it's so hot in here

Is that your poker face?

2010-09-08T18:54:00.011-05:00

This may have been my most memorable Labor Day weekend ever. There were several factors that played into this. 1. It was the first one I had off since I started working in retail 6 years years ago. 2. Philip and I accompanied some friends to hang out with their friends in Detroit. 3. We saw LADY GAGA in concert!
The highlight of the weekend was Lady Gaga, but I'll get to her in a minute. The rest of the trip was awesome. It was so nice to get out of town with fun people and not be in charge of anything. We just rode along and did whatever was happening. It was almost like a mini vacation, relaxing and fun. By the way, when I say Detroit, I really mean one of the several suburbs around the city and I never knew which one I was in. Ever. We left for Detroit on Friday evening right after work. I didn't really know how long it would take to get there.. and it took longer than I thought... but I enjoyed every minute of being the passenger. We arrived late that night and hung out with good wine and chats.
On Saturday, we got up at a leisurely time, watched the most recent Project Runway on Tivo, then went to a local orchard to have apple donuts. These are not apple fritters as I assumed they might have been, but were in fact donuts with apples in them, which were even better that they sound. Our next stop was the local mall for last minute wardrobe ideas and lots of window shopping all over the place then off to a late lunch at Panera, where the cashier at the sight of six stylish yet casually dressed men, asked if we were from Canada. I'm taking that as a compliment. I do love those Canadians. After a quick stop at the "store" for champagne and red bull, we were off to the house to prep for the pre-party and get dressed.

We went with a group of 12 people total and decided to roll in style with this seemingly wonderful stretch limo, which turned out to be a bit of a letdown with a failing music system and not so helpful driver, but nonetheless was hip hip fun!

The view from inside. You know when you pass a limo on the highway and always stare and try to see who is inside? Well, you can't and it turns out that you look pretty stupid to the people on the inside. Note to self: do not stare at limo, unless it might be someone famous inside :)

Before the show started it looked pretty empty, but those holes filled up quickly as Gaga took the stage. Our group had a private suite where we had a private bathroom, sofas, tv, bar area and 12 seats right outside. The freedom of moving around and hanging with people added to the experience and made it amazing.

"Is that your Poker face?"

This pretty much sums up how happy everyone was all night long.

After the concert, we reloaded ourselves into the limo and headed to a local bar where we ruled the place. It was not packed when we arrived and our group was the hit of the hour, or at least we thought we were. The highlight there was when songs from Glee came on and the crowd went wild. We arrived home sometime later and hit the sack.

The next morning when we all crawled out of bed, or in my case the air mattress on the floor, packed up and headed to Cracker Barrel for brunch and then headed out of town. On the way home we swung by the outlet malls in Michigan City and then made a final stop at Hacienda for dinner to round off the weekend. So amazing!

Gaga

2010-09-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

We went to lady Gaga this past weekend. It was awesome! Stories and pics to come. Watch out...

Picky?

2010-08-27T22:37:00.002-05:00

I've worn the same brown shoes to work five or more days a week for well over a year. I love them dearly, but recently it has come to the point where I need to retire them a few days a week. I think they are still In great shape and go with everything, right, however partnered with my poor posture and sole tread I decided to begin the search for new shoes. It has been a long 6 weeks of searching... Seriously. Philip almost refuses to go shoe shopping with me anymore because, as he puts it, I am a bit particular. In my mind, if you're gonna drop $100 or more on shoes, they better be comfortable, look hot, and last a long time. Our joint search started at a shoe store in Andersonville where I tried almost every brown dress loafer style in stock, and one oxford that I did not even ask for. I felt so guilty after having someone help me for so long that I just bought the pair that I hated the least. I work in retail and I know how it feels to help someone who walks out empty handed. The very next day, less than 24 hrs later, I returned the heavy clunky unattractive shoes. After several trips later to DSW, which btw is somehow overwhelming and under exciting , other local shoe stores and even a few in Kokomo, Indiana, I am still shoeless today. Cut to a few hours ago and Piperlime.com, which I have always had a secret love for, but never used. After virtually searching all the mens shoes in size 13 and brown, I narrowed it down to this pair below.

Now I will wait around a week or so and hope that they fit well and are comfortable... I don't think I have the patience or energy to start all over again.

Indiana

2010-08-22T13:13:00.002-05:00

Philip and I , along with Franklin are in Indiana visiting Philip's parents for a few days. We are sitting outside on a lawn chair under an umbrella stairing at the intersection of a corn field and a soybean field spread out over acres of rich land. While I could never live in a place as rural as this, there is much to appreciate in the relaxation and quaintness that it offers. I always look forward to our short trips here full of food, family time, and so much relaxing. It is nice to get out of the urban oasis that Chicago is every once in a while and just be in a place where life is different.
Franklin doesn't know what to do with himself. He has a house full of carpet with space to run his crazy laps far bigger than back home and a yard with what seems to be unlimited grass to rub his head in and rollover. He has had that, not so attractive, crazy frenchie face for well over an hour at this point from overheating his poorly designed but adorable body. Ringo, the older and wiser resident yellow lab doesn't seem to appreciate Franklins antics and attempts to alarm him into "play mode". He just lays there waiting for some diversion of the attention and hopes for a dog rub.

I love Zoku

2010-01-19T17:46:00.002-06:00

I first heard about Zoku at a work conference in Phoenix over the summer. I was immediately intrigued. It is a Popsicle maker that freezes juices right in front of your eyes in as little as 7 minutes. Every time I mentioned this to Philip he ridiculed it completely. Long story short, Philip saw a video on how to use it and wanted one. I got it for him for Christmas and it has been in use nearly every day since. We keep the unit in the freezer all the time and bring it out to make fresh Popsicles with an array of fruit juices and nectars. Today I decided to try to make a yogurt pop, so while shopping I saw a bottle of Blueberry Kefir, a smoothie drink, and snatched it up, rushed home and made my very first non fruit juice pop. It was delicious and froze super fast. Below is a photo of my Kefir pop and our trusty Zoku. If you are ever over, don't forget to ask to make your very own pop!

expressway

2010-01-18T20:23:00.002-06:00

I never drive the expressway to work. I always take city and suburban streets and love that I don't have to get on I-94. One of my favorite things on my route to work is the drive thru Starbucks where most of them know my drink by heart :) Anyway, after work I had to go to a store in the city and the best way to get there was to take 94. So off I go with my back seat full of boxes blocking my rear view sight. For some reason I think West is the right way to go. I think the suburbs had me turned around. West goes to to Wisconsin and I definitely did not want to go to Wisconsin. I think quickly and get out my handy new GPS and before she gets all started up I get off at the next exit thinking I could just turn around. Wrong. That exit went East and no U-turns were allowed. Anyway, my GPS kicks in and starts yelling to me in her very nice British voice, "turn now...recalculating....go .2 miles and turn left....turn now....recalculating" and on and on. Still going the wrong way I turn into a small mall parking lot to turn around. I finally make it on the expressway going the right way and make it into the city. One would think I don't know my way around, but I think I'm too comfortable that I don't even pay attention anymore. Now I know. Pay attention.

the death of a tree

2010-01-16T21:53:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow is the last day to get your Christmas Tree recycled in Chicago, and yes, we still have our Christmas Tree standing. At this moment Philip is un-decorating the tree while singing Christmas Songs and whining about how Christmas was only 3 weeks ago but feels like forever ago, followed by some statement about how much he loves Christmas.

Luckily for me tearing down Christmas decorations is not as important as putting them up for Philip, when every ornament I hang is constantly scrutinized for proper location. Decorating tends to work best when we each do something when the other isn't home and then the other "fixes" it when the first isn't home. I think we are down to a system now.

We hope to get this tree to Margate Park by tomorrow so that the city can mulch it and continue beautifying our parks and wherever the heck else they put thousands of Christmas tree mulch. I figure this little donation will save me a dollar down the road somewhere, right? If we succeed we will have made ourselves a bit greener than last year when we missed the cutoff date and had our tree in the house into the beginning of February. I vaguely remember dragging the carcass through my condo hallway to the back door and sometime later purchasing a saw to hack the poor thing into pieces small enough to fit into our dumpster. I remember vaguely as if it was a bad dream that should have never happened.

So back to un-decorating I go and to greenifying Chicago a tiny bit more.

chores

2010-01-14T18:54:00.002-06:00

Today was very productive. Even though Franklin and I slept in till 10am, I got many things done that I have been putting off. I immediately went to the gym and rand for a good 40 minutes while watching a show on those handy little TVs. It was so warm today (40 degrees) that I was very comfortable outside for short periods in my gym shorts. After leaving the gym I decided to treat my salt covered car to a top to bottom wash. I remember when I was a child washing cars with a pressure washer. I now prefer credit card accepting automatic car washes with undercarriage sprayers. Sitting in that confined area while being sprayed by multiple nozzles is very relaxing.

Off to the vet to pick up more food for Franklin. If you are unaware, he is on special vet food because he has food allergies. This is very normal for Frenchies and finding a way to balance his belly has become a normal part of our lives. I love it that when I walk in there is an assistant that always remembers me and says, "hello Mr. Taylor".

After lunch, I decided to jump into cleaning our condo. You would be amazed to see the amount of pet hair the vacuum picks up. Recently, we finally bought a real mop to replace the silly sponge one we had been using which finally fell apart. So, I mopped all the wood flooring from front door to back and boy what a difference it makes.

I figured while I was in a cleaning mode, why not "treat" Franklin to a nice warm bath. He was very good throughout, but lost it a few times near the end when he was getting blow dried. I think he thinks that it is a game and he jumps up and down as if he is getting ready to play with a small animal. Very cute while rather annoying.

