Weekend activities!

Friday during the day, B had to work so mom, Ralph and I took a long walk, ran some errands, and spent the afternoon gardening and getting ready for dinner. Then, Friday night my mom, Ralph, my cousin (he lives here in Chicago), B and I all had dinner together. It was a great meal, and it was so nice here, we were able to grill everything and eat out on the back patio. We had steaks, asparagus, potato salad, wine, and cookies that my mom brought down for dessert. YUM!


B and I

Me and the boys

Mom and H

Me and the boys again!

B and I with my mom and Ralph

The Wine

The Steaks!

Saturday morning, mom and Ralph left to go back up north so that they could celebrate Mother's Day and my brother's birthday with my mom's side of the family. I was sad I wasn't going to celebrate with my mom, but the weather up there today was 48 and cloudy, so I'm glad I didn't go!! It was so nice to have the time with them, and I can't wait until the end of June when we get to see them again for a VERY short weekend.

Today B and I went to church, got all our Spain paperwork together, met up with a few of his friends for a patio drink, packed for Spain, watched golf, made dinner, and watched the Amazing Race finale. Have I ever mentioned that I love the Amazing Race? That and AI are the only reality shows I watch. I was so sad that Margie and Luke didn't win, though I think Tammy and Victor were great competitors too. Also, did you see that B's dark horse for the Master's (Henrik) won The Players today?? He was really excited about that. I was even more excited about how well Luke played all weekend long. He got TONS of tv time, so I was able to actively cheer for him and keep an eye on his fashion. His shirt today looked like it was from a 1970s tv show, but I loved the pink pants! Henrik's daughter, Lisa, was too cute when her daddy won! I just adore the part where the kids run out onto the green to see their dads after they win!!

Okay, ladies, my bed is calling out for me. Hopefully you all had great weekends. I can't wait to catch up on your blogs tomorrow morning!

Graduation Day!!

Thursday was graduation day!! Woo Hoo! The ceremony was about two hours long since it was all undergraduate, masters, and doctoral nursing students. The speaker was good, and the dean gave a great speech as she is leaving to be the dean at ASU this fall. Overall, it was most exciting to see all my classmates (we haven't seen each other in over a month) and find out who has jobs, who has interviewed, and who is just waiting until boards are over to figure things out!!

As promised- here are the funny pics of my gown....


What's with the tail??



The side view!!



Here's a more normal shot!



B and I



B and I before I put on the gown



Me and my mom


My mom, Ralph, and I


Most of my graduating class plus two of our professors

I can't believe I'll never have to turn in assignments again, take any more tests, or write up any more case studies!! Nice!! Now I just have to pass boards and find a job...........................

ETA: Wow- I absolutely cannot get blogger to get the pics to line up correctly or tag correctly. Hopefully you can figure this all out!!

Package in the mail today!

These arrive today!!!!! Hopefully I can break them in by May 17 because I would love to wear these around the cobblestone streets of Seville (our last stop on our honeymoon). My mom was super great and is treating me to these "just because". Awwww......

Crazy busy week (and I'm happy for all of it!)

Yesterday- grocery store, ran outside (4 miles!), got my hair cut and colored (much lighter still uncertain on it), errands, home to clean and get food organized for the week, dinner with B, more work in the kitchen.

Today- awful car incident (see earlier post), work until 8, then my cousin arrives at our house! He has an interview for a job in Japan, so he's coming today and staying with us until Thursday. We're having a good dinner tonight, hanging out, etc.

Wed- I work until 4, go home and get ready FOR MY MOM TO COME!!!! My mom and Ralph (her adorable boyfriend - sounds like they are five but I don't know another word to use!) are coming tomorrow around 6:30 p.m. and staying until Sat. They're coming down for my graduation, and I can't wait to see them. I haven't seen them since Christmas! We'll have 7 for dinner- Jamaican Jerk Pork Tenderloin, a savory squash dish, broccoli, and a Chocolate Peanut butter Torte. YUM! I started marinating the meat last night, and the marinade smells absolutely delish!!!! I can't wait to try it.

Thursday- workout with the fam, get ready for the big event, head down to UIC, and graduate at 1 p.m. (I can't wait to show you all how hideous and weird this gown and hood are!! There are wings and a tail- not kidding!). Attend the post graduation gathering, head home for a few moments of relaxation, and then dinner downtown at a newer restaurant we've been excited to try.

