All I want for Christmas...

1. The NFC North ...check
2. A first-round bye ...check
3. Sweeping the Packers for the first time since 1991 ...check
4. A offense that can score ...it's getting there! :)

Happy Festivus...

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.
Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll?
Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born . . . a Festivus for the rest of us!
Cosmo Kramer: That must've been some kind of doll.
Frank Costanza: She was



Airing of Grievances Worksheet
Festivus Poles
Festivus Book

Hang Those Nerdaments...

We did get a Christmas tree - a lovely $10 special from Menards that is only slightly lopsided. Oh, and we had to hack about a foot-and-a-half off of it, so it ended up only being 6 feet instead of the glorious 10 foot tree I originally envisioned with the high ceilings in the entry/front room. Ah, well, there's always next year and it turned out really nice:


But that's not where the decorating ends. We had to spruce up the fireplace as well...


Yes, there are stockings up there. Yes, there is garland, and a red reindeer (we found it in front of Matt's old apartment and ended keeping it a few years ago) and yes, there are red lights. But there is more, much more, nestled deep within the faux greens you see. I think we need to take a closer look:

YES! We have a Star Wars Hallmark Nerdament. The word "ornament" just doesn't quite fit, as these splendid decorations do not just merely hang, they emit light and sound, bringing sheer delight to all those within their presence. And in case you were worried that the Star Wars Nerdament family was hogging the spotlight:

Beam me up, Scotty! Star Trek is representin'! We roughly estimate Matt has amassed a collection of about 20 of these beauties. For a long time, he would get them every year for Christmas. And yes, I did offer to have them hang on the tree, but he found it really hard to get them even attached to the strands of lights (they need power, nerd power, in order to work, you see), so it was easier to "showcase" them on our mantle.

Hey, it beats having a leg lamp!

Love that Chicken from Iowa!

First of all, welcome home to the Iowa National Guard's 224th Engineer Battalion. They returned today after spending a year in Iraq. What a wonderful holiday it will be for them and their families.


Secondly, sad news from the Iowa sports page: University of Northern Iowa Panthers reached the I-AA NCAA championship game, but alas, did not win, falling to Appalachian State...cue "Dueling Banjoes". As usual, the Register really overdid it with the headlines of "Purple Pain"...trying to be dramatic, or a sly reference to Prince's Purple Rain? Hmm...I think I'm giving them too much credit with the latter. Anyway, well done on a great season, Panthers!


Final note from here, there is a hot new restaurant in town that just opened...it's all the rage apparently. World-renowned for their deep-fried Cajun cuisine, Popeye's, the fried chicken chain has finally reached the Hawkeye state.

There were actual write-ups about it in the papers this week about how it was "worth the wait" and there were enormous lines out the door. Yikes...obviously they've never been in a Popeye's in the South Loop. Even Matt avoids Popeye's...and we're talking about someone who would regularly eat at Mr. Submarine. I must admit I'm a bit partial to Bojangles, having grown up with one down the street from me in W. Columbia. I even took Matt there on our trip out to SC so he could experience true, spicy Cajun fried chicken.

Snow Leopard Lincoln

We got about 6-7 inches of snow in the last few days. Lincoln wanted to go out and look at it (for only a few minutes), Belden wouldn't have anything to do with it. He's a photogenic fellow, isn't he?

Lincoln: Hmm...it's white and fluffy


Belden: I'll stay here and chew on the fake garland...

Oh the Sweater on Vi Looks Awful...

The first sign the holiday season is upon us here in Iowa...

The Christmas Sweater As Office Wear.

'Tis the season!

A Certain City Dat Starts Wit a "C"...

This is from Halloween 2005. Do you note the "Chicago" theme with both of our costumes? Matt as a Super Fan is a bit more apparent than mine because I look nothing like Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in that certain movie which takes place in that certain city...so, do you get it now? :) We hung out on the Court Avenue bar district that night with some people from Matt's work. Apparently, some of them left the downtown area because it was a much better "scene" on the "west side". I fail to understand how happening a scene on the "west side" can be when it's in a strip mall next to an auto glass repair shop, but then again, I'm a curmudgoney 30-year-old. :)

Oh and in case you were wondering, I did not dress the cats up in costumes, but Christmas is just around the corner...

We have a bed...

Actually, we have a *real* bed, with a full-fledged frame, not the $30 metal one with wheels they give you at the mattress store. Furniture finally arrived this week and looks great...we're adjusting to not having to split a tiny 5-drawer dresser with cat claw scratches on it, and having our furniture against the wall, instead of bunched into the middle of the room, as we kept it weeks after we painted the walls.

Regal Beast

I like to call this photo "Lincoln in Repose" as he holds court on my new ottoman...large enough for a hefty feline!


I have to include a picture of the Bel as well...please note that her baseball loyalties lie with her beloved owner. She has a sassy Cardinal red collar to match because the hat doesn't quite fit. Needless to say, Lincoln formerly sported a royal blue collar which fell apart, much like his other owner's favorite team...

Garden pics

Here are some pics of the gardens that the previous owner planted. These were taken in June, so we've enjoyed seeing new flowers appear the last few months. Other than planting some perennials in the front yard, we've been basically maintaining the current landscaping.