Now I am sitting with a clean Franklin on a clean sofa in a clean room. A rarity around here, but very nice.

Birthday Dinner

2010-01-13T18:26:00.002-06:00

Philip's afternoon appointment was cancelled so we had time to go out for a quick dinner to celebrate. Indie Cafe has always been a favorite of ours for three main reasons: It's 2 blocks from our house, the food is amazing, and it is super affordable. So naturally, for a nice dinner we chose to go there. I had Scallops wrapped in bacon for an appetizer with hot Oolong tea and for my main course I had a Cape Cod Maki roll and ,my favorite, a Sweet Potato Tempura Maki roll. I don't know who thought of deep frying sweet potato slices and wrapping it up in rice and seaweed, but I think we should be friends :)

2010-01-13T16:14:00.003-06:00

Philip got me a customized Starbucks card for Christmas. Le t me tell you, it may have been one of my favorite gifts. Anyway, two of my favorite perks are free soy milk with drinks and a free drink of your choice on your birthday. Today is my birthday, so I made a special trip to the Starbucks in Andersonville just to get a special drink of my choice. Naturally when you are getting something free you go all out, right? So I got a Grande Soy White Mocha and gave him my card. I got my receipt and noticed later that I got free Soy Milk, but was charged for my drink. Was I supposed to tell them and the entire lounge that it was my birthday? Anyway, I sent a friendly little message to customer service and assume that they will make right. Check out my cool card below.

cheesecake

2010-01-12T22:05:00.002-06:00

Today was not my birthday, but because I am not working tomorrow one of my associates who always makes something for people on their birthday made me, from scratch, a New York Cheesecake and on the side cherries and sauce to top it off with. As I poured the cherries on my cheesecake and tasted it I was shocked to realize that they were cooked from fresh cherries and not from a typical jar as so many people do. It was deliciously amazing! I only took a small slice to start so I wouldn't stuff myself, however I found myself sneaking back every once in a while to get an extra slice. Tomorrow is my birthday and luckily I have the rest of that cheesecake with me to celebrate.

chinese food is my favorite food

2010-01-11T20:47:00.004-06:00

My boss took me on a surprise lunch outing to an undisclosed restaurant. As we pulled into the Evanston city parking spot and got out of the car I was still unsure of where we were going. There were several restaurants across the street. I glanced at each and secretly hoped that we were going for Chinese. We entered Joy Yee's Noodle Kitchen to my delight. The modern dining room was filled with hexagonal metal chairs in a stunning gunmetal finish. The enormous menu was filled with multiple options and coordinating photos. It was overwhelming, but very exciting. We ordered "make your own" chicken spring rolls, Mongolian Beef, and Spicy Mongolian Green Beans. As we sipped our hot tea the food began coming out. The portions were huge but very enticing to the eye. The actual taste was even better. To top that all off our fortunes were very true:) On the ride home we took what I will call the scenic route back to the store. Enter Vertigo. All in all it was a delightful trip and I definitely recommend it if you are in the neighborhood.

TB

2010-01-10T21:44:00.002-06:00

As often happens, Philip called me right as I was leaving work to let me know that he wanted some Taco Bell for dinner. When I started driving to work one small thing that made my day was a drive-thru Starbucks on the way to work. One small thing that made Philip excited was that I passed a Taco Bell every day. He soon began phoning every once in a while to request a quick pick up of a chalupa or gordita on my way home.

Recently we began trying to let go of the many extra calories that we ingested over the glutenous weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years by watching our calories and eating healthier. Thus, I was surprised when he wanted some TB... however he had prepared himself and chosen a few from their website with low calories. As I pulled up to the window I ordered what he wanted and a few things for myself not even thinking about how unhealthy there might be. When I got home and added them up, I realized that my three items made up 70% of my daily calorie allotment! Boy, did they taste good. So, farewell TB...I shall have no more of you during however long this health kick lasts.

work fury

2010-01-09T23:10:00.002-06:00

My first day back to work after 4 long and tiring ones off was rough. I was out of sync and not quite ready to dive back into it. To make matters worse, I walked into what should have been a complete masterpiece but as I walked throughout realized that things had fallen short a bit. I remained calm on the outside but was a furious mess on the inside. I wanted to scream at someone and cry at the same time. There are far more important things to worry myself over, so I'm letting it go... until Monday at least.

driving home...

2010-01-08T16:18:00.002-06:00

After a 7 hour journey, I made it home to Chicago today. With my handy new GPS, I had the authoritative voice of Samantha to comfort me every time I needed to continue route. A few hours in, I decided to see what other options were available and switched to a British male and later female voice. There's something very comforting that comes with the accent. The trip was fairly uneventful. There was a stop at a faulty ATM, then a good one that charged way too much, a foolish stop at McDonalds for a steak bagel and a hashbrown as well as Hardees for their Crispy Curls (there's something about deep fried potatoes that I simply cannot resist), and filling up with cheap (in relation to Chicago prices) gasoline. I even uneventfully made it through an intense lake effect snow band in NW Indiana that slowed traffic down to 20 mph with nothing in sight.

So here I am at home again with a messy house and two pets to mind. Back to reality.

snow, fudge, amish

2010-01-07T13:06:00.003-06:00

I am currently sitting in a recliner in Ohio while visiting family. Today is supposed to be a day of relaxation before I head back to Chicago tomorrow. However, I constantly find that I cannot be completely relaxed for several reasons. One of them is the impending snow storm that I will have to drive through tomorrow. It just started snowing here and is supposed to be throughout the entire day today and most of tomorrow. I love snow, but seriously!

We are supposed to go out to lunch soon. I hear rumors that Wendy's is the first choice.

My mom bought sweetened condensed milk a while back to make Belizean Fudge, but didnt get around to it, so this morning I rrose to the sweet occasion. Turns out we didn't have sugar, so I had to go to the store across the street, "Town and Country". I spent many summers running in and out of that store renting videos and buying ice cream, but I completely forgot how country it really is. The sugar was twice the price it should have been and was rock hard and the check out screens (the most modern technology in the store) had flashing images of quilting books that you could buy from their quilting part of the store. Anyway, fudge making begins. 4 cans of sweetened condensed milk, 4 cups of sugar, 4 Tbs of butter and 45 minutes of stirring over a hot stove. Sounds easy, right? Well, turns out that it was supposed to be 2 cups of sugar and I forgot to mix the vanilla in towards the end. Oops! It is still deliciously edible, but you might need to drink a glass of water when you eat it to balance the sugar level.

There are lots of Amish around here and there is a wonderful little Amish store out in the country where you can buy bulk goods, meat, and cheese. I went this morning with my cousin and as always was thoroughly excited. As we were walking the aisles and I was beginning to fill my basket I asked, "They take credit cards, right?" and my cousin looked at me with an astonished face and said, "no". Luckily my mom had sent $11 dollars with me to get her something which I didn't get for her and used for myself. Some Swiss cheese, sweet bologna, and trail bologna. I think my outfit was a bit too worldly for the female Amish cashier as I noticed she kept looking at my shirt and scarf.
Interesting side note: On Facebook, you can choose Amish as your religion, so all you Amish using computers and the Internet.. there you go.

It's Official

2008-02-16T12:49:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Philip and I signed lots and lots of papers which eventually led to us receiving keys to our brand new condo! So, it's official we are now homeowners with a mortgage, taxes, and all that crazy stuff. It's a beautiful 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo with all the things we both could ever want. There is a fireplace in our living room, a full kitchen with all stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. We've somehow lived for two years without a microwave, so it will be a nice change to have the option of a quick heat up. You know how much I love stainless steel! I must not forget to mention a full washer and dryer.... no more trips around the corner to the laundromat!!! Anyway, so we are moving out slowly this week. Stay tuned for our address change!

David

homes..

2008-02-06T20:04:00.001-06:00

This is where I grew up, right in the center... the white roof with the large weird black thing behind it. Yes, that is the seafront a few houses down and a canal behind our house.

This is where I am now..

.
Isn't this exciting Ross? :)

Wish List (this year)

2008-02-05T13:16:00.001-06:00

iMac

Wicked Closet Storage

Sumatra King Bed (w/Swedish House Duvet...not shown)

Seabury 3 piece Sectional with Wedge in Mahogany Everyday Suede

42" Flat Screen HDTV

inventory

2008-02-05T13:06:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was inventory day at work. We do everything ourselves, which is good for an accurate count but is draining on everyone. I started at 5:30 am and went home at 8:30 pm. A long 15 hour day full of high pitched beeping noises, silently cursing the computer in my head and running around looking for 5-digit fixture numbers that people conveniently forgot to scan, like the shelf with 15 unpackedged unstickered drapes, or the one with 63 random sale pillow covers. Nice.

Hoorah for days off and sleeping in!

football, snow, and taxis

2008-02-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

Yay for the underdogs! The NY Giants won the Super Bowl in an amazing 4th quarter full of touchdowns and good kicking.

As we left our super bowl party we were overwhelmed with all the snow that had fallen outside. An easy 2-3 inches of new snow covering the trees, roads, and sidewalks. It made for a treacherous hike to find a cab on Fullerton.

