Adventures in Life

I have been trying to write this entry for a while now. Hopefully this time it will work.

On the seventh, Alex, Gabe, and I went to the Tucson Museum of Art to see the Andy Warhol exhibit. My favorite was the Einstein screen print. Alex loved the fountain outside.

Alex's had fun watching this fountain.

The next day I went out to dinner with my Bible study group. We were celebrating one person's move to another state and another person's new baby.

Random picture of Alex doing a pull-up.

On Tuesday, Alex discovered how to go down the slide backward. This is now his favorite way to go down the slide.

Backward Slide

Last weekend was rough! Gabe was in Phoenix for work from 5:00 a.m. Thursday until 9:00 p.m. Saturday. Gabe usually puts Alex to bed at night and Alex was not happy when I was the one going through the routine. I would get about 2 hours of sleep (not even consecutive) and he would just scream and yell "Da". At one point, when he had been up since 2:00 a.m., I called Gabe at 5:30 a.m. and had him talk to Alex. This helped a little. Next time Gabe goes on a trip, we are going too.

Climbing in the furniture

Sunday was a pretty busy day for us. We went to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Tucson. Gabe and I also managed to finally sit down and work on the puzzle again...we finished it! Alex had his picture made with the Easter Bunny. It was like the Santa Picture. We celebrated Pi Day by eating pizza pie, Pierogies, and blueberry pie. The 14th was Einstein's birthday too, but we didn't manage to eat German Chocolate cake.

Completed puzzle

Easter Bunny

While we were out on Sunday bought Alex a no mess Color Wonder book and markers. These are wonderful! He can color with markers but they only work on the special (and expensive) coloring books. So, he can't get maker on himself, the furniture, the carpet, the walls, etc. Nicolle told me about these and they are awesome. I also bought him the finger paints, but we haven't tried them out yet.

Yesterday, Alex and I met some people at a local park and played for a while. The weather was nice. Today the high is 84. We are having some really nice weather.

The latest book that I read was Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief. The book was good and is serving as a Harry Potter substitute. I am really looking forward to watching the movie.

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Alex has recovered nicely from his surgery. We went to the doctor yesterday and no ear infection! Of course, he just finished his antibiotics yesterday too, so hopefully his ears will stay infection free.

Alex had his surgery on Mardi Gras. I had big plans to make a king cake, but that didn't happen. Instead, we celebrated Mardi Gras on Wednesday and I made Jambalaya.

Alex relaxing.

On Friday, Alex was feeling great and we went to the park. He loves to swing.

Walking around the park.

On Saturday, Dawn and I went to a Mom to Mom sale. I found Alex a few toys, but I still need to disinfect them. Gabe, Alex, and I went to a birthday party for Kimmie. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and it sprinkled a little bit so we only stayed for about 30 minutes and we left. After the party I went over to Debbie's house and Dawn, Debbie, and I scrapbooked. I now have May 2009 finished!

I have started running back up again. I quit due to illness earlier in the month. I still have my goal of running in a race, but I guess I will run it alone. Dawn was going to run in the race with me, but she is moving to Indiana in March. I will miss her!

I finished reading Julie and Julia. It is actually a funny and interesting book. I am looking forward to watching the movie. If you would like to see the blog that started it all click here. There is also a link at the top of the page to go to her current blog.

Gabe and I are watching American Idol again this season. So far none of the girls are really doing it for me. I am looking forward to the guy's performances tonight.

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We have been busy preparing for an upcoming trip and getting ready for a party. I am having a Southern Living at Home party tomorrow. A few people are coming over and while looking at all of the products we will be munching on yummy desserts. I am also making a veggie tray since some people may have new year's resolutions to cut out sweets (I am NOT one of those people).

Last night we went to the store and I managed to take a picture of Alex pushing the shopping cart. He has been doing it for a little while, but this is the first time that I thought to take a picture. We only let him push the cart if the store isn't busy. I guess I should look into purchasing a toy cart for him.

He is pushing the cart though he is hard to see in this picture.

Sometimes he likes to push the cart from the side (I think he can see a little better this way).

I finished reading I, Alex Cross and Alex Cross's Trial. That knocks off numbers 14 and 17 off of my New Year's Resolution list. I really enjoyed I, Alex Cross. It was the typical book from the Alex Cross series. Alex Cross's Trial was good, but it was not at all what I was expecting. For some reason I thought it was going to be another book in Alex Cross series, but I was wrong.

Gabe and I managed to watch a few movies while he was off from work. My favorite was Star Trek. I would even recommend it to someone that is not a fan of the series or other movies (I did not like the series). We also watched Coraline, Duplicity, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Funny People, and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

I will post a picture of Alex's plate either later on today or tomorrow. I am getting ready to go pick it up soon.

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I missed my book club meeting on Thursday. I was not feeling well. The book was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. The book was okay. In my opinion, it would have been better without the last 20% of the book, but that was the entire point of the book. A girl grows up poor in Brooklyn and it goes through her life and the cycle of poverty. I am currently reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. This is not for the book club. However, I checked out a copy from the library and it is due back in a few days and I am almost half way through the book. I had better get reading.

Thursday I bought tickets to Legally Blonde the musical. Katie and I going to see it. They went on sale Friday, but because we have purchased tickets before, Gabe had a presale code.

On Friday, Gabe, Alex, and I went to Phoenix and stayed in a hotel downtown. We walked around downtown. There is an open air market that was a lot of fun. We had some really good pizza. Before heading to Phoenix, we stopped at a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin.

Saturday, on the way back home we stopped off at IKEA and a couple of other places. Last night after Alex went to bed we relaxed a little bit. We also watched the movie Adventureland...don't waste your time.

We went to the park today. Alex loves swinging. The picture below if from a couple of weeks ago.

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We went to see Harry Potter Friday night (SPOILER AHEAD). I enjoyed it. However, one part of the movie bothered me in particular. I did not like the way that the scene where DumbIedore is killed took place. It did not follow the book closely enough for my liking. Just in case you are wondering, when we left the drive-in at 10:30 p.m. it was a cool 86 degrees.

I was not sad to see Jamika leave The Next Food Network Star. I think that her attitude was horrible during the challenges. However, I do wish that Debbie would get voted off of the island. She is so sneaky and I just don't like it. I don't think that I could trust her enough to watch her television program.

Yesterday I managed to finish up a quilt top. I started working on it several months ago and never finished it. It is for my grandma for Christmas. My goal was to finish the top and then make my "quilt sandwich" so I could quilt it while we drive to Las Vegas. I started quilting it last night while we were watching TV. My new goal is to finish quilting it before Vegas and do the binding on the trip.

The show that we watched was Moonlight. We started with the first episode of the first season. So far it is interesting. It is about a vampire that is a private investigator and he helps to solve crimes. We only watched the first episode and about five minutes of the second, so we will have to see how it all unfolds. It was canceled after the first season.

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We have been pretty busy lately...even more that normal. Wednesday, July 1, I went to a Pampered Chef party. Alex stayed home with Gabe.

On Friday, July 3 we went to the Old-Fashioned Independence Day Festival. We had a lot of fun. We decided to watch the fireworks from home instead of the festival. We had a pretty decent view out of our extra bedroom window. Alex really enjoyed watching the fireworks, but I think he might not have enjoyed them quite as much if he would have heard the boom. We decided to watch them from home so things would be more quiet and less hectic.

