. 900 square feet is a great amount of space for two newlyweds and a cat. We moved from a house that had over 2000 square feet of space, and I thought we'd feel a little bit cramped, but we don't at all!

9. I can't tell you how much I LOVE waking up to the view of the lake, the park, and navy pier in the distance. It is really, truly spectacular, and I've woken up with a huge smile on my face for the past two mornings.

10. This city has an energy that is really invigorating for a small town girl. It might sound stupid, but it's true. I feel like so much is out there right at my fingertips, and I swear I will take full advantage of that!

Those are my observations on Chicago living thus far!

So today we unpacked, cleaned, and took an hour and a half walk along the lake paths which are just steps from our front door. Our plans for the rest of the week include:
- Explore neighborhood and public transit options in more depth.
- I have to read for class and write a mid-term paper.
- Go to the museum of science and industry because 1. I haven't been there in several years. and 2. It is within walking distance from our place.
- I need to continue job hunting.
-This weekend my sister and her fiance are coming into Chicago for St. Patty's celebrations! So that should be a blast!

Finally, I am going to post some pictures that we've taken over the last two days. I've probably seen it a thousand times, but the Chicago skyline still rocks my world.

A not so good picture of our teeny kitchen. I did not get a good shot of the pots/pans on the hooks that I love so much!

A crappy photo of one side of our living room. The hall comes into the living area in such a way that makes it difficult to get a good shot, but it's actually a very large space. Excuse the mess. Oh, and the bike won't always be in our living room. Heh. We have not gotten our bike storage assignments yet.

This is a view of our building from the bridge. It was built in 1918 and it was originally a hotel where people stayed while vacationing on the lake.

 Chicago skyline. Nuff said.

My view as I am typing this post. Okay, I need to get off here and clean that window! lol.

Stayed tuned. I have a feeling this blog is going to get better and better as we learn to live in this fantastic Windy City!

Approved!

We were approved for the condo! We move this weekend! Woot woot! We are SO excited!

I promise to blog again once we're settled in. My material will hopefully be getting more interesting since we're finally going to be in the city! :)

Hurry up and wait!

I feel like we've been doing a lot of this "hurry up and wait" thing lately. Most recently, we were in the hospital waiting for my sweet little nephew to be born! And wait we did! Cher's labor was 22 agonizing hours long! She said every minute was worth it when she gave birth to precious little Allen on leap day. He was born at 9:54pm on February 29, 2012. He weighed 7lbs 10oz and he is just as perfect as babies can get. Both mom and baby are doing well, and I have been absolutely loving on him since he got here! Gotta get those kisses and cuddles in before we move!

Here is a photo of the sweet lil man!

On the very same day, in the very same hospital, we were waiting for Will's dad to have surgery for his kidney stones. Any type of surgery makes me nervous, especially those that involve general anesthesia! Thankfully, the surgery went well, and he is feeling so much relief.

Now we're doing the "hurry up and wait" as we wait to hear back from our potential landlord. On Friday, Will, Ellie, and I drove to Chicago to drop off Will's clinical paperwork and to drop off our application for the condo on that we absolutely love.

I don't think I blogged about it before, but it is definitely the place for us! Both of our jaws dropped when we saw this place which was a great sign, because Will had been a little hesitant at all of the other places we saw. Not here. He was loving it just as much as I was.

We had no idea we could afford a view like this! It is quite literally right on Lake Michigan in a gorgeous old building that was a swanky resort back in the 1920s and 30s. It's 900 square feet of space on the 11th floor with closets galore, and stunning views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. The building also has a great laundry room, a bike room, and it feels very secure, as in you have to be buzzed into the building. It has a really friendly doorman too, which makes me feel a little spoiled! It doesn't have a gym, but the lake paths are steps from the front door, so I'll have to deal.

The gentleman that showed us the place said you can watch the fireworks at Navy Pier from the living room! How awesome is that?  We love it so much because it's so spacious, and it offers so many of the amenities that we were looking for, as well as breathtaking views, but without the cookie cutter, boring look of the new high rises.

We are supposed to hear back on our application by the middle of the week. So we're crossing our fingers that we get a big yes! If so, we move next Saturday! That's 6 days from now.

Until then...I am going be packing, doing homework, and spoiling my sweet little new nephew!

Margaritas! (And medicine!)

Will and I were lucky enough to spend the whole day together today, uninterrupted. We woke up around 9, I made bell pepper omelets and bacon. We went shopping and saw Haywire at the cinema. For those of you who are interested, I thought the movie was decent. Gina Carano is extremely lovely to look at, she made the fight scenes very believable since she is a fighter in real life, and the plot was interesting enough.

