Even in the City.....

I thought yards like this only existed in the Northwest.... but I pass this awesome one on my way home from work.



1. Precious Moments children bathing together
2. Tony the Tiger pinwheel
3. GIANT champagne bottle
4. That one annoying chick from Sex in the City
5. Old baby bottle, filled with dirt
6. Dora the Explorer sippie cup and kids toy
7. Plastic cactus
8. Fisher Price baby pony
9. Various kid sized crocs
10. Adult male leather sandal
11. Airplane bottle of Southern Comfort
12. Sun bathing pig
13. Hunter S. Thompson style ceramic flamingo

Not pictured: GIANT plastic hand holding a baby bottle, collection of Thomas the Engine trains, child's dump truck carrying plastic eggs, collection of wine bottles.

Schools and Viruses.

I just found out that I've been accepted to another one of the Chicago schools that I applied for (that's three out of four). I was really looking forward to Columbia College, mostly because their Education Department focuses more on alternative teaching methods and is primarily art based. Oh well, hopefully this Savannah school will work out...

I can't help but wonder if this keeps happening because we are moving away from here.

Also, the Swine Flu has reached Chicago and Little C is all worried because she thinks that the virus may turn people into pigs. :)

Big City Jerks

Tonight on my walk home from work, I watched a pigeon stupidly fly smack into the side of a Toyota Tercel. Instead of dying, it wandered around in shock. Two blocks down I started feeling guilty for just walking away. I walked back towards the intersection, hoping to see the pigeon gone... only to find him still there confused, running underneath cars.

I tried to save the poor bird but he was even more afraid of me and kept running underneath the passing cars. People were in such a hurry, honking and pushing each other forward like they always are here.

Three cars later and right in front of my eyes his little body was crushed by a tire.

I hate this city and its people too busy to give a crap about something that's just trying to live.

This Could be our New Home!

In less than a week we'll find out if we get to call this super cute apartment our own. We've already signed the initial papers and are waiting to hear back from the landlords. I'm excited to start figuring out how to make it a comfortable and awesome place to come home to, I hope everything works out.

The whole house (ours would be a one room apartment on the bottom of that tower)


The living room window:


The living room:


The kitchen:


The street outside:


Best part? We finally get to have a WASHER AND DRYER and a DISHWASHER!!

We're getting too fancy.

Cupcake Stomach Ache.

We just got back from a lovely, Chicago night out. It's strange to think that these adventures are some of our last here, especially now that I can see the end of our Chicago experience. Today we packed the last of our books/clothes/junk and organized our apartment a bit. I'm pretty impressed with our packing techniques this move, we're just getting better and more organized with each new city. When we left Bellingham, we hardly had our things in boxes. If clothes were already in a laundry basket we just picked up the tub, threw it in the Penske Truck, and called it good. This move it's taped up, labeled boxes as well as a clutter clean-up...Mom, you'd really be so proud.

Tonight we met up with Homer for some Mediterranean food at Sultan's Market (so good). Then we stopped by Molly's Cupcakes and had coffee and a cupcake. I'm the kind of stuffed right now that makes you just want to lay around uncomfortably and maybe get up only to puke. I'm also so thirsty but I can't put anything more into my belly.

After dessert we all walked down to the lake and enjoyed the 60 degree weather we've been having at night.

We move in 18 days!!

Homer and G by Lake Michigan:


Our cupcakes. Chocolate cream and vegan white with chocolate frosting:


Look at us go!


Bunny, helping out as usual:


G and B taking a break:


I have to sleep this cupcake off....

My Favorites.

Welcome Home Allie!

Today I was greeted home from work by a lovely, FAT notice from the IRS. I thought, "Eh, I already gave them their money so whatever", and opened it in the elevator. By the time I reached our apartment door I was BAWLING. G probably thought I was nuts, arriving home a complete wreck.

The notice said that I still owed the IRS $976. NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS!! What the H. I really couldn't believe my teary eyes.

After taking a few deep breaths (I actually had to do this, I was so upset...) we looked it over and it turns out it was all their mistake. Somehow, the payment I sent in didn't register and in the end they credited me the amount of the check I sent in. Now I only owe them three hundred, which really kicks $976's butt. Hard.

Ever seen me freak out? It can be pretty incredible.

Wondering

how I am recognizing so many of today's terrible hit songs when I don't even listen to the radio. With the amount of songs I've subconsciously heard somewhere, one would think I've spent hours shopping at Forever 21 and American Eagle....or hanging around in gas stations. And what's scary is that I actually remember the songs enough to feel strangely familiar with them.

