Where Am I???

The last week has been a bit of a blur. I have to check my trusty iPhone to see what my week consisted of. I guess that's what happens when you don't really have a daily schedule...not such a good thing. I've been looking for a job, but haven't had any luck. I've also been trying to get to the Groupon yoga classes I bought....again without luck. I've done a bit more driving in circles while people honk at me. Brizzie and I have done a lot of walking along the lakefront trail, which has been so nice with the brisk 60 and 70 degree (real Fall) weather! Oh, and we got a new roommate on Thursday....my brother-in-law Andrew has taken up residence with us for a while. We put him on the Brizz rotation already! :) We all had a great time over the weekend introducing Andrew to the city and showing him the ropes....the ropes we know, anyway.


I have tried twice now to get to the yoga classes in Lincoln Park. The first time, I didn't realize my yoga mat was in my Jeep, which Justin had driven to work so I could use the Honda GPS to get to my yoga class. Today, I left in the Jeep with my mat, but forgot the smartphone, so once I found a parking space about 4 blocks from the yoga studio, I didn't know how to get there.....ugh! I walked around aimlessly for a while until it was too late to get to class. Third time's a charm??


We discovered that Dominick's (grocery store) has a free parking deck. So, today, Andrew and I decided to attempt driving there so we could load up on groceries. Andrew brought a Garmin from home, which we have discovered is about as helpful than the Honda GPS. Once again, the crazy stacked streets of Chicago foiled our plans. We did ok getting to Dominick's, but drove in circles getting back. At one point we drove under the L (eLevated train), which kinda freaked me out.

photo courtesy of Andrew Lichty

After one of my driving adventures, I can always count on a walk along the lakefront trail with the Brizz dog to cheer me up. The weather has been fabulous! It's only been in the 90's (low 90's) 3 days since I've been here, and I am loving it! This is what Fall is supposed to be like! Now, hopefully we won't have snow on halloween.....that's just not right. Anyway, Brizz and I have taken to the lakefront trail quite a few times now. It's all good until we hit the goose poop, and then it's all I can do to keep her away from it....yuck. "Leave it!" just doesn't work when it comes to goose poop. Other than that, it's a great place for an afternoon stroll.

 

brizz checking out the boats

It's great having Andrew here. He's cooking, cleaning, carrying my groceries, taking Brizz to the dog park....what more could I ask for in a brother-in-law/roomie? We're both on the job hunt, so it's also nice to have a person here during the day. I get tired of speaking only "woof" and "meow". To get Andrew acquainted with Chicago, we took him to one of the best spots for  Chicago style pizza in town, Lou Malnati's. It was packed of course, but we didn't mind waiting for the yummy deep dish deliciousness. Afterwards, we ended up at another Chicago legend, Harry Caray's, for drinks. I was pleased to spot a NC license plate used as decoration behind the bar saying:  C U B S M A N

We couldn't sleep in long Saturday morning, because we had tickets to the Cubs/Cardinals game! Andrew is a die hard Cardinals fan. So of course he was completely offended when I mentioned that I needed a cubs t-shirt for the game. I ended up needing a sweatshirt because it was soooooo cold! The wind is just brutal.....they weren't kidding about the wind here!!! Despite the wind, we had a great time riding the L and experiencing Wrigley Field. Cubs fan or not, that's a special place to be. We had awesome seats, which greatly surprised us, considering it's easy to have a view of nothing but a metal column in that place. I of course had to splurge on not only the Cubs hoodie, but also the $8.50 infamous Italian meat sandwich from concessions.....might be better than the pizza....might be. 

Awesome seat: $60

Cozy Cubs hoodie: $50

Italian meat sandwich: $8.50

Watching Andrew freeze in his Cardinals t-shirt because he "refuses to buy a long sleeve shirt and support the Cubs":  priceless

Final score:  Cubs - 7, Cardinals - 3

 

Now it's time to watch some Monday Night Football:  Packers vs. Bears at Soldier Field!

Luckily Justin left work early today and isn't sitting in traffic on Lakeshore Dr.

D A  B E A R S.