Afterward, it was off to get a new, wireless printer, and to enjoy some dinner. We ate at a local Mexican joint that has AWESOME margaritas. While we were indulging in salsa and tequila, we started talking about music.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming to Chicago (HELL YES! I have wanted to see this band FOREVER.) on May 28th, and I will be purchasing two tickets for Will's birthday. (His birthday is coming up in Feb.)

We started chatting about how awesome the concert is going to be, and then I was like, "Waaaait a second. Hopefully you'll get to actually see the concert!"

It's a distinct possiblity that Will will have to be at the hospital during the concert. Ya know, being a med student in clincals and all.

He said, "Yeah. But if I can't make it, then we'll just have to deal. This is what I signed up for, and I should be thankful that I've reached this point."

And I thought about how right he is.

And I stopped and savored the moment. Just me and him in a little corner booth. Hanging out on a Saturday night with some delicious flautas, margaritas and conversation.

I tried to remind myself to savor these moments. Hold on to them. Because before we know it, Will is going to be thrust head-first into the world of clinicals and residency. And there will be LOTS of 90 hour work weeks. And LOTS of time away from each other. Lots of missed dinners. Lots of together time interrupted by the pager going off. Lots of patients competing for the time I would like to spend with my husband.

So for this one night, I will remind myself how lucky we are to have this precious moment in time. A moment that so very many other "normal" couples take for granted.

Shopping. A movie. Dinner. Drinks. Conversation. Just me and Will and nothing else.

I wanted to write it down it so I never ever take these moments for granted.

Hyde Park, bitches!

My mom would wash my mouth out if she saw the title of this post. I swear, she really did raise me with manners, and she taught me that swearing sounds ignorant most of the time.

*sigh*

I blame my sailor's mouth on the 2 year stint I did as a waitress at the local truck stop. Serving truckers for 8+ hours a day will cause anyone to develop a swearing habit, and quite possibly a nervous tick or two.

And that's the gospel truth.

In other news...

Will and I have an appointment to tour several apartments in the city on February 4th. We've done a lot of research and we both decided that Hyde Park is where we'd like to live. It's on the south side, close to the museum of Science and Industry, and near the hospital where Will will be working. There are many reasons aside from these that we chose Hyde Park, but here are my the top 3 reasons I love the sound of the Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago:

#1. Hello! Lake Michigan! Maybe even views of Lake Michigan from our apartment?! *sigh* Will and I can take long walks by the lake, or hang out on the beach in the warmer months.

#2. I am sort of an old fart, so I like the fact that Hyde Park been has been described as relatively quiet. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to a bar. On a Friday/Saturday night I'd much prefer hitting the gym, cooking dinner at home/ordering in, and curling up with Will, a good book/movie, and a few glasses of wine to "hittin da club". If that makes me old and lame, so be it. I love eht.

and

#3. Hyde Park is diverse. It is home to a couple of art centers, museums, and the University of Chicago. I am so looking forward to meeting new friends that look absolutely nothing like me, and can hopefully teach me a thing or two thousand about life.

I can't wait to check these apartments out! *Fingers crossed* for something in our budget with a view!

Hey! A girl can dream! Right?

Christmas (And one other tidbit)

Hello! It's been a bit since I last blogged because I've been busy with holiday stuff. I have to confess that I love being busy with holiday stuff. I love Christmas. I wish every day was Christmas. Yeah. I am one of *those* people.

I bloody love Christmas lights. I almost love them enough to leave them up all year. Almost.

I love eating too much delicious food, hanging out with my awesome family, sitting by the fire, opening gifts. I love holiday traditions. I love the warm, cheery, snuggly, rosy-cheeked feeling I get at Christmastime.

And guess what else I love? My husband. He got me a brand new laptop for Christmas! Woooooooooooooo! I am so totally typing this blog post on my sweet new hp laptop.


I've also become mildly addicted to the trial of the Mortlake Mansion game that came with my laptop. I was talking to my husband about it and told him that I am certain that I should NEVER ever ever ever attempt a trial of World of Warcraft because I seriously think I would turn into one of those internet game addicts that plays for 35609845680945 hours each week. My eyes would be all bloodshot and bleary. My ass would sprout roots and become part of my computer chair. I wouldn't stop playing to shower, eat, sleep or change my underwear. Yup. Scary shit dudes. So, I think we are in agreement. No WOW for me!

But I digress. There is one other tidbit I want to share.

I turned in my resignation at the clinic today. And it. was. AMAZING. Omg. I can't even tell you how incredible it felt to seal that envelope with my "see ya!"  letter inside. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I am so psyched to be ending that job, and searching for a new one.

It hit me again when that letter left my hands today: WE ARE REALLY MOVING TO CHICAGO! AHHH!

Will and I have been scouring the net for apartments lately, and we're going to head into the city in about 5 or 6 weeks to start seriously looking at places and sign a lease. Exciting times ahead. I cannot wait!