Speaking of cabs, where the heck where they all. We waited a good seven minutes before seeing a cab. Thankfully he was empty and whisked us away to our north side home

Public overshare

2008-02-02T20:17:00.001-06:00

While eating dinner at Joy's in a closely confined area, an older couple next to us was having a very awkward conversation. The main take-aways:

1. The woman was fat and has " never looked uglier in her life"

2. The man was having breathing problems related to smoking too much

3. The woman was confessing to him for the first time ever that "I think I drink too much, I mean I've been thinking for a long time that I drink too much and I've thought about telling you but was afraid and I'm afraid that I can't quit"

put a band-aid on it

2008-02-02T20:11:00.000-06:00

That's what Philip said in response to my complaining about my inexplicably sore boy-teets. I finally figured out today what undershirts are for. I guess tight dress shirts and cold weather don't work well together:)

tax time

2008-01-30T10:51:00.000-06:00

I love doing taxes. I still remember the first time I had to do my taxes, all handwritten on paper, and all so fun. The excitement of filling out tax information and waiting for the final calculation of how much I over payed is sheer joy!

laundry

2008-01-28T11:49:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning in a panic when I realized my dream was not real. I imagine the 10 minute dream that my laundry was completely finished had me smiling in my sleep. I woke up without an alarm at 10 am feeling well rested and happy, but then it dawned on me that I had to do three large loads of laundry without the aid of Philip.

Bailey is so needy today. When I was washing the dishes she would not leave me alone, forcefully pushing her head against my leg. She must need food or water, I thought to myself, but those were both full and her litter box was fine. Even the usual splash of water couldn't keep her away for more than a few seconds. Crazy Cat! She must want a puppy to play with :)

8:21am

2008-01-25T23:04:00.000-06:00

I got a call this morning while still in bed (my day off) and all I remember is that there was a man of asian descent on the other line yelling at me, "you left your pillow here, at cleaner". I know of no pillow, but in my daze I said, "oh, from a long time ago?", and he was like "yes, long time". So naturally I said I would come pick it up. When I went to the cleaner that I always go to, to pick up my sweater the woman there had no idea what I was talking about. so no pillow there. Then I just know figured out that I left Philip's pillow at the dry cleaner up north of here around two years ago. Good to know they are on top of things! I don't want it anymore, so they can keep it.

sale

2008-01-25T23:00:00.000-06:00

J.Crew Rocks! I got some sweaters, some ties, and my favorite patchwork tartan sleep pants. So warm and fuzzy.

24 days till closing...

2008-01-22T11:43:00.000-06:00

24 days and counting till our closing date. When we made an offer on this place we did a 60 day close, because we can still use our apartment through the end of March, but now we are just getting eager. In the first week from when we saw the place we made and offer, went under contract, gout our loan finalized, and even saw the first bit of our title work... and now we just have to wait till the week of closing do some more last minute things.

We were able to go see the condo unfinished another time to choose paint colors a bit ago and below are fun photos from that day. Notice how busily I am measuring the space to start shopping in my head for all the fun things we will need!

This first pic is of the actual kitchen (unfinished)...

and here is what it will look like when it's finished.

View of the living room from the kitchen...

Kitchen pantry hallway...

Hallway leading to 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a parking spot :)

where are the good jeans?

2007-11-12T16:10:00.000-06:00

After Philip and I dropped off our Rabbit to get detailed this morning we headed to North Michigan Avenue to do a little shopping for ourselves. Sadly the only things we left with were a bagel, a panini, and two small coffees from Einstein Bagel. Nothing at Sonoma in our budget, Lulemon has cool things but c'mon Philip...downward dog knickerbockers?, J.Crew was way too overwhelming and while that vest looks REALLY hot, $98 was quite a stretch. We walked through Filene's basement and after 5 minutes I felt like Karen from "Will & Grace"... "Honey, what is this place, where am I, how did I get here?". I'd like to not spend too much money on Jeans, but even the CK ones looked disgust. Moving on to H&M, we were welcomed by black, black, black everything in the lobby... black must be back. Excitement over jeans lasted about 10 minutes, then when we came to our senses we threw them back on the shelf and made a dash for the exit. An obligatory stop at Pottery Barn royally annoyed Philip, but made me feel good about my store! Our last hope was Express, where we actually tried on several pairs and even admired how they fit, but let's be honest... if I'm spending that much on jeans, they better be freaking amazing. So to cheer us up we crossed the street to the Apple Store and pretended like we might actually buy something. All this and still at home by noon.

holiday's a coming

2007-11-11T15:01:00.000-06:00

The holidays are coming so quickly that we may not even realize when they are actually here and when they are gone. Retail business over many brands that people are already having insane Holiday sales. Like Old Navy was having a 40% off Outerwear sale and it's not even cold yet. Yesterday while walking through J.Crew, I couldn't help but notice their massive piles of warm weather clothing on sale already. Holiday music traditionally starts playing the week of Thanksgiving, but some retailers who are desperate to get people in the mood have been blaring Holiday songs on busy days to push their merchandise out. There's so much Holiday product everywhere that I think some people have forgotten about Thanksgiving. Ode to the Turkey is out and Hurrah to the big green tree is in.

laundry, dishes, and petty fights with Bailey...

2007-11-08T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today was very eventful. Having two days off in a row in the middle of the week means two things. 1. That I have to work all weekend and 2. This is my weekend all by myself. So in order to not feel like a total loser, I try to get as many errands done as possible and not sit on the sofa all day watching my dear Tivo. I started my morning by getting up with Philip, bright and early... well, after he left I went back to bed, but soon after I got ready and went to Jewel to sign up for "Pay By Touch", got quarters and went to the laundromat to do 3 loads of laundry. Why waste time sitting at the laundromat watching my clothing spin when I can get so much done at home in between those cycles? So I began doing the dishes and ran back to dry, then ran back to do more dishes, and so on. Leftover rice and beans for lunch...yum!

I decided to hop on the Halsted bus and take back a lamp to CB2 which was missing hardware! SHAME! No worries, we got a nicer one anyway. Bought tickets at Steppenwolf for a show that one of our friends is starring in, then foolishly took the North Avenue bus East and the Clark Bus north, to Best Buy on Clark. I bought myself a SD adapter, so now I can finally put music on my phone. Waited for the Broadway bus Northbound to drop me off right by my building. I do love the Broadway Bus...

More.... I got our rug back from the dry cleaners, and btw... It's not as clean as I had hoped, maybe there is no hope for my Shag. Remembered that I hadn't folded the laundry.. damn! Spent forever doing that, then decided it was the perfect time to try on all my pants and long sleeve shirts to sort through the big ones that i don't need. What fun that was!

So now, I'm sitting waiting for Philip to get home, smelling the deliciousness in the crock pot and watching the uneventful evening news. Oh, btw Bailey and I are happy right now. We only had 3 little fights today, but it's all cool.

ode to couscous

2007-11-07T13:56:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been grocery shopping and running errands over the lunch hour when your stomach is grumbling and every fast food restaurant you pass looks amazingly delicious? As I was in that predicament today shooting past the door of Trader Joes after leaving CB2 and passing all the "good" fast food restaurants on Addison Driving home, the only thing that stopped me from giving in to the grease pits was the thought of making some good old 7 minute couscous at home. I love couscous because its easy to make and you can mix anything with it. Today I made it with sliced hot dogs, edamame, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Yum Yum!!

haircuts,bad service, and groceries

2007-11-03T17:31:00.000-05:00

Philip and I woke up early this morning to get a head start on our Saturday activities. We went to Gabby's Barber shop to get our haircut. We walked in to a full waiting room and a long list of about 20 names before us. When you walk in, you have to write your name on the chalkboard and if you want write the name of the barber that you want to cut your hair. Philip always requests the same barber every time, while I just take whomever is first available. So, instead of waiting in the room the entire time we went for a walk down Clark. On our southbound journey as we came out of Hanig's shoe store a dog was running down the sidewalk and right into the street. Her owner was following behind with two other dogs on leashes. The running dog kept going in and out of the street in front and behind cars. After many failed attempts to get her dog back, a stranger volunteered to hold the two other dogs on leashes as the owner chased after the run-away. I was so nervous that something bad was going to happen that I had to walk away so as to not witness anything.

On our way back to the Barber Shop, we stopped at Baladoche to get some coffee. On our last visit to Baladoche we were overwhelmed by the happy manager and upbeat customer service. This time, the happy manager was not there and the two girls working in the place were AWFUL. We waited about 5 minutes while they slowly shook sugar on other people's waffles before one of them even acknowledged us. When she finally did, I ordered our two coffees and paid for them. Then we waited a few more minutes while she forgot to get our coffee and then she came back and asked if she could help us. I was like" I already paid for two coffees" and then she magically remembered and got us our drinks. I wasn't so much mad as I was sad thinking about these poor people who think that they are doing a good job.

Anyway, so we made it back to Gabby's, got our haircuts and then bought yummy groceries at Trader Joes.

sickly old me

2007-10-25T16:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sick again, with some horrible throat infection, no doubt Strep Throat. Last night was the worst. I had so many different meds in my body, my poor stomach couldn't even handle it and sometime in the middle of the night.. up it came... mostly the awful tasting NyQuil. I woke up feeling depressed knowing I couldn't call in sick to work because I was the only key holder opening and there was no one to call sick in to. How awful:(. So I pulled myself out of bed, took an extra warm shower and took the bus to work. I made tea to take along and drank it all. Philip and i don't really buy coffee on a daily basis anymore like we used to, but I figured being sick was a great excuse to spend 2 dollars on an extra hot white tea. Oh how it felt so good. How joyful that it was "Re-forecasting Thursday", because I got to spend an hour in the office re forecasting payroll and sales and adjusting the week's schedules to it. It was nice to sit down for a break. Anyway, I think these antibiotics are finally kicking in... my uvula is shrinking back to normal size and I can actually swallow more that liquids now. Oh the joy of being sick!