(I must be in Chicago)

Figuring it Out

Justin has safely returned from his adventures in the great beyond and is starting his first full week of commuting to work. He's lucky to only have a 20-40 minute drive (depending on traffic), considering the average commute is about an hour one way! His office is in Burr Ridge, a suburb of Chicago, which is also close to IKEA, Meijer, and other big box stores. Lucky for me, he can make quick stops at lunch or on the way home (maybe not at IKEA), so I don't have to drive aimlessly around the city with people honking at me....precisely what I did last Thursday.

I decided that we needed a bookcase for our random books and tchotchkes that have been sitting in boxes for about four years now, since we don't have room in storage (which the perpetrators finally cleaned out). So I found a bookcase at World Market that was a pretty good deal, and decided to go for a drive. I put the address in GPS and headed out. For some reason the Honda GPS likes to take me right through the middle of the city....not such a good idea for me. GPS also doesn't recognize the stacked streets here. There is an upper, lower, and dungeon level of several streets in Chicago. I tried my best to keep my cool and not panic with cars whizzing around and honking every 30 seconds. I've got it in my head that every time I hear a honk, it's at me....whether it is or not...I've turned into a very paranoid driver. At one point, I was turning left at a light (no arrow), the car behind me honked, then went around me and turned left right in front of me! Geeze....I'm sorry I didn't want to risk getting plowed so you could make the light!! My NC plate makes me a target for impatient drivers. Wonder if I'll get less honks once I get an Illinois plate....probably not. After getting very turned around, even with the GPS, and taking about half an hour to go 4 miles, I finally made it to the shopping center. I secured my bookcase and got out of there as quickly as I could so as not to get stuck in 5:00 traffic. I checked the map and figured out my own way home instead of following the GPS, which took much less time and was much less stressful.

I also made it to Target last week and discovered the shelves stocked with heavy duty winter boots....in mid September? Our cabbie Friday night did say that we could see snow in October, so I had better get prepared! I see a long puffy coat in my near future....but where am I going to put it? We are going to need another closet just for our winter gear!

this isn't charlotte target for sure!

We had our first thunderstorm, which isn't really a big deal, but it was very cool watching the raindrops stream down the side of our windows and hearing the thunder echoing in the buildings. I can just imagine seeing snow swirling in the wind 25 floors up...it will be pretty the first time, but I'm sure the thought of a blizzard won't put a smile on my face halfway through the winter!

clouds setting in over buildings

Once Justin made it home from work in the Friday afternoon traffic, we grabbed a couple beers, and some chips and salsa for a little appetizer on our roof. It was such a gorgeous day, and the scenery is just amazing from up there!

  

check out those boats!                           view of the chicago river 

                                                                        thru the buildings

lakeshore dr. and navy pier

Friday night we decided to hit the town....party animals that we are. We blindly picked a restaurant/bar called Hub 51. Ok, Hub 51 must be the place, or one of the places, for all the young, beautiful 20 somethings to congregate. It's hard to know what to expect going out here. I was definitely under dressed....or over dressed, depending on how you look at it....my heels needed to be about 4" higher, and we were missing our entourage. Surprisingly the food was really good, but we couldn't hear each other or the waitress over the girls behind us screeching about their ex-boyfriends. I sound like an old stick-in-the mud....it would definitely be a fun place to go with a group, and at least now we know. After dinner, we walked down the street a little ways to a much lower key Irish bar and had a couple drinks. I think we'll be checking out more of the Irish bars in prep for Justin's St. Patty's Day b-day! On a side note....one thing that is great about going out in the city....cabs on every corner. Although we have yet to meet a cab driver who actually knows how to get to where we live because it's so new....you're asking us for directions??

We woke up Saturday morning to the sound of a helicopter hovering above a building across from ours, and streets blocked off all around our block. Maybe this is a common occurrence in a big city, but it's certainly not one we are used to. We speculated what it could be:   Obama's in town, prep for a movie scene, police training, maybe they're just changing out an HVAC unit. We never discovered the reason for a helicopter landing Saturday at 8:00 a.m., but it was entertaining for a while at least. It was also funny to see other people appearing on their balconies in PJ's to see what was going on.

