My new home

I know you all have been sitting at the edges of your seats, waiting for me to post pictures of our new place. Finally, all our pictures are up, I've organized 90% of our things and cleaned.

This is our living room, obviously we need some more art.
This is the kitchen; due to the lack of counter and drawer space, we had to invest in a kitchen island and a storage shelves.













And our 1/2 bath between the kitchen and living room.

A Horrendous State of Affairs

Fully aware that the majority of this blog's readers do not fit into the same demographic as me (namely: marital status), I am going to take it upon myself to serve as a both a representative and reporter on the HORRENDOUS state of affairs in the dating world.

For those who don't know, I joined e-Harmony a few months ago because, despite being a socially active person, I am experiencing a man-drought. By that, I mean that my regular weekly schedule (work, classes, church, friend-gatherings, etc) are filled with women. The few, sparse men around are either a) married, b) in serious relationships, c) not in my age/education bracket, or d) gay.

There must be single men out there, there must! I thought. And so I joined e-Harmony determined to expand my horizons. In the ensuing months, I did some soul-searching and went on a variety of dates. Most led nowhere. One led to creepy text-harrassment and an exasperated facebook post. After sorting through hundreds of profiles where 90% of men claimed that the things they were most passionate about in life were a) succeeding in their careers and/or b) working out and/or c) their loyalty to this or that sports team, a few well-meaning friends wondered aloud if I had answered a question wrong in the intake process.

Despite the aforementioned challenges, I've labored on. Tuesday I put in my time on the site (yes, it's started to feel like a job). Mike the Sailor got the ax after several email exchanges of rapid-fire interrogation. He finally said, "Is there anything else I haven't asked yet that I should probably know about you?" (We hadn't even met yet.) To which I replied, "Most likely, but isn't that part of the natural getting-to-know-each other process?" I was thinking, That's the kind of question you ask to a sales rep who's selling you an insurance plan or a vacuum cleaner. To which he replied, "What about you would make you difficult to live with?" Close.

Shortly thereafter, while filtering through profiles, I was horrified by this guy who's first photo was normal, but in his second photo he was making out with his dog. We're talking full mouth-to-mouth. I immediately threw up, and then closed.

Then the guy with a mike in one hand, a pint in the other, clearly wasted and a caption that read "Me singing drunken karaoke." Close.

Then the guy with the close-up artsy photo of his face at a side angle and the joint cropped out of the photo. Close.

Then I decided that since I wasn't having so much luck on e-Harm, I was going to try making connections in the real world. I challenged myself to smile at one man every day as I went about my day. Guess what happened.. no one will make eye contact with me! Everyone is in their own world, reading, with headphones on, intently typing away on their blackberries, etc. We are not doing ourselves any favors here, folks.

Next, I decided to look for a hiking/outdoorsy group to meet some new people with like interests. Guess what happened.. The majority of those folks are older, and the ones that are my age are... 75% women.

Where are the normal men? Where are they? And what ON EARTH has happened to the ones I've come into contact with? Is something going on with the men of my generation? Things are looking bleak. Very bleak.

Any theories/research are welcomed.

Shoe Update

The Merrells are great, though they are all black. (Good idea on the black/brown combo idea, Jen.)

Earth Shoes are a no-go. Sorry, Earth. Negative heel technology is not my thing.

Winter boots have not yet arrived.

My feet are happy. They are celebrating with red toenail polish.

Shoes.

I do not like shoes. I realize that according to Sex & the City and their whole following that as a 27-year old, urban woman I am supposed to spend the majority of my paycheck on, fantasize about, go into debt over, and otherwise go gaga for SHOES. But alas, this is not the case for me. Shoes stress me out. However, I have reached a cross-road. Multiple pairs of shoes are literally falling apart on my feet. I'm starting to feel like I should be embarrassed to be wearing them. Not to mention what kind of havoc they are wreaking on my feet.

It is time. Especially considering my new health care plan excludes any coverage for foot care. But where to begin?

First of all I feel overwhelmed by the conundrum of style vs. comfort. As someone who's been blessed with flat-as-a-pancake feet (thanks, Dad), I have a few limitations. The last few times I wore heels for an extended period of time (aka: a day), I ended up with the balls of my feet so swollen and painful that I had to ice them and sleep elevated. I came to the conclusion that heels are bad. Research supported this. And I threw away the shoes that resulted in ice/elevation.

