On the Go

Nathan and I are taking our first trip without The Targo. We're just taking the Amtrak and it's only a 3 hour ride, but GAHH!! I'm so hoping it goes okay.


One of the first things I learned after I became a mom was the importance of flexibility. The Targo and I pride ourselves in this. We don't have crazy expectations for Nathan. We know that as a one year old, he cannot sit still in a restaurant for an hour and a half while we catch up with friends. So, if we're going someplace that requires this, we'll get a sitter. We try to only take him out to eat at places and times where people won't glare at him for being a child. We've also come to understand that we probably won't make it through an entire event - no matter what it is.


Why do I bring this up? Well, I think it's important to let kids be kids. Nothing is more enjoyable to me than watching Nathan run around, behaving like a little boy. It's so much fun! Although, The Targo and are fully aware that he's the loudest child at the park. It's okay.


So, when we're on the train tomorrow, I have to remember that he's only one. He's not five or eight or ten years old. He's not going to want to sit still for three hours. And it's possible that he'll be louder than socially acceptable a time or two. And maybe, just maybe, people will glare. But that's okay. He's a child, a happy, funny, active child. I'm going to make sure he's not running through the train, throwing things (including tantrums), but I'm not expecting a miracle.

Mizz-OOO-Rah!

Our cats are packed and ready to go to their vacation home in the burbs. The baby, well, I'd like to think he's excited about meeting all of my St. Louis friends. Alright, I'm totally projecting.

We are going to the Cardinals game on Friday night, so watch for us on TV. HAHAHA ... I tell people that every time - and so far, nada. On Friday, we're going to a friend's band play. Fortunately, it's a family-friendly outdoor venue, otherwise we couldn't go. I'm hoping that we'll be able to have an easy-going meal with some close friends on Sunday. And then it's back to the hustle-bustle-grind.

What are you doing this weekend?

A Forgotten Story

I'm totally not one of those people who feels the need to make fun of others a lot. Well, except for my pal Nogy and The Targo. But seriously, spend five minutes with these people and you won't be able to help yourself either.

Anyhoo...

The Scene: A beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Our couple is minding their own business, watching the water. An American couple is about 15 feet away, stage left. Behind them sits a European couple.

American Man to the super-beautiful European woman: So, we're from the U.S. - Massachusetts. Where are you two from?

European woman: We're Belgians.

American Man: Oh really! I've always wanted to go to Holland, or "the Netherlands." It must be so nice there.

Me, stage-whispering: And that's a whole other country. Omigod!

Slideshow at My Place! -- Catholicism and Relaxation

Forgive the formatting. Internet Explorer is so not cooperating with me!

*Meow* (Italian cats doing whatever it is they do in Sorrento)







So, after The Targo and I tired (hah! -- as if! We're such nerds) of ancient ruins, we journeyed to the Vatican. It was too hot and I was entirely too whiny to stand in a three-hour line for the Vatican Museum, so we went into St. Peter's Basilica instead. I have never seen anything so ornate. (These pictures - without flash - don't do it justice.) The procession bottle-necked at the tomb of Pope John Paul II. There were people from at least a dozen different countries saying prayers, leaving flowers, and beseeching. It was pretty moving. (Even if you're not Catholic, I would recommend a visit, just for the historical aspects.)

After we got through the Basilica, we waited in line (only an hour this time) to get into the Vatican Museum. Honestly, but for the Sistine Chapel, I would have skipped this. It was so hot and we had these three people behind us who talked loudly, non-stop, in Espanol the.entire.time. It was like the worst static you could imagine. (Okay - imagine you're me and you're tired, cranky and roasting. Maybe that will help.) And also, they kept trying to be line cutters. I, however, was all about protecting the integrity of the line!! So, the museum was fine. The Targo and I were both a little spent by then. But the exhibits were pretty stunning. After winding through four miles of the museum, we got to the Sistine Chapel. It was so much more than pictures could ever demonstrate. Especially this picture, because it was illicit. Shh-- don't tell.

Inside St. Peter's. A fuzzy snapshot of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.





















----I loved Rome! It was an insane, bustling city. It was filthy (especially after Chicago), but the people were so dynamic and pretty. And the food! LOVE!----

On Wednesday, we went down to the Amalfi Coast. I cannot encourage you enough to visit the coast. Don't bother stopping at Naples -- just keep cruising through -- it's an industrial city with 30 percent unemployment. But it's set in one of the most picturesque places you could imagine.

We stayed in Sorrento for two days. Sorrento is known for its shopping and lemon grove. It was a gorgeous city of 20,000 citizens right on the Gulf of Naples.

A view of Mount Vesuvius from Sorrento. And our super cute loft-style hotel room.

















Two dorky Americans on a beach on the Amalfi Coast.

