MMM - January 2015

When I look back at all the playlists I created for Maya over the past year, my January mix was kind of a dud. There were a few songs she already liked that I included, but otherwise it was kind of boring and not much to her liking.

But alas, here goes (and listen along on Spotify):

Celebration - Kool & The Gang
This was about the time Maya starting requesting specific songs for her monthly CD. "Celebration" was one of those. She performed this song for her winter program at her preschool and wanted to hear it over and over, much to my dismay. It's like being trapped in a wedding reception.

Winter Winds - Mumford & Sons
I thought I'd play off the winter theme with this song. Plus, it's got a banjo, and I hold out hope that the girls will eventually learn to love the instrument and play Nashville as an act someday. But alas, she's just not that into it.

One and One Makes Two - Johnny Cash
Fortunately, she does like this style of Americana. And anything that involves simple math is a win in Maya's book.

Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
I loved this song when I was a kid. I have a vivid memory of listening to this song while running around and around my parents' oval coffee table. This, and Billy Joel's "For the Longest Time." I've since lost my liking for the piano man, but I still dig The Boss from time to time. Maya did end up liking this song, but it's not one of her favorites.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke & The Pearly Chorus (Mary Poppins soundtrack)
After receiving Mary Poppins for Christmas, the girls quickly took a liking to this song. Easy win for me.

My Kind of Town - Frank Sinatra
Always attempting to ensure the girls appreciate their Chicago upbringing, I blend Chicago propaganda into their entertainment diets. Not sure if this one stuck though. Maya liked the concept of a song about her hometown, but it was a little too slow for her tastes.

Rarotonga - Cafe Tacuba
Because we went to Mexico in January, I continued prepping the girls for the trip with some local music. They pretty much said no bueno.

William's Doll - Marlo Thomas & Alan Alda (Free To Be...You And Me soundtrack)
Another easy win. Maya already knew and liked this song, so it was a simple way to extend my anti-gender-bias education to the car.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland (The Wizard of Oz soundtrack)
After the atrocity of Maya's love for "Legends of Oz," I needed to balance out this crappy sequel with some mandated viewings of the original. Thankfully, the girls enjoyed it and this song.

Married Life - Michael Giacchino (Up soundtrack)
Pixar can do no wrong. The girls love this track, and sometimes in the car, the song even had a surprising calming effect. But as an adult, just try to listen to it without tearing up a bit.

Ravenswood Run 5K: Race No. 10

Amazing what a difference a day makes. The Race to Wrigley and Ravenswood Run was my first set of back-to-back races. Saturday’s Race to Wrigley was cold, rainy and, for me, slow. Sunday’s Ravenswood Run was crisp, sunny, and my fastest 5K to date.

This was also the first race of the year both girls participated in – not the full 5K, but shorter kids dashes.

And they were all about it.

This is always one of my favorite races of the year because it’s in my neighborhood, the weather is generally great for running, and it’s relatively small — small enough that I spotted my neighbor Rahm on the sidelines cheering on the runners with his family this year. Yes, that Rahm.


Race Summary

Race name: Ravenswood Run 5K
2015 Challenge Race No.: 10
Location: Ravenswood, Chicago, IL
Organizers/Sponsor: Fleet Feet Chicago
Beneficiary: Ravenswood Community Services Food Pantry and the Student Health Centers at Lake View and Amundsen high schools.
Cost: $29
Distance: 3.1 miles
Best parts of the race:
- Location
- Size
- Organization
- Easy packet pick-up

Worst part:
- No complaints! Love this race.

Following events:

May:
Tough Mudder, May 9 @ Richmond Hunting Club, Richmond, IL
JPMorgan Corporate Challenge, May 21 @ Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Soldier Field 10 Mile, May 23 @ Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
North Shore Classic Half Marathon & 5K, May 31, Highland Park, IL

Flashback Friday

I read recently that your can give new life to old content by reposting something with a new twist. I love how this is totally effortless and also gives me an excuse to browse through the archives.

So, in celebration of today's date, 8/8 — the anniversary of Wrigley Field getting lights (8/8/88) — I thought I'd bring up any other posts I did on Aug. 8 over the years:

2008: Sweaty Elvis
That time I ran a 5K is an inflatable Elvis costume. Much like the Cubs' first night game, I finished the post the next day.