Alex modeling his beads.

We had lunch with Kevin at a Greek restaurant on the Fourth of July. We were actually late due to some confusion at Babies R Us. We bought Alex a car seat and when they went to get it out of storage for us, they couldn't find it. It took them 40 minutes to decide that their inventory system had not been properly updated and they did not have the car seat that we had paid for. Apparently the stores have two inventory systems. One system said that they had 1 car seat in stock and the other system said that they had -1 in stock. So, they ended up ordering one for us. I would not have minded the situation that much (we saved $80 on the car seat) except it made us late for our lunch date. Everything worked out ok and Kevin was pretty understanding.

During the evening of the fourth we had Mike over for dinner. We grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. We also had pasta salad, chips, and apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Alex went to bed and as we sat outside eating dinner we watched fireworks from our back yard.

Monday I went over to J's house for some socializing. There were quite a few people there and we snacked on yummy low calorie desserts. I made yummy chocolate mint cookies. I forgot to take a picture, but I will post the recipe in a different post.

Recent we have watched a few movies. We watched the entire first season of True Blood. It is about vampires that have come out in society and they are now seeking equal rights thanks to the invention of True Blood. It is a blood substitute that fulfills all nutritional requirements and stops the need for vampires to feed on humans. The main character is Sookie Stackhouse. She can hear people's thoughts and really has an interest in vampires. Her brother, Jason, just seems to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bill, a vampire, becomes Sookie's love interest. The series is based on books by Charlaine Harris.

We also watched Babylon AD. It was a much better movie than I had expected. Vin Diesel takes a job to smuggle a girl to the United States. We are currently watching Insomnia. It is doing a great job of keeping my interest (I always do two things at once). Al Pacino is sent to Alaska to investigate the murder of a girl. He kills his partner while attempting to apprehend the suspect. He does not admit to what he has done. While dealing with his guilt he is still trying to catch a murderer.

Posted by at 3:29 PM | Permalink

Alex turned 8 months old on Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to taking a picture until Monday. So, here is the 8 month, 1 day picture.

Alex 8 months, 1 day old (next to a 12 month outfit)

Check out my other monthly posts here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Role Models actually turned out to be an ok movie during the second half. We have also recently watched Paul Blart: Mall Cop and The Pink Panther 2. Paul Blart had its funny moments and The Pink Panther wasn't that bad either.

Saturday we did make it to the mall and I did find a swimsuit. I also found Alex a really cute onesie.

We had a dinner guest on Saturday and after dinner we played some Wii and Trivial Pursuit. Sunday we relaxed and watched a couple of movies. I did manage to clean out the office and the closet, but I still need to clean off my desk.

Sometime today I need to book a hotel for a conference that I need to attend. Gabe left me in charge of the hotel accommodations. Well, not really (he told me which hotel to book). The task of booking hotels has been taken away from since the Paris hotel incident of 2005.

As a side note, I did cook the cake batter for the ice cream cone cupcakes in the cones. Here is the link to the instructions. I just sat the cones up in a pan and cooked them that way.

Picture of Alex sitting. I have been playing around with some photo editing software.

Alex

Clara & Elsa

I am not sure what we are doing this week. We will most likely watch some fireworks this weekend.

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Well, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an interesting movie, but not one that I would want to watch again. I think I should have just quit watching after the first half of the movie. Aging in reverse is just weird. I never read the F. Scott Fitzgerald book, maybe that would have made a difference.

We went to a party on Saturday the 13th. It was actually pool party, but we didn't swim. Alex has taken to hating his baths again. So we were pretty sure he would scream the entire time just like he does during a bath.

Alex & Gabe

Sunday the 14th was a very busy day. After church at the lake, we had brunch and then headed back home. We decided to try out Alex's little pool in our back yard. He loved it! He absolutely loved splashing around in it. Maybe we should have let him splash at the pool in the party.

Splashing in the pool.

Alex very happy after splashing in the pool.

Stephanie & Alex

Next we decided to head out to the zoo. On the way back we stopped by Border's for a free Seattle's Best beverage (courtesy of our rewards card).

Stephanie, Alex, & Giraffe

Cute African Spotted-Necked Otter

The capybara is the world's largest rodent, related to guinea pigs.

Once we were back home again we had dinner and decided to go to our neighborhood pool around 7:30 p.m. Even though it was 90 out it was too cold for Alex. When there is no humidity it feels like air conditioning for any part of your body that is out of the water. I stayed in for a little while, while Alex and Gabe sat on the edge.

I started watching the new season of The Next Food Network Star. I must say I don't miss Jenn and I was happy to see Brett go. It was a tossup between Eddie and Teddy, but I do hope that Teddy goes home next week. I just wouldn't watch a show with him as the star. Gabe thinks that Debbie is going to win, but as of right now I guess I am voting for Jeffrey. No one has really gained my "vote" yet.

Wednesday the 17th Dawn D. and I went for a walk in the morning (Gabe and I usually go in the evenings). She left for Illinois on Monday for three weeks. She was nice enough to drop off an exersaucer for Alex before she left.

Friday the 19th I scrapbooked with Cheri (originally we had plans to do it on Thursday) until around 3:00 p.m. and then we had Victor over for dinner. I cooked Greek food. I really loved the feta and cream cheese dip that I made. I will have to post the recipe the next time I make it (that way I can post a picture).

Saturday the 20th we went out to eat at Macaroni Grill for Father's Day. We were going to eat out on Sunday, but we switched it Saturday and went to a BBQ at one of our neighbor's. Wednesday we had some people over for dinner.

"Ice Cream" Cupcakes that I took to the BBQ. They were ice cream cones filled with chocolate cake, frosted, and then topped with sprinkles.

Gabe & Alex on Father's Day.

We watched Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. I actually preferred the first Underworld movie. Rise of the Lycans is a prequel and takes a five minute portion of the movie and expands it into a full length movie. Slumdog Millionaire was ok. It wasn't my favorite movie. We are currently watching Role Models. I think we should have watched Confessions of a Shopaholic instead.

After dinner we went on our nightly walk. We were going to head out to Old Navy to check out he $5.00 swimsuit and shorts sale, but we both decided to relax instead. We are going to go tomorrow instead. We also having Mike D. over for dinner tomorrow. I have plans to clean out and organize my office this weekend. We will see how it goes.

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There has been quite a bit of animal activity around our neighborhood lately. We have a pet lizard. Okay, we don't really have a pet lizard, but there is one that thinks he is our pet.

We have seen quite a few lizards on our walks in the evening. We have also seen rabbits the past few nights, but I left my camera at home.

This little girl showed up in our yard. Elsa and Clara had a great time playing with her. Her owner found her before we had a chance to go to each house door by door to locate the owner (we were waiting until after we finished dinner).

Roadrunner (I think). He hung out for quite a while and gave Alex something to look at for about an hour. He even pecked on the door a couple of times.

We actually saw a double rainbow on our walk, but the picture of the single rainbow turned out the best.

This picture is one of my coasters that I display (I know I promised a few of you a picture of how I display them.

I watched the movie Bride Wars this past week. It is actually a pretty funny movie, much more so than I expected. Two wedding obsessed individuals mistakenly have their wedding booked on the same day. Hilarity ensues.

