Happy New Year!

Just wanted to do a quick post to say Happy New Year to everyone! Here's to a happy, healthy and fun-filled 2009 for you all. And now it's time to start thinking of some resolutions...

Holiday Fun

We hope all of you had a nice Christmas, whether you were celebrating traditionally or doing the movie and Chinese food thing like us. We've had a great couple of days off to just enjoy some time together and with friends.

On Christmas Eve we headed over to Tom and Kristin's to help them celebrate Christmas Eve. Since they are couch-bound this year, they weren't able to get home to see their families. So we tried to substitute as best as we could. We ordered in dinner from Angelina and it was really yummy food. And then we just hung out and got a chance to catch up, check out the progress they've made on their nursery and admire all their pretty Christmas decorations. I love Christmas decorations. I always tell Jody it's a good thing it's not our holiday because I'd probably spend way too much money on whatever decorations I could get my hands on. It works out best to just admire our friends' decor.

On Christmas, we did our usual Christmas tradition of going to a movie and getting Chinese food. We saw "Slumdog Millionaire," and it was an awesome movie. The way the whole story unfolded was really neat and the movie was so well done. It's a bit of a tearjerker, but what isn't these days? I mean, I'm tearing up at just about everything I see or read lately. Jody was completely dry-eyed in the movie.

We also got a chance to introduce Charlie to one of our favorite dogs: Hire's dog Lafawnduh. We love Lafawnduh. She's an adorable blood hound and has such a funny little personality. We really thought she and Charlie would hit it off. But, Charlie was being so annoying and wouldn't stop barking at her to get her to play with him. Lafawnduh was way too mature for Charlie and just kept her cool as Charlie tried everything he could to get her to play. They finally got to run around and play a bit in the park, but as soon as they were back inside Charlie was back to his loud barky, still-a-puppy self. Poor Lafawnduh may never come back to visit!

All in all, it's been a great way to celebrate the end of the year and the whole holiday season. Hope you're all having fun with friends and family, too!

Happy Pooch

Charlie got in on the Chanukah celebrations tonight with his new blue-and-white Chanukah toy. He loved it so much that his eyes went totally possessed in these shots...still pretty darn cute, though.

It starts with a game of tug-of-war with Jody...an all-time favorite.

Success. Overpowering Jody...at least on the rug. The wood floor is another story.
Time to roll around and figure out how to tear this thing apart.
Back to assumed evening position...keeping the new toy close at all times, of course.

Happy Chanukah

Tonight is the first night of Chanukah. It's always fun when Chanukah comes in the same week as Christmas. With it being so ridiculously freezing outside today, I can't think of a better thing to do tonight than celebrate, light some candles and stay inside! Hope you are all staying warm and to those of you celebrating tonight and for the next 8 nights, have a very Happy Chanukah!

Is This Nesting?

So last weekend it hit us that we have really done nothing to prepare for the baby in terms of getting the room ready and whatnot. We hadn't started started shopping, researching, etc. until last weekend. Yes, a lot of that is superstition on my part, but with the countdown on it's probably time to plan, right? After brunch last weekend with the Stierwalts, Steve and Jeremy, Catherine, and Tom, some panic definitely started to creep in. I think it started when Tom was talking about how he and Kristin had already ordered several cribs only to have their orders cancelled--and they started ordering in October. (BTW, they're due within a week of us.) At that point I was convinced our child was going to have to sleep in a laundry basket. Thus, the panic.

Later on as I explained to Beth my newfound realization that we are so not prepared, she said that I must be hitting the nesting phase. No way, she couldn't be right. This is nesting? I mean, the word "nesting" sounds all warm and fuzzy. Uh, not so much. In reality, apparently nesting is comprised of panic, insomnia and fatigue. I feel so misled.

Luckily, Jody and I are feeling a bit better now. We've both been doing Internet research, reading "Baby Bargains," talking to friends and realizing that if we don't have everything all set before Baby Schwartz comes, we'll survive. Plus, we're going to hit the 'burbs this weekend to see how this shopping thing goes. I'm dreading the Babies R Us experience, but I guess it's just another pre-baby right of passage. And don't worry, the whole laundry basket idea has been shelved. We have a pac-n-play from my parents already that can tide us over if all else fails.

A Little Self-Promotion

Since people are often asking me what kind of thing I'm writing these days, I figured I could start posting some of my stories up here for anyone who's interested in reading them. That gives me a chance for a some shameless self-promotion and gives you all a chance to waste even more time on the Internet. Your welcome.

This year was a slower year for me than last year, partially by my own choice and partially because the economy sucks. So, this year the majority of my work came from several business-to-business magazines and all of the work I do as the Managing Editor of Nurses Lounge magazine. But, I'll try to just post some human interest stuff and some niche articles that may interest some of you.

