In the Loop

The House

2008-03-27T21:06:00.004-05:00

Quilts

2008-03-27T21:02:00.007-05:00

My two most recent accomplishments. (one of this year's goals)
The scrappy quilt, and the green quilt

Jon Stewart for President!

2007-12-25T11:46:00.001-06:00

Summertime

2007-07-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

The List

2007-07-06T20:25:00.000-05:00

I give full credit to Nicole for continually challenging me to change and grow. This year we have both agreed to put together a list of 20 things that we want to do by our next birthday. Hopefully, I can keep everyone updated on the progress of my little endeavor.

1. Have my best friend visit
2. Move into a house
3. Do charity work
4. Get a massage
5. Get a pedicure
6. Watch the sunrise
7. Make a quilt start to finish
8. Visit a foreign country
9. Sell something I made
10. Spend a whole day at the beach
11. Really explore Chicago
12. Learn twenty new recipes
13. Read The Bible
14. Follow a budget
15. Read The Qur'an
16. Go to a Bears Game
17. Have date night with Joe on a regular basis
18. Learn appliqué and star quilting techniques
19. Meet a make-up artist
20. Eat healthier

Thanks, Dad...

2006-09-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

...for the new camera!

Three years and still going strong...

2006-08-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Safe and Sound

2006-07-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

Just a brief note to say that we are okay. The recent derailment was on the Blue line. While it does use the same station that I take to and from work, the Blue line is underground at that point. Joe and I take the "L" or elevated train on weekdays-- Brown and Purple lines. I hope this helps put everyone at ease. We are both well and accounted for.

House of Blues

2006-06-19T18:35:00.000-05:00

The Patriot

2006-06-17T08:36:00.000-05:00

By Popular Demand

2006-06-12T18:29:00.001-05:00

In light of recent requests, I have decieded to include some of my artwork on the site. All sketches and photographes are originals.

Get Lost... Embracing the Unexpected

2006-06-12T18:29:00.000-05:00

One of the most interesting things about this city is the general lack of useful travel information. Maps cannot, or for some reason unbeknownst to millions of tourists do not, supply the necessary information that seems so natural to Chicago natives. A few examples of things that people should tell you before you come to the city:

1. You cannot go back the same way you came because the exit you used to get there does not exist going the opposite direction. If it does it exist, it will be closed for construction.

2. Traveling northbound there is a place where 94 splits into a trucks and no trucks road. Both end up in the same place-- one is twice as fast, but the signs are confusing so most tourists end up in the slow lane.

3. "Expressway" is not literal-- think of it as an articulation of old fashion midwestern sarcasm.

4. Wacker is east, west, north, and south. Yes, that is right, the street actually goes all directions! And, as an added twist, it also is both above and below ground. Which one do you need? You don't know because maps do not mark the spilt between above and below ground. If you, like me, go subterranean there are no signs to tell you when to exit. If you stay on what you think is Wacker you will end up westward bound on 290.

5. Should you assume the trains are a safer bet-- you would be wrong. Okay, so the set tracks do limit the possibilities, but never underestimate the bizzare. Sometimes the lines are being worked on and aren't running. Occasionally, to mix it up, the CTA decides to not stop at certain places. Recently, there was a whole weekend where the train did not stop southbound at Addison. So weary travelers rode south a stop exited and re-entered the train station to ride north to get to the stop they had just passed.

The plus side of all the confusion is you will inevitably be lost. And, if you have the time, you can discover some pretty interesting places. The Wacker fiasco lead me to Little Italy and Greektown. I also found a shopping mall near our house that has Armani, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Nordstrom. Joe and I found a Cheesecake Factory 10 minutes from home. Our first adventure getting lost took us to Chinatown. It seems that like so much else in this city, the path you are on is only a good excuse to take a detour (willingly or not) and open your world to something new.

"L" is for Love, "L" is for Loathe

2006-05-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

Chicago has many forms of public transportation, but none is so famous as the "L." Of course, the nickname is derived from the fact that the trains are elevated; however, the mixed emotions in every Chicagoans heart about the rails have lead me to believe that "L" might stand for a little something more.

It is truely unlike any other public transportation system in the country. For the firstpart, it is color coded-- the only system in the US that goes by hue rather than number or name. What truely fashionable girl can resist a color-coordinated system. And, being the lucky woman I am, I get to travel on my favorite color every day-- purple. Obviously there are other benefits to the color system: maps are incredibly easy to read and understand. Pertinent bulletins color coordinate with your needs.

The elevated nature of the rails adds other benefits. First, rails are easy to find on aerial pictures (GoogleEarth) and on the ground. Just look up. From the train, the view allows travelers to feel less cramped and get some scenery in on that hour-long commute. You are less likely to miss your stop because you can SEE where you are at. It is a special blessing to newcommers, like me, who like to look out the windows and pick restuarants or shops to try.

In an age where gas prices have soared (over $3 a gallon here), the "L" provides an escape. For $1.75 a ride, you can avoid gas and parking fees (not to mention all the expenses associated with a car). The "L"'s lines act as arteries to direct thousands of people into and out of the heart of the city, buses help supplement where the "L" does not go, making it possible to go almost anywhere within the city without a car.

So with all of those great benefits, you might be wondering what is not to love about our beloved "L." Well, here is a few ideas:

1. The girl that discusses the intimate details of her last gynecological visit over the phone, which is breaking up. Of course, all my city folk-friends know that losing signal in a public place is not a reason to hang up. No, by all means, talk louder. It is a benefit to other riders to know what rash they might catch by standing near by.