We don't have a lot planned for the weekend. We are going to a party tomorrow and after that who knows. Maybe we will finish watching The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. We started it last night.

Posted by at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Whew! I just finished posting all of the entries from Alaska. There were quite a few. I published so many that they are not all visible from my sidebar. So, if you would like to read about all of our adventures in Alaska (you know you want to), just click on "May 2009" under "Archives" on the right sidebar. You will be able to access all of the Alaska entries from there. You should be able to see the new posts from June, but in case you can't you can always click on "June 2009" under "Archives".

This is going to be a random post. Gabe, Alex, and I all went to the drive-in to see Angels and Demons. I like the book better. The drive-in is definitely somewhere we will be going again. It is only $5 a person, you can take your own food, and it is a great way to watch a movie with Alex.

When I came back from our vacation I had two wonderful swap packages waiting on me. They will each get their own entry (hopefully tonight, but maybe tomorrow).

I have all of the pictures for the "house tour", but since I have already posted so many things today, I might wait and put it together tomorrow.

I will be posting Alex's 6 month pictures soon (probably tomorrow).

While on vacation I read James Patterson's next installment in the Women's Murder Club: 8th Confession. It was a really good book about a killer that goes after the wealthy. Currently I am reading Why Do Men Have Nipples? Both Alex and I joined the summer reading program at the local library. Maybe the extra encouragement will help me with the Spring Reading Thing Challenge as well.

My Google Reader had 1000+ entries in it when we returned from vacation. It is going to be a while before I am caught up. Which reminds me, Nicole, does our beach house have WiFi?

I have been reading where quite a few people are participating in No Spending Challenges. I am going to do my own and feel free to join me. For the next two months we are going to give ourselves a monthly budget: $160 for food, $40 for entertainment, and $200 for Alex's food (formula is expensive). We will still pay for gas and bills, but we are going to attempt to curb excess spending. I will let you know how it goes.

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Gabe went to the doctor on Friday and found out that he has strep throat. Luckily, he has been taking his antibiotics and according to the doctor he is no longer contagious (starting today). So, Alex is happy that his dad can hold/feed/play with him again.

Yesterday we watched a lot of Grey's Anatomy (season 4). We are actually watching it right now too. Today we went to have Alex's pictures made. We skipped the pictures where we kiss him or put him too close to our faces. Even though Gabe is no longer contagious, there is no need to take a chance by sticking him up in Gabe's face right now.

We also went to Babies R Us and purchased a high chair.

Alex in his new high chair.

Recently, Gabe and I have watched several movies. Two of the movies were based off of books that we both read. The Last Templar book was very disappointing. I seem to remember Gabe mentioning that the book would make a good movie. He was right. The movie was pretty good and was better than the book. This is a pretty rare thing, but the movie was just better. The other movie was Marley and Me. The movie was good and funny. I was laughing out loud through some parts. I would have laughed more and even louder if I had not been holding a sleeping Alex. He always wakes up when I laugh. This movie followed the ordinary trend and I preferred the book, even though the movie was good.

I made the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta tonight and it was very good. We sat outside and ate our dinner. I should have taken a picture of both the food and of us eating outside, but I didn't. I could take a picture of the leftovers, but they just don't look as appetizing when they are crammed in a food storage container.

I have been working on getting all of my swap items together. The first one will be going out on Monday. The second one will be going out near the end of May. Hopefully everyone will like the things that I picked out. I will post pictures later (after they receive their packages).

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Well, Gabe is still sick. I have been the sole care provider for Alex for four day now. Since he is sick and running a fever Gabe doesn't hold or touch Alex. Alex will stare at him and smile. Then he gives Gabe a look like, remember me dad? I think he misses Gabe putting him to bed at night. Every night I put him in his crib he wakes up 3-4 times screaming. So, I am not getting a whole lot of sleep. Gabe is going to the doctor today.

Random picture of Alex sleeping, so there is more than just a picture of a box meal (keep reading and you will understand).

There was a major scare on American Idol last night. Adam was in the bottom two. Luckily Matt was sent home. I think I might actually vote next week. I always assumed the final would be between Danny and Adam, but now I am not so sure. It seems like Allison and Danny might be a strong possibility. I still like Kris too. Decisions, decisions.

Gabe and I watched Yes Man last night. It is a movie, staring Jim Carrey, about a man that always says no to everything because he is afraid to embrace life. He then takes a self-help seminar and starts to say yes to everything. The movie had both Gabe and I laughing out loud. I would have laughed a little more, but I was holding Alex and he was sleeping.

I never really followed up on the NCAA basketball bracket from Gabe's work. I won!

A friend from Illinois is coming to visit me next week for a long weekend. It should be a lot of fun.

Last night when we checked the mail I had a package. It contained a lot of awesome things from Macaroni Grill. I signed up for a blog giveaway on Hip2Save and I won! It had a colander, serving spoon, Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta, cheese grater, and three coupons for three free Macaroni Grill Entrees. I am looking forward to trying the chicken meal. Maybe we can give it a try tonight.

My surprise package! Thanks to Hip2Save.

We are scheduled to have Alex's 6 month pictures made on Saturday. I hope that Gabe is feeling better. Otherwise, we might not be in any of the pictures and they might be Alex only.

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Saturday Gabe, Alex, and I had dinner at a sushi restaurant with some other people. It was a lot of fun and the sushi was really good. Thinking about it now makes me want some more.

Alex hanging out on the floor while I was working on my swap packages.

We watched Beverly Hills Chihuahua and I was a little disappointed. I really expected a lot from the movie and I think that is the reason for the disappointment. Oh well, it was a free movie.

Sunday we relaxed. Today I received a package in the mail. Brandi painted a dish for Alex and I love it! Alex does too...you can tell from the picture :)

Alex and his Alex plate.

We have watched The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice and The Librarian: The Return to Kind Solomon's Mines. We have watched the series in reverse order and now we just have the first movie left to watch, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear. The series is a comical Indiana Jones. It is great to watch if you are looking for something that is relaxing, entertaining, and doesn't require a lot of though.

I watched The Promotion. It is about a guy, played by Seann William Scott, that is essentially guaranteed a promotion in his Chicago-based grocery store chain until a new guy shows up, played by John C. Reilly. It had its funny moments. If you don't have anything else to watch, it is worth a rent.

Gabe and I are currently watching Speed Racer. It is based off of the comic book and it was Gabe's choice. Maybe if you really liked the comic book series you would be a little more into the movie. It isn't bad, just not my choice of movie.

Posted by at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Make sure and check out the Robots entry. I added a couple of photos.

We did manage to watch Twilight on Monday, the 23rd. It was pretty good. I think I need to watch it again.

Tuesday Alex became ill. He started throwing up and we put him on Pedialyte. He ended up in the emergency room at 2:00 a.m. Thursday. I couldn't go with Gabe to take him because I was at home throwing up every 30 minutes and running a fever. He was finally released at 9:00 a.m. after they give him anti-nausea medicine since he couldn't even keep Pedialyte down. Gabe started getting sick on Thursday, but luckily he only had the fever portion of the illness. We pretty much stayed inside and watched movies and basketball Thursday, Friday, and early Saturday.