For now, here is an article that is in the December issue of Today's Chicago Woman. Click on this link to get to the story:
http://www.tcwmag.com/interviews.aspx?interviewID=56

This was a really tough piece to write because it is such a tragic story about a young woman facing ovarian cancer. But, when I met Kelly at a Starbucks in the Gold Coast for the interview, I was struck first of all by how much she looked like Reese Witherspoon and how young she was. Then she just totally blew me away with her positive attitude and outlook on all of this. In the end, I was really happy to get to tell Kelly's story and spread the word for her.

Bump Watch

We're officially into the last quarter, hitting 30 weeks this weekend! I'm still feeling pretty good, just a bit more tired and a lot more chubby. Jody's been awesome at helping me out as I lose steam and find it harder and harder to get up from sitting or laying position!

I haven't posted belly pictures through this, mostly because I just never really felt that whole glowy pregnant thing. But, we have been taking the pictures, and people have been asking. So, here goes: bump shots of the last two months. 23 weeks (top) vs. 30 weeks (bottom):

Ron Santo for the Hall of Fame

I can't imagine that there is a bigger Cubs fan on the planet than Ron Santo, so maybe I am biased. Anyone who has listened to one of his radio broadcasts will confirm that the man must bleed Cubbie blue. What ever he may lack in broadcasting acumen, he more than makes up for in enthusiasm.

This week, Ron Santo was denied entrance to the Hall of Fame (HOF) by the Veteran’s committee. The former Cubs third baseman led the balloting by the Veterans Committee but still fell nine shy of gaining the necessary 75 percent of the votes by the 64 living Hall of Famers. Santo received 39 votes, or 61 percent. No one on the ballot came close to getting in, the fourth straight time the Veterans Committee has failed to elect a member.

Santo makes perfect sense to me here in the Tribune: "Everybody felt this was my year," he said. "I felt it. I thought it was gonna happen, and when it didn't … what really upset me was nobody got in again. It just doesn't make sense. It'll be eight years now that they've voted and not let anybody in. And personally, I feel like there's a lot of guys that should've been in, not just me."

I agree with Santo, what is the point of the Veteran's Committee, if they never act?

Rick Morissey of the Tribune take is a good one. He wrote: "It's the question we Santo-ites have asked ourselves for years, and it's the question we were asking Monday when he again was denied entry into the Hall of Fame. This is not about our eyesight.

We see a player who was a great player during the 1960s and into the '70s. Santo hit .277 with 342 home runs, knocked in 1,331 runs, was a nine-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves.

No, our eyes are fine. This is about the eyes of the 64 members of the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. Santo received 60.9 percent of the ballots cast. He needed at least 75 percent.

Is there an optometrist in the house?

And no, this isn't a matter of having our heads in the sand behind third base either. We've asked for the facts to be given to us straight. We've looked them in the face. This isn't a sentimental journey. Think what you want about Santo as a Cubs broadcaster, but separate it from his playing career. During one of the best eras for pitching in baseball history, he distinguished himself against the likes of Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal, Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver."

So it's simple to me. On a list of deserving candidates for the HOF, Santo is alone at the very top of the list. I realize the HOF is supposed to be exclusive, but, at what price? Santo has earned the HOF on his career numbers alone, without a boost from his broadcast contributions.

I agree with Santo whole heartedly: "It wasn't going to change my life," Santo said. "I'm OK. But I know I've earned it."

So here’s to the crusade that will culminate in 2 years. Ron Santo - HoF 2010, Ron Santo HoF 2010, Ron Santo - HoF 2010.

Graham Update

One of the highlights of the Thanksgiving trip was that I finally got my chocolate covered graham cookies! Thanks to Christine for recommending the Starbucks cookies to tide me over. They were really good and chocolately, but just not quite the same as my childhood favorite.

After hitting tons of different stores in Chicago and searching the Web, I had pretty much given up hope on finding these. But, when we got to my parents' house on Wednesday night, my mom was all excited and took us up to the guest room where she had four bags of Keebler Fudge Shoppe Deluxe Grahams waiting for me. Fist bumps all around!

After I told my mom about this craving, she too joined the search mission for the elusive cookies. She just didn't tell me that she eventually found them at one of her local Ann Arbor grocers. Although I gave one bag to Lisa and accidentally left one bag in my parents' pantry, I still have two big bags that should last me the rest of the pregnancy.

Aren't moms the best?! Thanks, Mom!

Ann Arbor Thanksgiving

We had a great time up in Ann Arbor for Thanksgiving this year. My parents had a full house with us and Charlie, Josh, and Lisa and her fam. It was so relaxing and so much fun. I swear, my parents' house is one of the only places where I can truly unwind. I love going there.

We had a great turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, and we also finally celebrated my dad's 60th birthday with all of us together. We were supposed to all come in for it in January, but Lisa was too pregnant and Josh couldn't get away, so we had to wait until now. At least we squeezed it in before his 61st!