CTA problems again

2007-10-16T09:53:00.000-05:00

The CTA is facing more budget issues.... check out this website to read about it all.
http://www.savechicagolandtransit.com/

the holidays have begun

2007-10-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at work, I was discussing the our Holiday 1 floor-set which goes up the last Sunday of October. One of my co-workers said, "so you mean the 28th, like before Halloween?". I, of course with a smart grin said, "yes... many boutique stores already have their trees and ornaments on display". In all reality when I step back to think about it, it really is quite crazy! As I looked through my department photo book, and excited myself with the new product, packaging, and "natural theme" I couldn't help but stop and think about why the holidays on the actual holiday have begun to mean less and less to me. By the time Christmas is here, I'm so tired of seeing red and hearing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" that it's just a nice day off to rest. In no way should you take this as a "David is turning on the holidays blog", but simply a blend of excitement and tiredness for the next two weeks of October which catapult in to 8 weeks of holiday shopping and then the meaningless cycle of work as January comes and the fiscal year ends. So, watch out people... Rudolph will be here before you know it! Are you ready?

Orchestral sing along

2007-10-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Philip and I attended the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's free day of music downtown, specifically attending the sing along. Literally the entire concert hall was filled with people from all walks of Chicagoland including the surrounding suburbs. The Civic Orchestra of Chicago played familiar tunes that we hear daily in TV advertisements and in movies while we happily sang along using the legally photocopied sheet music. There were two choirs who either performed independently or sang along with us. The sounds from the sing along were not as joyful as a hymn sing at GC, but it was good fun all around.

it's really hot in here

2007-10-07T14:24:00.000-05:00

It's 86 degrees outside. It's Sunday October 7th. I removed our window air conditioner weeks ago when I thought the summer heat was gone. See where this is going? It's October and its still hot and my apartment is thus hot making me not so excited. Philip brought me breakfast in bed this morning, then we watched episodes of "Flipping Out" on his laptop, then we ran to the gym because we were late for Philip's class and when we arrived we realized the instructor didn't show, then we ran up inner lake shore home. Eventually, we finally washed the dishes and had a snack to eat. I'm sitting hot in the living room wishing for an autumnal breeze to sweep through the window, but nothing comes at all.

"sadurday"

2007-10-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

left work sick today :(
sat and rested around home:(
watched grey's anatomy:)
had 3 swigs of tequila straight from the bottle:)

2007-10-05T14:15:00.000-05:00

Check out this funny from the Colbert Report...

sourdough or bagels?

2007-10-05T13:16:00.000-05:00

I was awaken this morning by my dad calling from China. He said he was using me as a guinea pig to see if his internet phone was working before he called actual business customers. Nonetheless, it was nice hearing from him and fun to chat. Thank goodness for this early wake up call as it allowed me to have a very productive morning. I made two dozen bagels with onions, sesame and flax seeds and may I say, they are quite delicious. There are only 22 left on the counter. I've come to realize that baking sourdough bread or any bread for that matter is very easy and so fulfilling. There's nothing more relaxing than kneeding dough and watching it rise and then tasting the your product with your very essence in it, made with your hands. Maybe this shall become a new hobby, hopefully without adding too many carb-enduced pounds.

kittens gone... bailey's back

2007-10-03T09:07:00.000-05:00

Last night was our first without the adorably hyperactive kittens and as I tried to fall asleep I was astonished at how quiet it was. No bags being drug around the house or rocks being dug out of the plant pot and kicked around, no pitiful meow's begging for who knows what and no fights between Bailey and the kittens. Peace and quiet was so surreal. While I am happy that they are back with their original mother, I must say I will miss the adorable cock-eyed "fatty" and "blackies" puny meow begging for fun. On the other hand Bailey is back to normal! She is happy and smiling and sleeps on our bed again. She is also probably bored out of her mind which drives her to play with us more. This morning I woke up to her pushing her forehead into my nose in order to get it scratched and then later licking my forehead...weird! I think this is life number 3 for her!

living yeast

2007-10-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

I've taken up baking bread... sourdough bread in fact, and with my very own natural sourdough starter. After a week long growth I made my first loaf and am committed to making bread over and over until I find the perfect sourdough for me. I got lazy last week and added a bit of yeast to one batch.. bad idea, the natural way is much better.

the beginning...

2007-07-22T22:41:00.000-05:00

After what I would call a stressful flying experience, Philip and I made it into Belize, with all our luggage and no problems. The first two days have been quite relaxing as we really haven't done much. Yesterday after arriving, we hung out with my friend Kristen a bit and had dinner from Friendship Chinese Restaurant which is basically food dropped in oil that didn't taste as rewarding as I remember, then we swam a lot in the pool in the backyard. I think for Philip, the pool is more exciting... maybe it has something to do with growing up in the middle of Indiana farmlands! Today, after a slow start and a morning swim we ventured north to the
"Community Baboon Sanctuary" and "no" there are no baboons in Belize, but locals call Howler Monkeys Baboons. As we walked into the bush I was stung by a Doctor Fly, which I'm pretty sure is more painful that a bee or wasp and that was just the beginning of our bug horror. As it had just finished raining, mosquitoes were everywhere, but mainy on my skin. I'm sure our group of 8 people must have killed hundreds of them by the time we were done, but alas we got to see a family of Howler Monkeys so close that we could have touched them. As I was staring into the trees one dropped hanging upside down from his tail a mere foot from my face. Quite fun! After our bush tour, we headed to Altun Ha, a smaller excavation site of an ancient Mayan Ruin. The road that lead there was bumpy, broken and wide enough for one car. At one point I asked Phil in all seriousness if he thought it was a one way road, but as a truck came speeding towards me I figured otherwise. I guess veering both vehicles off the road partially into the grass is common in order to not crash. We returned home in search of dinner, just to realize that most places were closed and ended up eating at "Li Chee" another Chinese restaurant. Tomorrow we head to San Pedro, a well known town on the largest island near the reef for two days of beaches and snorkeling! later...

day off

2007-06-27T15:27:00.000-05:00

Today was my first weekday off with Philip since his summer vacation began. Naturally, one would assume that a day like this would warrant a leisurely start followed by a lot of nothingness. Not so. The alarm went off at 5:15 am to get us out of bed so that Philip could attend one of his new favorite classes at the gym and I naturally decided to tag along to get my workout out of the way. After returning home we both agreed upon a 30 minute nap which turned out to be 3 hours long. Well rested! Afterward we lounged around with our laptops and then decided to "splurge" and eat lunch at our favorite neighborhood Thai restaurant. As we were walking home we stopped to get ice cream cones at a local candy store and then made our way home. We mentioned going to the beach or just going to the park and laying out.... but we ate still at home... waiting. Maybe next time we can go to the Lincoln Park zoo?

a whole new world

2007-06-16T20:42:00.000-05:00

We've created a whole new world in our apartment. Philip and I went to get an air conditioner from the Lincoln Park Home Depot (sorry Ross), brought it home and installed the new one in our living room then we put the one we already owned in our bedroom. 4 handcrafted installation pieces, one beautiful black and white piece of fabric from Urban Outfitters, and 17,600 BTU later we have a whole new world in our apartment. Walk into any entrance and you will be immersed with humidity and heat fit for any tropical plant, then step through the fabric door and imagine yourself in the Arctic on a cool summer day. During the first day, the only image that I could compare it with was walking through the different rooms at the Garfield Park Conservatory as the temperature and humidity change for varying plant types. All I can say is that it is amazing!

iphone

2007-06-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Wow!, I'm famous!

Check it out...

$35 goes a long way...

2007-06-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

$20 buys you waiting time in the general room, more waiting time in the tiny room, a short chat, some tools prodding your body, a cheap throw-away robe, "can you cough please?" and oh "looks like you have Strep". Luckily because it's at the same time it also included a cup to pee into, a tiny needle and 3 vials of my oh so pretty blood.

$15 buys you more waiting time in uncomfortable chairs, but also mental peace and ten days of giant pills to swallow!

Oh the joys of the medical industry and thank goodness for insurance!

is there a demon under my bed?

2007-06-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

No, it's just our cat Bailey, who sometimes is like a spoiled brat child, without the talking and responsibility. So we are cat-sitting two sister-cats for our friend Allison as she frolics around Canada on a family vacation and Bailey is not one bit pleased. She has been residing in our bedroom since their arrival and we moved her water, food and litter box in there also, so that she doesn't growl and hiss constantly. She makes occasional visits from under the bed to sit in the window sill or curl up on our bed, but she is royally pissed off. The two cats we are watching have identical collars with bells, which I removed because every time Bailey hears one of those bells she lets out a hiss and a deep roar which can only be described as one you hear in a movie when someone's body has been taken over by a supposed demon. I had no idea, Bailey had that Base tone in her and I'm sure she wishes she didn't have to share it. The funny thing is that these two cats who are sisters have begun to hiss at each other in a somewhat, "back off crazy and let me discover this area first". Even more, the nice friendly skinny one was growling at me in a fake friendly way when she wanted to get away from me, but without any anger or hate. I think she simply heard it and is using it instead of meowing. Oh, and in order to give you a visual image, these cats have been shaved everywhere except the points of their tails and their feet, so they look somewhat royal... and I think it has gotten to their heads!

searching...

2007-06-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

9:57 am, the phone rings...

Me: Hello
Stranger: Hi, uh um is David Taylor there?

Okay, so the person on the other line does not sound like a telemarketer, nor anyone that I could possibly know.

Me: This is David Taylor
Stranger: Um, I'm not sure if I have the right number.
Me: Okay
Stranger: I'm actually looking for my father... (with a voice full of hope)

All of a sudden I'm struck with a deep sadness for what seems to be an older teenage boy, randomly calling all the David Taylor's listed in the phone book searching for his father.

Me: Oh, that's not me, sorry.
Stranger: Sorry, he has the same name as you.

Rushing through my head are all these good, positive, encouraging things to say, but I can't or won't or just didn't do it in time.