Saturday we went to the Butterfly Garden and Safari Trail in our neighborhood. Safari Trail is a path with statues of about 24 different species of animals. There are probably more than 75 individual animals (multiples of some species). Along with the statue, there is a board that displays information about the corresponding animal. It is really neat and a lot of fun. We wanted to go to the Desert Museum, but we didn't feel like walking around that much. Plus, we were able to stay close to home.

Beginning of Safari Trail. (As you can tell by all of the green grass, this area is landscaped and constantly maintained.)

Desert Bighorn Sheep

Gabe and Alex hanging out with the wildlife on Safari Trail.

We were supposed to have a party on Saturday, but we had to cancel it. We will reschedule, but I don't think all of the bread that we purchased will make it. Maybe we should donate it to a food bank. I started feeling normal again Saturday evening and Gabe was much better.

Today we are hanging out at home again. Gabe is pretty much back to normal and so is Alex. He has been back to full strength formula for about 24 hours and things seem to be going well. We might start working on the garage, though I am not holding my breath.

We decided on a landscaper! This is great news for us. Our backyard is currently just dirt. We had three estimates and the one we selected was the design we liked the most, the least expensive, and he can start the soonest! So, the landscaping starts on Wednesday. It should take a week to a week and a half to complete. Hopefully it will be ready for our rescheduled party.

Alex 5 Months (next to a 12 month outfit).

I have been recording Castle after Dancing with the Stars. We decided to watch the show while we were all three sick on the couch. I really, really like it. It is about an author that helps solve murders. It reminds me a lot of James Patterson. I told Gabe this while we were watching and then James Patterson came up on the screen playing poker with Castle. I will be adding it to our list of shows.

Posted by at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I finished my Yahoo! bracket. I am doing okay. I am a sucker for U of I every year. I am not going to be a sucker for them next year...I say that every year.

I finished reading Breaking Dawn last Tuesday. It was a decent way to end the Twilight Series (I am assuming it is the last book). I won't say anything else just in case someone out there isn't finished with the book yet. The new James Patterson book Run for Your Life is next on my list. It is the second book in the Michael Bennett series.

Gabe went to Phoenix last Thursday for the First Robotics Competition. He has been working with a local high school to help them prepare a robot for the competition. The bus left at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. So, Alex and I drove up separately. We stopped at Ikea on the way up and arrived at the competition around 4:00 p.m. Thursday was a practice day. Around 8:00 p.m. we all went out to eat at The Old Spaghetti Factory.

Friday was the first day of competition. Alex and I waited until 1:00 p.m. to go to the competition. Before heading to watch the robots, we went to the Irish Culture Center and went on the guided tour. The competition was a lot of fun to watch. We went out to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and I had Twisted Mac and Cheese...yummy!

Irish Culture Center

Saturday Alex and I headed back in the morning and everyone else went to the competition. We stopped off at Target and bought Twilight. I was hoping to watch it Saturday night, but we never got around to it. Gabe's team made it to the next round of competition that was on Saturday. Unfortunately they didn't win, but they did get a bronze medal. I think they all did a great job!

Alex Picture

Last night around 9:00 p.m. we sat down to watch Twilight. We didn't actually make it through the movie. We both fell asleep and went to bed at 10:30 p.m. I am hoping to watch it tonight. I will make a comment that the actors in the movie do not look like the characters in my mind. The closest is Victoria, but in the movie her hair is not nearly red enough.

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Today we went to the Reid Park Zoo. It was warm and nice today, so we neglected our "To Do" list. Before the zoo we had lunch at the Javelina Cantina and we were able to eat outside.

Javelina Cantina

The zoo was nice. It reminded me of your typical zoo with the typical animals. It looks nothing like the desert.

White rhino cooling off in the mud.

This zebra was running around while we were there.

Elephants

Flamingos

Anteater (I do not recall seeing one of these at a zoo before.)

Alex at home.

Alex 4 months and 1 day old.

We used our coupons for both the free 2-liter of Dr. Pepper and the Kashi Frozen Entree. Fry's was having a buy one get one free sale on Kashi dinners. So, we actually ended up with two free frozen dinners instead of just one.

I watched the movie Vantage Point last week. I definitely recommend it if you have not watched it. It stars Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, and Jack from Lost (Kent Taylor). The movie keeps repeating the same series of events several times. However, each time it is from a different character's point of view. The repeated events go through an assassination attempt on the President of the United States in Spain. Because this movie is no longer in theaters, it is definitely a renter.

We didn't end up cleaning out the garage this weekend (the weather was too nice). Maybe next weekend.

Posted by at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yesterday was wonderful weather for February. It was 91 degrees! We had dinner outside on our patio and then we went for a walk. It think we are going to start eating outdoors more often. It was really nice.

Gabe booked our vacation last night. We usually go to Europe in February, but we opted not to go this year. Instead, we are going to Alaska at the end of May. Neither of us have been, so it should be quite an adventure. I have a friend that went on an Alaskan cruise and he suggested getting a balcony room. Usually we just get a room with an ocean view, but this time we booked a balcony.

I also finished the quilt I was working on! It was finished while watching Still Waiting. It was the sequel to the movie Waiting. I am not sure why I rented it, because I didn't really even like Waiting. It made Waiting look like an award winning movie. It was a pointless movie about two competing restaurants and the people that work there.

Quilt

I made this tie onesie for Alex. I was going to wait to post it on my blog, but I already emailed a picture to Brandi (I asked if she wanted one for her son, Maddex).

Tie Onesie

Close up of "tie"

Alex modeling the onesie.

Posted by at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Wow, I have a lot to do to catch up my blog entries!

Thursday Gabe, Alex, and I went to Ruby Tuesday to eat. We had a BOGO coupon, so we both had steak for under $20 tip included. Before this visit I was anti-Ruby. I did not like their menu. I am not sure if the menu changed, or maybe just what I ordered changed, but it was yummy. The salad bar was spectacular and next time I am thinking of just ordering it.

On Friday we went to a hockey game. The University of Arizona Icecats were playing the Arizona State University Sun Devils. As you can tell Alex was really excited.

Alex at the hockey game.

Clara hanging out at home.

Alex "riding" Clara. Gabe thinks it is fun to have Alex ride Clara like a pony. Elsa is in the lower left corner.

The weather here has been beautiful lately. So, we have been taking advantage of the mid-80's by taking Alex on a lot of walks. The high today is actually 88!

As far as American Idol goes, I am really glad that Danny made it to the next round. Go Danny!

Gabe and I watched Hancock the other night. I rented it because I thought Gabe would like it. I was a little hesitant about another Will Smith movie after I Am Legend. It turned out to be a pretty good movie about a lonely superhero with amnesia. However, I didn't like the ending. Hmm...my description makes it sound pretty bad when in actuality it was pretty good.

We also watched Surfer, Dude. I was advised it wasn't the best movie. It wasn't. There really wasn't a plot. Maybe a guy that wants nothing more in his life than to surf, sticks it to the man (a corporate rich guy that happens to be a jerk...just a side note that not all corporate rich guys are jerks). That darn Matthew McConaughey made me watch it. I am a sucker for his movies.

Posted by at 11:08 AM | Permalink

I finished the pillows for the couch in our bedroom, but I don't have picture to post right now. Laura, Gabe's sister, arrived in Arizona Friday night. It was pretty late when she arrived, so we didn't do anything Friday.

Saturday we got up and headed to Tubac. It is an artsy community that was having their annual craft fair. We walked around the fair and looked at the booths. We didn't purchase anything other than food. We had Gyros and a funnel cake. We headed home for a little while before heading back out again.