I can't even use "I work in fast food" as an excuse anymore.

Taylor Swift and Lady GaGa...you sneaky, awful people.

Maybe if Top 40 2009 could just take some advice from 1999, we'd be cool.

It's Easy to Write About the Good Things....

But honestly, I just miss worrying about the small things that I used to think mattered SO much. The older you get, the more legitimate things you have to worry about.

I'm afraid I'm going to miss being 23 :-(

Rainy Day Ideas.

I just got back from the store with everything I need to make an apple pie (with whipped cream!) It's been so long since I've had hot homemade apple pie, I'm pretty excited. As I was putting the groceries away, I realized that we have a lot of odds and ends type foods that, on their own wouldn't taste so great, but possibly combined might taste fantastic? THEN I came up with this spectacular idea. A website that helps you create meals using leftover food in your house. All you would have to do is enter the ingredients you have (the site could even break it into categories such as dairy, vegetables, meat) and the website would combine the ingredients and list the dinners you could make using your listed items. For example, I know there's got to be a way to combine our bag of dried lentils with some old canned vegetables and possibly some kind of soup and noodles. Using my website, all you would have to do is type those items in and a recipe would be generated for you. Possibly even suggesting additional foods you could add (Macaroni and Cheese noodles? Those diced tomatoes you don't know what to do with? Leftover Top Ramen spice packets?) G and I are trying not to buy groceries until we leave...just so we can eat the food we have had on our shelves since we moved to Chicago and a website like this would help us use all of our leftovers...

It's raining like crazy today and I love it. I think rain has to be one of my favorite types of weather...especially in the city because everything smells like wet asphalt. It also feels nice being cooped up in the house with cat and nothing to do but pack and read a book.

Poor G has so much school work to do and won't be back until later tonight. He's been working so hard on a school project that he hasn't had a minute of free time since Friday :-(

Realizing How Much You've Grown.

The other day, when I was sorting through my trunk full of memories, I came across my old diary from when I was 14. Seriously so ridiculous and funny. Here's two of my most favorite entries:

Thursday, October 5, 1999.
Journal,

Things continue to go on. Life is like a roller coaster for me. Thursday, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays are like waiting in line to get on the roller coaster. Then Mondays, I'm actually getting on the roller coaster. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the roller coasters...fun and exciting, but too fast. Jay is still so cute and I still can't quite tell weather he likes me or Michelle more.
On Wednesday I had an orthodontist appointment and so I missed half of science class :-( Jay asked me if they are going to take my braces off and I told him, "next month". After science I was talking to Mr. Science and I looked over at Jay. He was staring at me. He stared at me the whole time I talked.
Soley looked at the picture of Jay and I and said, "He sits like a hottie." I felt like saying, "HE IS!" But I was on the phone and my mom was right next to me. Somehow I wish I could get a picture of him. I would be sooooo happy. Somehow, I've got to get a hot picture. Michelle wants to get a picture of Travis, even though I think she's starting to like Jay :-( Our next field trip is to Olympia. I don't know when.

Also, THIS:

Popular Things in 1999.

1. Beanie Babies
2. Music (N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, Brittany Spears)
3. Y2K
4. Pokemon (Japanese)
5. PlayStation and Nintendo 64
6. Baggy pants
7. Wide legged pants
8. Stripes
9. Abercrombie and Fitch/Tommy Hilfiger (clothing companies)

Was I not the coolest 14 year old ever?

Chicago Easter # 2

Yesterday we had a delicious brunch with a bunch of our friends. Good food and good friends is one of my top favorite combinations. I'll have to list the others later.

I baked my first quiche yesterday (thanks Jenny for the inspiration) and it turned out so great. I even have left over pie crust so I think I'll make an apple pie sometime this week. After brunch we went down to Hyde Park and had dinner with G's friends from school. They are both from Peru and cooked us a delicious Peruvian meal made of chicken, hot peppers, hard boiled eggs, rice, and potatoes. It was the best thing I have eaten in so long. We drank wine and played music until we had to head back.

Our new friends place actually motivated me to start de-cluttering our place. I am so excited to trash so much and start from scratch! I'm discovering a whole new Allie and I like this toss and forget about it Allie a lot right now. Watching our friends also made me appreciate the love G and I have for each other. Our new friends just work well and you can tell they love spending time together. It made me realize that I am lucky to have the same connection with G. I could spend days with just him and have so much fun.