We then spent the rest of the weekend eating, walking, playing with the kids,watching the entire new season of Entourage On Demand, and lazing around the house. Good times.

Well, we did get out a bit: We went to coffee every morning with my dad at Portofino, our favorite coffee shop by my parents' house. Jody and Josh hit the Ann Arbor bar scene one night. Lisa, Josh and I all made it to the gym. And, Jody and I tried to go to the Michigan vs. Penn State women's volleyball game, but it was sold out. We thought no one would be there with it being Thanksgiving weekend and all, but since Penn State is the No. 1 team in the country and has had a totally undefeated season (not even losing one set) the place was packed. Other than all that, we were mostly lazy.

It was so much fun to see the kids too. Adam has gotten so much bigger and he really has an adorable little personality. He is a total sweetheart and is just the cutest little guy ever. Edin is still so much fun and you can have real conversations with her these days. She's a smart one too! She really listens and absorbs everything around her and it is just pretty awesome to watch.

Prior to the weekend, my mom and I planned to take Edin to get her first proper haircut, but we ended up both being too scared to take her. We didn't want to be the mean aunt and mean grandma! After Jody and I left on Sunday, though, my mom gave Edin a trim herself. I haven't seen the new 'do yet, but apparently my mom's haircutting skills have improved since I was a little girl and suffered through many uneven cuts. I'm still planning on coming through for Edin with a proper salon cut when (hopefully!) Lisa and the family come in to Chicago this January. We'll see.

It's been tough getting back into the groove of work again since being home. But, it's going to be a busy couple of months before the baby so we've just had to buckle down.

Hope you all had great Thanksgivings too! Here are a couple pics from the weekend...

It's A Boy

Congratulations to Riz and Samira, who welcomed their baby boy Aydin Isaac to the world this Thanksgiving weekend! We can't wait to meet him, and we're excited that soon-to-arrive Baby Schwartz will have a little buddy down in Tampa!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We're up in Ann Arbor for the long weekend spending time with my family. Right now, it's just Jody, me and Charlie at my parents' place. But my sister and her family and my brother are all getting in before dinner tonight. It's been nice and quiet so far, but we're totally excited to see everyone, especially Edin and Adam who we haven't see since this summer.

For now, though, we have a lot to be thankful for this year. And most of all we're so thankful for our amazing families and friends. We hope you all enjoy the holiday.

Happy eating!

Spa Girls

This past weekend my mom, sister and I went to Phoenix for our annual spa trip. For the past four years, the three of us go down there during the summer for a weekend of relaxation and Mirel Girl time. This year, we had to keep pushing our trip back and finally made it down there for the first time in the winter. It was a total treat to get away from the cold for the weekend and to be in Arizona when it wasn't blistering hot.

We normally stay at Camelback Resort, which is an awesome place nestled in the mountains. But, this year with all of our plan-changing we ended up staying a new place: Fire Sky Resort. It was also a nice place, but not quite as secluded as Camelback. Still, we couldn't complain. It had a nice pool area, a yummy restaurant and all the free coffee and tea we wanted in the mornings.

Mostly we did a lot of relaxing, lounging at the pool, eating good meals and just hanging out with each other. All in all, a great trip. It was so much fun to get some quality time with just my mom and sister before we get together with the whole family this coming weekend for Thanksgiving. I'm going to be so spoiled spending two weekends in a row with my sister and mom.

(No, I did not take the picture posted above. I actually didn't take any pictures all weekend, unfortunately.)

Four-Legged Pretzel

Every day it seems like Charlie finds some new, wacky way to sleep. I guess it makes sense when you sleep about 18-20 hours a day that you'd want to try out some different positions. But, it's crazy. I swear, our dog is part pretzel.

Maybe I'm just jealous because I'm so sick of sleeping on my side, but I'm totally entertained by Charlie's twisted nap moves. I just don't get how he can be in such a deep sleep when his head is facing one way and his body is going in a completely opposite direction (see above). Or when he is flat on his back playing dead and fast asleep for like an hour and a half. Or when he jams his head into the weirdest places and sleeps among our crazy mess of TV/stereo/DVD wires in the family room. Or when he smooshes himself up against a wall even though he has plenty of room to sprawl out.

When Jody's not home, I always take pictures of Charlie in his bizarro sleeping poses so Jody can be as entertained as I am. Yes, I am going to be quite a camera-happy mommy, aren't I? Let's just hope the baby doesn't get any ideas from his/her doggy brother.

Double Digits, Baby!

Yesterday we hit a milestone with the baby countdown: we're in the double digits with only 98 more days to go! I'm sure as it gets closer we'll start feeling all the different emotions involved in becoming parents. But, for now we're just excited.