Unfortunately, there's no real beach in Sorrento, so we decided to take the bus to Positano, a tiny cliff-side village. (The bus ride was HELL! I'm not exaggerating. It was up a cliff along skinny roads, with people passing during blind turns. Omigosh, my blood pressure is rising just thinking about it.) It's a resort town, really. All the shops are ridiculously expensive, but the window shopping was great. And the beach... so pretty. And no... I didn't take my sunglasses off the entire trip. The future's bright, y'all.

Slideshow at My Place! -- Ancient Ruins Edition

Appian Way - ancient road with awesome catacombs.

Vacation photos? Are you people sure you want to see them? Crazies, I say! I keep meaning to set up a Flickr account, so I can just link there. But really, it would be 1,000 cat photos, so I'm not sure anyone would be interested.

I can't remember if I mentioned our itinerary or not, but we spent 5 nights in Rome, went down to Sorrento (Amalfi Coast) for two nights, and spent one more night in Rome. Our first Roman hotel was just a block and a half away from the Colosseum, so we spent a lot of time taking photos there. (I think if you click on the pictures, they'll enlarge nicely.)

The first couple of days we spent going to ancient ruins in Rome. We went to the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Palatine Hills and the Forum, and the Appian Way. While at the Appian Way, we visited the catacombs at St. Sebastian. The tomb of St. Cecilia of Matella is in the depths of the catacombs. It is an incredibly moving monument! Also, the tour was given by a priest, which somehow made it cooler. There are also bikes that you can rent at the Appian Way, but of course, we didn't do that. It would have been a really cool way to tour the ancient road. I thought one of the most amazing things about Rome is that you didn't have to make an effort to see any of the ancient sites. They were just right.there. So cool!

Our biggest reason for going to the Amalfi Coast was touring the ancient city of Pompeii. It is amazing how well preserved it is. The roads are still usable (well, walkable), there are paintings still intact, and one of the homes of a wealthier citizen looks like it could still be lived in. It's really quite stunning. Um yeah... enough babbling; on with the pictures. Please note that The Targo took most of the pictures and he appears on this website entirely without his permission. :)

"What makes you think I'm American?" -- The Targo in front of the Colosseum

Colosseum at sunset

Inside the Colosseum

A view of the Forum from Palatine Hill

At the Forum

The Pantheon -- Can you believe this building is 2,000 years old?

Inside the Pantheon ... according to my sundial, it was about 2:45

Pompeii with Mount Vesuvius looming

"Quick! Take the picture before it erupts!" -- The Targo just outside of Pompeii
with Mount Vesuvius in the background

Am Back... Am Tired

We're back! (Picture by The Targo and his outstretched arm... at Pompeii! My hair was still wet, because I'm a dork.)

It was an awesome trip. The long flights (9 hours + 2.5 hour connection, plus 1 hour train ride on the way there;1 hour train ride + 10 hours + 1 hour connection + 1 hour in Chicago traffic on the way home) sucked. Me feet and legs feel like they're part of someone else's body. But - we had an amazing time and my cats were happy to see me. Okay, Magic was happy to see me.

I'll post a couple pictures later (I'm trying to find the least boring ones), but I wanted to give you my quick list of the things I learned while in Italy:

10. Italian is (obviously) a lot like Spanish and it's really easy to slip up and use Spanish instead. The Italians? Will look at you like you're crazy and walk away.

9. An Extra-Large (cheap/tourist) t-shirt in Italy is about the size of a large here. And after you wash it, it will fit your small dog. Think Shiba Inu.

8. Street numbers in Italy make no sense. After living in a grid city for the past 8 years, it's hard to understand how 176 could be right across the street from 47.

7. Italian breakfast = sugar. Lots and lots of sugar.

6. Italian women have really amazing bras.

5. Roman men and women have beautiful skin.

4. I really don't think I could get tired of pizza. And also, the more hole-in-the-wall the pizza place, the better the food.

3. Despite once paying 5 Euro for a 20 oz. Sprite, we still ordered pop (or whatever you all call it) at restaurants. I know! The lesson I learned here is wine be cheap (often 2-7 Euro) and bibiti (soft drinks) are WAY FREAKING MARKED UP for the American crowds.

2. No one would ever mistake The Targo and me for anything but Americanos. It might have been the backpacks and sneakers, or that we look like mutts. We're not sure.

1. Just because the Vatican asks you to cover your shoulders before entering, doesn't mean you have to cover your belly or your cleavage. What the heck - let it all hang out, baby. MY WORD!

A Conversation: Chilling at the Colleseum

Me: Hey Targo, want a piece of gum?

The Targo: No. I hate gum. I think it should be banned, like in Singapore. That's one thing Singapore got right!