So flats. My dream (I'm serious) is to have one pair of everyday shoes. However, I have determined that you have to have at least 4 pairs if you are a woman and have to dress up and down on a full-year basis-- 1 pair of winter boots, 1 pair of sandals, 1 pair of fall/spring shoes, 1 pair of tennis shoes. I forgot about having black, brown, or maybe some other color. Now I'm up to at least 6. I already have tennis shoes. Thank goodness.

Considering my post from last winter about my duct taped boots, the fact that my dressy flats have holes along the seam of both heels, and the fact that my winter boots probably wore out because I wore them practically every day in the fall and spring too since I've never had a good pair of that season's shoes, I had some serious work to do.

I placed 3 orders tonight. Three whole pairs of shoes. I'm a little bulemic in the shoe department. I've been shoe-starved for so many years, that I have to binge now. Winter boots and two pairs of sandals -- Earth Shoes and Merrells. I'm exhausted. However, I am determined to give up buying cheap shoes that hurt my feet. Hopefully these new brands will treat me well. And then the next step is clearing out the closet of all those cheap shoes I never wear because well, they hurt my feet.

And I think it's official. My thirties are just around the corner.

NCLEX

I received my authorization to test today. I had to receive it before I could schedule my exam. I am set to take it at 4pm on Sat. Aug 21 in Pittsburgh. Fingers crossed that I pass! I'm already nervous.

How Toby Stole the Show

Toby's show stopping moment at the wedding!

Back on the Mainland

We got back from Kaua'i on Monday after a full day/night of traveling. Our Na Pali Coast kayak trip was spectacular. We had great guides and beautiful views the whole way. Our trip began at 6am sharp. We had to meet the group at the shop to sign the release forms, payment and to get all our belongings in dry-bags for the journey, take seasickness medication, as well as hand over our dry clothes and towel for after the kayak. Then we set off to Ha'ena Beach Park to unload the trailer, get some safety and paddling instructions and to launch. We were fortunate to have such calm seas for our trip and despite our fears, Mike and I didn't argue once. We actually made a great paddling team.

We entered 3 or 4 sea caves, a couple with swimming breaks. We were fortunate to see several sea turtles and even a family pod of Spinner Dolphins, complete with babies! The shoreline took our breaths away and it just kept getting better and better as we went along. We would both turn and look back and be overwhelmed by its beauty. The trip was a total of 17miles of paddling and we went 12 miles before lunch and we couldn't wait for the break. The food was good and the naps refreshing. Our break was 1.5 hrs long before we set off again for the remaining 5 miles to Polihale Beach. The last leg was the hardest, mostly because we were in direct sun the whole way and because we were staring at the beach for 4 miles without it looking any closer. After more turtle sightings we made it ashore, lugged our kayaks up the beach to the trailer and took a well deserved shower. Fresh water never felt so good and then to be DRY! We had been soaked through from the waist down pretty much the whole way (you couldn't stop some swells from crashing into the boat)

We were grateful for polarized sunglasses as they kept the glare off the water and allowed us to actually see the depths below for this same reason. We were also grateful for the wonderful sunscreen we had (zinc oxide). At the end we had a sunburn contest and Mike had pink tops of his feet, the tops of my legs were a little pink and the guy who won looked like a cooked lobster. He'd already taken advil because of pain and I imagine the rest of his time in Kaua'i was not very pleasant. I think Mike and I are probably the only people who go to Hawaii, swim, snorkel, stay out in the sun and don't get burned our much darker than we were when we started.

When we loaded up and started off, I realized why we'd taken the seasickness medication. It wasn't for the kayaking it was for the car ride back. On the map you'll see a brown road that says 'rough road' they're not kidding. People were pulled over with flats, busted axles, you name it. It took 2 hrs to get back to the shop in Hanalei because the highway only goes 3/4 of the way around the island. The Na Pali Coast is a protected national park so there is absolutely no road access, which means we had to drive all the way around the island. We came ashore around 5:30pm, hit the road around 6pm and arrived in Hanalei at just after 8pm. During the drive, we were astounded to hear one of our guides calling people for a midnight kayak to Kalalau Beach (the end of the 11mi Na Pali hike) for camping and partying for the full moon. WHAT?? We just kayaked 17mi and you want to add another 6? and partying? A true Hawaiian. We're sure he went and partied. Mike and I, however, got back to the room around 8:30, ate some dinner and were asleep by 9:30pm. Exhausted.