Throughout the pregnancy people have been asking me if I've been having any weird cravings, and mostly I haven't. I've been eating the same way I always have, just a little bit more. But lately, I've been wanting different junk food that I haven't eaten since I was a kid. It's really weird, though, it's like as I grow a child, I am reverting back to foods I ate as a child. I don't really eat much junk food. It's been hard for Jody to live with me since he is the snacky king. So I think he's liking this new bad-for-us-snacky stage of pregnancy. Here are the different kid-foods that I've been craving:

* Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: I was dying for mac-and-cheese, so I made it for dinner a couple weeks ago. And you know what? It was way better as a kid. I was seriously disappointed. It was totally spongy, the powdery cheese grossed me out, and the heartburn that followed pretty much guaranteed that this craving won't be returning any time soon.

* Teddy Grahams: I loved these as a kid and a couple months ago we went to three different stores to find the flavors I liked. At the Halsted Dominick's I found honey; the Roosevelt Dominick's had cinnamon; and Target had chocolate chip. All that store hopping was totally worth it. (Well,it was for me...just don't ask Jody what he thought about all this running around.) They were just as good as I remembered them to be. But, eventually I got sick of them. Now we just have one lone box of stale cinnamon Teddys in our pantry.

* Potato chips: Much to Jody's dismay, I pretty much banned chips years ago, give or take some Hint of Lime Tostidos every now and then. It's not that I don't like them; it's just that I eat too much when we have them. So it's better to have them out of sight. However, the other day when I was at jury duty I decided my afternoon treat would be a trip to the vending machine for potato chips. Since I got called onto an actual jury, I missed my afternoon snack. And since then I have been craving those chips. Jody went out and bought me Cape Cod potato chips and Ruffles the other day and made me so happy. I still don't have much self-control with the chips, but, hey, it's for the baby. Can't deny the little guy/girl, right?

* Chocolate-covered graham crackers: These were one of my all-time favorite things as a kid and I haven't had them since I was probably 12. But I have really been wanting them lately. When Jody was on his chip run the other night, he looked everywhere for Keebler chocolate-covered grahams and they were nowhere to be found. Sad. I don't even know if they exist anymore, but I may have to hit up the big Dominick's on Roosevelt to see if they still exist. In the meantime, if anyone knows where I can get some, do share.

Since the mac-and-cheese and Teddy Graham cravings passed, I'm guessing the chip and cookie ones will too. I just hope Jody doesn't get used to having junk food in the house because I'm going to feel really bad when I have to start banning it all again.

Liberty & Justice For All

First of all, sorry for being such a delinquent blogger. Things have been hectic around here. Jody got hit with a bout of food poisoning/stomach flu, I got a cold that I'm pretty sure is going to last the rest of the winter/pregnancy, and even Charlie is having issues. 'Tis the season for sickness, I suppose. Then this week, I had jury duty and actually got picked for a trial. Yup, I am two-for-two in being picked for jury duty. I'm really not sure why I get picked to be on juries, but I do. Even being the emotional, flighty pregnant lady didn't stop them from choosing me.

All in all, though, it wasn't too bad. The trial just ended today, so I am free to talk about it now. So here goes: This was a criminal trial at the Criminal Court on California, so the commute wasn't too bad. But serving on a criminal trial is tough. I served a few years ago on a civil trial in a wrongful death case, which was emotional and difficult because someone had died. But, finding someone guilty in a civil trial typically means that person has to pay a certain amount of money. In a criminal trial, a guilty verdict sends somone to prison--and for me that is a much bigger burden to bear.

The case we heard was against a man who had two prior felonies on his record and was allegedly caught carrying a gun (which is unlawful for a convicted felon). This charge would have been the defendent's third strike and they were going for a charge of "armed habitual criminal," which would have put the defendent back into prison. The case was seemingly simple at the beginning: three cops were doing routine patrol when they saw the defendent standing and talking outside an apartment building with two other people. The cops thought it looked suspicious so they pulled the car over, approached the apartment and said that they saw a gun in the defendent's hand. The defendent then supposedly ran into the apartment and dropped the gun in the garbage and the police arrested him.

The defendent then told a different story about how he was never outside, had never seen the gun before, was in the apartment that night, and was arrested for no apparent reason.

There were a lot of other details that I won't get into, but basically, the defendent's story made our jury doubt the prosecution's story. The prosecution didn't bring in any other witnesses besides the three officers, and showed us photos that actually hurt their case. The judge gave us our instructions, which were to determine if the prosecution delivered enough evidence against the defendent to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. And our jury just found too much reasonable doubt in the case. In the end, we found the guy not guilty.

Even though it's a pain in the butt, being on jury is pretty interesting. You get to be a crucial part of the American justice system and you really feel like you've done your civic duty. Also, you are stuck with your fellow jurors for a quite a lot of time, which gives you a chance to get to know and understand people from all walks of life.