2. The gropers. I really could not believe the existance of this group as anything but an urban legend until I saw it, and being me, unwittingly sat next to it. Now, I am not slow, but you all don't know how rare a seat can be these days. However, we all have our limits. This guy kept "bumping" into me at every stop. Two stops later I sadly gave up my seat but not the view. I watched the guy do the same thing to three other women. In between the "bumps" on the ride he would actually bend down to look up the skirts or lean over to look in the shirts of any sleeping, standing, or breathing girl on the train. But I have learned a few things from this guy... NEVER sleep on the train (should be obvious, but hey), never sit next to a forty year old man with a three foot neon orange straw hanging out of his pocket (this was literal folks), and lastly, never trust a commuter without an iPod, book, or disinterested look.

3. The Psuedo-normals. Those poor souls who appear normal until you realize any of the following: they are holding up a complete conversation with the voices in their heads, they have started to punch the air for no reason, they have unusual stain locations, they have begun to twitch, they have begun to touch the pole inappopriately, they think they have super powers. Oh, and so I don't forget, I have to add anyone who has clauserphobia that tries public transportation during rush hour... I mean, honestly...

4. Anyone with a crying baby.

5. Body Odor. I suggest an alteration of the roller-coaster you-must-be-this-high-to-ride rule. My proposal is that if I can smell you at five feet, you cannot board the train-- part of the clean air act or something.

6. The Hackers. The Coughers. The Sneezers. All of which have formed a secret pact to make the world sick by not covering their mouths.

7. The Urban Enterpuners. In this category I will crassly group anyone who uses the CTA to try to sell me anything (most popular items being socks, hats, and CDs) or tries to take my money in a variety of ways. The gamblers who run shell games-- complete with partners. The most bold, of course, being the shouters. These businessmen and women go throughout the train yelling "I need 5 cents" and getting uncomfortably close to nearby passengers.

8. I saved the best for last. This beast is so rare that even natives had only heard stories and even some were shocked. Posing as a normal surburbanite, this creature seems fine until the train doors close. Then he proceeds to notice an unseemingly sunburn that has started to peel. Of course, this is an invitation to start helping the processes along by taking long strips of skin from the offending area and letting them fly around the train car. Bits of this weirdos skin landed on people's clothes and handbags. I took a breif pause, swallowed the rising vomit, and moved to a safer location on the train. Of course, when I got off the train and saw Joe I told him very loudly of the offensive behavior. The guy on the train actually blushed! It cracked me up. I cannot believe that it never crossed his mind what he was doing. Let's all have one big EW!!!

Well, at least they are installing camera's in every train in 2009. Come and visit in three years, maybe things will be a little more normal. Although we do already have a lot of pretty amusing signs asking us to report suspicious activities. Of course, there is never anyone to report the activity to, and if you have riden any public transportation, ever, you will know just how funny that is. Can you really report everyone?

It has become a personal theory that the "crazy" people are probably pretty sane. Afterall, the rest of us end up having to share seats and space with others. Maybe the best idea is to start screaming obcenities, wildly punching the air, or rocking back and forth. So, next time you see me in the "L" I might be the one with the odd twitch-- just to get a little space.

Thinking Outside of the Box

2006-04-20T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hello again. Sorry that it has taken so long to get to our second official post up. As many might have guessed, we are not in fact dead, we have just have been buried in boxes...

By the by, many apologes to anyone who has tried to send us mail in the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, due to a routing error, the post office had stopped mail delivery at our old address but had not started it at the new. Result: paycheck stubs, new checks, and any letters that anyone sent are/were in outer space for a while. If mail bounced back, we do apologize, please send it again. We love getting mail! I promise that mail is getting here now-- albiet a little slow-- at least four to five business days from Fort Wayne to here.

Also, due to a technical problem (as in I technically misplaced the cord), I have been unable to upload all the cool pictures that I have taken with my camera. Hopefully, this weekend a trip to Best Buy is in order, and we will post some pictures.

We have finally gotten everything unpacked, which is not to say that we have a place for everything. However, on the whole, the place is pretty well put together, and we have started to find some version of normalcy. Kasia has even decided to climb out from under the bed for whole days now. Joe is getting set into his job and learning a ton about the financial world. I have been interviewing all this week and have more job applications lined up. Let's just hope that there is a really cool job waiting for me! Anyway, we have both gotten to really enjoy public transit. The 45-minute train ride to downtown provides plenty of time to read, listen to music, or catch up with eachother. I think that we might make a career out of running a school to teach people basic hygiene... cover mouth THEN cough/sneeze/whatever. Other than that, I am sure that we will have immune systems of steal after the next couple of years. I think that is it for now. More text and (hopefully) pictures to come this weekend.

Thanks for all the calls and e-mails (and mail, even if it didn't get here) from everyone. We really appreciate it!!

B, J, and the fuzzy children

Northern Suburbs Cool, Cozy

2006-03-28T06:35:00.000-06:00

Evanston, IL, March 28- We have set out on the difficult mission to find housing and have succeeded. About 12 miles from the heart of downtown, Evanston is a cozy community complete with small boutiques and family restaurants. The heart of the Evanston landscape is Northwestern University. The university was established in 1851 and opened to a class of 10 students. Three years later, John Evans and the other founders of the university applied to turn the area of the school into an official town- Evanston. Unsurprisingly, it is that the university remains the heart and pulse of the town that surrounds it. However, it would be a mistake to think that Evanston did not have a history or life separate from Northwestern. The town is also home to the International Headquarters of Rotary International and the century-old Gross Point lighthouse. Walking around in the heart of downtown, it is a bit amazing to think that a 25 minute train ride lands you in the heart of the Windy City. Advantageously, Evanston manages to remain its own vibrant entity while still being close enough to enjoy the possibilities of the Second City.