Chicago Sheri: 12/01/2004

No idea what we are doing for New Years.
Either more of what we did for Christmas (eating and movies) or maybe go bug Emily.

Last weekend Brad cooked lamb, cut slits in it and filled it with garlic and herbs.

Delicious!!

And we did finally go check out Ditka's Sports Dome.

It was nicer than we expected, on the site it looked like you played golf in a dark dank bag.
Had music playing, lots of seats, so I made myself comfortable while Brad swung a few. They also have a spa there...which will be very nice to occupy my time! :) Facials, massages and such. Also have a really nice sports bar restaurant. Good menu, big place.

I have been a total slacker at work.
It's been WONDERFUL!!!
Shopping sprees, long lunches, tons of coffee breaks and errands.
Katerina talked me into picking up knitting. I have never knitted in my life, I told many people I will never ever knit...and here I sit...click...click...clickety...click
Shishie will be so proud of me. I'm making a scarf. We even started a knitting group at work, since there arent hardly any girls here, it's me, Katerina and her boss, and we are trying to talk a gay guy into joining us. We sat in the firewall managers office knitting this afternoon. WHO WOULDA THOUGHT?!?!?!

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Numanuma
Lapland
7 reasons you may not have gotten a christmas gift this year
Beatbox harmonica

Merry Christmas!

Having a nice quiet one myself.
We have had plans every weekend since before Thanksgiving, so this is the first weekend in awhile of quiet and just the two of us. I've enjoyed it, I think Brad got a little stir crazy today. So we went out and shoveled the driveway and sidewalks, then drove around to get him some caffeine somewhere. Found a Burger King open and got him a diet soda.
Last night he cooked up a leg of lamb, and steamed some cauliflower and broccoli and melted a little cheese over it. Also whipped up a crustless pumpkin pie. Watched "I, Robot".
Yesterday Brad gave me volume 1 and 2 of Looney Tunes. Watched disk one yesterday and started up disk two first thing this morning as I put together a 7-layer dip to pick on throughout the day. The day before I unwrapped a Jiffy Steamer from Brad. I suck, I ordered him something and it hasn't come yet...so I can't say, but I know he'll love it.
Watched the commentary of "Pee Wee's Big Adventure", watching "Royal Tennenbaums" now, and just finished watching "My Dog Skip", got all weepy at the end again like I always do.
Thinking about checking out the Ditka Dome tomorrow.

I'm getting over a snotty cold, I think I feel a little better than yesterday, less snotty for sure. Went to bed early last night, and slept in late today and still had time for a nap. I think the sleep is doing me good...that and this kick ass electric throw blanket I have been sitting under for the last couple of days! Brad saw an ad about it at Walmart and mentioned it. $20 perfect! And keeping me warm.

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You have bad taste in music
Poor fishy
Santa Claus
Movie generator
Scared of Santa photo gallery

Had my nephew and dog-in-law staying over with us this last weekend.
They stayed over so Lisa and Tim could celebrate his birthday together in Chicago.
We took Shawn out for a Portillo's hot dog Friday night.
Shawn is super sweet, tells me he loves me and hugs me a lot. "Aunt Sheri, you know what?" "What?" "I love you." Pure cuteness.
He slept in between me and Brad. Slept close to me and kicked me all night, with a few flailing arm moments to boot. Sometimes he reached over and hugged me, held my hand, touched my face or played with my ears. I put a pillow in between us at 2am and then got a little sleep. Then he woke up at 4am and told us both good morning and that he wanted us to all go downstairs. Brad grumbled that it was still nighttime and dark outside and to go back to sleep. From 6am to 7am he started talking again, so by 7am I decided to go downstairs with him and let Brad got some sleep. I curled up on the sofa downstairs with him and we watched cartoons.

Later we went to Emily's house for a play date with Alex. I was tired, so this was a great thing. The boys played together and didn't need us for much of anything. They watched Thomas the Train videos on Alex's trampoline with blankets, ate waffles, and played with toys in his room. Chris went out and picked us up some Chinese for dinner, and I got to zone out and played with the dogs. I brought over a belated birthday gift for Emily and she gave me a Christmas gift. I think Shawn was tired when it was time to leave, I would have expected a meltdown, but he really didn't put up much of a fight. Of course I was ready with my camera for some crying pics if he did...but he didn't. He said he didn't want to go and pouted a bit, but that was it, and Alex said he didn't want him to go. They really played well together. Watching them have to compromise with each other.

That night he fell asleep as soon as he got into bed. I placed the pillow in between us, he slept hard and didn't move until about 4am, then squirmed over to Brad's side of the bed and kicked him. :) I got to sleep in a little bit.
We went out to McDonald's for breakfast. He had an odd meltdown when we got home. I think he was just overloaded. He was upset because he was cold, I didn't put on his mitten to go from the car to the house like he wanted, and then when he got in the house he stopped to wipe off his shoes as he is used to doing but he was also blocking Brad from getting in the house and keeping the door open letting in cold air while he had his shoe wiping moment. Brad told him to move it inside and he just froze like a deer in headlights so Brad picked him up and brought him inside while he kicked, screamed and wailed bloody murder. Brad stood there and laughed for a moment, not even sure what he was upset about and to such an extent. But Brad had to go to the train station to pick up his parents from their weekend downtown. So I turned on cartoons and he sat on the floor collecting himself while I got his stuff together. Then I poured myself an iced coffee and got on the sofa under the blanket and he and Dauber (the dog) joined me. We all laid down and watched cartoons until his parents came in.