Although I feel pretty good about our jury's decision, I'm not sure any juror leaves the courtroom feeling 100% good or bad about a verdict. The thing is, you just never really know the true story and it does you no good to second guess yourself. I mean, who knows, maybe this guy really was guilty and we put a dangerous criminal back on the streets of Chicago. Or maybe we were right and he was not guilty and instead we gave this guy the chance he deserves to get his life turned around. I'd like to think it was the latter, but I suppose I'll never know.

Mr. & Mrs. Keckley

Congratulations to Beth and Jeff! They got married this weekend and held one hell of a party to celebrate. It was such a fun weekend and I am only now starting to recover.

The wedding was awesome. Beth looked gorgeous and really was glowing all day long. The two of them did almost all the planning themselves and put a personal touch on everything. And it totally paid off. They held the wedding on the North Side at Architectural Artifacts, which is a pretty incredible place. Upstairs there was an entire gallery of artifacts ranging from chandeliers to anciet swords (Jody liked those a lot!) from a bunch of different continents. Each piece had an explanation of where the item was from and a (usually pretty hefty) price tag. During the cocktail hour, many of the guests were exploring all the treasures upstairs.

The reception itself was so much fun. The dancefloor was always packed, the band was great and the bride and groom were definitely soaking it all in. The weekend was extra special because Courtney and Jeremy and Connie and Nick all came in from out of town, so we got to have a big slumber party at our place all weekend. The three of us and our significant others are rarely all together now that Court's in Louisville and Connie's in New York, so it's always a treat when we are together.

The wedding was a total Naperville Central reunion, with a ton of the high school crew coming out to celebrate Beth and Jeff. People often make fun of me for speaking so highly of Naperville, but seriously it's all about the people we grew up with. It's a fun group and it's always a blast to hang with them. Thanks to Beth for always finding ways to bring us all together.

For many of the partygoers--namely, the crew staying at our place--the highlight was the shipment of sliders that arrived around 11.15 pm. Needless to say, Jody was thrilled. He even tipped the bartender with sliders! This was also Nick's first experience with White Castle. And he actually liked it...a lot. Personally, I'm not sure I approve of this pattern of White Castle being part of our past two visits with Courtney and Jeremy, so I may have to put a stop to this next time we see them!

For me, the best part of the entire weekend was seeing one of my oldest and closest friends so genuinely happy and in love. Seriously, I could not have imagined a better person for Beth to end up with than Jeff. He's such a sweet, fun and caring guy, and I am so happy he's officially part of our little Naperville family now. Beth has been one of my best friends for more than half my life, and she is an amazing person and a true friend. Jeff is quite lucky to have her. In the years that I have gotten to know Jeff, I know Beth's just as lucky to have him too.

Cick here to check out the album from the whole weekend.

Congrats again to the happy couple! We can't wait to hear all about your adventures in Australia when you get back.

It Feels Good

Today is a good day. Last night's historic Obama victory was amazing. I thought it was just the baby making me weepy, but after talking to several other people today, I realize I was not alone in the tears.

I mean, even the Hoosiers went blue (the first time since 1964). I already had a soft spot for Indiana thanks to IU, but now I am extra proud of our corn-loving neighbors. I was hoping Josh would help pull off the blue in Montana, but, hey, it was close there too, which is still pretty cool.

I wish we could have gone down to the rally last night at Grant Park, but it was cool watching Chicago on TV and knowing that eyes all over the world were looking upon our beautiful city with pride. Seriously, the city looked awesome, and I am so proud of all Chicagoans for keeping their cool and just having a genuine celebration.

I cannot wait to see what happens next. Although most people around me were Obama and/or Hillary supporters throughout this long race, I know there are a few of you out there who weren't. But no matter who you voted for, you gotta admit, there is a buzz in the air today that we haven't felt in a long time. Change is a-comin'. Let the countdown to Jan. 20, 2009 begin...

(These rally pictures are from DeAnne, who went down there last night. Thanks for sharing, D!)

Barack the Vote

Just a quick reminder to everyone to get out there and vote today. Don't let the long lines discourage you. It's worth it.

Jody and I went to our local Salvation Army gymnasium this morning after the before-work crowd and we got in and out in about 10 minutes. There was so much good energy flowing through the gym among all the workers and the voters; it was all pretty cool. After such a long campaign season, so many emotions running through this election, and so much at stake today, it felt awesome to actually get out there and cast our ballots. Plus, I got my free "I voted" Starbucks decaf, and I'm hanging on to my receipt to get my free yoga class at Bloom later this week.

Now I'm preparing for a long night in front of the TV, biting my nails, crossing my fingers, and holding onto hope that our country has learned its lesson from the past 8 excruciating years.