2006: Enclosed in a Veil
Back when I blogged frequently, was prepping for my wedding, and I participated in the now-defunct photo blog Self-portrait Challenge.


Man, life pre-kids was different.

Si Oui

August and early September are providing quite a few baby getaways for me and Chris. We started the month out in Galena, and this weekend Chris' parents are coming in town and have requested the pleasure of babysitting Maya nearly round-the-clock for three days.

In addition, a few weeks ago Chris and I took advantage of some free babysitting (thanks sis!) and went out with another couple for some roller derby and dinner. This is a big deal for us. I could probably count on one hand the number of times we've gone out for a nice dinner, sans baby, in the past two years.

The restaurant was Mexique, a French-Mexican spot. The food was incredible, as was the wine—which I consumed after having two beers at derby. Needless to say, a trip to the bathroom was in order, and I had my camera ready:

Mexique Chicago, IL

From Peed to Meet You

Things 248-251

I keep finding clothes that I no longer wear, but hold on to for silly reasons.

From 365 things

For example, the jeans above used to be my skinny pants. I gained a bit of weight when I lived in Syracuse, and these jeans got too tight. When I moved to Chicago and started walking everywhere, they finally fit again.

I remember the first time I was able to fit into them again. I wore them out to a club when Katie was in town visiting. They were my "skinny" jeans. I rejoiced.

Then, I started getting serious about getting back on track. I started running, eating better, trained for a triathlon, etc. And now these jeans are too big. They're also all frayed at the bottom and getting washed out. And when it comes to fat pants, I have other jeans that are in better shape. So it's time to get rid of the skinny fat pants.

The white shirt above is one I'll always remember wearing to the Taste of Randolph in 2002. I was home for the summer and Chris and I had just started dating. He came up to visit and we went to the festival with Laura and Eric (he was working on Randolph at the time.) Laura took a cute picture of me and Chris, and I brought it with me to London that fall, looking at it all the time because I missed Chris so much.

A few years later, I wore that shirt to the 3rd of July fireworks. Chris and I rode our bikes downtown, and it had just rained. I got mud splatters all over the back of the shirt. After the fireworks, we biked home, and the city shut down part of Lake Shore Drive, so we got to ride down Lake Shore at night, and it was beautiful.

I was never able to get the mud splatters out of the back of the shirt. So I never wore it again. I've saved it, though, for the past few years, solely for sentimental reasons. But I suppose I don't need the shirt. I already got Chris. And I still have the pic:

From 365 things

Things 233-236

Today, we have some workout clothes:

From 365 things

There are three tops that aren't long enough. For being relatively short, I have a crazy long torso. So it's common for shirts to be too short, letting a little belly hang out. And these shirts didn't look good on me pre-baby. So it's time to admit it's not gonna happen. Also, I'm ditching the soccer shorts I wore in high school. See-through white shorts probably weren't a good idea at 15 (although I didn't have a choice at the time), and they definitely aren't advised for a 30-something.

And speaking of working out: Once upon a time, I said that running was way harder outdoors. I'd like to retract that statement. Running inside is harder. At least it was on Monday.

I'm training for the Soldier Field 10 Mile. And now that my training runs are getting longer, I have to take them indoors on weeknights because it gets dark before I can get in my miles. So Monday night I ran the farthest I've gone so far (7.25 miles). And I did it on the treadmill at the gym.

Um, that sucked. For starters, it's hot inside and there's no breeze. When I run outside, my mind wanders and I problem-solve and think about stuff my little brain doesn't have time to think about during work hours, and suddenly I've run 5 miles without realizing it. At the gym, all I can think about is running. And my brain keeps telling me to stop.

Anyway, that's all for tonight. So much catching up to do...

Friday morning madness

Hi there. I'm not sure if you know this, but there was this sort of large snowstorm recently. Maybe you've heard about it.

Among other traveling headaches, this storm has left many Chicagoans who depend on alley access a wee bit stranded. People like use.

We did manage to dig out our garage and get the car out yesterday morning. We ended up getting stuck a few times trying to get out of our alley, and again on our street. But we finally got out by driving the wrong way down our street. When we got home last night, Chris once again had to dig out our garage to get the car back in. And that brings us to this morning...