The next morning we were sore, but we decided to go snorkeling for our last day. Having already used 4 underwater cameras we decided not to buy another. MISTAKE. The snorkeling at Tunnels Beach was phenomenal, the best yet and we were swimming with sea turtles, not more than 3 ft away. Nice. The coral and fish were also the best we had seen. Too bad. We don't have any documentation of it, but we swear it happened. We watched another spectacular sunset at Ke'e Beach and then returned to pack.

After watching the sunrise at Anini Beach, we checked out Sunday morning but didn't have a flight until Sun late afternoon. So we went to a local farmer's market (mostly fruit, handmade crafts, and clothes) bought a couple things, had lunch and drove to Wailua Falls. On the way I spotted the only wildlife we hadn't seen on Kaua'i yet. Monk seals! They were beautiful, complete with a rainbow for our fond send off. Then we headed to the airport and bade Kaua'i farewell. Our flights were fine and we even glimpsed the full moon as we flew out of O'ahu. Wow. We couldn't get any pictures but we took some night shots on Kaua'i I thought I'd share.

Waimea Canyon

Tuesday we went to a lu'au at the Kilohana plantation that included a show. Since we had already been to the lu'au at the Polynesian Cultural Center on O'ahu, we were comparing the two. We had great seats for the show and the dinner was really good. Overall, we felt the show at the Polynesian Cultural Center was better but the food between the two were comparable. The fire dances were by far the best part.

Wednesday we got up early and drove to the South Shore to hike Waimea Canyon. Mike had gone through the guide book and found a couple he was interested in and we decided to find out about the trail conditions from the rangers before making a final decision. The one he was most interested in was 11.3 mi--including the 2mi hike back to the car because it wasn't a complete loop. We decided to do just the first and longest part, which was the Nu'alolo trail. As we were told by the ranger, this was the most difficult trail in Waimea because it's 1500ft of elevation you lose at the beginning...and has to be done at the end. Going steeply downhill didn't seem to bad at first, but your legs tire pretty quickly. We had some spectacular views of the canyon, spires and ocean, but the best was the last 0.5mi of the 3.8mi trail. This trail had you walking on the tip top of the mountains to a lookout point. I was petrified, especially because the trail is mostly loose, crumbly rock. But it was worth it. The view was amazing. We could see the Na Pali Coast stretching out before us and the canyon swallowing helicopters one by one. Thank goodness for the gorillapod because we were able to get some shots with the gorillapod wrapped around a bent sign.


The way back was HARD, we were going uphill nearly the entire way, with the steepest part at the very end. We ran out of water and were glad that we hadn't done the extra 4 miles. Something we both noticed was the quiet. We only saw 8 other hikers on this trail, all but one hiking in as we were hiking out. We stopped a few times and just listened and all you could hear were the sounds of the birds, the wind in the trees and the buzzing of bees. Occasionally there would be helicopter noise from an air tour but there was absolutely no road noise. Our feet were pretty torn up by the end of the hike and we were tired, but we still made it to a few lookout points to get a glimpse of the other parts of the canyon.


The first lookout we went to, we noticed that it looked like it was raining, but when we got up to it, there wasn't any rain. Then Mike proclaimed 'we're in a cloud!' Cool, except we couldn't see anything. At all. However, for a brief moment, like Avalon appearing out of the mist we could see some of the canyon and snapped a few shots to prove we were actually there. The other lookouts were far more rewarding. We were also able to get some great shots of the sunset last night, the sky was crimson and beautiful, and being inspired we decided to get up early to see the sunrise. Didn't work out the way we planned. We thought we'd go to Kilauea Lighthouse but it was closed and we could see beautiful sky, but no sun. So we raced to another beach that was 20mins away. We caught the tail end and unfortunately saw a wild pig fall victim to the morning commute. (It was gone when we were coming back so I'm thinking someone was having Kalua--pit roasted--pork for dinner). We tried for the sunset tonight, but rain clouds prevented another stunning night like last night, so we'll have to try again. Tomorrow is the Na Pali Kayak trip...gulp. Only waterproof cameras for that one though, so we'll all be waiting to see how they turn out.

