Wednesday, August 29, 2012

packing

Packing sucks. But you know what helps?


Champagne! 

A tremendous thank you to my NU guys for the thoughtful farewell gift :)

Not only did this make packing much more fun, it gave us a chance to use the champagne glasses from our wedding. Hard to believe it's been almost a year already!

As you can see, Mrs. couldn't wait to have a sip. 


Monday, August 27, 2012

summer baseball

Nothing is better than summer in Chicago. Nothing. After eight months of cold, dark, grey winter, the city comes alive for a few short, blissful months - the lakefront, the lake breeze, the bike path, street festivals, food festivals, fireworks, lollapalooza, pitchfork - everything about this city is that much more wonderful in the summertime.

And of course, what is summer without baseball? This week, I went to my very first Sox game. The game itself was mostly boring (until the bottom of the ninth when then sox hit a home run to break a tie and take the win - or something like that). But the sky! The sky above the game was breathtaking. Who can concentrate on a baseball game when the backdrop looks like this?

skies over u.s. cellular field // white sox

After the game, we stayed for fireworks (of course!). Apparently, it was Country Music Night at US Cellular Field and the soundtrack for the fireworks was all country -- including some of the most sentimental songs I have ever heard. Now, I am not a fan of country music so I cannot for the life of me tell you the names of the artists, but I do remember some of the song titles. They were: Home, The House that Built Me, Who Says You Can't Go Home, Please Don't Leave Home, and the killer closer.... Sweet Home Chicago. 

Needless to say, I was in tears by the end of the night. 

Chicago, I will really miss you. 

Saturday, August 18, 2012

the farewell tour

Three weeks from today we will be driving away from our beloved city by the lake. As thrilled as we are to embark on this new chapter of our lives, we cannot help but feel sad. Chicago is our home, and for Dave, his only home. So many memories. After all, it is in this city where met and fell in love.

This week we officially began the farewell tour:

best margarita in the world // frontera
best sangria in the world // cafe ba-ba-reeba
best husband // mine
cool light // cafe ba-ba-reeba
happiness // chicago river



Sunday, August 12, 2012

lollapalooza

This post is a little overdue, but here are a few shots from Lollapalooza. This is our sixth year of attending and boy, we are getting old. It was scorching! But aside from the heat, the crowds, the rain, and the three-hour evacuation, it was a blast :)

Chicago is a beautiful setting; that skyline gets me every time.


my handsome husband // the shins
taking a little break // metric
that skyline // m83
aftershow drinks // eleven city diner
shelter from the storm // back at eleven city diner
re-entry line post evacuation // monroe street
weekend highlight // twin shadow
a much nicer day in chicago // oberhofer

did i mention that skyline?

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

logistics




... And now things get real.

How does one move cross-country, anyway? With a greyhound (Margot) and a girl who does not know how to drive (me)?

Oh yes, and then there is the apartment issue. Subleasing our place in Chicago and finding a (decent, safe, reasonably-priced one bedroom with enough room for a dog crate -- did I mention the 60lb greyhound?) apartment in San Francisco proper? Might be impossible on our timeline.

How do people DO this?

Well, thank goodness for craigslist, google maps, and wikipedia. That I can say for sure.


24 days and counting!!!




Monday, August 6, 2012

westward ho!




It's official!

In three - THREE - short weeks, we will be packing up our whole lives and moving to San Francisco!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be living in California. As a lifelong Midwesterner, I am beyond excited to see how the West Coast does it. With mountains, the ocean, wine country, and Portland all just a short drive away, it must be awesome. Let's not forget the weather, too. Goodbye Chicago winter!

Off to California we go!