Poor guys got stuck in the Indiana snow storm on the way back home to Grand Rapids. But made it back home safe and sound. Said he fell asleep just about as soon as they turned off our street.

It was hectic at times, but all in all a good experience for us. We don't have kids so I enjoyed having a weekend of it. I'm just a short-term parent.

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Christmas Carol maker
I have no idea what they are saying but it looks cool
Come clean
Things that fit in my mouth
Juicy Panic: You drive me oh oh oh
Maim that tune

My sister Sunny visited this weekend. Came in on Friday and left this morning.
Friday we went shopping with Emily. Went to Goodwill, Ulta a clothing store next door. Went back to Emily's to light the Chanukah candles with her family, and then out to dinner to Joy Yee's Noodles. Fabulous dinner!! All Asian families eating there (a good sign), wonderful fruit drinks. I had the strawberry freeze with tapioca, and a tasty curried chicken and miso soup for dinner. I gotta take Brad back there.

Saturday we went to downtown Chicago. Marshall Fields, Nordstrom Rack, H & M, and Water Tower Place. Everything was PACKED!! especially Marshall Field, but its so gorgeous. The Walnut Room has the most beautiful tree. Then we went to the Signature Lounge in the John Hancock building for lunch. A couple of guys that had a window seat offered us their table as they left, so we had a beautiful view.
We took the train back home, watched The Terminal and ate Lou Malnatti's pizza for dinner with a fire in the fireplace as we cozied up.

My sister with the tree at the mall

Sunday I took her to the local mall and we got our picture taken with Santa!! YAY! Did more shopping and strolling around. Then back home to get ready for a birthday party at the Kit Kat Lounge we were invited to. It was Jeanine's 26th birthday. She is the manager of the Starbucks in the Sears Tower, and super cool. She got a birthday song sung to her by the diva entertainment while sitting in her lap.

I wore my new skirt I got while visiting Brooklyn last weekend.

One set of the diva entertaining that night

The rest of the pics from this weekend

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Haggis Hunt (Thanks Chris)
Scream: Re-enacted by bunnies
Virtual Knee Surgery

Brad & I took off Fri for Brooklyn for Matt's big birthday bunker bash!

The birthday boy (its actually Dec 9th, Thurs) and the lovely Jen

We got in late afternoon Friday. We were gonna do a little sight seeing but due to some guy jumping in front of the subway one block up from them...kinda put a snag in our plans. So we walked around the neighborhood a bit and picked up some food. Julia and Jay dropped by too. We watched some of their Bollywood movie collection. Really enjoyed Main Hoon Na and a collection of movie songs called Check This.

I have talked to these guys online for so long now, it was just like we've known each other forever. I already miss these guys! I hope to twist their arms into coming to visit the Chicago area sometime, and give us a chance to make them feel as welcome and comfortable as they made us feel. (probably not possible though!) We were a bit tired from the flight in, and crashed.

Got up Saturday, Jay went out with us to pick up some breakfast to take back as we all woke up. Matt marinated the chicken for the party...tandoori chicken....so then he had Tandoori hands (bright orange hands) for the rest of the day! Jen had stuff around the bunker to do to get ready for the party, so Matt & Jay took Brad & me out site seeing. Saw Rockefeller Center, Times Square, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Grand Central Station, and a few shops around St. Marks Place like Trash & Vaudeville. I tried on a few vinyl dresses but didn't buy anything. Brad tried on a really cool top hat....he looked so cool in it. I really should have talked him into buying it... Then headed back to the bunker for Matt's birthday bash. Their friends are really cool, very friendly, I liked them a lot.

Tons of food, music, Matt's dancing, drinks, Bollywood movies and really kick ass people. Brad and I finally conked out at about 5:30, while some of them were still going but winding down.

Slept in until 3ish, ate some hamburgers and hotdogs for brunch and then headed out for more site-seeing. We went back to St. Marks Place into a shop called Freaks Lounge, where I finally bought me some vinyl, a really hot looking red corset top and a frilly red skirt. I LOVE IT!. Jen got a really sexy hat and wore it that night around town. Went in and out of a few more shops, looking a shoes, clothes and stuff. Jen gave me a super sexy pair of boots that don't fit her and a black leather dress...not to mention the party favors (vibrating dreidels!)

Here's Jen (in her sexy hat) & I in Chinatown after a huge dinner.

Went through Chinatown for dinner, and then through Little Italy. Next day Matt & Jay had to work, but Jen had the day off with us. We went on the Staten Island ferry, saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island from the ferry. Then headed over to Katz's deli for lunch and to meet up with Shishie. She got a good trash mag for me to read at the airport, and a demo cd of her band Team Robespierre.

Thanks again you guys, all of you and your great friends too. We had a blast!!!

More pictures from the Brooklyn visit