Yesterday was a good day. :-)

Letting Go.

G and I bought this beautiful blue trunk before we left Bellingham two years ago and I have been using it to store letters, pictures, and other items I've collected over the past few years. I have a hard time throwing away the silliest things...if you've ever written me a letter or sent me a card or done something special with me, I probably still have it somewhere.

We had forgotten the combination to the lock so for the longest time it just served as a table for our TV and record player. Today I took a hammer and knocked the lock off and had so much fun going through all of the weird things I've held onto. I decided to throw a bunch of it away...I mean, what good is it to still have old letters from boyfriends I dated in high school/college? I threw away so much, which is a big step for me. Only the really special or really funny things made the cut. Meg, can you believe I still had your cut up bridesmaid dress? Ridiculous.

I of course had all of the cards we were given on our wedding day and looking at all of them again reminded me that we have some pretty awesome/hilarious friends. Here are some of my favorites:

- A Sumo Wrestler card...written inside, "You can always have su-mo' salad with these plates!"

- "May the force be with you." Grandpa Marr

- Inside a penguin card, "Penguins mate for life!" Clara and Dillon

- Inside a card making fun of Cheny's hunting accident, "I didn't know about the hunting/shooting thing until after I bought the card..." Tim T. and Lizzie

-On a birthday card with Barack Obama on the front, "I TOLD him it was a wedding...:-( I'm voting for Hillary." Sam and Devin

I have some awesome pictures from our Chicago Easter...we had a very busy day, but a lot of fun. Baking extra cupcakes and getting ready for work, so I'll post it later.

Happy Easter!

Slim Dixon's Last Show

Last night Slim Dixon played their last show. It was so much fun to be surrounded by (almost) all of our good friends that we've made here.

Tomorrow we're all getting together for brunch and then heading to the practice space to hide some eggs. Last year we all stuffed plastic eggs with strange things and candy and hid them throughout the entire four story building. It was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to doing it again.

Here are some pictures (and a video) from the show. Enjoy!

Our friends!


Jerry, Petey, Jake, and G:


Benny P and G:


Me and Dave:




Last night was a loooong one. It's only 11:30 right now and I'm already considering lying down for the night...

Packing.

The packing has begun!! Of course, Bunz Olsen managed to be on top of every box I needed to stack another one on top of.


G is working on another song, I think trying to get as much keyboard time in before we have to pack it up...


Last night I watched Milk and bawled. What a remarkable man, wow. I don't usually cry after movies but this one really took me by surprise. I already knew what happens to him, so I didn't think it would be too big of a deal. I think what got me was the fact that people can be so horrible to each other and put their religious/personal beliefs above treating people with love and respect. It's easy to quote "Love thy neighbor as thyself" but harder for people to actually do it, I guess.

The last movie I cried in (like really, really cried in) was I Am Sam which is also a Sean Penn movie...hmmmm.

PICTURES!

Sunday extreme hang-out day!!:


We made Hungry Jack Biscuit Barbecups (thanks ZOE!!):


Bunz Olsen and the new bandana:


Our new quilt my little sister Karli sewed for me. It matches the pillow she gave us for Christmas. My little sister is the most talented kid EVER:


The tree giraffe on the way to the girl's school:


The sunset tonight:

Mondays and Gold Orcas.

What makes for the best Monday ever? Giving almost a whole paycheck to the IRS!! I love giving my hard earned money away, I was seriously so excited to write the check and I couldn't wait to seal it all in the envelope. Tomorrow I'll mail it off and in a few days I get to check my bank statement and see a large deduction! I'll probably be checking my statement everyday until I see the money disappear. Yay!!

More snow today! I can't believe it's April 6th and we're still walking in blizzards. Yesterday we ran to the gas station and it seemed like the wind was against us the whole way there...and back. G yelled over the wind, "IT WAS 71 DEGREES IN SAVANNAH TODAY!!"

Walking home yesterday:


Oh yeah, have ya heard?...GOLD ORCA is back! G and I broke out the keyboards yesterday and started playing again. We have a new song finished (G wrote it) and I like it a lot. We stopped playing for a while because of work and school. Also, I get frustrated with myself too easily. I tend to be too much of a perfectionist. Please keep in mind that the myspace recordings are pretty rough and are all from when we first started playing together. We'll hopefully get some new and better recorded songs up next month.