Another Month Bites the Dust...

I've sorely neglected this as we've been busy, busy busy! My weekends are jam-packed full of projects.

We're both into our second months at our jobs which are going well. I have more than enough home-improvement magazines to keep me busy and inspired. Right now my latest project is building a headboard for the non-existent queen size bed we are going to eventually put in the guest room. I have an image of guests parking their aero-beds under the headboard I'm working on. Mattress and box spring are on the list of furniture to buy.

Speaking of furniture, we've hit the jackpot with it in the past month. We purchased a bedroom set, dining room set, armoire (French for "fancy TV stand"), and this darling couch, ottoman and oversized chair set for the front room. We're set - other than getting a couple mattresses for the guest rooms...NO MORE! We are quite anxious to get the bedroom stuff, as it was supposed to arrive in 3-5 weeks, it's seven weeks now and it may take another week to get here. Our room is in eternal painting mode, as we painted the MB about a month ago and are too lazy to move the furniture back, figuring we'll have to move it out anyway when the new stuff arrives. In honor of that, here is a picture of our bedroom in its current unkempt state:



Note what is sitting on the nightstand - our obect d'art:



The tin of Kodiak adds a certain touch of class to the picture, no? I have to find the perfect place to put the frogs on of these days...
And the Link-ster, we both swear that he has lost a few pounds - he's looking more spry and is definitely a happy fellow. It's been hellishly hot out the past two weeks, so he and the Bel have been waiting until we get home to go out in the evening when it cools off.

Been Awhile...

We moved into our house May 6 and it's been four weeks now. We are gradually painting and making small tweaks here and there. I need to write out a master list of projects to start planning and tackling.

We both started our jobs and I am now fully integrated back into Corporate America, armed with my red Swingline stapler to tackle TPS reports that come my way.

I will start posting some pictures of the "before" and "after" work we've done on the house as it progresses.

The cats are doing well, love exploring the deck and watching (but not preying upon) the birds.

How Could I Forget???

Best thing about moving here:

St. Louis Cardinals Baseball!!!

We get Fox Sports Midwest instead of FS Chicago!

It was a minor controversy here a few weeks ago when announced that the cable company was going to carry the Card games instead of Cubs games. After years of enduring Chip Carey on WGN I finally feel vindicated. My husband the Cub fan is amused to say the least. Iowa is really strange when it comes to baseball, Cub fans are the majority, due to location and the I-Cubs, but there are plenty of Twins, Royals and Card fans here as well.

Welcome to "Heaven"

We're here...we've made it, and have survived two weeks in Iowa. West Des Moines, Iowa, to be exact. Within a week's time we went house hunting, found the perfect place, put an offer on it and are closing the first week of May.

WOW...we're still in a bit of shock over how quickly it's happened!

The cats managed quite well on the trip from Chicago. They were in the backseat and pretty much stayed put the entire time. We stopped twice along the way, they were pretty calm and even slept a bit. Now they are adjusting to a less urban lifestyle along with their owners. I'll have to get a scale and start weighing Lincoln on a weekly basis, but he and Belden are doing well.

In honor of our move, I'm putting together a quick list of what I miss about Chicago and what I like about Iowa...

What I miss:
Taking a 5 minute trip to Walgreens...it's never 5 mintues, it's always 30 minutes or more to get in the car, drive, park, etc. I have been so used to walking everywhere and planning my trips around short jaunts around the corner this is new for me. There are Walgreens here and it is vaugely comforting to roam around the store, having memorized the basic Walgreens layout from being in the city...takes me back to Chicago in an instant! I know exactly where to find everything.

Restaurants open later. If you don't get out by 8 p.m. on a Friday or Saturday, you are going to be hard-pressed to find places that serve after 9 p.m. We like to dine later on the weekends and would frequently go out for dinner around 10 or so...not really an option anymore!

St. Clement's - our old church. I attended services there for over 5 years and it was far and away the best Catholic church I have ever belonged to. We were married there, my husband was confirmed there, and we had hoped to have our first child baptized there. A wonderful church, well run and cared for with excellent people. We'll be sure to stop there when we're in Chicago to catch a Mass every now and then.

Working in the Loop. OK, my favorite part of my day would be getting off the CTA bus at Clark and Lake in the morning to walk to the office. I never got tired of looking at the buildings, the people, the bustle of the street. Usually there would be a stiff breeze of cool morning air hitting me as I stepped off the bus, I'd feel anticipation and excitement for the day ahead and mentally note tasks that needed to be accomplished first thing. Of course, the requisite trip to Starbucks was always top on my list for a tall coffee, and this leads me to another thing...

Lack of Starbucks! In the past few years, Starbucks has managed to infiltrate the greater Des Moines area, but they are still few and far between. I've been drinking my mom's Folger's for the past two weeks...

What I do like:

Space, space and more space! Lots of land everywhere! While there is quite the "unchecked urban sprawl" going on in WDM, it's amazing that within 10 minutes you can find yourself out in the country on a gravel road. Very nice!