Kaua'i

We are now 8 days in to our 11 day honeymoon, having arrived in Kaua'i on Sunday. It was raining but as we drove on the weather cleared and we were shown the beauty and majesty of the North Shore Mountains. After early check-in (we couldn't go to the room because we were 3 hrs too early), we drove to Hanalei Bay and walked along the beach, then drove back and went grocery shopping. Our hearts stopped briefly upon seeing the final price at check-out. Our room is glorious, once again. We have a full kitchen, spectacular view of the mountains from our living/dining room windows and a full porch. The entire complex is open air and we have heard many a rooster crowing at all hours. I will say though, they are beautiful and thanks to some ear plugs and Mike being a heavy sleeper we have not been woken once by a 'cock-a-doodle-doo!' at 1am. (Our view)

Day 2 of Kaua'i we decided to do a hike to the Hanakapi'ai Beach and falls, 4 mi one way and the start of the Kalalau Trail (the famous Na Pali Coast hike). Thanks to Rocky Mt training, we were at the trailhead early and fortunate to get a parking spot at Ke'e Beach Park. The trail started with a steep incline, leveling out and offering a SPECTACULAR view of Ke'e beach within 1/2 mi. Eventually, we started on a decline with amazing views and unbelievable ocean blues, only to find ourselves sinking into Kaua'i's famous red mud. Our shoes were heavy with it, our legs stained from it and our muscles quivering from slipping and sliding down the slope. We met some people along the hike, Heinekens in hand and pack full of more who became our unofficial photographers. We forded a river, relieving our feet of the mud weights, and were greeted by a pleasant beach with crashing waves. A sign earlier had warned of the dangerous surf with a tally of the number of people who had been killed--it was over 20. Before and after:


We didn't linger long, but continued the next 2 mi to the falls. It was a loooong 2 mi, complete with 4 river crossing, questionable trail markings, a lot more mud and narrow paths. We were able to see the falls about a 3/4 mi away and it seemed like we'd never get there. Many people passed us and assured us it was worth it and they were true to their word. When we finally reached the falls, our breaths were taken away. A 300ft cascading fall with a glistening rock wall cool blue pool, and our beer drinking comrades were waiting for us. Mike took a dip, I did not due to reports that it was very cold.

Then the really hard part. Going back. We lost the trail and crossed the river a couple extra times before finding the trail again. Amazingly, the few hours of sunshine were enough to completely dry out the trail and we made short work of the journey back, though our feet were sore and blistered. To end the day--it was already 3:30pm--we went snorkeling at Ke'e Beach, one of the best snorkeling spots on the North Shore. It was Mike's first time and he couldn't stop talking about how much he enjoyed it--thanks Kevin for letting us borrow your snorkel gear!

O'ahu

We are two days in to our 4 days on O'ahu and truly feel like we've landed in paradise. The water is unbelievably clear and ever changing shades of blue. When we arrived (after 9+hrs of traveling) we were welcomed with seashell leis and given our welcome packets before heading up to our room. We're on the 10th floor with a view of the ocean from one window and the mountains from the other. We have a balcony that stretches the 2 rooms, a full kitchen, living room and king sized bed. We then headed out for cocktails and dinner at a beachfront restaurant and watched the sunset. Thanks so much to Mom, Dad and the Perry's for their generous donation to the Mike and Laura honeymoon fund.
Yesterday we rented a car and hiked up Diamond Head Crater. The view was spectacular, though a bit crowded in the tiny viewing area. We started out early, getting started at the trail by 9am (we had to pick up the car) and we were glad to be making our way back down about 45 mins later. It was getting hot and very crowded on the trail.

Afterwards, we drove around the entire island, stopping at Sandy Beach Park where Mike got 'worked' by a wave. It was pretty rough surf so I hung back and instructed him on how to dive under the waves. We also stopped at Waimea Bay, thanks to a recommendation by the grill master at the Shorebird Restaurant, and found the beach with hardly any waves, crystal clear and blue as could be. Apparently, the north shore is really rough in the winter with 20ft+ swells and is where the pipeline surfing competition is competed.

We also stopped at the Dole plantation and did a walking tour where we found out that Dole and DelMonte have pulled out of Hawaii for their pineapples about 4 yrs ago because they take too long to mature (~20 months). The farms near the plantation are privately owned and Dole is now investing in coffee and chocolate.

Today we went to Pearl Harbor and toured the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri. It was moving and awesome to see the Battleship at the bottom of the harbor and knowing there are over 900 people entombed within its hull. I'm happy to say that neither Mike or I have suffered trip changing sunburns! We love you zinc oxide! We're taking it easy for the rest of the day and planning to go out for dinner and a stroll on the beach to watch the sunset. Tomorrow we head to the Polynesian Cultural Center for the afternoon/evening to visit the 7 villages and to see the Ha! Breath of Life luau.