This morning was one of those crazy mornings we have from time to time, even when we're not battling 3 feet of snow. Chris and I only have one car, which suits our needs quite well most of the time. But occasionally, a second car would come in quite handy. This morning was one of those occasions. Here's the back story:

This weekend we're going to Kansas City to visit some friends. Like many trips we take, Rosie isn't coming with us, so my parents, who live in the suburbs, are watching her for the weekend. Although we don't leave until tomorrow morning, Chris had court this morning in the suburbs, so it worked out well. Chris could drop the dog off at my parents house before court. But here's where it gets tricky.

Chris has to be at court at 9 a.m. And because we only have one car and the weather's too cold for Maya and I to take public transit, Chris has to drop off me and Maya at her daycare downtown before driving Rosie out my parents', and then driving from my parents' to court. As you can imagine, this means we all have to start off pretty early to get everyone delivered before Chris goes to court. Throw in an epic snowfall, and it was a very early morning indeed. Here how this morning went down:

- Chris got up at 5, showered, ate breakfast, and went outside to begin re-digging out our garage.
- I got up at 5:30, showered, got ready and got the baby ready.
- Chris finished digging out the car, came back in and got ready for court. Around this time, he realizes that he accidentally left his suit jacket at the office.
- Around 6:30, we load up the car with Maya and the dog and try to leave. We get stuck in the alley.
- In his half-suit and dress shoes, Chris pushes the car while I rev the engine and the wheels spin.
- In his half-suit and dress shoes, Chris falls in the snow and does a minor face plant into the hood of the car.
- We finally get out and Chris gets back in the car.
- I drive backward down our alley (not easy, considering there's a giant Rosie head blocking my view), turn down another alley (still going backward), and turn again down out street, going both the wrong way down our street, and of course, still driving backward.
- We finally get out to closest major street, begin driving forward, and begin driving to Maya's daycare.
- Traffic is terrible, and Chris begins to worry that he won't make it to court by 9.
- We finally get to Maya's daycare. Chris jumps into the driver's seat, and I take Maya into daycare. Chris and Rosie head to the burbs.
- I take public transit from Maya's daycare to my office. Other than being very, very cold, my drama ends there.
- Chris drives to the burbs, drops off Rosie at my parents' and drives to court. He makes it there at 9:00 on the nose, but not before sending me this text at 8:48:

"I just killed a squirrel."

It's been a heck of a day folks, and it's not even half over. So if you happen to know Chris, have his cell phone number, e-mail, whatever, send him some kind words. If you see him in person today, bring him some chocolate or even better, an alcoholic beverage. And if you've never met him, just send some positive vibes his way. Thanks.

The past week; a culinary tour

The last week of the year is always a busy one for us. In addition to all the usual holiday chaos, Chris and I both have our birthdays. This year was no exception in the madness department. Maya even pitched in and got an ear infection last week (on Chris' birthday, in fact) to make the week even crazier than normal.

But rather than give a play-by-play of the past week, I thought I'd steal a post from a fellow blogger (who's on a blogging hiatus at the moment) and just give you all recap of what I ate over the past week or so:

Goat-cheese pizza
Sweet potato fries
Popcorn
Pork tamales
Pecan-crusted salmon
Cheese
Chicken skewers
Falafel
Jalepeno-stuffed green olives
Turkey
Sweet potatoes
Dried fruit
Mixed nuts
Chili dip
Cheese omelet
Broccoli cheddar soup
Mediterranean sandwich
Beet & potato quesadilla
Chili mac
Pumpkin pie
Apple pie
Cookies
Potato chips
Stuffed cabbage
Carnival squash soup
Raisin bran
Steak
Whole-wheat pancakes
Chicken & butternut squash curry
And of course, inordinate amounts of wine and beer.

'Tis the season.

September smells

The weather lately has been perfect for evening runs. Every night, I fall in love with Chicago and running all over again. The people, the dogs, the sights, even the smells. Here's a recreation of my evening run through my neighborhood, by scent:

grass
wet pavement
sidewalk chalk
exhaust
Chicago river
trees
dog poop
dirt
sweat
leaves
exhaust
pavement
tamale cart
sno-cones
barbecue
grass
dirt
KFC
trashcan
trees
alley
grass
dog poop
flowers
lawn mower
sweat
home

Things 110-118

I think Maya's gearing up for some insane growth spurt because she's been sleeping a ton lately. Every night for the past week, she's barely been able to stay up for an hour after we get home from work. Then, she sleeps between 12-14 hours a night. And this morning, she was ready to go down for her morning nap an hour earlier than normal and has been sleeping for close to two hours.