Next we headed to the ASARCO copper mine and we went on the copper mine tour. It was really interesting to see how copper is mined. My favorite part was the copper bubbles.

Copper Mine

Alex, Gabe, & tire used on the 240 ton haul trucks. The tire weighs 7,600 pounds.

Copper bubbles

After the copper mine we went to Sushi Cho for sushi. Yummy!

Yum...sushi!

Sunday we went to the San Xavier del Bac Mission. It was really interesting and a great place to take visitors. I think Gabe and I might go back and watch the 25 minute video when we have more time. After the mission, we went to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. We purchased a couple of things. I am starting a rock collection for Alex. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant Gabe and I both like, La Placita. I have discovered that the single taco dinner is more than enough food for me.

San Xavier del Bac Mission
"The White Dove of the Desert"

We rented a few movies on Monday using the Red Box at Wal-Mart. I will give you more details about renting free movies next Monday. We watched Pineapple Express Monday night and it was bad. I did not realize it was a movie about drugs. I don't recommend it.

Tuesday Laura, Alex, and I stayed home and worked on a project. I am currently making a quilt for one of my Grandmas for Christmas. We also watched Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and The Good Student. Umm...the second Sisterhood movie was not as good as the first and The Good Student was not my favorite movie, but it did hold my interest. The Good Student is about a "relationship" with a student and a teacher. The student goes missing and the rest of the movie is spent trying to find her and it is also spent exploring the odd relationships between various members of the community.

American Idol was on last night and of course I watched. I was very disappointed when Tatiana was not sent home. I was pretty sure she was going home when she was switched from her original holding room to another one. As of now, my two favorites are Danny and Jamar. The only problem is I don't know who I would root for if they both make it to the final. I am looking forward to tonight's episode.

Today has been another "at home" day. We watched December Boys. I recorded it on our DVR because I like Harry Potter and Daniel Radcliff was in the movie. His nickname was Maps even though I kept calling him Harry Potter. It is about a group of boys in an orphanage and they were called the December Boys because they were all born in December. The orphanage received a large donation from a benefactor and the boys were sent on a holiday. The December boys were sent first since it was December. So, the movie is about their adventures on holiday at the ocean. I feel pretty neutral about this movie. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it.

Other than American Idol, I am not sure what we are going to do tonight. I am hoping that the weather warms up so we can go to the zoo during the day soon. The high today was only 66, so we didn't make it.

Posted by at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday, Gabe, my parents, Alex, and I went to lunch at 17th Street Bar & Grill. My mom had a few things to pick up in a town about a half an hour from where they live. She had a baby shower for some of our family members and friends. So, today we saw quite a few of my family members and a lot of them met Alex for the first time. We had a really yummy cake and cookies.

Alex cookies

Diaper cake that Brandi made.

Gabe & Alex at the shower.

We came back to my parent's house and watched the Gridiron Gang. It is about a probation officer that decides to start a football team the inmates of the juvenile detention center. Some were in rival gangs. They all had to play together as a team. It was a great movie.

Posted by at 8:39 PM | Permalink

We had the 30 day walk through on our house last week. Technically we haven't lived here for 30 days, but they wanted to get it in before January. Basically, we have spent every free moment working on the house and it is looking much better. I wanted to have it completed by January, but that isn't going to happen. Maybe by March 1st.

Gabe and I watched The Dark Knight last night. Christian Bale was an okay Bruce Wayne (I like Michael Keaton better) but I did not like his Batman. Heath Ledger did a good job acting, but I think he was better in A Knight's Tale, The Brothers Grimm, and Casanova. While watching the movie I worked on finishing up Alex's quilt. I started it while we still lived in Illinois and I hadn't worked on it since living in our house. So, instead of checking my email or writing a blog entry while watching the movie, I finished his quilt. It is just in time to take it to Illinois.

Alex's dog quilt

Alex hanging out with the quilt

1. Catch up on email. Check!
2. Make a Menu Check! (I even made January's menu)
3. Grocery Shop Check!
4. Mail USPS Packages Check!
5. Update Magazine Addresses...umm I have a couple left. Darn time zone differences.
6. Send my mom her recipes Check!
7. Kohl's Cash (I apparently have $20) Check! Well sort of...it expired.
8. Order Wedding present for a friend Check!

My Goals for Tomorrow
1. Start packing. I have a feeling this will be a multiple day process
2. Work on room downstairs. If we ever get our house together I will post pictures.

Posted by at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As far as movie watching goes, I think there are four that I have not talked about. We watched Outsourced. I rented it because it reminded me of Office Space. A guy has to train his replacement (in India). It is funny at times and overall it isn't a bad movie. We also watched Eight Below. It is about a guy that leads expeditions in Antarctica. Due to a storm they have to evacuate and he has to leave his sled dogs. I will warn you that there are some sad moments in this film (especially if you are an animal lover). Kung Fu Panda was surprisingly good. We also watched College Road Trip. Umm...maybe a renter if there is nothing else to rent.

I did get New Moon Friday while we were near a bookstore. Instead of sleeping today, I read half of the book. So far I am really liking the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. From the previews that I have seen for the movie Twilight, the actors that portray Edward and Bella do not resemble the Edward and Bella that play the parts in my mind. I like my mind's version better.

I was checking my email today and I received a sale email from Barnes & Noble. I clicked on the link to look at the fiction available. I was really surprised to see the new Alex Cross book, Cross Country, was released today. I know that the next book is always released around mid-November, but I guess it just snuck up on me this time. I have managed to add five books to my book list lately (Cross Country, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard). They should manage to keep me busy for a while in addition to a new house that will need to be unpacked, a new baby, our Thanksgiving guests, and Christmas travel.

We get the keys to our house tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. I am pretty excited. I had plans to pack up all of our stuff at the house we are renting this weekend. It didn't happen. So, when Gabe gets home from work I am going to attempt to start packing and cleaning. This way we will hopefully be able to get all of our stuff from this house into our house before the movers come with all of our possessions. Hmmm...I wonder when I will have internet at the new house.

These are really cute socks from Nicole, Andrew, and Maddie. They look like little shoes and on the bottom they say My 1st Sneakers. How cute!

Alex picture just because I think he is super cute.

Nicole...look for an email soon. Since you are the only one that responded to my thoughts on making Christmas presents for 2009 I will send you some links.

Posted by at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I am currently hanging out at home watching Georgia Rule. It isn't the exact type of movie that I expected. I am going to leave it at that.
I went to the doctor today. I have a sinus infection, an ear infection, and fluid behind my ear. I was given some medication...hopefully it works before our trip.
Gabe should be home shortly. We are going to Morton's to eat. We aren't really going because it is Valentine's day, but more just because we both want to try it. I will let you know how it goes.

Posted by at 4:56 PM | Permalink

Thank goodness I get a day off tomorrow! I am still sick and I think that I am a little worse. I made an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow. Ordinarily I would just wait it out, but my ear still feels weird and I want to enjoy my vacation, so I made the appointment. I guess I will see what happens.
Tonight we watched American Idol...and I must say I am very excited that the "real" show will be on next week.
We went to the store to buy more Kleenex, well actually my current favorite is Puffs with Vicks. I love the menthol smell.
Currently, we are watching The Longest Yard. It is a much better movie than I expected. I would recommend it. It is funny and Adam Sandler does a good job. For those of you that aren't familiar with the movie, Adam Sandler plays an ex-NFL quarterback (Crewe) that is serving a three year sentence. The warden's guards play a team of convicts lead by Crewe. This is a remake of the 1974 movie where Burt Reynolds plays the ex-NFL quarterback. He plays the coach in the 2005 version.