 

Saturday night we took advantage of some Groupons and Living Social deals I bought. We hit up Navy Pier (dubbed by Justin as the Myrtle Beach of Chicago) for some hotdogs at America's Dog and then caught an Imax 3D showing of Avatar, which I have to admit was awesome! Although I think seeing it 2D wouldn't be half as good. We took a stroll to the end of Navy Pier between our hotdogs and the movie, and saw some awesome views of the city.

our building is the squatty one in the middle 

in front of the big white one

Animal update:  we are learning to get along in close quarters....sort of. More like, we are establishing our territories in the apartment. Once in a while, I let Brizzie in our bedroom (deemed the kitties' room) which doesn't please Molly and Annabell. I still have faith we will one day all get along peacefully.....

  

         happy sunbathing kitties              how dare you let that mutt in here

I sense something evil lurking behind me

Lessons of the Week:

1.  don't trust the GPS

2. If they're honking, it's at you

3.  get some winter gear

4.  take advantage of the nice weather while you can

5.  enhance the party wardrobe

6. cabs are fab...sometimes

7. Groupon is great!

8. hovering helicopters are normal

Has my husband been abducted by aliens?

A few days after I arrived in Chicago Justin hopped on a plane to Italy for 5 days. I couldn't really complain since the trip was for work, but the timing really stunk. I was a little nervous as he got in the cab headed to O'hare, wondering if I could make it in this big new city for a week by myself. I made a few goals:  unpack boxes, unpack boxes, unpack boxes (ugh), and try not to stay cooped up in the apartment all week. I'd say I accomplished most of those things, but it's a week later and I still can't find the bed in our guest room!

       

      

Someone hijacked our storage unit in the building. It still isn't cleaned out, so that's not helping the situation. I did manage to get our kitchen, living area, bedroom and bathroom sorted and organized. However if anyone is planning a visit anytime soon....ahem, Andrew.....you may be sleeping on the sofa! 

My other adventure the past week consisted of taking a certain Australian Shepherd up and down the elevator 5 to 6 times a day due to irritated bowels, ie: the "dying rear"! Not sure if the culprit was stress from the 14+ hour car ride, all the fountain water she's been drinking in the park, or just adjusting to her new living situation. I found a vet close by and Brizz and I managed to find our way there via the Honda GPS, parked without getting a ticket, and successfully left with 3 cans of prescription food and meds. I was quite proud of myself, considering I hadn't ventured out without Justin, and I had a sick doggie in tow. By the way, the vet said Aussies are her favorite breed....think we'll stick with that one! The Brizz is back to normal and on a regular "schedule" now. No more messes in the apartment and middle of the night dashes to the elevator!

In other Brizzie news:  she is a hit in the dog park! Brizz always plays so nicely with the other dogs and doesn't cause problems. Her favorite game is playing hide-and-seek behind the benches. Herding Pugs, Boston Terriers and other pint sized dogs is also a new favorite past time (since the kitties are not herd-able). A lady commented today that, "She is such a great dog!". Of course, I already knew that! :) Love my Brizzie Boo!

While Brizzie is getting lots of exercise in the dog park, I have yet to find a gym that lives up to the Y's in Charlotte. I'm beginning to realize how spoiled I was there. There is a gym within walking distance, Lakeshore Athletic Club, which I took a tour of this week. It's 7 floors and has more exercise equipment than I have ever seen in one location. There is an indoor lap pool, all kinds of aerobic and yoga classes, a cafe, sauna, you name it! But, geeze it's expensive...par for the course here! Today I bought a Groupon for 2 months of unlimited yoga classes for $39.....maybe I'll just Groupon-it instead of joining a gym! 

Another outing I took this week was to Lincoln Park for volunteer work. When I was in Charlotte, I found that volunteer work was a great way to see the city, meet people and do good. I joined Chicago Cares in hopes that I can do the same here. I helped out at a Chicago Housing Authority senior living residence on Saturday. We cooked breakfast for the seniors, played bingo and made thank you cards for veterans. I met some other nice volunteers who were very welcoming and friendly, as most people seem to be in Chicago. I'll definitely be doing more work with Chicago Cares. Oh, and I ran across an Iowa Hawkeyes bar on my way home, which I'm sure we will be frequenting. What are the chances there's a Gamecocks bar too??

notice the flags!