I'm not gonna lie; it's been awesome. Last night, I was able to make homemade pretzels, and during her nap this morning I cleaned the downstairs bathroom, made the bed, changed the duvet, started a load of laundry, brushed the dog, took out the trash, cleaned up dog poop, washed out Maya's diaper covers, and gathered Thing 110-118:

Check out that made bed and clean duvet.

From 365 things

These Things include:

• An issue of Working Mother a co-worker gave me (a childless co-worker who never subscribed to this magazine but for reason randomly started receiving it at work.)
• The swim cap from the Chicago Tri. (Normally, I'd hold on to this to use when training, but this one's full of Lake Michigan filth. Ew.)
• Offer letter to become a member of the Lincoln Park Zoo that I totally meant to send in. The offer expired in December. 
• Old Christmas cards.
• Empty shoe box.
• Gift bag the shoe box came in. (Again, normally I'd save and reuse such a Thing, but it sat on the shelf for so long and got all crinkled and torn.)
• Race bag from the Shamrock Shuffle. 

And with that, I've not only caught up to myself, but actually surpassed my Thing count by two. So, from now until I get woefully behind again, it's back to one Thing a day.

Summer of weddings

This summer combined two of my favorite things: 90-degree weather, and weddings. That's not a joke. I love hot summers, and I truly love weddings. Getting dressed up, crying during the ceremony, dancing like a fool, the open bar. Weddings are the best.

But I have to say that this summer delivered my favorite things in extreme abundance. It was a very hot summer, and we attended a record 5 weddings. And I must admit that for the first time ever, I'm looking forward to the end of summer and the wedding season. Not that the weddings we attended weren't awesome, because they were! But, whew, I'm tired. (And broke.)

Here's a little overview of our champagne-laden season:

June in Chicago: A co-worker gets married.

June in Kansas City: Chris was the best man and Maya was the flower girl in Chris' best friend's wedding.

Maya ate the flowers.

July in Pittsburgh: Chris' cousin got married. Here were are with Chris' family after the ceremony.

The husband and I attended the reception sans baby.

August in Chicagoland: Missy and Dave got married. Cutest cake toppers ever.

August in North Carolina: A childhood friend gets married. This was supposed to be a beach wedding, but got moved inside/on the dock due to rain. But on the plus side, check out the rainbow!

Raise a glass to Summer 2010!

Family

Can I just take a minute to express how wonderfully awesome it is to have a family support system? Cause it is.

Maya's daycare is unexpectedly closed this week due to the recent storms. So she's staying out with my parents for most of the week, and my cousin who just graduated college and moved to the city is helping out, too. In addition to babysitting, my parents are also coming over this week to help us install our new kitchen counter tops.

This weekend, my sister and brother-in-law are babysitting Maya (along with their own two kids), while Chris and I go to a wedding.

Then, at the end of August, Chris will be out of town for work the same weekend as my triathlon. So, my mom is staying over to help out with Maya and help me get to and from the tri. This involves dropping me off downtown around 4:30 a.m.

So, allow me to restate: Family is awesome.

Quarantined

We're living primarily on the second floor of the house right now. The first floor of our house is pretty much uninhabitable for a number of reasons: the kitchen is torn up; the dining room is full of all our kitchen stuff, as well as our new cabinets; and the family room is both full of new cabinets and without power.

So, we live upstairs. And outside. Last night, we went on a 2-hour walk. Maya had dinner in the park. It's actually not so bad. Our neighborhood is so kid-friendly and walkable, and now we're actually taking the time to appreciate it. Sure beats watching prime time TV.

Still, I'm counting down the days until we no longer have to wash vegetables and baby bottles in the bathroom sink, or eat dinner in bed.

Nomads

So much has been going on lately I don't even know where to start. So, let's do this PowerPoint style, as in, lots of bullets points and an occasional visual thrown in:

• We all went to Kansas City for a wedding and then to Branson to hang with the in-laws. Missouri itself was great, but getting in and out of Chicago during tornado season was less than. Without going into the gory details, I'll just say this: Over the course of 6 days, Maya and I spent a combined total of 15 hours in airports. Fun times.