Me: Sorry
Stranger: Sorry, bye
Me: Bye

ravinia

2007-06-14T00:03:00.000-05:00

Philip and I took our very first Metra ride today to go to Ravinia Park for the Philip Glass and Leonard Cohen performance. We had lawn tickets which sounded great, until we learned that no one on the lawn can actually see the performance, but only hear it. Nevertheless it was a very fun experience and we were graced by our first view of this brood of cicadas that have not made their way into any area of the city that I've been in since their emergence. So, even though Ravinia is in the suburbs, we can pretend that it isn't because we took the train and basically had no knowledge of any area that we went through to get there. I'll pretend that it was a nice, clean, ritzy park in the city :)

no a.c.

2007-06-12T18:07:00.000-05:00

Imagine this... standing at the North & Clybourn Red Line station at 5:20 pm waiting for the Howard Train. So, it's always packed at rush hour... that's a given... so when the train pulled up with people literally smashed to the windows, I felt nothing. I secretly pride myself in being urban by ALWAYS attempting to get on a full train unless, there's no way at all, while others who are afraid often dwindle and wait for another train. I waited for another train on two occasions that I can remember and will never do it again. The madness that runs through your blood while waiting and the explosion that occurs when the second train pulls up just as full as the first is not worth it.
So, a bunch of people exit the last car, the one I always get on, and I'm hopeful about not being squashed too tightly, then as I enter the car, I'm immersed into an entire new environment...about 15 degrees warmer, stale still air. My horror is topped when more people who I must not have seen on the platform get on my car and create a tight environment. As the car treks slowly through the tunnel trying to emerge into the outside world, I must have become panicked inside, because I felt as if I could not breathe. I take long slow breaths of hot humid air with no satisfaction for my lungs waiting hoping for Fullerton and open doors. At every stop as the doors open it feels like an air conditioner is turned on. The only greater feeling is the look of disgust on other peoples' faces as they enter the sweltering car and thoughts of how much worse they feel than I because I've finally acclimated. The first of many trains with faulty air conditioners to come, no doubt!

window unit, here we come

2007-06-11T12:09:00.000-05:00

Summer is coming, which means it's about to get real hot and we all know that I do not enjoy anything about hot muggy weather, even less when I'm in an apartment with no air conditioning! Philip and I have a window unit from last summer that his parents kindly lent us. However, as we would both remember, it did not do justice in cooling our apartment on the worst summer days, so in order to be supportive to that unit, we are planning on purchasing another to help in cooling what at times seems like a mild oven of an apartment. Ross, kindly suggested going to ABT electronics superstore which requires us to make a trip to the suburbs. While you may know, we only visit the suburbs for special occasions such as IKEA, we felt that this would be a worthy experience since I hate the heat.
Today as I mentioned a trek to the suburbs to my GM, who lives in Wheaton, she was like, "is that near 294?" and another manager was like, "no, it's near 290" and I was like, "whatever.. it's all the same to me"

Be still my heart, Spring Awakening

2007-06-10T21:47:00.001-05:00

I've just watched the performance medley by Spring Awakening at the Tony Awards and have fallen in love with it all over again! The medley consisted of "Mama who Bore Me", "The Bitch of Living", and Totally fu*&*%", silenced of course. Can they say bitch on tv?, asked Philip... as I ignored the comment glued to the screen. So Jonathan Groff did not win the tony for best actor, but he still rocks and I love his voice and the fact that he has menno connections. Anyway, Spring Awakening will always have a special place in my heart.. well, until I fall in love with something else!

speaking of regalia

2007-06-09T19:39:00.000-05:00

So, as I mentioned below, I am finished with all my grad school work. My professor liked my paper.. well her exact words were, "I like your paper, even though it could be more solid..I posted your grade". Fine by me! It's done and an A- is not the worst grade ever for a sort of Thesis like culminating project. Anyway, I decided to change my RSVP for the Commencement Ceremony after the visual image of myself dressed in a hot gown stuck in the middle of 6000 students at All State Arena came to light. Screw that, I thought... I'll just use the day to celebrate privately with friends and wait for that degree to make its way to my mailbox via USPS.
Now that I'm done...

I'm Back

2007-06-09T19:27:00.001-05:00

Ok.. so Philip has been teasing me that it's still "peeps season" on my blog because that was the last time I blogged anything... sadly :(. Well, I'm back, hopefully for good. Now that I AM FINISHED with graduate school!, I should have more time to post meaningless and odd blogs since there is nothing ruling my free time anymore, so watch out everyone... here I come!

Peeps

2007-03-01T22:50:00.001-06:00

It's Peeps Season!

and so it is

2007-02-25T16:57:00.000-06:00

I ride the CTA Red Line almost every day and while it is far from perfect, I am very gracious that our city has a somewhat well defined train system to get me to and from my daily destinations... in certain directions of course.

Last night my train ride was incredibly interesting and abnormal. It started as I entered the train station at North and Clybourn and a foul odor overcame me, one that immediately made me think of a dead "Charlie Price" (Huge rat the size of a cat) in an alley in Belize City, but much worse... more like hundred of dead rotting rats. The smell was so strong, I thought that I might not be able to hold my stomach down. I thought I heard a train so, I hurried down the stairs through the wretched odor and then it cleared towards the bottom as I arrived with no train in sight. I sat and waited and waited a little more then that familiar sound down the tunnel began, the one that gets me excited because I know that I will not be trapped underground for too much longer.

I got on the last car as I always do and scored a forward facing seat. As we emerged from the tunnel into the pelting sleet and snow the train began to jerk slowly as if ice was on the tracks, and the entire stretch to Fullerton was like a fireworks show as the 3rd rail sparked continuously. "This is Fullerton" screamed across the PA system, then in the loudest obnoxious screaming voice ever over the PA system the operator said, "Brown Line Train, there is a Brown Line Train on the second track" and repeat. Some people stood waiting at the doors to get out including the German tourists who were sitting behind me. "Doors Closing" came across the PA... WTF? The doors hadn't opened yet. I thought it was just another accidentally pressed button... Someone pulled on the red knob to open doors in an emergency, but it didn't work... and the train began to move. Sheer Panic came across the faces of many people. Were we trapped on a smelly train, were the doors frozen shut? someone suggested. The lights went out, then back on... and then from the very back of our car a woman screamed aloud as if demons were invading her body. EVERYONE from that side immediately went to the other side of the train.. waiting and wondering if the doors would open at Belmont. We arrived at Belmont... and they did after a second of fear.

Just another day on the CTA.

Snow...Ice :(

2007-02-24T22:21:00.000-06:00

As we began closing things at work tonight, it started snowing outside. I'm talking about humongous 1.5 -2 inch clusters of big ass white snow. You can imagine how elated I was at the sight of this. I love snow... so very much. I went outside to help do the trash and just stood amongst the beauty falling everywhere around me. Such a great site! I took the red line home as I do everyday and was excited to walk home in the wondrous weather around me, until I stepped outside the station and began to be pelted by HUGE pebbles of ice. Not just your normal size tiny sleet bits, but Big Balls of ice about a 1/4 inch in some cases. My face was stinging and I had to walk all hunched over. It was at this moment that I realized my feelings toward winter weather may just be superficial and moments of temporary insanity. Walking amidst nature surrounded by a city of cement is never as glorious as one may imagine. No, I don't hate snow and ice... but I surely don't appreciate being abused by 'mother nature'.

French Bulldogs vs. Pugs

2007-02-21T22:19:00.000-06:00

You decide...

Connections

2007-02-21T19:31:00.000-06:00

My friend, Claire who lives in Bristol, UK notified me of a random long lost media connection. An old friend of ours who we knew as children in Belize was on the Ellen show and he happens to be her cousin. He probably doesn't remember us or atleast not very well because when we were younger his family moved back to Louisiana and we really hadn't been in contact since that day. Anyway, he has this awesome organization called "Defend New Orleans" where they design shirts and other pieces and the proceeds go towards Hurricane Katrina Aid in New Orleans. You can imagine, I was elated to see someone who I haven't in forever on my favorite daytime show on National Television. He is also the founder of "Kick It Fashions" where they have some fun clothing designs. Kudos to you Jac!
Below is a YouTube video of the documentary that he is in relating to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans.

The music has arrived

2007-02-20T19:46:00.000-06:00

Back in the beginning of November, Philip and I made a necessary large purchase... a litte VW Rabbit, which has now become our new baby. I remember the first time the salesperson was going over the product knowledge, I randomly heard "and it comes with a guitar". What the heck? Why would anyone sell a car with a guitar, or give a guitar away with a car? Anyway, I just thought of it as an extra bonus and a great conversation piece. 111 days later our baby's baby arrived... well, more like I picked it up because FedEx Home Delivery attempted delivery thrice, and we all know getting a package in the city is near impossible for all those normal people who work during the day.
So, I made the trek to Northbrook, IL... in morning rush hour traffic (what was I thinking?) into an area that reminded me of US33 stretch in Dunlap, IN and arrived at the FedEx 'place' and got my beautiful package. Philip and I tuned the baby this afternoon and played around on it a bit. Right across from me on the chair that Bailey normally inhabits sits comfortably a beautiful Black and While new member of our family... thank god, we don't have to change this one's litter. Let's see how long the excitement lasts.

Airbus 380 coming to O'Hare

2007-02-19T10:17:00.000-06:00

The Airbus 380 555 passenger jet (in 3 class configuration) will not be in full commission with commercial airlines till sometime in 2009, but the large technologically advance aircraft will make its first visit to the United States in March. It is scheduled to land in New York on March 19th and then make its way to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport on March 20th and then a few other stops after. LAX officials had hoped that the A380 would make its first stop in the United States at their airport, but reportedly LAX will not receive its presence till sometime in June. I need to do research to see when the A380 will be landing at O'Hare and if there are any spots to view the landing from. It will be a sight to not be missed.