Justin arrived home Saturday on a spaceship, according to Dena on Facebook (see pic below), and immediately turned on the South Carolina - Georgia football game. Are you kidding me?? I would have crashed after a 9 hour flight, but the Gamecocks were on, so no rest for the weary! We decided to find a sushi place close by for dinner. We started walking through Millennium Park and came upon a symphony concert at the outdoor theater. Now, I love Symphony in the Park in Charlotte, but South Park has nothing on this! The iPhone picture doesn't do it justice. I'm definitely taking my real camera next time.

sculptural walkway in the park

crowd beginning to form for the concert

We didn't stay, but vowed to come back next weekend. We made our way over to a sculpture that I've been wanting to see, called Cloud Gate....AKA "Justin's spaceship". I think this sculpture is just awesome, and I will definitely be revisiting, again with my real camera!

shortly afterwards Justin was snoring in his sushi 

Justin left again Sunday night, but this time only for 3 days to PA and ND. Justin's parents were kind enough to connect me with one of their friends, Lynn, who lives in Chicago, and has lived here for 34 years! Good person to know! Lynn kindly invited me to an event at Redmoon theater, which is an affiliate of the Museum of Contemporary Art. I took a cab (for the first time by myself!) to Lynn's, and we walked over to the performance.

Now I'm back to unpacking boxes and hanging out at the dog park. My first week in Chicago turned out to be pretty great, all things considered (although I've yet to determine if Justin was indeed abducted). Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!

We Made It!

 The drive from Columbia to Chicago was the longest I've ever taken. It really made me feel that I was moving far away, compared to flying and magically arriving at my destination.  We drove through SC, NC, TN, KY, IN, and finally, Illinois. I trekked from the beach through the sand hills, mountains, plains, and finally to the windy city! While it was interesting to experience the different landscapes of our country, Mom, Brizz, and I were definitely exhausted and thankful to see the great Chicago skyline on Friday afternoon! 

One of the most fascinating views on our trip was of the wind turbines in the fields of Indiana. I have always loved the turbines, and there were hundreds of them that continued forever into vast open fields. We could see the giant blades up close right beside the road and watch them spinning off into the distance. The best part was me trying not to run off the road while I was taking pictures of them!

rest stop somewhere in Indiana

After 12 hours on the road we stopped for a much needed night's rest in Indianapolis. Poor Brizzie did NOT want to get back in her crate the next morning. I tried to reassure her that we only had 3 hours left, but she didn't believe me. She was such a good doggie the whole trip, even though she wasn't a happy doggie.

are we there yet?

It was very surreal driving into Chicago and thinking that this is my new home, but I am so excited to be here and couldn't wait to see my husband and kitties, get settled and explore my new city!

ahhhhh.....my first view of Chicago.....the end is in sight!

Miraculously we navigated through the city with no problems (thanks to Mom's GPS) and arrived at beautiful Lakeshore East Park, our final destination! We live on a 6 acre park complete with fountains and a dog park. Brizz is in heaven.....and so are we! Justin couldn't have found a better location or building. There is a little Italian cafe on the park (with gelatto...uh oh), a CVS within walking distance and views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River!

                       we are 25 floors up!

  

exploring Brizzie's park

furry friends!

We hit the sea of moving boxes full force Friday afternoon, but after a while couldn't resist the gorgeous 70 degree weather and the city....the boxes will have to wait!  Mom and I decided to play tourist on Saturday and window shopped on Michigan Ave., took an architectural boat tour, and visited Navy Pier. 

    
Sears Tower                                             Trump International


boat tour

it's a little bit windy!

Mom left this afternoon :( and Justin and I made our first grocery trip.....on the free shuttle provided by our building!! How awesome is that?! We also ventured into the suburbs to Meijer (Wal-Mart) and IKEA. (Justin is skillfully assembling our new cabinet tonight.) We were so proud of ourselves for making it back into the city without a hitch. We even navigated the crazy stacked streets like pros!

Watching the Navy Pier end of summer fireworks from the top of our building Saturday night, I was in awe of the vibrance of this city. I feel so lucky to have the chance to live here. It's going to take a while for this all to sink in. :)