• After we got back, we stayed at our house for all of 72 hours before going to stay in the suburbs. Maya's daycare is closed this week, so we stayed at my parents' house for three nights.

• We leave again tomorrow to head to Pittsburgh for another wedding. Thankfully, this time we're driving.

• Traveling and sleeping in various cities and states over two weeks is stressful. So naturally, Chris and I decided to do what any two sane people would: remodel our kitchen. Honestly, this does make sense. Because we're spending so little time home, we're not as disrupted by the construction. But I must admit — you don't realize how much you use the kitchen sink until it's not there anymore:

Once we get back from Pittsburgh on Sunday, we have six blissful, travel-free weeks. Which should give me plenty of time to train for that triathlon I've been meaning to prepare for. Ha.

Mondays

I have tons of catching up to do on my purging project. I've actually continued to work on this, and even found someone to take some of my stuff. But I'm a bit behind in the picture-taking and posting department. Maybe tomorrow.

The little Wunder family has being running around non-stop lately. On Friday night, we went to North Center's Ribfest. Saturday was Aqua Babies. Saturday night Chris and I went to a wedding, and my cousin stayed overnight to babysit. Sunday morning, we all recovered a bit, had a big brunch, watched some soccer. Then we headed to Blues Fest to meet up with an old friend and her parents. There was also tons of errand running, cleaning and gardening going on over the weekend, too.

I'm beat. By 7 o'clock last night, I was starting to look forward to going into work today.

Honestly, I sort of love Monday mornings. Usually, I get in early before most of my co-workers. I make the coffee, log onto my computer, and just enjoy the silence for a bit.

The running around continues this weekend. On Friday, we fly down to Kansas City for a wedding. Then we're meeting up with Chris' parents in Branson for a few days. Eight days after we get back, we'll be off to Pittsburgh for yet another wedding. (We have five total this summer, three of which are out of town).

Just thinking about all this is making me tired. Time for more coffee.

Things 3, 4 & 5

Wow. I have a lot of crap. Let's start with Thing 3:

From 365 things

I got this candle from my boyfriend in high school. It's a black light candle, which is way cool when you're 15 and sit around staring at crap under a black light. Then one day you wake up and you're 30, and you realize that this has to be the ugliest candle you've ever seen. Like, seriously. Fugly.

I'm going to attempt to sell it at our yard sale, but I can't imagine anyone would actually want to own it. The only reason I've held on to it for the past 15(!) years is that I keep thinking I'll melt it down and turn it into some other, less god-awful candle. But after a decade and a half, it might be time for me to realize that I'm not going to be struck by some artsy-crafty bug anytime soon. Which brings me to Thing 4...

From 365 things

I bought this pretty blue bottle while on a winery tour around the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. I thought the color was gorgeous and vowed to use it to decorate somehow, obviously forgetting about my lack of craftiness and apartment full of other knick-knacks, like the aforementioned ugly-ass candle. But that's what happens when you make purchases after visiting six wineries. Which brings me to Thing 5...

From 365 things

It's one thing to save a gift from a high school boyfriend or a pretty blue bottle — things that have the teensiest bit of sentimental or monetary value. But it's a true sign of illness when you save some stupid string of plastic obtained for free while drinking in the name of an Americanized holiday honoring an ethnicity of which you are less than 5%.

Maybe I saved it because of the cute, little Chicago flags. Or maybe because it's from Miller Lite — my favorite cheapo beer. Or maybe because I dropped it on a shelf one St. Patrick's Day after a few drinks and never thought about it again.

I honestly don't remember when or where I got this. And for the life of me, I can't imagine why I STILL have it. To the basement dungeon you go, cheapo Chi-rish beads. And take your empty blue bottle and ugly candle friends with you.

Too much light makes the baby go to sleep

Things 3-5 will come along later today. But for now, enjoy these pics from our friend Todd's visit and Maya's second Cubs game.

Dear CTA

We both know that this has been a long-time coming. Things have changed between us. The excitement is gone. The adoration. The passion.

I think it's time we go our separate ways.

