Re: Loving It

A Different Kind of Trip

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:47:00 -0500

I think the thing I like best about traveling is pretending for a couple of days like I live somewhere else, like I have an entirely different life. And this weekend I was able to experience that to an even greater degree than normal. I attended a conference up in the Twin Cities (which I looooove) - “going to work” each day certainly makes you feel more a part of a place. Plus, Kevin and Molly were able to drive up with me!

So instead of staying in a nice-ish B & B and going to art museums or on a long run or out to eat for every meal, we settled into a very simple, very dog friendly hotel (motel even, maybe?), found dog friendly patios, and spent our mornings chatting with Minneapolans and St. Paulians at dog parks.

It’s not how I’d want to do every trip, but it was a pretty awesome experience! I felt like a true Minnesotan for a couple of days. And I was so proud and relieved at how well Molly did. Didn’t tear up anything at the hotel (even when we left her alone for a few hours), did great in the car, no accidents, no barking…she seemed to really like her little vacation, and I’m excited to know we can cart her along in the future!

Anatomy of a great night in New Orleans: We ate dinner at The...

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:29:00 -0500

Anatomy of a great night in New Orleans:

We ate dinner at The Commander’s Palace. I had a Strawberry Flip, a Sazerac, risotto, and strawberry shortcake. It was one of those three-hour meals that fly by - the food and company and atmosphere were so good.

Then we headed to Frenchmen Street. The first bar we stopped into (mostly because it charged no cover) had an incredible band playing a combination of 60s music and New Orleans jazz. And they had go-go dancers. And when the band broke a burlesque show started. Seriously, seriously only in New Orleans.

After that we wandered a few blocks and came upon a little art show. While my friends shopped I had my palm read, which I’ve never done before I think mostly because the tiny piece of my brain that remembers being a fundamentalist Christian youth grouper tells me to say no to witchcraft. But it was New Orleans and it was midnight and there were white lights strung everywhere and incense and I was all alone and the girls who were about to get their palms read had to run to the ATM. So I sat down with Miss Norah and heard some hokey things and some things that hit a little too close to home (or maybe just close enough to home) and I cried a little bit in front of strangers and that’s all I want to say about it. Except that I’m going to live to be at least 92 and she hugged me at the end. And fifteen minutes later she charged bimsk twice as much as me - weird.

I think at some point I drank an Abita Jacomo…maybe a little bit during the go-go dancers, a little bit on the street, right before the palm reading.

Then ao0oga and I got hungry and ordered tater tots and ate them, also in the street.

Then we caught the Young Fellaz Brass Band at another bar just a couple of blocks away. (And a young fella my friend and I had met over our first NOLA lunch was there with his trumpet! Small town.) I nursed one last Sazerac and left the building to stand outside for just a bit because I knew the night was coming to an end and I just wanted to soak up a couple more minutes out there.

Finally, I successfully resisted the urge, at 2 a.m., to go dancing because I knew I wanted to get up for a run the next morning. It was a hard, hard choice, but when I heard they ended up at a place playing techno music I knew I had gone home just in time. (Nothing against techno…but it would’ve killed me if they’d have ended up at an awesome live jazz place or something.)

It was an amazing evening in an amazing city that never fails to bring out the night owl in me. And all to celebrate my favorite bachelorette - hope you had as much fun as I did!

Things I Would Do Every Day If Every Day Were A Little Bit Longer

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:04:00 -0500

**********

A little bit of yoga. Ideally I’d go to a class, but if not, I’d like to do at least a short workout at home. In particular, I wish I had more time to practice the poses that are harder for me - crow, headstands, handstands, arm balances of all kinds. I think you only really get better if you’re doing yoga consistently, and I’m not.

Meditate.

Read the paper. (While drinking good coffee - I’ve got the coffee thing down at least.)

Pack a lunch I’m actually excited to eat.

Make an after-work snack that’s healthy but satisfies my out of control hunger at that time of day. (Yesterday I bought buffalo wing/blue cheese Combos on my walk home from the train.)