Finally

Well everyone, there has been a long hiatus from my last post and a lot has happened since. As of Wednesday, I am finally done with my nursing program. It has been a long and at times tumultuous year. My last 6 weeks were spent doing a role transition, in which I worked full time (nights) with a preceptor, doing everything she did. I was assigned to labor and delivery and I think I know more about the laboring and delivery process than anyone might want to. I did well and got great reviews from my preceptor during my evaluation. On several instances she insisted I would make a great L&D nurse and I learned a lot about how I wanted to act as a nurse.

Many know that I have been stressing about getting a job. I started applying last December and have had very little in the way of a response. Last month I got a call to interview at Mt. Nittany Medical, which is the only hospital within 30mins of State College. I felt the interview went well and was assured I would hear back about a decision in 2 weeks time. Well 2 weeks went by, then 3 and I still hadn't hear anything. When I called there seemed to have been a disconnect between the interviewer and the HR office. I was pretty discouraged, despite the fact that the HR rep said she had received good feedback from the interviewer. By week 4 I gave up hope and started applying again to hospitals in Pittsburgh and Philly (a good 3.5hr drive).

Well. On Wed, after my final, I found I had a voicemail on phone. It was Mt. Nittany. Offering me a job!!!!!!!!!!!!! Following successful completion and passing the NCLEX (nursing boards) I will be working on a Med/Surg Orthopedic floor doing a graduate nurse internship for 6 months. After that, I will start interviewing for a permanent position within the hospital.

On top of all that, the wedding is only a week away, then Hawaii, then moving to PA and THEN taking and passing the NCLEX. No problem...maybe. Needless to say, a little chaotic but it will be fun. Can't wait to see everyone! I'm so excited!

Resolution

I know when I write these posts that I leave you all literally hanging from the edge of your chairs. So I thought I would give you some resolution to ease your concern. Let you breathe a little easier knowing my life is not going to fall apart. (A fact I was not nearly so confident about a week ago.)

1. While extremely inconvenient, one can survive without being able to communicate via phone. My new phone shipped yesterday and should be here by the end of the week. Change is good sometimes even though I generally accept it kicking and screaming.

2. I received 2 apologies from 2 separate people at the office of the City Clerk of Cook County regarding the erroneously sent license. Both copied a myriad of other employees on their response, told me they were also forwarding it to the xyz department, and one asked for me to inform them of the person's name and address to whom my license was mailed. Sorry, didn't record that information. Seems like a classic case of talks a lot, but doesn't say much. Thanks, Chicago.

3. After more hunting for competitive rates for my HSA and coming up with nothing, I found a way to skirt the eligibility rules for the original credit union I wanted to join. Apart from the community where you live or work, you can also be eligible by belonging to one of a certain set organizations. So last night, before opening my new savings account and Health Savings Account with 2.5% APY, I paid my membership dues for none other than...................
the National PTA.

My new health insurance policy starts tomorrow.

All will be well. Get the heck out of here, June.

Coming in threes

They say these rough things come in threes, so I'm hoping I'm done for a bit.

Yesterday was another overwhelming day of wading through banking and insurance issues. I got all ready to make a decision and sign myself up for a savings and Health Savings Account with a reputable-looking credit union, and found out that I am ineligible. I don't live/work in the right community of Chicago. I went for a walk and called Gram for a little relief and support. We had a wonderful conversation, I hung up, and my phone promptly stopped working. I can make and receive calls--they can hear me, and I hear nothing. Nothing.

Called my service provider this morning from my friend's phone. They told me to call Motorola. Called Motorola, they said it's a hardware issue, my warranty has expired and I can send the phone in to them for repairs. It will take 5-7 business days and will cost $75. A new phone costs $79.99. What a crock. I hate that we make things that break after a year and then charge the same amount to repair as to replace. It's the story of stuff all over again.

Ordered a new phone with an extra hundred bucks I can't afford right now, and commented to my roommate at the same time that I still don't have my license back even though my check to the city for my traffic ticket cleared a while ago.

While eating breakfast the doorbell rang. A young guy came up the stairs holding my license telling me that there had been a mistake and he'd gotten this license in the mail that wasn't his. Sure enough it was mine. I looked at the envelope. It wasn't even that the postal worker just delivered it to the wrong address. THE CITY ADDRESSED IT TO THE WRONG PERSON/ADDRESS. My license. Sometimes I hate Chicago. How do I file a complaint about that?

At least I got it back. Hopefully this neighbor is trustworthy and didn't copy down any of my info. Thank goodness my soc # isn't written on it.