Once upon a time, our love affair was strong. You were always there for me, and I looked forward to spending every day with you. I even painted your likeness on my wall, so I'd always feel like you were close by. But over the years, that love has faded. I'm not going to say "it's not you, it's me." Because in truth, you had a big part in our demise. But I know that I've changed, too. So, let's just say we grew apart.

It all began years ago, when I made my first sacrifice for you; I sold my dear little red truck so I could spend more time with you. I don't regret that decision now. It didn't make sense then, and still doesn't make sense now, for Chris and I to live in the city and own two cars.

Back then you and I had the perfect relationship. We'd spend a half-hour together in the morning, and then again in the afternoon. I truly cherished that time every day. I loved sitting on the bus, reading a book, looking out the window at the lake, or zoning out while watching your reticular middle twist and turn. I'll never forgot that time four years ago when I was sitting in the back row of the bus on my way to work, and my mom called to tell me I had a nephew. "It's a boy?!" I cried, a little too loud on the usually silent morning commute. A few people looked at me, but you didn't judge. You were happy for me.

Although we had a great thing going then, on the home front, living in a tiny Lakeview apartment with no backyard for Rosie was getting difficult. So, Chris and I moved to Logan Square. This strained our relationship a bit. I changed bus routes, and as a result, you became less reliable. You came around less often each morning and afternoon. On the other hand, we were spending more time together, about 45 minutes each morning and afternoon. But due to your unpredictability, I started to resent that extra time spent together.

Still, we stayed together, and we were mostly exclusive. Sometimes in the summer, I'd ride my bike to and from work. But otherwise, you were my one and only mode of transportation.

But then Chris and I decided to buy a house, and we moved to North Center. Again, us moving wasn't your fault. I take full responsibility for that. But once again, the move strained our relationship. I had to change my daily commute, using both the bus and the train. And for the first time, I started to feel like you weren't there for me.

I'd start out each morning walking to the bus stop. I'd try to time my arrival with when bus tracker said you'd arrive. But bus tracker was often wrong, so I missed the bus a lot. On this new bus route, you come around even less often than my previous one. So if I missed the bus, many times another wasn't due for nearly a half hour. So, I'd walk from the bus stop to the train, which usually took about 15 minutes.

Once to the train station, usually I didn't have to wait too long for you to arrive. I will give you credit for that. On my particular line, you're usually pretty dependable. However, the amount of time we had to spend together was lengthy, about a half hour. Then after getting off the train, I had to walk the better part of a mile to get to my office. This is because you don't offer any stops on my line close to my office, nor do you offer a bus route from my line to the office. So, all together, my commute took more than hour each morning. Considering I live roughly 7 miles from work, this isn't a very efficient use of my time.

Still, STILL, I stayed with you. Granted, I did start to stray a bit more — taking a cab or driving in. But you were still my number one choice. At least until this year.

As you know, Chris and I recently became parents. And when I returned to work, we started taking our daughter to a daycare in the South Loop every day. Once again, our decision to enroll her at this particular daycare is not your fault. But the decision ultimately revealed to me just how broken, unreliable and discriminating you can be.

Because I loved you and thought you were still the best option for me and my infant daughter, I tried, repeatedly, to commute with you every day. Chris and I first tried putting the baby in a stroller and commuting in. We'd take the bus to the train, then the train downtown. But sadly, and maddeningly, you do NOT offer handicap access at the stop closest to the daycare. No handicap access means no elevators, which means no way for us to get from the train platform down to the street. Not only was this frustrating for us, but the fact that you don't even offer people in wheelchairs to access some of your stations is downright criminal.

Despite these tremendous faults, I kept trying to make the commute work. I tried putting the baby in a Bjorn, thereby removing the no-elevator issue. Although this did make getting from the train to the platform easier (although carrying the baby, my purse, and her daycare bag wasn't exactly easy), it did nothing to resolve your biggest problem — your lack of reach. Once off the train, I had to walk a half mile to the daycare. Then, after dropping her off, I had to walk that half mile again back to the train. Then, I usually had to wait at least 15 minutes for you to come around. Once you did, I'd take you to the stop closest to my office, and then had to walk another 5 or so minutes in.

All together, from the time I left my house to the time I got to work, was close to 2 hours — just for the morning commute. Then I had to do all of it, or part of it, over again in the evening. As much as I love you, I refuse to spend close to 4 hours with you every day. Sorry, I just have other needs in my life. It can't be about YOU all the time.