Always have fancy cucumber, strawberry, or lemon water waiting in the fridge.

Have a cocktail on the balcony.

Really wash my face - cleanser, toner, lotion, the whole works.

Read before bed - more than two pages before I pass out.

Get eight hours of sleep.

My Life

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:07:00 -0500

These Days:

- I’ve scrubbed the floor with soap and vinegar after two in-house “accidents.” I’ve also collected my dog’s urine (Kevin did the hard work) and had the other kind of, uh, waste on my freaking hand. I’ve spent roughly $300 on vet bills in two weeks.

- My work life is so crazy focused these days. I get to campus and get my stuff done and then get home. I’m starting to think I’d be a kickass working parent.

- I went to a conference in San Francisco the other weekend and it was so good - so, so good. I wasn’t a wimp, for once, and I thoroughly enjoyed the city and the friends I stayed with during my off hours. If a university out that way happened to have a year-long postdoc available when I graduate I wouldn’t say no. (Year-long. I would come back to Chicago. I’ll always come back.)

- Sriracha.

- We’re fine, but Kevin and I have been fighting/snipping at each other a lot about this dog. We had a heart to heart about it over patio beers tonight and things are better.

- Today when I got really stressed and annoyed because I was trying to work from home and Molly wouldn’t stop pawing at me and I wasn’t sure it meant she had to go out and if I didn’t take her she’d pee on the rug or if she was just being a pain in the ass I thought, “Screw it. I’m going to grab a beer (it was a two-beer night), open the screen door, sit my back against the cabinet below the sink, and play a game of roll ball fetch with my dog.”

- Spring. Oh my goodness, I almost forget to look around and notice how beautiful it is. Let’s enjoy it, Chicago because you know 90 and humid is right around the corner.

Someday, someday I promise you, I’ll post something other...

Sun, 05 May 2013 18:07:11 -0500

Someday, someday I promise you, I’ll post something other than pictures of my dog.

I just wanted to hop on here, though, and say I had a great weekend. We (Kevin, my sisters, and me) ran the Indianapolis Mini Marathon and it went great. My training had been a little rough because of adopting Molly and some minor health hiccups (like throwing up on myself during a thyroid uptake scan…awesome…did not feel like running that day), so I was nervous, but we averaged a 9:45 pace! This is by far a PR for me, so I’m very excited, very proud, and inspired to keep getting faster.

After that we attended a wedding and ate, drank, and danced our faces off. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the night.

AND, icing on the cake, my wonderful parents watched the dog all weekend and she did great. (Until this afternoon, that is, when she went to the bathroom in my grandparents’ house.) It’s really comforting to know that she had a first weekend away from us and can hang with my parents’ dog with no major incidents. I give her a B+ for behavior.

That’s all! I need to spend the rest of the night getting caught up on all the emails and school projects I’ve neglected. We are a household full of tired, happy creatures tonight.

"As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn..."

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:28:24 -0500

“As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.”

- John Muir (via fuckyeahyoga)

What To Do If You Visit Chicago in April

Wed, 01 May 2013 17:38:00 -0500

- I have one suggestion for what to do if you visit Chicago in April. Adopt a dog and spend all your time walking her.

I’m joking, but April really is a fantastic time to take long walks around the city, as long as it’s not raining. You can meander the elaborate flowers planted between the Lincoln Park Zoo and the Conservatory. There are pretty European-style gardens in Grant Park. Or - my personal favorite - you can pick a nice neighborhood, grab an iced coffee, and gape at rich peoples’ postcard-sized, meticulously landscaped lawns. Sometimes for fun Kevin and I just walk up and down State and/or Dearborn between Division and North.

- You know what I might do in April? I might make the ninety minute drive to southwest Michigan and go to Redamak’s, Brewster’s, or The Stray Dog (all in New Buffalo). And then I’d take a walk out to Lake Michigan. And then I’d get ice cream from Oink’s. This is a series of activities I’ll probably suggest in the summer, too, but I think it’s really neat to watch vacation towns wake up from the winter. April’s when that begins to happen.