Update: Just saw this clip online and I thought it was a good one to share. As the folks at TPM said, this will get you charged up: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/242707.php

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! We can't get Charlie into one of those doggy costumes, so his little orange bandana will have to do. I have always loved Halloween and it's an extra special holiday for us because Jody and I met at a Halloween party 8 years ago. I was a cavegirl and he was a thug...and the rest is history. While we won't be in full Halloween mode tonight because of the wedding, here's to a great Halloween for all of you!

Suprise!

This past weekend, we threw a surprise 60th birthday party for Jody's mom out in the South suburbs. We have been planning this party for months with Bonnie and Roger and Jason and Heather, and it went off without a hitch. It was a fantastic evening with friends and family and Jody's mom was totally surprised by it all.

The evening started with a limo showing up to Jody's mom place and all of her close friends from the North Shore waiting for her inside the limo with champagne. They didn't tell her where they were headed, but she figured out that they were definitely meeting up with Bonnie and Roger. At that point, she had no clue that the "kids" were in on it too.

When they showed up at Francesca's, she got her second surprise when she came into the room and all of us were in there. The party was a sockhop theme since she was a child of the '50s. So there were pictures of '50s icons all over, old photos of the life and times of Jody's mom, adorable centerpieces that Bonnie worked on, and a bunch of candies from the '50s all over the tables.

We had a yummy Italian dinner and everyone gave speeches toasting Jody's mom. It was really sweet to hear all the ways she's touched everyone's lives in different ways. Bonnie also put together a mix CD filled with '50s music and the group loved the tunes. After dinner, speeches, cake, and, of course, plenty of booze, the whole crowd busted out into a dance party, complete with a conga line. It was quite a scene (particularly entertaining for me, the lone sober one) and plenty of fun. I'm pretty sure our party outlasted everyone else in the restaurant, give or take a few people left at the bar.

We had so much fun planning it and it was awesome to see how happy it made Jody's mom. Thanks to everyone who helped coordinate, plan and celebrate! We had a blast.

Here Comes the Bride

With Beth's wedding just days away, I realized that I never posted any pics from her bachelorette party last month. So, before she heads down the aisle, I better get posting.

We had her bachelorette party late last month and it was a blast. We started out at her place for dinner, gifts and drinks and then we headed out on the town in a trolley. As we got on the trolley, Beth got a big surprise when Paul was sitting in the back. As one of Beth's closet friends, Paul had to be part of the festivities. So, he joined the party as the lone dude and I'm pretty sure he loved it.

Beth and Paul showing mad dance skills at Cans.

After that we drove all around the city and took a few photos around town. Even though the trolley driver gave us some scares driving us down Lake Shore Drive and through Cabrini Green two, yes two, times, it's hard not to enjoy a trolley.

DeAnne and Jennifer getting blown away as we drove down Lake Shore.

We made a stop in Bucktown at Cans and spent a little time in the bar before jumping back on the trolley. The night ended at the Evil Olive. While me and a few others headed home at this point, the rest of the crew had a good time at the bar and turned a non-dancey bar into a full dance party.

You can make a dance party anywhere...Julie and DeAnne prove this outside Cans.

The only down side was the trolley ride back to Beth and Jeff's place with me and four other girls. The driver actually took us onto the Kennedy and was flying down the freeway at like 70 mph. Now, in a normal vehicle this would be fine. But, in a trolley with no seatbelts and wide open sides, it was freakin' scary. Most of us were too scared to stand up, but eventually Cari saved the day and got up to tell the driver to get off the highway. Luckily, the driver listened...and proceeded to drive us through the hood on Diversy. But, we survived.

Anyway, it was such a fun night and Beth was the perfect bachelorette! We can't wait for their wedding this weekend.

Executive Experience

Although I've tried keeping political comments to a minimum on the blog, it's been a while since I've brought up the election. With only 9 days to go, I have to bring up something that's really annoying me.

Whenever John McCain is asked to defend Sarah Palin's lack of experience and the public's general perception that she is not ready to be vice president or president for that matter, he always talks about her "executive experience." In fact, I just saw an interview with him where he said: "Sarah Palin has more executive experience than Joe Biden or Barak Obama." This is where I get confused.

Yes, I know McCain's been around forever. He has served the country as a war hero and as U.S. Senator. I realize that he's been around way longer than Obama. But, hey, where's is McCain's "executive experience"?

When McCain says Palin has more experience than Biden or Obama, I'm hearing: "Sarah Palin has more executive experience than John McCain." So, are we to assume that he would seek executive advice from Palin? Um, scary....and doubtful.

You see, McCain and Biden have a pretty similar political resumes. Actually Biden has been in the Senate 14 years longer than McCain. And it's not like McCain had any notable executive experience prior to going to Congress. Now, I know McCain is not running against Biden, but to say that Palin is more experienced than Biden just makes McCain look bad to me. I mean, a lot of things about him and his whole sleazy campaign make him look bad to me right now, but this is something that's really been bugging me.