Posted by at 11:02 PM | Permalink

It has been pretty cold today. Before the windchill factor it has been around 0 to -3. With the windchill it has been around -25 to -30. Despite the cold temperatures, we still ventured out TWICE today. The first time we ran a few errands including going to the library. We picked up a few travel guides for our trip. Tonight we went to Taco Bell. We were the only people in the dining area. Inbetween the trips, we watched Night Listener. It wasn't at all what I thought it was going be like. Robin Williams sets out to determine the validity of a "relationship" that he has with an adolescent. I don't even think that I would call it a renter. FYI...if you are thinking of watching the movie the relationship wasn't inappropriate...you will understand why it is in quotes if you watch the movie.
Currently, I am watching the Grammy's. The Foo Fighters were my pick for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and well, let's face it in any category that they were nominated.
I made myself a chocolate cake shake tonight. It sounds a little odd, but it is really good. I got the idea from the chocolate cake shake at Portillo's. I think that I need to add malt to mine to get one more like Portillo's, but I am convinced that mine was healthier (I used fat free ice cream and skim milk). The milk and ice cream obviously countered the chocolate cake. The chocolate syrup that I added just doesn't count :)

Posted by at 9:53 PM | Permalink

Currently we are watching The Heartbreak Kid (my choice). It isn't as good as I expected, but parts of the movie have been pretty funny. Malin Akerman reminds me of Cameron Diaz. That's it...I still haven't managed to do the laundry. Maybe I will get to it after the movie is over.

Posted by at 10:11 PM | Permalink

There have been so many things that I have been doing this week that I don't actually remember all of them. We watched Perfect Stranger. It was a different type of role for Halle Berry, but it was good movie with several twists and turns. A temp (Halle Berry) tries to expose her employer (Bruce Willis) as her friend's killer.
Right now we are watching 300. I really wanted to see the movie, but it isn't really holding my interest right now. Gabe seems to be into it more than I am...obviously, I am sitting here writing a blog entry.
Wow, I don't really have lot to write about. Gabe has been sick lately, but he is doing much better. I know that I have done more than watch two movies these past few days.
Oh, on Thursday I met a friend from school and we had lunch at the Claim Jumper. The food was pretty good. She will be filling in for me while I am on vacation. I am really looking forward to my vacation...look for some more interesting blog posts.
Well, I guess that there wasn't a lot to catch up on. I am going to do some laundry.

Posted by at 7:09 PM | Permalink

Thursday evening Gabe, Aaron, and I went to Applebee's. I tried their new mac and cheese...it is not as good as the Hard Rock Cafe's twisted mac and cheese...yummo. We really need to go to the Hard Rock Cafe in Chicago. I haven't been for several years. I am looking forward to enjoying the cheesy goodness in Spain soon.
Friday Gabe and I went to the mall. I don't think that we bought anything. I found some sandals that I liked, but I didn't buy them. I think that it is just too cold right now to get in the sandal purchasing mood. Maybe in a few months.
I worked on Saturday, as always, and afterwards we watched Ocean's 13. It wasn't too bad, but I can't say that I am too excited about an Oceans 14 (if they decide to make one). However, I would probably watch it.
Sunday we purchased some much needed groceries. We also watched Live Free or Die Hard. Parts of the movie were really far fetched, but it wasn't too bad. I made a peach cobbler yesterday. I keep teasing Gabe and tell him that the reason I made the cobbler was to fatten him up so I look thinner when I stand next to him. Of course, I am teasing...I wonder if the theory would work ;)
As far as books go I have finished a couple lately. Ricochet by Sandra Brown is about a lady that claims to have killed someone in self-defense. It was ok, but I am not sure that I will try another Sandra Brown book (it was my first). I also read My Summer of Southern Discomfort by Stephanie Gayle. It was a surprisingly good book. It is about a lawyer from New York that left a high profile law firm to work for the district attorney's office in Macon, Georgia. It is pretty funny as she goes through an adjustment from her big city life to a small community. I am thinking about reading John Grisham's new book. I have read most of his first books. He used to be one of my favorite authors...I guess that he still is.

Posted by at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I am watching American Idol, and I must say that I am ready to get on with the show. I am getting a little tired of the auditions. I really think that they should have combined the four audition shows into one hour long show.
Gabe and I finished watching Ratatouille last night. It was a cute movie about a "chef" that depends on a rat to help him cook. I am going to say that it is a renter, since it is no longer in the theaters.
Tomorrow I should have the day off, but I am working. I worked today and I had been home around 20 minutes when my phone rang. I answered it and the doctor that normally works on Thursday is sick. So, I will be working for her. I could have said no, but I would want someone to work for me if I was sick (she would be working if I was unable to fill in for her). I had to rearrange a lunch date, but I think that it worked out better for the person that I was supposed to meet tomorrow. Anyway, what it all boils down to is I will not get my day off tomorrow...I really love my days off.

Posted by at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My "To Do" list is basically caught up. There are a few items that I can't do because I am waiting on a few things. I am debating if I should start watching the series Gossip Girl. A commercial just showed up on T.V. and I think that they are going to start showing the series from the beginning on January 28. Any thoughts?
Yesterday Aaron and I went to the movies. We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was cute. I laughed a few times. Aaron and I watch a lot of comedies, but I have decided that we are jinxed when we watch a movie together. They are never as funny as I think they will be. Anyway, I used to love the cartoon when I was younger, so the movie was pretty good.
I finished reading The Society of S a few days ago. It is a book about a girl coming to terms with what, yes I know I didn't type who, she is. I really enjoyed it.
Today I went to the library, did some laundry, and now I am waiting on Gabe to get home. I am not sure what we are going to do tonight.
Other than the hilarious American Idol, I have been watching Samantha Who. It has been recorded since early December, but I just now watched the episodes.

Posted by at 4:33 PM | Permalink

Last night Aaron came over and we all watched Mr. Brooks. It was not a typical Kevin Costner character, but it wasn't too bad. I will say that I thought the ending was slightly lacking.
Gabe and I were really tired today and slept for about an hour and a half when I came home from work. He was dreaming about milkshakes and wanted to go to Steak and Shake for dinner. We did, and guess what he ordered...a milkshake.
Now we are working on more tax stuff. I believe that we are in the home stretch now...yippee. I need to write a letter to the state. Maybe I should actually work on that now. I think once all of this tax stuff is sorted out we will be sleeping more...I love sleep.

Posted by at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My life has consisted of work and taxes these past couple of days. We started watching Ratatouille several days ago, but we have not finished it yet. So far it is pretty good. As far as taxes go, I have a few dollars and some cents that I cannot find in my books. The check register balances, but my books are having a $2.41 discrepancy. I will find the "lost" money. Gabe thinks that I am crazy looking for it, but this is the type of thing that I used to do for my Dad's company. Back to the penny searching.