- I had a perfect Sunday the other day, and I think you should replicate it. We took our bikes (you can rent some) all the way down to the Museum of Science & Industry. This is a hike – it took us at least an hour each way from Lakeview, and unless you’re staying on the south side it’ll take you awhile too - but the trail is interesting and always changing. We had brunch down in Hyde Park – although a picnic might be even more fun, as would giving yourself a little extra time to wander the neighborhood - and then spent a couple of hours in the museum. I was fascinated by the U-Boat, and I’d for sure recommend the extra tour. The weather/storms exhibit was really cool too. This makes for a great Chicago day – plenty of sunshine and people-watching on the trail, some delicious food, and a good dose of culture. You’ll fall asleep that night feeling like you’re living life right.

- Find some friends and play Frisbee with them. Just because you’re happy it’s spring.

- Open up the windows. Wherever you are, hotel, friend’s house, whatever, if they’re openable open them. Is there anything better than fresh air blowing through your house after a winter all closed in?

- In high school I had a cross country runner friend who made a point to go “ice” his feet in one of the small lakes in our town after long runs in the spring. I suggest to you to go on a hard run yourself, or a very long walk, and then wade into Lake Michigan. This works best when the water’s still really cold and the air’s getting warm - now. April/early May. It’s THE BEST cure for sore muscles I’ve found.

- Take in a night on a restaurant’s patio. I’m not even going to make a specific suggestion for a place, because this will probably be a bit impromptu. In April, as the weather gets nicer, restaurants will set out their outdoor furniture some nights and won’t on other evenings. If you’re here when it’s over 60 degrees after dark, take a stroll around a quiet neighborhood (downtown is okay for this, but Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Square, Logan Square, Andersonville are all better…sorry I’m so north side centric) and stop for pizza, sandwiches, or French food. Whatever looks good.

- All of the things I’ve described so far have involved good weather, and April just does NOT dependably provide that. This year, for example, at least half the month involved rain and sub 40 degree temperatures. What to do on an ugly day? The answer is – I don’t know. After six months of inside weather, I run out of the will to try hard in April. I find I just put my head down, do my work, and hope the sun comes out soon. (Or I escape to somewhere warm for a long weekend.) I will say, however, that if you come to Chicago this time of year you should use it as an excuse to buy cute rain boots (but make sure they’re functional…wet socks are the worst) and a sturdy umbrella. If you happen to do said shopping on Michigan Avenue, skip all the chain restaurants and go to Local Root. We were told about this place when we were in Costa Rica, where the chef trained for a couple of years. There’s a little coffee shop, and both dinner and lunch are great. Hands down, by far my favorite Streeterville restaurant.

That’s all I’ve got! Time to pay attention to this animal that’s moved into my house. I think she’s ready for a walk.

**********

You can find January’s post here, February’s post here, and March’s post here.

The thing about adopting a dog (and I guess this is true of most...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:13:58 -0500

The thing about adopting a dog (and I guess this is true of most big changes in life) is that I have these crazy, sudden swings between elation and stress. Right now she’s sitting at my feet, not begging as I eat leftover spring rolls, letting me work away. Earlier today we played fetch in our courtyard. I love, love morning walks with her. Those are great moments - some of the best moments of my week. Then fifteen minutes, an hour, a day later she chews up a duvet cover and I think “so it begins…now she’ll probably destroy the entire house” or barks in the condo for the first time and I’m like “here we go…I’m the bad neighbor I was afraid I’d become” or wakes up at four a.m. and I honestly believe I’ll never get seven straight hours of sleep again.

Life Lately

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:27:17 -0500

- Stuff with the dog is really good. She had her first “bad girl” moment last night when she ate a dead bird outside in our parking lot (gross), but overall she’s pretty angelic. I love her already. Oh, and my sister was our personal Wonder Woman and taught her to walk up the stairs. Molly had been getting close, but watching Kelly’s dog Lucy do it put her over the edge.