Yum

Even though everyone around me seems to be complaining about the major temperature drop going on, I'm loving it. This weekend just totally felt like fall: my favorite season. I love fall because I look forward to busting out the warmer clothes, I love the leaves on the ground, Charlie is way more fun to walk, and I am obsessed with boots. But one of the big reasons I love fall is because it kicks off pumpkin spice latte and hot chocolate season.

So this weekend, I tried hot chocolate with a twist: the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate from Starbucks. Mmm. So good. When I ordered it yesterday the barrista asked me if I had ever had one before, and when I said no he told me that I might want to take a seat before trying it because it was going to "knock me off my feet." I figured he was just another quirky barrista at our friendly West Loop Starbucks, so I went on my way. No, I did not take a spill on the sidewalk, but I gotta admit I was struck by it's awesomeness. It was pretty rich and I'm sure loaded with too many calories, but it was totally worth it. Seriously, how could anyone not like fall?

Swimfan

In an effort to get as much wear possible out of my maternity swimsuit, I've recently added swimming into my workout mix. It's hard....and I even spend a good amount of my swim time with a kickboard. So yeah, I have a whole new appreciation for Michael Phelps--not that I needed any more reason to admire him.

Here's my problem, though: swimming is boring. In yoga and group exercise classes, I don't need much entertainment because the classes themselves keep me busy. When I run and use the machines at the gym, I listen to music or watch TV. But, with swimming I've got nothing. My gym doesn't put music on in the pool area and I obviously cannot bring my iPod in the pool. So what am I supposed to do? Mostly I just stare at the clock, watch other swimmers who are much better and faster than me, and count in my head for some reason. Not too stimulating, let me tell ya. So, any swimmers out there have any tips for how to pass the time in the pool?

Another pool issue I'm having is whether or not to wear a swimcap. They look ridiculous and since I am using a kickboard for a good part of my swim routine, it seems silly. But, I put a lot of time and money into products that make my hair feel softer and make my salon-made highlights look as natural as possible. And I know from my hair magazine days chlorine is a big hair killer. So I should probably slap on a swimcap too, right. Hmm, who knew swimming could be so tricky?

Through Four-Legged Eyes

Yes, I’m still reading “Jane Eyre.” Pathetic, I know. But, I have another excuse. Again, I took some time out to read a different book: “The Art of Racing in the Rain,” by Garth Stein.

I’d definitely recommend this book for any dog lover out there. While you don’t have to be a dog lover to like it, it definitely appeals to dog lovers. The story revolves around a race car driver and his family, as seen through the family dog’s point of view. It’s a really creative way to approach this kind of novel and, honestly, it would not have been as strong of a story without the doggy narrator, Enzo. Enzo’s views of the family's ups and downs and human nature in general are totally endearing and made me step back and look at life from a different perspective. It was an especially fun read for me because it made me see Charlie in new light and really try to figure out what exactly goes on in his mind. In the book, Enzo is a pretty smart pooch who has learned pretty much everything he knows from observing the humans in his life and from TV naturally. Enzo is sure that in his next life he will come back as a man and he can’t wait. However, he notes that not every dog is ready to come back as a man. Apparently, some dogs still have plenty to do in their next lives as a dog. I’m pretty sure Charlie loves being a dog too much and is not quite “ready” to go human.

Anyway, if you do read this book, here’s a quick warning: It is a major tear-jerker. I have been a bit more weepy than normal (seriously, an email forward got me all choked up today), but this book really brought on the waterworks. I started reading it on the plane and I made a fool of myself crying my eyes out on the plane. But that was nothing compared to the serious bawling that went down as I finished the book. Charlie always knows when I am upset, so when I was crying as I read the other night, he came over and put his head on the bed to make sure everything was okay. Of course, that set me off even more.

So if you’re looking for a good cry and an inside look at what dogs may be thinking, check out “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” It’s a quick and easy read…and fully entertaining.

For me, it's back to Jane Eyre. Hoping to finish it by the holidays. We'll see.

Deli Bust

The light at the end of the tunnel...3 lbs of gummy goodness

I love bank holidays. Before Jody worked for bank, I actually didn't like them mostly because we didn't get mail. But, now I'm a fan. You see, when Jody has bank holidays and I'm not too busy with work, I'll take the day off too. On days that I'm too busy for a full bank holiday, at least I get to have lunch with him.

Since I am pretty busy juggling a bunch of deadlines right now, I just took a long lunch off with Jody to celebrate Columbus Day. We headed to a new place in River North: Steve's Deli. Jody had been really excited to try this place since he first heard about it. There is another Steve's Deli in Detroit, and this is their first Chicagoland restaurant.

We didn't know that yesterday was Steve's Deli's opening day. As regular restaurant goers, we don't typically go to new places in the first couple months since they usually have a lot of kinks to work out before hitting their stride. But, we figured how could they really mess up a deli? The answer: they can mess it up plenty.