Lederhosen-ed Lap Dance

Went to a bonified German restaurant to eat some schnitzel and hear "Edelweiss" played on the cow bells. I got a little more than I bargained for when the Lederhosen-clad yodeler came out into the crowd with his tuba, encouraging innocent diners to toss a quarter into the mouth of the instrument. Mine went in (as did many others'), but upon the clickety clack of the tuba swallowing my quarter, the yodeler pulled out my chair and sat in my lap for the rest of the song.
Note to self: watch out for those Germans.

Recital Takes

Last night was the first night of four of our annual recitals. Everything went extremely smoothly, and the kids played and sang well. All were instructed to announce their pieces before starting, "My name is XX, and I will be playing XX."

One eager performer went up to the mike and said, "Well. The piece I'm planning to play is Morning Mood.

Which I will.

In case you haven't already noticed.

And also (holding up his music), my mom taped a cereal box to the back of my music so it wouldn't fall down.

So, here goes this thing.

Walking away from the mike to the piano, calls out over his shoulder..) Enjoy!"

After playing spectacularly he bowed three times.

Next time I perform, I'm taking my cues from him!

Rollin in the 2-5

A coworker's boyfriend made this awesome rap video about my Chicago 'hood -- the beautiful Lincoln Square (zip 60625). For those of you who don't know, Chicago is made up of many neighborhoods much like NY's Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Chelsea, etc, except ours are a little smaller. Each community has it's own flavor, demographic make up, and local pride. I've been a Lincoln Square-er since I moved to Chicago 4 years ago, and I wave my banner high!

Enjoy this little taste of my neighborhood! Those of you who have come to visit will probably recognize several of the featured locales...

Held Hostage

Tuesday night another drop fell into my cup. Sounds benign enough, except that I didn't realize how dangerously close my cup was to spilling over. So close, in fact, that surface tension was the only thing holding it together. Wednesday morning I felt subdued, not my normally cheerful self. Imagine the wobbly moment when you wonder if the water will spill or not. Wednesday afternoon the stuff hit the fan. The cup ranneth over, and the stuff I hadn't realized was brewing came up to the surface.

And in the midst of all that, I had to go about my day. I started taking little (but giant) steps forward, squaring off with a few things that have been looming for a while. The clouds lifted temporarily for me to head over to the studio to teach a few lessons. On the way, I called Dad to talk about one good thing that happened during the day and hopefully put my spirit in a more positive place.

It was working. Nearly there, I made the final, fatal left turn.. and heard sirens scream out behind me. I pulled over and was approached by not one, but two officers on either side of the car. Strange. The driver-side officer formally informed me that I was being pulled over for performing an illegal left turn. I looked at him questioningly. Apparently the left turn is illegal between 4-6 pm Monday-Friday for rush hour. The time was 4:09.

He took my license and registration, and returned to his car while the sun beat down, burning my waiting and irritated flesh. An eternity later he reappeared, handed me the green carbon copy of my citation to mail in with my payment, the envelope, and the yellow copy to serve as my drivers' license in the meantime. "Excuse me," said I. "You are confiscating my license??"

"Yes, ma'am," said he. "That's the way it's done in the state of Illinois. We have to hold it as bond until you pay your ticket. Drive safely." And he walked away, leaving me alone to decipher the faint writing on the flurry of carbon.

Icing on the cake. My license is now being held hostage until further notice. And likely I'll mail in my fine, only to have my license get lost in the Chicago post on it's return trip to my house. The odds are not in my favor.

Stay tuned for the publication announcement of a book entitled, Caitlyn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

To build a bookshelf..

Step 1. Lay out all the pieces.

Step 2. Pull out directions.

Step 3. Put two pieces together.

Step 4. Have dinner.

Step 5. Put two more pieces together.

Step 6. Get nearly done and wonder why there still seem to be so many pieces left over.

CRAP! This looks complicated!

Step 7. Call Dad.

Step 8. Proceed with Dad's assurance, and voila! A bookshelf is born!

May Day! May Day!

With temperatures holding steady in the 80s for the past few days, our top-floor apartment has turned into an oven! The air conditioning unit the landlord recently put in is not doing much to help -- even after running for several hours it was reading 87 degrees!

The only thing to do is open the windows wide, set up all the fans, and sleep with a wet washcloth. After lunch today I went into the pantry to the chocolate stash for a little sweet treat. 87 degrees is not good for chocolate. The bar was pretty melty, so I decided I had two options. Put it in the fridge or polish off the whole thing.

I chose the latter. And now I don't feel so good.