Friday- Mom, Ralph, and I will hang out all day while B is at work. We'll take a long walk, shop some, perhaps work in the garden a bit. Then we are having another cousin (he lives here) over for dinner. Steaks on the grill, potato salad, veggies on the grill, etc. It's supposed to be nice, so we'll eat out back on the patio.

Sat- Long walk/run at the lake front with everyone. Then Mom and Ralph will get ready to go back to MI. B and I are joining our friends after they leave for a pub crawl sponsored by one of the local radio stations. It's always a great kick off to summer and a great day to hang out with our friends. It's 9 bars in 8 hours (insane!) so we'll be home as soon as it's over to recoup!! I can never "hang" with the boys, so I'm usually just along for the diet cokes and the fun conversations that happen about the fourth or fifth bar!!

Sunday- Church, cleaning, relaxing, and packing for Spain!!!!!

Wowzers- it's going to be a hectic 6 days, but I am so thankful that I have so many things to look forward to. I can't wait to officially graduate and to spend some quality time with my mom.

I'm quite behind on my reader, and though I am trying hard to comment, it may be sporadic at best until next week!!! I am still thinking about you all and trying to catch up during the few slow moments at work.

Bad, bad, bad morning.......

This a.m. I woke up, got ready for work, went out to my car, and could hear the engine quite clearly. I just figured I'd left a window down, so I looked around in the car and realized that last night someone vandalized my car by breaking the rear side window. It was shattered to smithereens- completely and utterly shattered. I immediately started crying (doesn't everyone in these types of situations?) and called B. Yesterday when I went to the grocery store I had tons of bags to take up, so I left the case of Diet Coke, the Tide, and a 12 pack of beer in the back seat. B was going to bring everything up last night, but we got really busy around the house and just forgot. Turns out some alcoholic person or an underage teenager (yes, I am generalizing- please don't yell at me about this) decided that taking the beer was of utmost importance and shattered my window to get to it. Did they take the DC, the tide, the cds, the money that was in the cup holder??? NOPE - JUST THE BEER! For goodness sakes, it was a 12 pack of Miller Lite that was on sale at the grocery store for $8.00. I'd rather have you ring my doorbell so that I could just give it to you and then you could save me the $200 I lost this a.m. replacing everything and losing 2 hrs of pay at work. I park my car in the back of the house, so it's not on the street or even somewhere that is easy access really. I'm so frustrated, annoyed, mad, and scared right now. Things like this happen, and it definitely reaffirms that I am ready to move. I realize vandalism still happens all over (suburbs, cities, rural areas), but if I had a garage, if I didn't have to walk up three flights with heavy bags all the time, if if if............... then maybe this wouldn't have happened. I want to cry right now just thinking about it. I did file a police report for it, but they do it over the phone and don't even come out to take finger prints. They said it was pointless b/c there is no way to really charge anyone if I didn't catch them in the act. So whoever did it gets away scott free with no guilt or punishment, and I am stuck with a bill that shouldn't be mine.

And honestly, who wants to spend $150 on a window to a car that yesterday was just fine? If I'm going to shell out that kind of money, I'd like it to be on a cute new dress or a new shirt for B or for dinner and drinks, etc. I just can't believe this happened........................

Gardening!! (the rest of the weekend)

Saturday, B had a class at work in the a.m., so I got up with him to get an early start on the day. I worked in the yard for 3.5 hrs- it was AWESOME! I planted basil and tomatoes in containers for mid summer bruschetta and caprese salad. I weeded the side garden, raked the leaves from the yard, swept the patio, planted flower seeds in front of the side garden, and planted some rosemary in the corner where nothing ever grows. We live in an apt in a three flat, and that side garden hasn't been touched in years, I'm sure. I filled two huge garbage bags with dead plants, leaves, weeds, etc. I also split some hostas in order to balance out some of the spaces in the yard. I can't wait to see how things look in a few weeks. I'll definitely take pics for you guys once things begin to grow and blossom. This is one of the reasons I would love to find a house for us. I can't wait to plan my own yard and garden. I have such a love for digging and planting, and I love to see the fruit of my labor later in the summer.