Seriously, Steve's Deli was a disaster. It was jam-packed with people waiting in both the takeout and eat-in areas, and the managers, servers and hostesses were all totally clueless. We waited for about 30 minutes for a table (no big deal) and then waited another 30 minutes for a waiter to even come by our table (bigger deal). That's after we asked two managers if they could send a waiter over.

Looking around the restaurant, we realized that only one table had food in the whole place. Everyone else was just sitting there with empty water glasses looking irritated, constantly glancing over their shoulders for their waiter or their food. Once food did start coming out, almost every table seemed to be getting the wrong food, cold food that was supposed to be hot, regular soda when it was supposed to be diet, and so on. Two ladies sitting by us finally told the waiter that they couldn't wait any longer and they were leaving (they had been there almost two hours waiting for just two simple sandwiches!). And you know what? The waiter just let them leave empty-handed. No gift certificate. No cupcakes. Not even a freakin' bagel.

We actually fared better than most patrons...mostly because we actually got our food. Of course, our order was wrong. I ordered a half sandwich and got a whole one (no biggie) and Jody ordered a hot, lean overstuffed pastrami sandwich and got a cold, fatty, chewy, super-skimpy pastrami sandwich instead. Everyone knows how much Jody treasures his food, so this was all bad. But we figured if we sent anything back we would never see our food again. So Jody powered through the nastywich.

I highly doubt we'll be back at Steve's anytime soon. Even if they do get their act together, the pastrami was still way subpar and that typically puts a black mark on any deli in our world.

Even though it was a pretty annoying experience, it was kind of entertaining just to see an entire restaurant of disgruntled customers. I've never seen that in any Chicago restaurant before, even brand new ones.

No worries, though, the entire lunch outing was not a bust. When we ran into CVS afterward, I heard Jody a couple aisles over proclaim: "Oh my Lord!" And when I went over there he was happily holding up a 3-pound bag of gummy fruit slices that were marked at 75% off. Sweet. He was so happy that it was almost like the pastrami incident never happened. Almost.

The Schirels 5.0

This weekend Jody and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! In some ways it feels like just yesterday that we got married and in other ways it feels like we've been together forever. All I do know is that it's been an awesome five years and I'm looking forward to a lifetime's worth of more. So to, Jody, thank you for being the best husband ever; I love every minute I spend with you!

This past weekend felt a lot like our wedding weekend, actually. Unseasonably gorgeous weather and the Chicago marathon. To celebrate, we went to dinner at Topo Gigio, a yummy Italian place in Old Town that we haven't been to since our early dating days. Then, we headed over to Second City to see "Campaign Supernova."

Dinner was good and the show was pretty good. Not the best Second City production we've ever seen, but decent. We thought they'd have some good stuff with it being a Presidential election year--and plenty of things to make fun of with these candidates. But, they didn't do too much election stuff. In fact, the last skit was a musical number basically about what bad shape our country is in right now. Not too funny. I mean, I don't even think they were trying to make it funny, give or take a few shots at Palin. It was mostly a pretty depresssing way to end the show. Regardless, we hadn't been to Second City in years and we had a really fun time. We ended up actually staying out until almost 2 a.m., which is way late for us. Yup, we're totally old...and also totally fine with that!

Halfway Home

Hooray, I'm out of the teens! We've past the halfway point of the pregnancy and now we have less than 20 weeks until the Baby! I know there's still a ways to go--and grow--but I really feel like this has been such a long 20 weeks. I'm just hoping the second half goes a little quicker.

We had our 20-week doctor's appointment and ultrasound last week. Everything looks good at this point. Aside from the cranky ultrasound tech who actually said we had a "bad baby" because he/she wouldn't move into the position she wanted it to move, the ultrasound was fun. Very cool to see the Baby again...it had been too long since 12 weeks. The tech said that Baby was moving around like crazy, but just not the way she wanted him/her to. So, she started jiggling me, pushing and just being general rough to try to move the Baby. Needless to say, Jody was none too happy about this. It was actually pretty cute to see how worried and pissed he was getting. The jiggling didn't do much, so the tech made me walk up and down the hallway of the doctor's office for like 20 minutes. Again, Jody was annoyed and kept trying to block my way to make me stopping walking. But, you know, I follow rules so I kept walking. When we got back into the room, the Baby had moved into the right spot and we were good to go.

I also started feeling the Baby move this week. Very cool. For some reason, when we were at Yom Kippur services on Wednesday night, especially during the rabbi's sermon, the Baby was going nuts in there. Maybe the Baby, like me, was ready for the rabbi to just wrap it up and stop quoting so many books and articles. Who knows. All I know is feeling actual movement makes it all seem even more real.

We got about 100 ultrasound photos and only a few that look like an actual baby. Here's one of the Baby sucking its thumb...