Signs of Summer

I set up my fan on the windowsill and felt the warm air blowing in during the early morning hours. I walked out of my apartment in a sleeveless shirt clutching a light jacket to ward off the morning chill only to find the morning chill strangely absent. By the time I had reached my destination I could feel beads of sweat on my forehead and the crook of my elbow where my jacket rested. And last but not least, shortly before I left to return home my friend pointed out the bird poop that had mysteriously appeared down the front of my shirt.

Sure signs that summer is on its way.

Law & Order

Today I was selected as a juror on a federal trial that will last all week! Slightly inconvenient, but SO interesting! Luckily we are not sequestered, so we are allowed to go home at the end of the day. But given the start of the trial this afternoon, this is going to be a loooong week. That said, I feel like I'm watching a play! The representatives are dramatic and persuasive and the witnesses are desperately trying not to get caught in their traps.. All we need are some sound effects and background music.

More soon. I don't want to get arrested for talking to much until after we've deliberated. (how exciting!)

Some call it manipulation, I call it research..

If any of you have ever taken piano lessons, you may have been required to warm up on Hanon exercises. Each exercise introduces a pattern that carries the hands up and then back down the keyboard. They are intended to build agility, speed, and control, but they are rather mind-numbing if I do say so myself. Nevertheless, several of my students are warming up on Hanon despite their moaning and groaning.

Yesterday on a whim I decided to introduce the Hanon exercises to one of my third graders in a new way: We are going to begin a new series of exercises today. These exercises are very special because they are not for beginner students. Only students who have reached a certain level are ready to use these exercises as warm ups, and you are now ready. Shall we give it a try?

She was so proud and eager to start! It remains to be seen how long the enthusiasm will last..

Happy Mother's Day!

I don't know these people, but someone sent me this video. Enjoy!

This is what I miss..

Portugal!

Porto was my favorite stop in Portugal. It was filled with colorful houses stacked on top of each other along the Duoro Riverfront (all with orange rooves, of course). One side was "the stroll," and the other was devoted to port wine. The mornings and evenings were chilly, but the days warmed up into the 60s. We spent our time strolling, feasting our eyes on elaborate painted tiles and pottery, climbing hills and towers, lingering over the most delicious coffees (cafe com leite), exploring gardens, exclaiming over flowers, and deciphering menus to mostly end up with a piece of meat and some boiled potatoes or french fries on our plates.. and PLENTY of it!

The tiles were truly remarkable. Some were geometric pattern with the same pattern repeating over and over to create a facade for a building, and others that were more like murals depicting the history of Portugal or the lessons of the Catholic church. We learned that in 1755 the entire country of Portugal suffered a terrible earthquake and much of the art and architecture was destroyed. I also discovered that port wine can be red or white, and it ages better if classical music is played to the barrels.

Our two most trying moments in Porto involved transit. The first was getting from the airport to our hotel. We were told that we needed to get the metro to the Casa da Musica station. We purchased our tickets loaded ourselves on and got off at the right place feeling quite capable and successful. Then we surfaced from the underground and realized that our hotel was not in sight and we didn't have any more directions. We stood huddled over the map (fruitlessly, I might add) until I got up the courage to try out my Portuguese on a trucker taking a smoke break. I walked over with the address prepared to speak, but when I finally got there I think I just grunted, pointed to the address, and affected a look of befuddlement. He got the picture and wrote down a bus number for us. We hopped on the bus and promptly watched our hotel float past. I was unconcerned, figuring it couldn't possibly be the same hotel we were looking for, but Laura took action, stopped the bus (nearly knocking her suitcase, me, and another passenger over in the process), and herded us all off. We backtracked up the hill, on the cobblestone sidewalk, lugging our suitcases, on 2 hours of sleep. We were moving slowly. And indeed, it was our hotel.

The other was a few days later when we picked up the rental car, backed out of the parking spot into the busy one way street on a hill, located the carpark for our hotel, and then creeped down the ramp and around into the tiniest parking spot you've probably ever seen.

It was all for the sake of team building.

Cornish Pasties and Spring Time

We have started a new food tradition. Cornish pasties. Traditionally from Cornwall and used for miners because they could eat the inside without needing to wash their hands which had coal dust on them. Dad and I got inspired to give them a try and after watching several videos of old British ladies making them, we found a recipe and set to work. We've made them a couple times since then and are perfecting the recipe.

Spring has also hit Naperville, finally! We took a trip to the arboretum to find the magnolias in full bloom and some of the daffodils bursting forth as well. Obviously, we're all enjoying the nicer, warmer weather. I'm also almost done with my program! Can't wait.