Chris and I have started driving in every day. Even with the construction and the traffic, we're at work within an hour, sometimes less. And that includes dropping off the baby, parking and walking to work. And, considering how many modes of transit and stops we had to use before, parking actually costs the same as you. Granted, there's the cost of gas and mileage. And there's also the environmental guilt I feel every day. But ultimately, the amount of stress relieved and amount of time saved makes up for both the economical and moral drawbacks.

This isn't goodbye forever. We can still be friends. I know we'll still see each other from time to time. Chances are, you'll still be there for me when I want to commute to and from a baseball game, or I've had too much to drink (or both). As unreliable as you are, I know you'll still be there for me then.

But our daily relationship is over for now. I hope that someday we can work things out. Maybe we'll move again to a more CTA-friendly area (but I doubt it). Or maybe you'll finally expand your reach and access (again, doubtful). Maybe we'll find some other, yet unforeseen, compromise.

At least I hope so, because I will always, ALWAYS, have feelings for you, and I know I'm going to miss you terribly.

So long for now,

Sarah

Not so healthy

Remind me never to write things like "I've been blessed with a healthy pregnancy" on my blog. Because, of course, I jinxed myself. It turns out I have gestational diabetes.

I just found out on Tuesday. I gotta admit, when I found out, I was shocked, and pissed. My initial glucose screen came back on the high side, but that screen has a high rate of false positives. My sister actually had a false positive on her screen, but after further tests, was determined to be just fine. So naturally, I assumed I'd be OK, too.

I had my second round of tests on Saturday. It involved fasting for 12 hours, then drinking this nasty sugar water and having my blood taken four times over a three-hour period. (Yeah, worst way to spend a Saturday ever.) On the bright side, as a reward for having to go through this, Chris and I went to Kuma's Corner after the test and ate mac n' cheese and giant burgers until we were literally sick to our stomachs. Unfortunately, that little indulgence turned out to be a last hurrah for me. No more pasta, fries and pretzel rolls. At least, not for the next 10 weeks.

The reason I'm pissed is because I already eat healthy. Other than the occasional indulgence like the one mentioned above, I don't eat simple carbs like pasta, white bread and white rice. We don't even have any in the house. And I rarely eat sweets. My diet pretty much consists of fish and lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, nuts and whole grains. And I exercise. And I'm not overweight. And with this new food co-op we joined, I've been eating tons of fresh kale, greens, arugula and cabbage for the past month. WTF?

I suppose this means adopting a new "diet" won't be difficult. I have an appointment tomorrow to learn about all this stuff. I'm trying to be positive, but the idea of sitting through a lecture on how I shouldn't eat ice cream, fried chicken and pizza for every meal is infuriating.

Argh. I need to stop and remember that this is temporary. Lots of people have much worse conditions, none of which were deserved. And they don't get to say goodbye to those problems 10 weeks from now. So yeah, I'm just being a brat.

Green in the city

Chris and I recently joined a farmer' cooperative food share program. Every two weeks, we get a box filled with organic produce from southern Wisconsin farms. We got our first allotment on June 17, and we're finally using up the rest of the bounty. We got:

• Asparagus
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries
• Mushrooms
• Mint
• Green Onions
• and three types of leafy greens, which we think are romaine, lettuce and arugula, but we could be wrong. For a while, I argued that one of these greens was actually swiss chard. So yeah, we have no idea what we're eating.
  

Having this stuff around the house has given us an excuse to try out all kinds of new recipes, like this cake I just made yesterday, and this potato salad I'm planning to make tonight, as well as old standbys, like the strawberry asparagus salad I insisted* Chris bring for Father's Day dinner at my parents' house.

We get our next allotment tomorrow. I can't wait to find out what's in there. The program also offers a cheese share, but most of their cheese is raw, which sadly, I'm not supposed to have while pregnant. But next summer? That cheese share will be mine.

In other veggie news, we also recently planted our first garden in our backyard. It features tomatoes, three types of peppers, cucumbers, basil, oregano, cilantro and thyme. Chris' ultimate goal was to grow everything necessary to make Greek salad. Now we just need to buy a goat.

* as you might recall, I hate asparagus, to the point that I can't even handle the smell of it cooking in our house. I know. I'm weird.