I just couldn't resist...

2007-02-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

I assume the poster of this video will not mind that I embedded it into my blog, since it was on YouTube. Anyway, I randomly came across this on YouTube with a search for CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) in hopes of finding some fun CTA videos. I don't know these people personally, but just may have seen them before...not that I really remember anyone I see on the train and/or buses. Yes, the article is well fit for the RedEye, and not many more newspapers, but I thought the story was incredibly adorable and sweet and wanted to represent it here. Enjoy.

SNOW!!!

2007-02-13T22:20:00.000-06:00

WINTER STORM.. YES!!!!

cute kitty

2007-02-13T11:42:00.000-06:00

I found this photo somewhere on the internet and cannot get over how cute it is, so I had to use it as my desktop background photo and wanted to share it with all. What perfect timing the photographer had.

You Better Belize It White Chicken Chili

2007-02-04T22:15:00.000-06:00

So, we went to a Super Bowl party tonight where everyone brings some form of Chili and then we all vote on the best. Mine did not win, but it certainly did not lose. The winning Chili was called "Sweaty Balls" and I'm sure won solely based on its name and the few hours on marketing at the party. Anyway, I loved the Chili Recipe I made up and suggest you try it at home, so here's the recipe:

2-3 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts (cooked)
2 Cans Pinto Beans
2 Cans Northern Beans
1 Can Red Beans
1 Can Coconut Milk
1 Can Chicken Stock
3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Habanero Pepper (chopped tiny)
1 Jalepeno Pepper (sliced)
Corn starch for thickening.

Pan fry or boil whole chicken breasts and then dice before adding to crock pot. Throw all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Be careful with the peppers as they may burn your skin, and if you do not like super spicy recipes, then leave out the Habanero Pepper. One hour before the Chili is done, add corn starch to thicken liquid to your desire. Serve Hot and enjoy!

Tears Tears for the Bears

2007-02-04T22:13:00.000-06:00

The Bears lost :( So sad for Chicago, but congrats to the Colts for such and awesome game in all that rain. And a big congrats to the Bears for such an awesome season. The lions at the Art Institute have never looked better!

Airbus 380 or Boeing 787?

2007-02-04T15:57:00.000-06:00

Two of the newest models of airplanes, one by each competing company, both magnificent in their own ways, yet both so different. Which is better? Which do you prefer. I have always been obsessed with airline models since I can remember my first flight on Tan Sasha and/or TACA airlines. I do not remember which was first. Back then, the stewardess (as they were called) brought me real warm face towels after the somewhat tasty lunch entree. No, this was not a 6, 7,12 hour Transatlantic or Pacific flight, but solely a 2 hour flight from Belize City to Miami or Houston. Tan Sasha no longer serves passengers and hasn't for sometime. I think groupo TACA bought them out years ago. Anyway... since then airplanes have got bigger and better. I have never been on a 747-200 or 747-200. My largest flight has been the Boeing 777, which I love dearly, mainly because of the comfortability and two side seats that allow myself and travelling partner privacy from strangers.
The Airbus 380 which is currently in production is the largest passenger built to date... so large that airports are required to accomodate the length and width of their runways to land her. It has a wingspan of 261.8 feet (79.8 meters), a length of 239.5 feet (73 meters) and a maximum take-off weight of more than 1.2 million pounds (540,000 kg).

The A380's two passenger decks could be outfitted in a single-class configuration to take on up to 840 passengers. However, Airbus isn't focusing on that option, instead designing a three-class configuration for 555 passengers. That's still a marked increase over the 416 passengers that can fit into a Boeing 747-400, the current leader in passenger capacity.1

On the other side of the world, Boeing is focusing on the 787 Dreamliner, a super efficient airplane, which "will carry 210 - 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles (14,200 to 15,200 kilometers), while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 - 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles (14,800 to 15,750 km). A third 787 family member, the 787-3 Dreamliner, will accommodate 290 - 330 passengers and be optimized for routes of 2,500 to 3,050 nautical miles (4,600 to 5,650 km). In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with unmatched fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today's similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today's fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85. Airlines will enjoy more cargo revenue capacity.
Passengers will also see improvements with the new airplane, from an interior environment with higher humidity to increased comfort and convenience.2

So, I think that both are amazing and I would love to fly on either however I do have a thing for big planes with lots of seats so I think the Airbus 380 would be my first choice if I had a choice between both of them. But one time on that plane may be enough, because I cannot imagine how long it would take to board and deplane at the airport. The Boeing 787 sounds like it would be amazing on any long flight because of the seat sizes and spaciousness. So, I guess I'm in love with both of them just a little.

Climate Change

2007-02-04T15:30:00.000-06:00

This week, the IPCC report on climate change was released at a meeting in Paris, France where it "concluded that it is very likely (90% certain) that the build up of heat-trapping GHG emissions is responsible for irreversible global warming. Temperatures will continue to rise by 3.2 to 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, which will cause sea level rises of 7 to 23 inches – or 21 feet, if Greenland’s ice sheets melt – and more intense tropical storms and hurricanes. Other predictions include hotter days, warmer nights and extended droughts. Climate change is expected to create hundreds of millions of permanently displaced refugees".
After the IPCC report’s release on Friday, French President Jacques Chirac called for a new world environmental body to co-ordinate efforts to mitigate climate change through binding agreements to reduce GHG emissions, among other methods. He also suggested that the agreements should be enforced and violators punished.
Although the US approved the document in the end, the Bush administration criticized the IPCC report on the grounds that it “tends to overstate or focus on the negative effects of climate change.” The US lobbied hard for the language of the report to be watered down to minimize the role of GHG emissions in climate change and the role of global warming in changes such as the intensification of hurricanes. The US also objects to the IPCC’s position that one of the fundamental weaknesses of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol has been its non-ratification by major GHG emitters such as the US. The Bush administration withdrew from Kyoto in 2001, citing the lack of limits for developing economies such as China and India, also major GHG polluters.
On Friday, the Bush administration played down the status of the US as the world’s No. 1 polluter, responsible for 25% of all GHG emissions. “We are a small contributor when you look at the rest of the world,” said US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. He confirmed that President Bush remains opposed to capping emissions in the US."1

"The European Union describes the report as the starkest warning yet, and Britain says climate change threatens world peace and prosperity.
The United States, which produces about a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases, has described the report as valuable. However, the White House has again expressed its opposition to compulsory caps on greenhouse gas emissions."2

Climate changes have already been linked to dying Polar Bear populations as Sea Ice is melting more rapidly, which they use for migratory hunting patterns. Polar Bears have been found dead from lack of food and some have even drown from having to swim too far where there is a lack of ice. Environmental change is so important right now, today. Hopefully in the future we will see more of this:

and less of this:

To learn more about Climate change go here or here.

back in the day

2007-02-01T18:40:00.000-06:00

My first best friend Melissa from Belize who now resides in Miami sent me an old photo she found at her parents' house from when we were in grade school. I cannot firgure out exactly where this photo was taken or what was going on, but I imagine that it was some sort of party since there is a clown behind us. I'm the first boy in the circle with the red striped shirt, then there is Natalie, Melissa, Kristen, and two little British Girls who I don't know. The little boy standing outside of the circle is Shawn, my friend Claire's little brother. I wonder where Claire is?

What kind of Gay Man am I?

2007-01-25T15:04:00.000-06:00

You scored as A MetroHomoSexual.
Straight or really, really gay?
Metro to the core, but it’s your outward
appearance that’s most important.
Narcissist? Hell no, you just want to look
better and more expensive than everyone else.

A MetroHomoSexual

55%

Normal, Boring and Gay

50%

A Jock

50%

An AberHollisterAE Gay or Fratmo

35%

A Closet Case

25%

What Kind of Gay Man Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Belizean Puppies

2007-01-15T21:10:00.000-06:00

I just received an email from one of my best friends, Melissa, who is at home in Belize right now with the most adorable puppies born from one of their dogs, Gibnut who is a tiny little dog of some sort, possibly Chihuahua mix. Anyway, these puppies are the most adorable things I've seen in a while... ENJOY!

not so urban is it

2007-01-15T20:46:00.000-06:00

After the new year, I made a trip to rural Ohio to visit my parents, before their departure back to Belize, and other family who live in the area. Joyous times spent with my siblings, cousin, parents and my favorite niece and nephew revolved around eating and sitting in the apartment living room. The two days were constantly filled with a journey somewhere like the Cleveland Clinic, the Mennonite resale shop, or driving around somewhere. On one trip out to lunch with my parents, younger brother, grandparents, and uncle I realized truly that I was in the country. We ate at the Golden Corral Buffet Restaurant... mmm healthy! Anyway, as I was sitting in my seat deciding on the millions of choices, I noticed a hair do that was oh so rural... check it out below.

"you have tight quads"

2006-10-12T22:41:00.000-05:00

So, with our new Gym Membership at the Sweat Shop, Philip and I have been attending occasional Spinning and Yoga classes. So... yoga is not easy... or not easy for me. My Yoga instructor informed me in both classes that I have tight quads and that my positions are "good for me" because I am tall and have tight quads. I'm glad she is so nice!
My first Spinning Class was hard, for one climb, then the rest was good.. so I thought to myself that I can totally do this. Yesterday, I went to my second class, but this time with JD... and not the female instructor who I had the first time. He was FIT and has an obsession with climbing and with not sitting in your seat. I must have sweat away like 20 lbs alone in that hour. But atleast the view was good!