Porto

We almost did not make it out of the airport because Aunt Barby left her passport on the plane. Thankfully the immigration officers in Spain have a better sense of humor than those in the US and by the time Aunt Barby walked through security, all the officers were in one booth laughing together.

We have had wonderful weather so far. Today is our last day in Porto, a town in the north of Portugal on the coast and intersected by a beautiful river. We have tasted Port, laughed with the locals, and worked our calf muscles walking up and down the hilly, cobbled streets.

Tomorrow we leave to spend Easter Sunday hiking through a natural forest with waterfalls and castles, and then we will spend the night at a spa town outside of Coimbra. Communication has been no problem since most people speak either Spanish or English or talk with their hands.

Cafe com leite and pastry shops await .. to the museum of contemporary art!

Iberia

I paid the fee.

And I'm not happy about it.

I also filed a complaint online, but their online form only allows 500 characters in the message. Stupid.

It was probably a bad idea to file a complaint BEFORE my flight.

I'll probably be blacklisted.

To Portugal!

This coming Wednesday commences a 2-week vacation in Portugal and Spain with Aunt Barby, Aunt Nancy, and my Spanish friend and former co-worker, Laura. Thus far the planning has been... lumpy.

While investigating airfare for all three of us US travelers, I noticed that Aunt Nancy's return itinerary (Granada-Madrid-Chicago-DC) was $100 cheaper than mine (Granada-Madrid-Chicago). This did not make sense. So, I called Iberia, explained the situation, and asked for the same fare. They said no. Period. A little startled by their abruptness, I booked my return flight to DC. The only way I'll be screwed by this decision is if a) for some reason they change the connecting destination to somewhere other than Chicago, or b) I accidentally check my bag in Granada in which case it will fly to DC without me and I'll probably have to pay $100 to ship it back to Chicago.

We booked our tickets online knowing that we would have to present the credit card used for purchase at the check-in counter. No problem. Until my card got stolen. As soon as I had the new number I called Iberia to update my information. They said, "you can't do that." And I said, "excuse me?" They explained that the only way was for me to have my bank issue a letter addressed to Iberia saying that my card number xxxxxx was stolen. With a month to go before departure, I called the bank and requested the letter.

Last week I got an email from Iberia confirming my flight, and I suddenly remembered that I had never received the letter from the bank! I called the bank, and after putting me on hold while the rep talked to both the Fraud department and the Senior Representatives, he came back on to tell me that this was not a kind of document that the bank would normally issue for legal reasons. He told me to call Iberia back and find out if there was any other way to work around it.

After going back and forth with the agent at Iberia, she told me she would call me back to let me know if bringing my credit card statement to the airport would be sufficient. "What if it's not?" I asked. She explained that I would have to cancel the previous ticket and purchase a new one with my new credit card. "And I'll be guaranteed the same price?" I asked. "No, ma'am," she answered.

Friday I finally spoke with someone who told me that they were waiving the credit card presentation requirement for me. Hallelujah. I would be allowed to board the plane! However the saga continues. Today they called and said that they need to transfer the ticket onto my new card -- same itinerary, same price + a $20 processing fee for doing it over the phone. I asked what my other option was to avoid incurring the fee. There was none. I refused to pay a service charge. The supervisor is calling me tomorrow.

FOR PETE'S SAKE! WHAT IS THE PROBLEM??

Apart from the airline, I also had a run-in with the car rental. I thought it would be pretty straight-forward to rent a car in Portugal and drop it off in Spain. It is straight-forward, provided one has an extra $2000 to throw around. We don't, so our itinerary required tweaking.

As it stands now, we'll start in the north of Portugal in a town called Porto. Yes, this is where port wine is made, and yes, we will be tasting it. Next we'll meander down the coast and spend Easter Sunday hiking and picnicking in a natural forest. On to Lisbon to visit the tile museum, ride bikes on the poetry-filled path along the Teijo River, and hear some deliciously nostalgic fado music. Here we'll say adeus to Laura, and the three of us Americans will continue to the southern coast of Portugal, driving through olive groves and cork forests along the way. In Faro we'll breathe in the salt air and listen to the stories of wrinkled old fisherman and their rosy-cheeked old wives. From here we'll hop over the border to Spain and end our trip in Granada, home of the old moorish palace, the Alhambra.

All of this planning stress had made me need a vacation more than ever! I'm pretty sure that all the hassle leading up to take-off means that it will be smooth sailing once we arrive. Pretty sure.

Stay tuned.