- On a related note, I’m 3-4 pounds lighter since we adopted Molly. I’m finding that if I want to lose weight, all I need to do is arrange for a really stressful life event. The last time I lost any weight at all was at the beginning of graduate school when I had a mini panic attack every day. I guess the only way to stop myself from eating three breakfasts each morning is to feel queasy with worry. Yay. (Sarcasm - I’d rather take the extra pounds and lose the worry.)

- School is trucking along. I got some good dissertation ideas from committee members and am looking forward to a conference in San Francisco this weekend.

- I’m heading in today for what’s basically an all-day medical procedure AND have to go back tomorrow for follow-up x-rays (thyroid stuff - nothing too worrisome). Yuck. Glad I have a sweet girl who can provide some animal therapy tonight.

Seriously. Thank you all so very much for your words of...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:54:00 -0500

Seriously. Thank you all so very much for your words of reassurance about our new dog. i wrote my last post this morning in bed as I waited for Kevin to wake up and for us to see how Molly had fared through the night. I was sick to my stomach from a lack of sleep and worry and I thought I was crazy. I felt better as soon as I saw I had replies - before I’d even read them! You’re all really good friends for taking time to respond. And it is such a relief to hear that I’m not the only one who struggled through the first week and to be reminded that dogs take time to adjust to a new home. (I guess people take time to adjust too!)

She’s done so great, by the way. She slept like a rock after only a little whining (she shared a crate with another dog at her foster home and I wonder if she was a bit lonely), she’s doing a little bit better on the stairs (goes down fine, on the way up she can now do the top two on her own in order to reach a treat I’m holding, but we have to physically move her feet and place them on each stair the rest of the way), and she did awesome when we were gone for two hours on a training run - we found her sleeping so hard she didn’t hear us come in. She loves the water - can’t get enough of Lake Michigan and has the sweetest, most gentle personality. She’s learning fast on walks that we don’t say hi to every single person and dog we see, and the SENSE-ible harness we got is awesome, awesome, awesome at keeping her from pulling.

I’m covered with dog hair and drool, and every few minutes a friendly face wanders over to interrupt my blogging and get a pet on the head. We’re making it.

You guys, I’m kind of freaking out. I am so worried about taking care of this dog. I worry...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 06:46:06 -0500

You guys, I’m kind of freaking out. I am so worried about taking care of this dog. I worry she’s not happy here. I worry she’s lonely in her crate. I worry she’ll never learn to use the stairs. I worry about leaving her alone. I tossed and turned all night. She’s so, so good and I love having her here, but I feel so panicky. Tell me this will get better?

Holy cow, I have a dog. (Who won’t walk up the stairs to...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 20:56:00 -0500

Holy cow, I have a dog.

(Who won’t walk up the stairs to my condo. That will be…interesting.)

But she (Molly) is sweet to her core - not a bad bone in her body and is even more gorgeous than she looks in this picture. I’m happy, stressed, and exhausted. Settling in for a beer, movie, and some bonding.

dearworld: We are adopting a very sweet rescue dog from...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:02:13 -0500

dearworld:

We are adopting a very sweet rescue dog from Thailand!

We originally planned on adopting from a local shelter but when we saw this little dreamboat on Petfinder and read her story we couldn’t say no. She was rescued from the illegal dog meat trade and just needs to fly from Bangkok to Chicago for the adoption to be final.

We came across this organization and immediately felt compelled to get involved. You can read more about them here:
http://internationalstreetdogfoundation.blogspot.com/

ISDF normally raises the funds for this part of the process but we wanted to help them out and do it on our own. We would truly appreciate it if you are willing to donate a few dollars! We’re hoping to raise $800 in the next few weeks.

Check out this website for more info and link to PayPal if you want to donate:
https://sites.google.com/site/donatemona/home

Even if you aren’t interested in donating you should definitely check out the website to learn more about their awesome work. Thanks so much for considering!!

My family is on a bit of a dog kick recently. If you’d like to help my sister adopt Mona, see her post above.

wbez: A “geyser” erupts on Lawrence Avenue near Ravenswood this...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:00:00 -0500

wbez:

A “geyser” erupts on Lawrence Avenue near Ravenswood this morning in Chicago.