Happy Hour

2006-09-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

Not the drinking kind, but the new TV show on Fox. This is actually only the second time that I've seen it, but on tonight's show there have been several cameos from Pottery Barn Merchandise. The show is set in Chicago, but I doubt they actually shoot here, so they probably are not shopping at one of the local stores :(. Anyway, within the first 5 minutes of the show I've spotted 1. one red wool jacquard pillow, 2. two red quilted pillows, 3. two taylor silk stripe pillows, 4. one silk stripe lamp shade, 5. one lg rustic pillar holder w/amber river rocks and a 4x8 unscented pillar, 6. I'll be on the lookout for more next time...

In other news, I actually did some work on my thesis proposal today. Who would think?

Funniness. Period.

2006-09-13T21:40:00.000-05:00

Check out this hilariousness...

shitjob.gay.mennonite.ephrata,pa.

Rocking it out

2006-09-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Apple announced the release of its new iPods and iTunes. Check out www.apple.com to check them out.
Sadly, my generation three iPod and my generation one shuffle do not stand up to the great quality of these new ones. How clever these Appleites are in constantly releasing these new beautiful things...grrrr!

Ode to Goshen

2006-09-06T20:41:00.000-05:00

Philip, Ross, Allison, and I jumped into Ross' Mazda 3 last Saturday morning and made the 2.5 hr journey to the land of Goshen. The very land where I went to college for two years and then got sucked into working at the college for two more years, the very land where Ross and I became great friends and the land where Philip and I met. Allison had no connection to this land until she recently began dating a boy from there. The journey was short and very fun full of gossip, talking, and laughter.

We attended our first wedding of the weekend: Luke and Christian... great times, almost tears, and delish food... yet no wedding cake. These Millers!

Ross, Philip and I made our way to Rubber House, where I used to live and where my friend Hannah now lives. Something was terribly wrong as we entered. The place was clean, clean, clean. I've never seen the place so clean. It was unbelievable. Hannah chatted it up with us and then took us on a tour of Goshen's new Apartment Buildings into random people's units to check them out.

Philip and I stayed at one of his old Music Professor's house which I thoroughly enjoyed simply because they had 1 dog and 2 cats that kept me entertained and allowed Philip more "real time" with a dog that he could fall in love with.

That evening Allison, Philip, and I walked to downtown Goshen to try out the new hip bar in town, "Constant Spring". It was... nice for Goshen... clean, and fun, but nothing entirely exciting. The night got better when the students began to arrive, many of whom we knew and hadn't seen for years!

Sunday started off nicely with a yummy breakfast and a powerful Hymn Sing at Assembly Mennonite Church. However, it would not be complete without a potluck lunch free of charge! Oh the memories that flowed in of the days when we were students. The weekend ended nicely with another wedding and for me to get to see old co-workers from the college. Ross, Philip, and I trekked home in Ross' car... Ross driving, Philip sleeping in the back, and me trying so hard to not fall asleep. Good times!

two faced kitty

2006-07-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

A two faced kitten was born this week and is currently alive, but may not make it. So weird. It literally has two faces. Four eyes, four ears, two noses, and two mouths.. but only one kitten body. I can't find the pic of it, but will keep looking. STOP the inbreeding. GAWSH.

Air conditioner

2006-07-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

Happiness has arrived. She arrived this past Sunday, all 9950 BTU's of her, thanks to Philip's parents who generously brought us an air conditioner. I installed it this past Wednesday just in time as a small heat wave hits Chicago for the next few days. I can only hope that the A.C. at work is working well enough to keep us all cooled. Now all I need is a portable air conditioner to keep me cool on my walk to the train :)

Silk dupioni

2006-06-30T21:19:00.000-05:00

Such a struggle it has been these past few weeks. Philip and I have finally decided on what drapes we wanted for all three rooms. We successfully bought white sheers (below pictured in stem)

for the Dining Room windows and found a deal of a deal with some Stem colored Silk Dupioni Drapes (pictured in saffron)

for our bedroom, all from West Elm. They now gracefully hang on Bronze colored drapery rods in each room. Sadly we were trying to be budget conscious when we bought these drapes and decided to wait on our living room drapes for another time. So, when we decided to dig deep into our pockets for the most beautiful Saffron colored silk drapes from West Elm, we were excited... however they were out of stock. THEN, like an act of God they appeared to be available again. 4 in stock said the associate on the phone as well as my computer at work... the exact number we needed. We went for it and ordered them and a bunch of rod thingys, but when our order was processed they contacted us, by email, and said the drapes were permanently out of stock. Tears and sadness overcame the Taylor Kendall Household. As we sit in our living room now without those drapes I wonder, What would our lives be like with them?

it's like 90 degrees

2006-06-17T21:51:00.000-05:00

As of late the mercury has been on the rise, as is normal for Chicago summertime weather, however even though this is somewhat the norm, I am not taking it with ease. If you ask any of my friends they will tell you that I am not a fan of warm/hot weather. Odd indeed, one may think since I grew up in Belize where during the coolest months of the year the high temperatures often linger in the mid 80's and much warmer in the summer. However, I have adapted to the north Midwestern climate where it is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. So what's my point here? I'm not sure. I fear that each and every day I spend in our heat haven apartment will be one of discomfort and annoyance. I am trying to convince Phil that an air conditioner, even a small one for our bedroom is a great investment. Oh yeah... and the first day of summer has not even arrived yet.

I Want A Dog

2006-06-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

I love animals very much. I love dogs and really want one. I even used to want to be a vet so I could play with animals all day. Right now, I have a cat whom I share with my partner Philip whom we both like very much. I really want to get a puppy... I mean I can't get one right now because supposedly our building doesn't allow it. I say supposedly because on many occasions I have seen the same dog leaving the same apartment in our courtyard and NO, I do not think he is visiting. Nonetheless, I am operating on the idea that we can't have one here. I still want a puppy and as of late, I have been torturing myself with images of the cutest little puppies in the world, or at least the cutest ones I can find on google images. Here are a few of the cutest:

Puggle Puppy

Two young Pugs

French Bulldog Puppy

Puggle Puppy

Puggle Puppy

French Bulldog Puppies

English Bulldog Puppies

French Bulldog Puppy

Pug Puppies

cleaning mania

2006-06-08T22:44:00.000-05:00

Tonight phil and I were rushed to do last minute cleaning to prep the apartment for our little party tomorrow night. mopping the kitchen, cleaning the bathroom, hanging last minute photo frames, and vacuuming the rug...3 times. You see, the joy of having a wool shag rug

is balanced out and maybe weighed down by the maintanence. Everytime we vacuum this beautiful rug our little vacuum is worn out and stuffed full of wool time and time again. One good friend of ours suggested collecting all the wool and having it spun into yarn. That was a great idea, however I am not sure that I would be down with wearing a wool/cat hair sweater, so for now that idea is on the back burner. Back to cleaning!

urban bunnies?

2006-06-06T22:40:00.000-05:00

As I was walking east on Brompton Avenue today among the grass lined streets I saw the cutest little wild bunny just like this one

hopping through the low lying bushes. And then I began to wonder (in a totally Sex and the City kind of way) where does this cute little creature live and why isn't he/she in one of our beautiful parks. My moment of pondering came to an end as he/she disappeared from my site and I decided I didn't really give. But seriously, I have seen numerous wild rabbits in the city since moving here...big ones, tiny babies, and medium rabbits always hopping in someone's yard or along the sidewalk petrified at human sight. Where do they come from and who suckered them out of migrating to the burbs or Michigan?

free snacks

2006-06-05T22:26:00.000-05:00

I arrived at work today at 1:00 pm for the closing shift (not my favorite) and went down to my department to start my shift. Soon after I noticed a plastic shopping bag stuffed into the cabinet space under our register. I leant down to pick it up and throw it away rather annoyed that someone had left their trash for me to deal with. But to my surprise, the bag was not filled with trash but three mini bags of snacks. Two of the bags had animal crackers and the other had mini peanut butter crackers. I was overjoyed and excited that I now had my own stash of treats to get me through the afternoon. All thanks to some young Lincoln Park child now without his or her treat :)

Pink is my new obsession...

2006-06-04T16:13:00.000-05:00

On June 25th the CTA introduces its new Pink Line route which connects the will be former 54th/Cermak branch of the blue line directly into the green line route which feeds into the loop track system. The Pink Line shall be an exciting new addition to Chicago's transit system, yet we are all still waiting for faster service and maybe more rail lines that connect other parts of the city.

Pink Line Route.

CTA 'EL' Train Route Map.

We are excited to see what new things the CTA will produce in the coming years. Possibly new train cars and buses and hopefully more transit routes. I has always felt positive about our public transportation until visiting Berlin this past Spring which has an amazing transit system, far more advanced and reliable than the CTA and yes, Berlin is about the same population as the City of Chicago.

Berlin Train Transit Map.

an inconvenient truth

2006-06-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Philip and I went to see an inconvenient truth yesterday at Landmark Century Cinema on Clark St. and it was so good. So good, infact that it was saddening, depressing, and amazing. It is amazing that something that is so scientifically stated which has been proven over and over again is able to be ignored by so many people, not just people but governments filled with red tape and ulterior motives. Why is it that our country which is one of the most powerful in the world and the one which might be to blame the most for global warming is ignoring the facts and pretending that nothing is happening. In our own generation we are seeing and will continue to see that negative effects of global warming on our earth. Is it that we think that as the intelligent beings on this planet we have the right to live as we see fit, when infact, our intelligence only goes so far.

Go see the movie . It will hopefully inspire you.

an urge

2006-06-03T23:29:00.000-05:00

a sudden urge came over me tonight while watching SNL. an idea from Philip's blog conversation earlier in the week. an urge to start anew and refresh everything. blogging david is back, well... i think he is. bedtime is now, but stay tuned.