Posted by at 9:35 PM | Permalink

Friday we went to the movies and watched National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I liked it and Gabe even thought that it was better than the first movie. Our spare time has mainly consisted of working on taxes and going to the grocery store. That pretty much catches you up with what we have been doing.

Posted by at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Happy 2008! To celebrate the new year we stayed home and had a great time. My brother and sister-in-law came up (they were taking their son to college) and Aaron came over. So, we all played Wii and watched Transformers. The movie was much better than I expected and I liked it. For those of you wondering, my cheeseball turned out great. We had a very yummy ice cream pie for Gabe's birthday. Yesterday we started taking down our Christmas tree. I think that we will finish it tonight. Some pictures that I ordered came in the mail today, so I think that I am going to work on our 2007 scrapbook today. It is already 2008, so I at least need to finish up 2007.

Posted by at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am at work right now and things are little slow...don't worry, they are going to pick up pretty soon...I just looked at the schedule. I now have an internet connection via my cell phone thanks to Gabe. The connection isn't as fast as our DSL at home, but it is much better than nothing. Yesterday we went shopping in Schaumberg. I must say that this was a mistake and helped me to remember why I finish my Christmas shopping well before Christmas. The mall and the stores were extremely crowded and some of the lines to purchase items were almost out of the doors. I found a thing or two that I would have purchased if the lines weren't so dang long. I did manage to find something for our bedroom and the store only had two people in line in front of me!
Our bedroom is officially finished. So, before the end of the year our house checklist includes fixing the mirror in one of the upstairs bathrooms, some sanding of a wall, and replacing a kitchen faucet. Gabe said that he is going to replace the faucet while I am at work tonight. The rest of the things on our list are going to wait until next year. Actually there are only three rooms left that need work, but unfortunately they need a LOT of work. The den, a room without a purpose, and cleaning out the garage are all on the list for 2008.
As far as books go I have finished Double Cross by James Patterson. It is a very good book and I encourage everyone to read the Alex Cross series...they are one of my favorites. I also finished The Witness. It was pretty good. Worth the read if you are out of your favorite author. We started watching I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. We are only half-way through the movie and I must say that it has had me laughing out loud several times. I am a fan of Adam Sandler and so far this one is pretty good. We will probably finish it tonight or tomorrow. The grocery store is on the list of things to do tonight...if we want to eat tomorrow.

Posted by at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Why is it when I don't check my email for two days I end up with 300+ emails? That is not including what is filtered out by my junk mail filter. So, you can guess what I have been doing this morning.
We went around to a couple of home improvement stores last night trying to buy things to finish up the bedroom/bathroom. We just couldn't seem to find what we were looking for, so we came home and watched Spiderman III. I was pretty disappointed. It just wasn't as good as I expected.
Gabe is at work right now and I am trying to get a few things done. I am getting ready to make some fudge for his potluck at work tomorrow.

Posted by at 11:22 AM | Permalink

We have been working on the house a lot. Our bedroom is painted and now all we need to do is install the floor and new closet doors. Gabe is going to take half of a vacation day today so that we can work on the floors. The bathroom has a few small finishing touches for our part of the update. The bathtub and shower doors are going to be professionally installed sometime in early January. We watched the movie White Coats yesterday. My advice would be save your time and watch something else. I could see how the series Scrubs could be based off of it. However, I really like Scrubs and White Coats just didn't do it for me. We are going to my office Christmas party tonight and Gabe's Christmas party tomorrow night. I have been reading Double Cross since Monday. Actually I read it on Monday and for about a half an hour yesterday. I only have about 50 pages left, so I just need to find some time to finish it. Hopefully today, otherwise tomorrow. I just donated a sink, vanity, mirror, faucet, some bathroom hardware, another sink, and counter top to Family Rescue. They found one of my listings on Craigslist, but then I gave them quite a bit more. If you have some things that you don't need they would greatly appreciate the donation. They will even come and pick up your unwanted items. I was going to have a rummage sale this spring, but now I am seriously considering just donating everything.

Posted by at 11:49 AM | Permalink

Thursday I did quite a few things on my list...yippee! Friday Gabe took the day off of work and we hung out. We went to eat at Meson Sabika (yummo!) and came back for ice cream cake. We stopped at Blockbuster and watched Waitress last night. Sometime last week I finished Under the Rose by Diana Peterfreund. It is the second book in the Secret Society Girl series. It was slow to get started, but it picked up and kept me reading well past my bedtime.
Instead of my normal 30 minute drive home tonight, it took me closer to an hour. I spent a good 15 minutes chipping about 1/4" of ice off of my car. I need to buy a new window scraper...I broke mine with the first good sweep across my ice covered window. When I drove my car into the garage to park it (thank you Gabe!) both Gabe and I enjoyed looking at the car. Except for my windows, the entire car was covered with a sheet of ice. Well, I have had a long enough break. We are working on one of the upstairs bathrooms and our bedroom.

Posted by at 8:55 PM | Permalink

On Thursday Aaron and I went to the movies to watch Fred Clause. I expected to be laughing out loud. That didn't really happen. I have been disappointed with comedies lately. I guess I have been building them up and then when I see them they just don't meet my expectations.
Friday I worked on wrapping presents. Gabe and I ate at Clara's. They have excellent bread.
Today while I was at work Gabe made space for my car in the garage. I am excited to be able to park in the garage. Now we just have to clean out the other half so we can park his vehicle in the garage too. I finished wrapping all of my Christmas presents today. I have been working on Christmas cards for a couple of days now. I need to print address labels...actually, I should be doing that now. Aaron came over tonight and we watched Shrek the Third. Again, I expected to be laughing out loud. I laughed a few times, but nothing like I expected. I still want to see I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and License to Wed, but the video store was out of them both.

Posted by at 12:36 AM | Permalink

Gabe left for a business trip on Wednesday morning. After working I picked Laura, Gabe's sister, up from the train station. She is going to be staying with us until Sunday. Wednesday night we surfed the net and relaxed. Thursday we spent a lot of time shopping and getting things done. I had to drop my car off at the dealer to get an oxygen sensor changed. They gave me a loaner, so it wasn't too bad. We watched Juno yesterday evening. It was okay, but it was nearly as funny as I expected. We were given a free t-shirt for attending the premiere. I can't really say what I have done today...laundry, picked up my car, etc. Now it is almost time to go to bed...almost. Gabe is putting up the blinds in the bathroom. We received them in the mail yesterday. Gabe and I purchased the "Press Your Luck" DVD game. I used to love watching the show on T.V. Gabe won tonight. I kept getting too many whammies.

Posted by at 10:19 PM | Permalink

Saturday Gabe and I went to Meijer to grocery shop. We were using the self check lane and I was scanning and Gabe was bagging. I was entering the number for produce, but instead of hitting the "enter item number" button, I hit the gift receipt button. I started laughing and Gabe asked what was going on. I told him that we were getting a gift receipt for our $0.54 worth of bananas. He said it would be even funnier if he returned the bananas with the gift receipt and told them that he wanted apples.
Aaron came over Saturday evening and we watched Fracture. It was pretty good. Anthony Hopkins plays some pretty creepy characters.
Yesterday we did some shopping. We went to Lowe's. Oh, we bought a new Christmas tree at the American Sale. We don't get it until Wednesday. The majority of our ornaments are at my parent's house. I am really tired, but I have a lot to attempt to do tonight. I think that I am going to bed around 11:00 p.m.