Me: What? Are you crazy? What's wrong with gum? It freshens your breath. It can prevent cavities. What's wrong with gum?!

The Targo: It gets everywhere. It's always stuck to tables, on the ground... and look there's some on this bench.

Me: It's not the gum's fault; it doesn't stick itself. People stick gum.

The Targo: Okay, now you just sound like the NRA.

Babymoon

Bongiorno!

Tomorrow morning, The Targo and I leave for Italy. Check that, we leave for New York to catch a plane to Italy. We planned this trip around getting pregnant. We figured if I got pregnant right away (ahem) that this would be the latest we could go. If I didn't get pregnant right away, well, it wouldn't matter. So, this is our "babymoon." The last hurrah before we can never travel again (Targo's doom-and-gloom prophecy, not mine). We'll spend the first leg of our trip in Rome, then go to the Amalfi Coast for a couple of days, and back to Rome for one more night. I. Am. SO. Freaking. Out. In both good and bad ways.

Things I'm excited about:

• Walking on 2,000 year old roads
• Seeing the Eternal City
• Exploring underground Rome
• Chilling on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea
• EATING. LOTS.
• Gelato (that should probably fit into the above bullet point) ... Un gelato, per favore.
• Not being in Chicago when the Cubs clinch the National League Central (sorry, K-Bella)

Things I'm SO NOT excited about:

• Nine hours on a plane
• Leaving Chicago on Thursday morning and arriving in Rome on Friday morning
• Jet lag
• Stiff legs
• Targo falling asleep on the plane and being all ready to go when we get to Italy, when I won't have slept more than an hour or two
• Wondering if I'm going to get sick from the water or food (I have a very sissy tummy)
• Did I mention NINE SOLID HOURS on a plane? How do people go to the South Pacific? I would go insane.

I've never been across the pond, so I'm pretty excited. And The Targo and I travel similarly: We like to see as much as we can and have little down time. Due to Peanut, we felt compelled to plan the two days on the Amalfi Coast as rest and relaxation time, but of course we're going to see Pompeii and other touristy stuff while we're there.

*EDIT* I feel the need to mention this is our last hurrah with the graduate student discount. The Targo is just about done with his dissertation... and well, my PhD is on a serious hiatus. We don't speak of that. I'll miss you guys!

So, interwebs, be good and have a great couple of weeks. Ciao!

Of Technology and Nothing to Say

Um.

So, not too much is going on here. The Targo and I had our ultrasound appointment on Friday and it was amazing. Seeing Peanut, live and in black and white, was very cool. We've already decided that, like his/her father, Peanut is not a morning person. The ultrasound tech had to shake my belly (which did not feel so awesome) repeatedly to get Peanut to move. But, we got a couple "cute" pictures.

What? Oh, why are there no pictures posted? Well, it's not just that I worried about them freaking people out (like my poor friend, Nogy), but also that we can't find the cord to our scanner. It might be in the same box as my internal monologue, which is still MIA. The important thing is that everything looks good, and despite all of my weird dreams, I am not pregnant with a cat.

After our appointment, we left for Wisconsin. The weekend itself was uneventful, but we had a great time. The Targo's aunt and uncle could not be nicer people. They spoiled us rotten with home cooked meals, great conversation, and a ride on their pontoon boat. I didn't want to come home.

Aside from my slight homicidal tendencies at work (and really, I'm not going to go postal, it's just been chaotic, stupid, and busy.), not much else is shaking. After such a nice weekend, you'd think I'd be all refreshed and stuff. Meh. But, I hope you kids had a great weekend too!

On The Road Again

Aunt B & Uncle B's house. Photo by The Targo.

The Targo and I have an exciting day planned. In about 10 minutes, we're leaving to get our first ultrasound. I'm excited, but nervous. Remember I told you about how all things childbirth used to creep me out? Also, because everything has been going so easy (again with the gloating), this makes it for really real. Gasp. But I'm sure everything is fine.

I'm also sort of on the fence about posting any "pictures", because is that weird? It's just a 2D ultrasound, not the newfangled 3D/4D ultrasounds. But, still. If I was patient enough to figure out how to do the fold in a post ... well, then I'd do it. Maybe.

After our appointment, we're jumping back into the Civic and cruising for SIX and a HALF HOURS to northern Wisconsin. The Targo's auntie has a house on a lake up there. What does that mean? I hope it means that we'll do more this weekend than staring at each other. I do think one of the detriments to becoming an urbanite is that you're used to stimulation, like, all the time. I like to be entertained. Sitting quietly holds very little allure for me. On the other hand, I love Aunt B and Uncle B. They're great. And we're they're favorites. I guess that should count for something.

Have a great weekend, gang. Catch you on the flip side!