WHAT is going on these days? Does it feel like the apocalypse to anyone else?

Also, listen to the jerk Chicagoan who honks because apparently people aren’t driving past the exploding sewer fast enough. I love this city, insane weather and all, but our drivers are the most jackass-y of all jackasses.

Seconded. From one runner to another. And to anyone who’s...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:47:00 -0500

Seconded. From one runner to another. And to anyone who’s ever supported a runner.

Last night in the span of 45 minutes I got three emails, all of them bearing really good news. Two...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:04:00 -0500

Last night in the span of 45 minutes I got three emails, all of them bearing really good news.

Two of them were the professors I asked to be on my dissertation committee agreeing to be on my dissertation committee. Yay! Oh my goodness, grad school is moving fast all of a sudden.

The third email said that we’re being considered to adopt Molly, one of the dogs I mentioned in a recent post (not the one pictured). Apparently she’s a bit overweight and they seem to like us because we’re so active.

So we have solid leads on two good dogs! (Okay, they might not be that good - there are “manners” issues with both, but whatever.)

I’m of course freaking out, trying not to get my hopes up, trying not to obsess over silly details like how would we get Molly back into the boat when we take her to the lake this summer or where exactly would we put her dog bed and should she be allowed on the red chairs or not and other very important issues that don’t encourage me to get ahead of myself at all. I’m also preemptively sad because I was kind of getting attached to the idea of the other goofy dog pictured in my recent post and am worried the timing won’t work out and we won’t get either one.

Okay, sorry, this post was supposed to be about good news, not my neurotic mind. So - hooray! Happy emails all around!

"Life wasn’t meant to be easy. Life was meant to be life."

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 19:55:43 -0500

“Life wasn’t meant to be easy. Life was meant to be life.”

- (via zeoxfordcomma)

We applied for this pretty girl! The foster mom told Kevin...

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:55:00 -0500

We applied for this pretty girl! The foster mom told Kevin yesterday to “fill out the application, and she’s yours.”

We still have a couple of questions - is she a big barker (I get majorly stressed about being a bad neighbor), how is she with other dogs, etc. And we still want to meet her. And she’s supposedly a maniac, so that’s a bit worrying. (The words “hyper teenager” and “bad manners” have been thrown around.) And Kevin’s still holding out hope we’ll get placed with Molly - another dog from the rescue org we were working with. (The dog above is through a shelter. I briefly posted a picture of Molly, but Kevin’s worried that will only increase the competition for her, so I took it down. You know, I have a HUGE blog following. ;)

BUT! This is as close as we’ve gotten so far in this dog search, so very exciting.

(bimsk - she’s from Kentucky, so maybe she’s related to Benny?)

"[T]he thing that was so profound to me that summer—and yet also, like most things, so very..."

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:03:00 -0500

““[T]he thing that was so profound to me that summer—and yet also, like most things, so very simple—was how few choices I had and how often I had to do the thing I least wanted to do. How there was no escape or denial, no numbing it down with a martini…I considered my options. There were only two and they were essentially the same. I could go back in the direction I had come from, or I could go forward in the direction I intended to go.””

- Cheryl Strayed

Hey Hey - I have a conference in Hawaii this summer (never been before) and tacked on four extra...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:43:59 -0500

Hey Hey -

I have a conference in Hawaii this summer (never been before) and tacked on four extra days to my trip. Trying to figure out what to do. I’ll be in Honolulu for the meeting and imagine I’ll want to get the heck out of there and see some more of the state once my presentation is done…what should I do after? I tend to like B & Bs or home rentals, but I’m pretty open-minded as far as lodging goes. Nothing too expensive I guess. As for activities, I like vegetarian food, running, hiking, wildlife, beaches…I’m relatively adventurous and a considerate tourist (i.e. I won’t embarrass you if you send me somewhere off-the-beaten path). Any amazing experiences you can share with me?