Posted by at 10:06 PM | Permalink

Yesterday I spent most of the day doing little things around the house. I did some touch-up painting in the bathroom, stripped some wood (I will be staining it today), painted the mailbox, etc. After a couple of months of living here our last name is finally on the mailbox.
At 5:30 Gabe, Aaron (ICO friend), and I all headed to the movie theater to get tickets for the Bee Movie. It was sold out! The tickets were free for the advanced screening. So, we ended up seeing Dan in Real Life. The movie wasn't bad, it just wasn't as funny as I expected. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but I was looking forward to a non-stop comedy and this movie wasn't one of those. It is definitely worth watching, just don't expect to laugh all of the time. Well, I have along list of things to get done today.

Posted by at 10:48 AM | Permalink

We are now being recognized by the employees at Menards. We go there a lot and I think that they may start to believe that we are stalking them. I think that we might go there tonight to pick up a few things. Saturday Gabe's parents came up and we went to the movies and saw The Game Plan. It is a really cute and funny movie. Before the movie Anna (Gabe's mom), Laura (Gabe's sister) and I went shopping. I found a new rug for the bathroom. We also sent to a Lithuanian restaurant/shop. I found normal size barley! I make a stew with barley and the tiny pearl barley just doesn't do it for me. Today Anna, Laura, and I went to Ikea for breakfast. They headed out around lunch time and Gabe and I went shopping, to the post office, and to the library. We came back and took the dogs on a walk. It is such a nice day outside. I am going to shower and then I think that we are heading out again. Menards here we come!

Posted by at 5:42 PM | Permalink

Saturday Gabe and I went to see the movie "Accepted". The movie was pretty good, but it was made even sweeter by the movie cash that we used. It only cost $4.00 for both of us to see the movie.
Yesterday I started listening to 2nd Chances on CD. It is the second installment of the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. It is pretty good. I read the first book in the series a while back when there were no new Alex Cross novels to read. Patterson's Alex Cross series is one of my favorites. So far, the second book in the Women's series is good enough that I am looking forward to the third. I really am buying into the entire "audio book" idea. Initially I thought that I might not like it that much, but it helps the time pass very quickly (or at least quicker) on my drive. I also get to listen to books that I would not have the time to read otherwise. My plan with the audio books is to sell them after I listen to them. Hopefully I will be able to sell them online and continue to purchase more books with the money.

Posted by at 9:31 PM | Permalink

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)

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)

Today Gabe and I slept in until 11:30. We were both pretty tired from the trip. Gabe spent most of the day studying for his Monday and Tuesday exams. I cleaned and watched Nanny McPhee. I have wanted to see it for a while. It was entertaining. There is something funny that I forgot to mention. It happened in Vegas. Gabe was "studying" for his Monday and Tuesday exams while I was in classes. He said that he tried to study but he was hungry, so he went to the cafe to purchase a sandwich. Then he said that the slot machines were right there, so he put in some cash. I guess I can't complain too much, he won $200.

Posted by at 8:26 PM | Permalink

Amazon.com now sells more than 10,000 non-perishable food items. This would be great except I have to wait on the items and I will still need to go to the store for produce, dairy, and the like. I might give it a try though. If you spend $25 your order is eligible for free super-saver shipping. Gabe and I watched the Da Vinci code on Sunday. I will say that Tom Hanks' hair did not bother me as much as I thought that it might. He actually did a pretty good job as the character in the movie, but the character in the book still reminds me of a Harrison Ford. Yes, I know that Robert Langdon is the character in the movie and the book, but to me they are two separate entities. The movie left too much out and changed to much for it to be the same as the book to me. Something that really bothered me has to do with the ending, so I won't type it here and spoil the movie/book for those of you that have yet to see/read it. My one major question is where was the chemistry between Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu?

Posted by at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Gabe and I went to see X-Men: The Last Stand. I must say that I was disappointed. It didn't seem to be the same as the others. Instead of an adventure this was more of a resolution. I am really surprised that they left the ending open for another movie. I feel it was just plain cheesy! The good part about it is that we went to Hollywood Boulevard (the dinner and movie place). Well, I am off to school.

Posted by at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday we had some friends (Andrew, Nicole, Tony, and Maren) over to watch a movie. We watched When a Stranger Calls. We spent most of the movie making fun of the characteristic "scary movie" problems. For example, why does she call the parents of the children when she should be calling the police? My favorite is why do the characters in the "scary movies" always run up the stairs when they should be running out the door? At least she wasn't big chested running in high heels through the woods. Sunday Gabe and I went to the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum. I am glad that I went to see it, but I do not think that I would go again. I was disappointed in the amount of items on display, but don't get me wrong, what they do have is nice. Maybe Gabe and I will go to Egypt someday...then I can get my fill of Egyptian artifacts. Afterwards we watched Polar Express. I was previously under the impression that it was a childrens movie. After watching it I am not quite so sure. It seemed geared more towards adults to me. My overall impression is that it was alright, but I probably will not watch it again. After that we watched Just Friends. It was pretty funny. Gabe said that he liked the Break up better. Yesterday wasn't too exciting...I got up, I went to clinic, I had dinner, I went to bed. Today I got up, I went to clinic, I am going to have dinner, and I am going to go to bed. Tomorrow I will get up, I will go to clinic, I will have dinner, and I will go to bed. You get the picture.

Posted by at 6:40 PM | Permalink

Tonight Gabe and I took advantage of a great deal from MasterCard. Tickets to the movie "The Break Up", starring Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, are buy one get one free when you purchase tickets through Fandango using a MasterCard. It was only $10 for both of us to go and we printed our tickets out at home and didn't even have to wait in line at the theater. The movie was pretty good. It definitely had some funny parts. I will say that I didn't agree with the ending. I will leave it at that just in case you plan on watching the movie...I don't want to spoil the ending (though those of you that know me well can probably guess what happened just by the fact I wasn't too thrilled with the outcome). Well, Gabe is using the computer to look at places to live and I am slacking off and surfing the net. I actually have to be productive tomorrow...we will see how it goes.

Posted by at 11:53 PM | Permalink

Yesterday I took my strab exam. We also received our scores yesterday. Usually we get a day or so to act as a buffer period before our scores are released back to us. Everything with the exam turned out fine. After the exam I went to my POP job. POP stands for Pediatric Outreach Program. We go to various daycare centers and perform comprehensive eye exams on pre-schoolers. The fourth years pretty much do the eye exams and I do a lot of paper work. It is part of the externship rotation. I do however get to do an occasional exam. After that I worked on the report for our Infant and Child Development practical patient. Class followed and then I came home.
Today I had clinic. Only three more clinic slots until I am a fourth year. Wow! Even though I count down the days I haven't really thought of it like that before...just three more slots. Finals are coming up soon...look for the number of posts to increase. Currently I am watching "Circle of Friends" while typing my blog entry. It has been a while since I have watched it. I still have some of the parts memorized and Gabe asked how may times I have actually watched the movie. I forgot how creepy Sean is. One thing that bothers me about the movie is that they took the backbone out of Benny. If you plan on reading the book or watching the movie and don't want the ending ruined, quit reading now. Okay, if you are still reading here it is...she would have never went back to Jack. He didn't deserve Bennie. Well, I am signing out for tonight...back to the movie.

Posted by at 9:15 PM | Permalink