Meet Me in St. Louis

As I mentioned - a bazillion times - The Targo and I had a "college reunion" of sorts in St. Louis this weekend. I met up with three of my girlfriends and two of my best guy friends. There were some super cute babies and significant others in there too.

We got into STL around 1:00 on Saturday afternoon and hung out with my friend Chris and her husband. They have an adorable nine-month old who is just now crawling around. Or as Chris had said, he's just mobile enough to chase their cats. That night, we attended my first Cardinals game at the new Busch Stadium. Somehow, I bought us "Standing Room Only" tickets without realizing it. The five of us (Chris, her husband, Nogy, The Targo and I) are such ridiculous rule followers, we had to have a war room session to figure out a place to sit. There were section attendants everywhere. We had a theory that if we strolled confidently into a section, we'd be able to take a seat, but we were all too chicken to do it. What were they going to do - shame us? Eventually Chris said "follow me... at an inconspicuous distance. No! Don't look so suspicious."

After the game, The Targo, Nogy and I did what everyone imagines they're going to do on vacation: We ate potato skins at TGI Friday's. Because we're that cool. When you'd be out sipping a Mojito, the three of us are asking for more dipping sauce for our cliche appetizers. We're just that lame.

On Sunday, Chris and her husband hosted a grown-up brunch. I guess that's what you do when you own your own place. And you're a grown up. One of our buddies from college came and brought his one-year old niece. The babies played and it was quite fun. Eventually, because we're all old, we had to leave for nap time. No really, Nogy and I wanted to check out the rooftop pool at our hotel. I wish Southern Illinois didn't look like hell because it could have been an awesome view. I admit I'm spoiled by my skyline.

We met up with our friend Julie and her fiance later for dinner. They're getting married in November and I'm going to be Julie's matron (ugly ugly word) of honor. At 8 months pregnant. Rock. We had fabulous Mexican food for dinner (which Peanut loves) and frozen custard for dessert (which I love). Later that night, The Targo, Nogy and I went to Laclede's Landing ("The Landing"). And rah! There was a blues festival going on. I heart blues music. And dudes, it was free. I really loves that.

Nogy and The Targo singing the blues... and making that "where the heck is the camera?" face.

The next day was super low key and The Targo, Nogy and I just meandered around St. Louis. This was probably the most chill weekend away I've had in the past year. Every other time I've gone out of town, it seems like some sort of crisis was occurring. But this was just about friends, family, and fun. I can't wait to see all of these insane monkeys again.

Another cool thing that happened this weekend is that I almost met up with Lani from The Wooden Porch. Unfortunately it didn't work out, but we talked on the phone for a while. Seriously, she's so sweet!

Two dorks on the roof deck. There's not much else to say, except how FAT is my face? Gah!

Daydreamin' of the Weekend

Are you all excited for the three-day weekend? Yay! Me too.


One of my crazy Californian aunts is flying into Chicago tonight. I'm going pick her up at the airport and she is taking The Targo and me out to dinner. The Targo will love this because ah) his frugal nature doesn't mind when other people spend money on us, and buh) my aunt thinks he's the cat's pajamas and will spend the evening telling him how wonderful he is.


On Friday, we have to pack the kitty cats up and take them to The Targo's parents' house because we're heading down to St. Louis on Saturday morning. Rah! I haven't seen most of the lunatics down there since our big 30th birthday bash. And, there have been three babies born since then. Omigah. I'm not sure what's on our agenda other than a baseball game on Saturday night, but it should be fun. (Go Cardinals! Sorry Kristabella.)

It's going to be a fun group of about 6 of my old college friends, their significant others, and a couple of babies. Do any of you St. Louisans have any good ideas of St. Louis-y eating spots that will be good for us? I might have to indulge in some Toasted Ravioli, because it's been YEARS!

PS - Amalah has a perrrty redesign going on. I heart pink and green.

Oh Happy Day!

I have officially planned my own birthday party. Um, again. This year, I will be heading to the Washington DC area to visit my dearest Amy!

Amy and I have been friends from way back... since 1997! She and I moved to Chicago together as sweet, naive PhD students... then leaned on each other when grad school ate us alive. She's seriously one of the best people I've ever met. Don't take my word for it - look at her cute face. (This picture is from the Targo's and my fiesta in February. The bald Korean is our friend Phil, singin' karaoke... and that's Amy to the side. Don't you just love her? And, oh yes, that's my chunky self in the fancy dress. No makeup, no jewelry, no shoes. That's how I play.)

What was I talking about? Oh! DC! So, yeah... For my birthday, I'll be crashing on Amy's couch and playing with her baby boy - who will be 10 months old then... good Lord. I can't believe it's taken me so long to meet the little guy, but I'm so excited.

Happy day to you too!