Lazy Days.

Sundays are becoming my new favorite day of the week. Lately it seems like it's the only day G and I don't have an overwhelming amount of work, and it's definitely the only time we get to spend a whole day together. It's really cold outside and snowing/raining off and on, so we rented some movies and grabbed some groceries to make a dinner together. In between figuring out taxes, cleaning house, and playing music we sit on the couch or snuggle in our warm bed, and it's so relaxing. Also, WE GOT OUR FIRST MOVING BOX TODAY!! We're moving to our new city in 41 days. So exciting!

Last night G played his second to last show with Slim Dixon and it was hard. The show itself went great, and everyone had a ton of fun. It's just hard knowing that soon we won't be seeing these guys. Everyone was kind of bummed, so the night felt a little weird. I'm excited for our new adventure but I'm going to miss this city. Especially because it's where G and I spent the first years of our new lives together. We've learned so much about each other!



Before the Slim Dixon show we all ate dinner at Bacci's Pizza. Everyone here raves about it and now I know why. Huge slices of really good tasting pizza and free soda for $4.50! I really should have taken a picture of the slices we ate, it was incredible. Guessing, I would say that each slice was a foot wide and a foot long.

Hope you all had a FUN weekend!

Goodbyes and Birthday Cats.

Tonight, it really hit me for the first time that I'm leaving these kids in less than two months. I've been all tough-cookie lately, mostly because I'm so excited about this next adventure in our lives together. But today I couldn't stop watching the things these kids do while thinking about how lucky I've been to know them...and how much I'm going to miss these goofy guys. Today little C was dancing to the Enchanted soundtrack all around the living room, practically tripping over her own feet every time she spun around. And all the way home from the park we sang Shins songs at the top of our lungs...

Tonight I put them to bed and as I was singing the lullaby songs that C likes, I got all choked up out of nowhere. Emotionally this is going to be a weird month and a half.

Little Bunz Olsen turned three today...which also means that G and I have known each other for almost three and a half years!! When I first met him, I had just found out that Jemini (my college cat) was pregnant with the kitties. Two months later Bunz and her brothers/sisters were born and G started coming over to "see the kittens". Not long after that, his band started practicing in our basement on a regular basis...and well, three years later and here we are!

Three years ago I met our little friend Brooklyn as well. She came over a lot to see the kitties and we ended up taking care of her as much as we could. For all those wondering, she is living in Minnesota with her Grandma. She goes to school now and has a regular bedtime and the life of a seven year old (finally!)

And yes, I do realize it is really weird that I date so much by our cat's birthday. And the picture below probably doesn't help clear my cat-lady status too much either. Mom, this stuff probably doesn't surprise you a whole bunch by now.

We didn't do anything for her birthday, if that makes me any less of a cat freak. I tossed a couple of cat treats at her and bought a bottle of wine and ice cream for me and G. Yesterday when I was vacuuming, I sucked up two of her favorite toys, so I'll probably buy some more tomorrow and call it a birthday gift so that I don't feel too guilty (now there's the cat lady you all know!!)

If we could get the whole fam together again, I bet they'd all be celebrating a little like this:

Goodnight Moon.

For the past few months, G and I have been falling asleep to the This American Life podcast. I couldn't believe it took me so long to discover something so interesting and entertaining.

G can't usually fall asleep unless there's noise somewhere within the apartment and since TV is too much and pretty annoying, radio shows win!! We tried streaming some of the radio shows available through iTunes, (mostly the mystery theater channels) but a lot of the times the volume was hard to control...The program was either too soft or too loud. And sometimes you'd have it at just the right volume and then, swear to God, you'd just be falling asleep and that old organ would come blaring through the speakers and shock you out of dream world.

G introduced me to the show last summer and I really can't stop listening. While it usually only takes him ten minutes tops to fall asleep, I'm up for at least an hour before my mind relaxes enough to allow myself to start sleeping...so I usually catch some pretty awesome shows. I mean, what other radio show interviews Mr. Rodgers, people in forbidden relationships, people who spend years catching antelope by foot, kids whose parents moved them to the middle of nowhere, and waiters working the night shift at all night diners? I think I like this show best because they choose interesting subjects for their shows, things that most people wouldn't think to write about. AND their free episode list dates back all the way to 1995!!

I guess I'll stop talking this up, before it starts sounding too much like a 4th grader's book report. All I'm saying is check it out (click on the colored words above)...it will probably blow your mind.