Parking...No more "Brian & Michael's Towing" signs. Anyone who has lived in Chicago has seen those towing service signs. Plus "Das Boot" as in Denver, is no more!

No Daleys Here. OK, I don't hate "Da Mare", I found him amusing and fascinating at the same time, and he did manage to get stuff done in the city. Des Moines' mayoral foibles cannot possibly compare...and that's a good thing!

Weighty Matters

I want to start a weekly weigh-in of Lincoln to see how his weight is doing, but as we are moving on Monday, it may take a couple days to get that set up. We're moving to the Des Moines, Iowa area, where my family lives. It will be a big change, but hopefully a great opportunity for us.

I've enjoyed living in Chicago the past 12 years, having gone to DePaul University and then working here in the city. But, both my husband and I turned 30 this year, and we find ourselves wanting to start a family and settle down. Iowa is an ideal place to "raise a family" as they say. I will miss the 3 Indian restaurants within a block of our apartment though...

Moving the cats will be quite an experience, I will drive our car with the two of them in the back, and my husband will drive the moving truck. All I can do is hope the ride will be smooth!

Before and Now...

People ask me how long it took Lincoln to get to his current size. I'd have to say over a year and a half. He just started gradually gaining weight until we realized that he had a serious weight problem.

Within a year of having both cats we realized that we needed to try to do something to get his weight down. Several unsuccessful attempts later, I begged our vet to prescribe food for him. He was pretty unresponsive about it, and said that we needed to accept his weight the way it was. Finally, when I took Belden in for a routine check-up, I mentioned to the vet (different vet, same clinic) about Lincoln and his weight problem. He said he could prescribe the special diet food for Belden since she was a little chunky (not too bad, her weight has stayed the same) and we could get it for both of them. Within a month of putting both cats on the diet food we noticed Lincoln's weight went down to 30 from a high of 34 pounds.

Here are a couple pictures to illustrate how he looked:

Lincoln and Belden in April 2002 (15 lbs.):
(Belden is gray, Lincoln is buff colored)


Another shot:


Lincoln in February 2005 (30 lbs.):


Another shot:

Lincoln's Weight Gain

Lincoln was always a big cat - not chubby, but muscular and long. My husband spotted him at the shelter (named "Toby" at that time) and insisted we take a look at him. I had already picked on cat - Belden - and since he had driven me down to the shelter I felt obliged to take a look at the cat he found.

Toby/Lincoln was a big old tom who was approximately 3 years old at the time. He had been neutered upon arriving at the shelter and we did not get any information on where he came from and why he was taken there. A striking fellow, he had blue eyes and was a cream/gray striped. Kind of a Siamese/Tabby mix. He seemed friendly enough and sniffed gently at Leokadia/Belden, who I was holding.

"OK, let's get him," I said, feeling like I was being fair since he HAD driven car-less me to the shelter.

After some inital fighting, the cats became fast friends. I took them to the vet to get checked out and at the time Belden weighed 12 pounds and Lincoln was 14.5. They received the first round of vaccines, and had to go back six weeks later for the second round. Then again at the vet they were weighed - B was still at 12, L was at 16! I asked the vet if it was possible for a cat to gain a pound and a half in six weeks and he replied that they must not have weighed him properly the first time. Hmmm...interesting!

Flash forward to November 2003. Lincoln was having problems urinating one night. Concerned, I took him to the emergency vet office with my brother around midnight. The vet found that it was most likely a urinary tract infection. There she also weighed him...and he was at 31 pounds!!!

Some more background: I had noticed over the past year and a half that he had been steadily gaining weight, while B was the same. Concerned, I tried a variety of techniques, all compounded by the fact we had another cat to feed as well. We tried moving Belden's bowl to a higher ledge where she could jump up and eat. Of course, being a little sneak, she would try to eat out of L's bowl on the floor. It got to the point where he started sitting in front of his dish guarding it from B and then urinating in front of it to keep her away from it.

My usual vet basically told me to "accept that he would be that big". Hmmm...

Introducing Lincoln...

When I tell people that we have a 30-pound cat, I get incredulous stares and exclamations of surprise. Then follwed by requests to see actual pictures of said cat.

I first met Lincoln in late April 2002. My roomate and sister was getting married at the end of May and I was moving into a new 1 bedroom apartment and living by myself for the first time ever. I found out that the landlord allowed cats, and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to adopt a pair of cats for some companionship.

Conning my husband, who was my boyfried at the time, that I just wanted to "check out" an animal shelter, we headed down to the city-run shelter in Chicago. We came back with two cats, one of them, named Toby at the shelter, would then be named Lincoln. Not in honor of the president, but Lincoln Avenue, one of the streets I lived right off of in the city. Lincoln was a 3 year old male, cream and grey striped tabby mix with blue eyes.

Joining Lincoln was Leokadia, which is quite possibly the worst name ever for a cat. Leokadia was a 4 year old gray female with green eyes. She was promptly renamed Belden, after Belden Avenue, the other street that intersected with Lincoln Avenue where I lived.

Lincoln and Belden came from separate homes with different owners/situations. It would be interesting to see how they would interact with each other.