School's out for a week (to the tune of school's out for the summer) of course!

2006-03-17T08:09:00.000-06:00

I turned in my final paper yesterday for my LGBT Politics class making an official end to my last concrete graduate school class. Nevermind, I still have a huge thesis project to do which will probably take until the end of this year, but no more deadlines or class sessions to attend!
Currently I am sitting in my friend's condo at Birchwood and Seeley. Yes, that is in Roger's Park way way way up north, only a block from the Evanston city limits. I must not forget to mention why Philip and I are living here for a week. 2 dogs: 1 crazy, 1 lazy. Lucy the almost 2 yr old chocolate lab who requires constant attention and Missy the 11 yr old overweight beagle mix who just kinda hang around. It's been good so far, except for one event. One night I left the living room for about 10 or less minutes and when I returned, I found my cell phone on the floor and almost devoured by Lucy. Apparently, she was lonely or mad or something and she took it out on my phone. The end result: my screen on the front doesn't work, the inside screen only half works and has cracks, the vibrate function does not work, and there are about 20 holes... deep holes throughout the phone!
Do I still want a dog someday?

What a day

2006-02-09T17:08:00.000-06:00

Today was my day off from work and I had this big list of activities to get done. This was my plan:
1. Wake up
2. Eat yummy cereal while watching a little TV
3. Write my paper which is due tonight
4. Watch a little Martha
5. Eat Lunch
6. Work a little on my thesis proposal
7. Shower
8. Get haircut
9. Go to DePaul Library and get journal articles
10. Drop off paper in professor's office

So, what did I do... Well, I am still sitting in my living room in my shorts and a t-shirt. I did work a little on my thesis and write my paper, but instead of being organized and getting tons done, I dilly dallied around and baked, made dinner, watched TV and randomly walked around in search of snacks of which we had none. I think it is time to go grocery shopping. Anyway. Sadly, my day wasted away which seems to happen quite often on my days off. I wonder how I will ever focus enough to write my thesis.

Super Bowl?

2006-02-01T22:10:00.000-06:00

So apparently, this is Super Bowl week. The week leading up to many many football fans most important day of the year: The super Bowl. I am so excited and thrilled to have the day off from work when it is one of the most requested off days of the new year. My manager called me and made a comment about requesting Super Bowl Sunday off and I was like, "Oh, I didn't know it was the super bowl..blah blah blah blah blah" and she made it sound like it would be hard to get off. At one point I asked her, jokingly who was more important, and she said "people who would enjoy the super bowl" Well geez louise pete and grandma. I kinda laughed, but was then kind of annoyed. I get the day off regardless, so all is well. Apparently we (non super bowl fanatics) are supposed to work on days like that so we can have Pride day off. Pa pa pa lease.
Now don't get me wrong. I don't hate the SuperBowl, I just kind of hate football. I mean it is simply an organization that is built on male power, masculinity, and testosterone, and overpaid players and those things never lead to anything good. I do however enjoy watching the commercials, solely because everyone talks about them and I feel the need to be up on the latest hype, so here we go marching into super bowl Sunday, and I really couldn't give an umpph.

Long overdue

2006-01-28T19:36:00.000-06:00

It's been forever since my last post. I have been busy working at the barn and with my class schedule. I have begun working on my Thesis proposal, and by begun I mean that I've only come up with the title and started doing a little research. I keep emailing my program advisor to find out exactly what I need to do to choose my panel and so on, but yet am waiting for his reply. I may soon have to take matters into my own hand. Things are same at work. Working lots and being tired a lot. Thursdays are the worst when I work all day then go to class till 9 pm. My class is also filled with 99% undergraduate students. Normally for a gender studies class that works out well, because they are talkative and have tons of knowledge to share. My class is full of many still under 21 :( and many who are political science majors. Nonetheless the class is not all I thought it was going to be. However, it's my last class before my thesis and the information is useful, so I'll ride it out. Everyone is friendly, but we are so far from each other in many ways. Such is life. Philip and I are having fun planning for our ceremony. Last night we registered at Target in the South Loop and today we registered at Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn. Oh what fun those scanners are! Ok.. off to other things.

HOT gifts

2006-01-01T17:32:00.000-06:00

When the Holiday Season comes near the end of the year, so too come various gifts. Have you been good all year, cause if you haven't you may get a crappy gift. WELL, I must have been a very good boy cause I got 'wunderbar' gifts. As I have not the time to talk about all my great gifts in detail I will highlight some of the exciting ones. I got a TIVO from Phil, creme brulee cups from Greta, Good ole cash from my parents, a paper shredder from my sister and family, and a cool manicure kit from my lil brother.
But out of all the gifts, I wanted to share Ross' gift with everyone. Ross gave out themed gifts and my themed gift was HOT. I got hot sauce, hot popcorn, hot salsa, hot peanuts, and cool pasta. All are pictured below:

but also, something that I've wanted for a long time...a microwave egg poacher!!!

Now, most importantly you must notice the names of the hot sauces. HOT STUFF!

Gingerich Reunion, Country Style

2005-12-27T12:09:00.000-06:00

Today, I had brunch with the lovely Gingerich sisters, Emily and Hannah. My lack of wheels allowed me to be entirely dependent on them. I wonder if this is what life will be like when I am older and cannot drive or walk. Back to the matter at hand... So Emily and Hannah arrived in their cute little Honda right here in Kidron to pick me up at approximately 10:30 am and we departed on our way to Wooster, OH on the NEW US ROUTE 30, which was the much anticipated ride. However, as this route is fairly new and uncharted by both sisters, we had to get on and off several times to end up at the correct destination. No worries, it was a fun little trip. After a quick gas stop, we arrived at Bob Evans, a hometown favorite, to have our lunch. I decided to go all the way and get their big Homestead Breakfast which came with 2 eggs, 2 sausage patties, home fries, two biscuits, and sausage gravy. Yummy delicious! It took a while to finish as you can see below:

I thought it necessary to show off Emily's amazing new hair style. Look at the bounce in that wave. She loves her wavy auburn hair :)

After brunch they drove me home and dropped me off with the fam with whom I am sitting now, with not much to do.

Christmas Bells are ringing, Christmas Bells are singing, on TV @ Saks.

2005-12-26T21:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas with the TAYLOR CLAN. A joyous, loud, stressful fun annual tradition. I flew to Ohio on the last AA flight from ORD to Cleveland on Christmas Eve night and arrived in Kidron, Ohio (population 1000, maybe) at around 1:30 am Christmas morning. After rushing off to bed I was rudely awakened by my cell phone alarm, which was an unfamiliar chant to me as I had never used it before. I mustered the strength to get ready for Church and failed to have breakfast:(. We went to Sonnenburg Mennonite, My aunt and uncle's church and suprisingly everyone from our extended Taylor family in the area was there. We took up two large Church pews, in the back of course. The service was interesting. We sang hymns, but not many good ones, and they were all accompanied by musical aid, so sadly there was no awesome 4 part harmony. After Church, my immediate family gathered to have lunch and open presents. Lunch was amazing! We had Belizean rice and beans, white rice, stewed beans, ham, turkey, stuffing, and gravy. It was great. Check out the food photo here:

So we continued on to open gifts. The joyous tradition of ripping off nicely wrapped paper to uncover something that you have been eagerly awaiting. Ahh.. the commercialization of Christmas. oops.. I mean the Holiday Season. Here I am thrilled over something holidayish!

One of the highlight gifts this year was a Furby that my 3 year old niece received from her parents or possibly Santa. "Me Furby, you friend" "aaahhhhhhhhhh" (in a friendly mechanical voice)

A few hours after our immediate family gathering, the entire clan got together in the garage (the only space large enough to hold all of us) to have a delicious dinner and exchange gifts as well as get gifts from Grandma and Grandpa. This year for the gift exchange we had to buy a gift for someone of the same gender as ourselves that begins with the letter of our name. I bought a daily calendar with quotes from the "Duh Awards". My lucky cousin Scott was the one who received it. I happened to receive another gift that began with a "D"... a devotional...yay! The gift from my Grandparents was pretty cool. A old fashioned desk clock that chimes. I am actually quite excited about this one and can't wait to try it out. They also gave me the batteries to use it. JACKPOT. Check it out below.

Merry Christmakwanzikah and a happy...

2005-12-26T10:31:00.000-06:00

How we gonna pay, how we gonna pay, how we gonna pay...last yeaaaaars rent? rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent rent... and so on. On a more serious holiday note, the big day has come and gone with no major problems or stressful situations. Gifts were fairly decent and exciting.. That's all!

"Love is a Force of Nature"

2005-12-18T18:47:00.000-06:00

Today, Philip and I went to see Brokeback Mountain at one of the two cinemas showing it in Chicago. This weekend is the opening in Chicago and many other cities, but the film will not be released everywhere until sometime in January. With its limited release in 75 theaters it still was # 8 for the entire weekend and had the highest number of visitors per cinema, averaging 34,000 which was the highest for any movie in 2005. The film was a cinematic masterpiece. The film portrayed the cowboys as cowboys from the rugged sheep herding to their lives and struggles at home. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal played out their parts amazingly as did Michelle Williams. The film was happy, exciting, and sad. I definitely recommend that everyone who loves movies should see it. Not only is the message beautiful, but the acting and film are as well. Go watch it now.

Suggestions...

2005-12-13T23:32:00.000-06:00

My Taylor side of the family gets together every Christmas in the small town of Kidron, OH. Our family now around 27 strong has a fun little gift exchange. This year we are to buy a gift that starts with the first letter of our name for someone of our gender. So I need to buy a cheap gift for a guy that starts with D and is under ten dollars. I have been struggling to come up with an idea for a gift. Any Ideas?