After B got home, we went for a 5.5 mile run/walk and found a gorgeous, slightly hidden street in the city that we would love, love, love to live on. Definitely out of our price range, but amazing older (historical) houses on good sized plots that definitely put other areas in the neighborhood to shame. It was a part of the city neither of us have spent any time in, and it was definitely fun to explore. We then showered and got ready for a great dinner at Frasca. I had a cucumber and basil vodka cocktail that was really interesting and very refreshing. We're going to try to recreate it at home. Met some friends for drinks in Wrigleyville and then came home because I had to work in the morning.

Sunday I worked all day. B played golf and cleaned for the week ahead. We had an amazing rice salad for dinner last night- I'll definitely post the recipe next week. It will be a great summertime dinner, especially for picnics!! Plus it holds really well and would be an easy lunch the next day.

Boring post- no pics! But you'll get inundated with pics next weekend- just wait!

What I am doing tonight

Watching this


and eating these




Life doesn't get much better!!

Tom's Mom's Cookies are the absolute best cookies in Northern Michigan. They aren't too soft, aren't too hard, just perfectly chewy, and come in amazing flavors. One of our favorite "up north" activities is to ride bikes from Gram's house across the bay to Harbor Springs, have lunch at Gurney's (a liquor/wine store with the best deli sandwiches on that side of the bay), eat by the boat docks, and get a cookie after we're done with the sandwiches. It's a fabulous lunch!

When I was talking to family friend's during the Lenten Season, I was lamenting missing sweets, and the mom was astonished that I would be able to do it for 40 days. She definitely has the sweetest tooth of anyone I know. Today a box of cookies arrived for us in the mail from them as a graduation present and to thank me for helping take care of their son while he was in the hospital. It was a huge and amazingly wonderful surprise! Don't you all just adore suprises???

Who gets to wear a pretty necklace this summer???

MOM X 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is going to look so purty on you this summer!! Please email me with your address so I can have Stella ship it to you asap!

Also, please don't forget that Stella has 20% off all her pieces through the end of May with the code TWENTYOFF. Treat yourself to a gorgeous piece for summer (or do some REALLY early Christmas shopping!!). Thank you all so much for entering my giveaway- I loved seeing what all your favorite pieces are!

So sorry!

Ladies,

I have drawn the winner for the necklace and taken pics of the drawing, the whole nine yards. However, the swine flu has wreaked havoc on my life in that the hospital was incredibly insane today and I had to work in the ED which I NEVER have to do. I didn't sit down all day and I got a five minute lunch break (for a 12.5 hr shift). I'm not kidding when I say that it was so busy and parents (and locals schools) are slightly (okay, really) crazy about this stuff. Our emergency department had 394 people come through yesterday (only 12 of which were actually sick and needed to be admitted to the hospital). The previous number for the busiest day was 280. INSANE!!!!

So, tonight, I just ate dinner (I thank God for my wonderful husband who made a great meal) and now I'm off to bed. I can't even fathom anything else. I promise that one of you will be surprised this weekend. I have to go in for another 12 hr shift tomorrow, so I will try to post tomorrow night, but it could be Saturday morning. Please don't be mad!! My brain cells just can't function enough to do anything anymore!

Have a great Friday and, if you are going to the Derby, have a great weekend there! I'll be catching up on all your blogs on Saturday, and I hope you all are posting super fun things for me to read about. I can't wait to veg on the couch and read Sat morning after my run!!

Need help please!

For my birthday last fall, my mother in law got me the VV polo shirt dress in light pink. It's absolutely adorable, but this style of dress looks AWFUL on me. Every year I try on one or two in this style and every year I walk away thinking "so that's why I don't have any in my closet!" I've talked to B's mom about it, and since she got it last summer out east at a store that is only open in the summer, it can't be returned or exchanged. Bummer!! So, what I need your help with is would it be worth it to list it on ebay? I've never sold anything there before (though I buy occasionally). I'd like to get at least $50 for it as it's a $125 dress, still with the tags on it. At our local consignment stores in the city I'd get 50% of what they sell it for, and I bet they'd only put a $40 or $50 price on it. I really would like to see more than $20 for it. Does it cost a lot of money to list on ebay? It's a size medium, and I've never seen this dress listed on ebay, so that ups the "exclusivity" factor, but I don't know how many people (outside of preppy bloggers) that search for VV stuff on ebay in general.

Here are some pics to show you what I am talking about:



Anyone have any other ideas? Anyone out there in blogger world interested in an adorable summer dress? Trust me, it's perfect and would be great for running around all summer long!