Home ?

I'm back in Illinois, Ya'll  Youz Guys! Texas wanted me to stay, and i was torn... sleep in my own bed and see the fuzzy love-balls that were missing me as much as i missed them, or stay where it was warm and sunny and i could feel Spring happening already. School--and the final semester of the first year!--starting on Monday tipped the scales, so i headed back. After 11 hours of travel (thanks to choosing the cheapest flight plan possible, which included a 3 hour layover in ATL airport), and planes filled with screaming babies, i'm actually glad to be here.

Toak seemed happy to see me again. He even helped me unpack. ...sorta.

Unfortunately, the Mister didn't come back with me. He's stayed behind in Texas for a bit longer to help his parents with the giant task of getting their house ready to sell. (It seems we are quickly becoming experts in this field.) It's a lot of chaos, to be sure. Us moving, them moving, job/career changes for all four of us...all within the next 3 months. Whoohoo! There's bound to be at least one minor breakdown in the future, all of which i plan to blog about in full detail. *insert evil laugh here* 

Now if i could just get out of Vacation Mode and start the studying that is already necessary to make it through this last quarter before the internship, that'd be fan-freakin'-tastic. This calls for coffee.

Time flies when you're shooting guns

One week of vacation down, one more to go.

Glad to be back in Texas, visiting family, NOT studying (though i should be considering I have an exam the second day we're back in school) being warm, doing some target practice, and getting things done in preparation for the move in May.

Our "Recon Mission" in Houston went well, though we still haven't exactly decided on a place to live yet, come May. (I think we saw more apartments in two days than was necessary, but nothing really hit all of the wishlist criteria, so we'll have to comprimise on either price or location or square footage... which is to be expected.) Still, we like the medical center area in general, and it's really close to a bunch of things we think we'll enjoy like the Houston Zoo, the Museum District, and Rice University's "Rice Village" area which is full of awesome shops and bistros. Now we just have to decide if the living on the Metro ("Light Rail") Houston is worth the extra cost or not. 

While reading reviews of the Metra system online, i found this gem online from some random reviewer, which i have to admit i laughed outloud when i read. The following is an excerpt from his very in-depth review. :


"...But by far my favorite thing is the sort of rubbish that I hear whilst on the Metro.  Sure there is the occasional irresponsibly loud cell-phone-talker, or the incoherent guy who mumbles to himself, but it is the loud friends that babble and complain together about urban redevelopment and "how it used to be" that really crack me up. Two such complainers were on last night, and at first their conversation was a bit boring, but the last 30 seconds I heard before I got off was pure hilarity.

Dude 1: "Man, f*ck that Johnny brotha"
Dude 2: "YA!... wait... why...?  I think he is alright"
Dude 1: "That jerk has a girl AND a car!"
Dude 2: "YA!... wait... I think those are good things..."
Dude 1: "Well ya, but man, I gots me a good job, and I can't afford neither"

aaaand scene.

I love you Metro Houston, I truly do."  --review by AdamO.


So, yeah. i think i may have made a decision. Thank you, AdamO.

We're BaaaAaack! Prepare thyself, Texas.

ZOMG, i can feel my toes! And my skin is not dry or cold or clammy or cracked or chapped... And i saw the SUN today, and it was WARM! *swoon*
Alright, enough caps and exclaimation marks for a bit. They don't really do the feeling justice anyway.

Vacation is awesome, and one where it's warm is the best. (Especially after surviving "The Great Blizzard of 2011!") Ooh, and you know what else? You know what i'm thinking right now?! Nothing. Nothing at all. I'm not joking. It's like ________________ up there. White Noise. (but without that awful freaky crap that happened in the horrifically bad movie of the same name. Egads that was a terrible movie.) 

So, yeah, after the longest drive ever, we're back warm, sunny Texas for two full weeks of soaking up the sun ....while we find a place to live in Houston during my internship. Ok, so yes, there is an agenda, and yes, it does involve some actual footwork while were here, but mostly it involves seeing family and friends and thawing a bit from the brutal Chicago cold. (and some time at the shooting range, maybe, just for shits and giggles. We never get to actually practice in Illinois, just threaten scary people with it when they come to the door at 3am.)

But tonight, we start the festivities with dinner with the in-laws... we'll see what happens from there.

Snowmageddon and the Aftermath

We survived Blizzardfest 2011. A day to tell tall tales about for many years to come. Too bad i don't plan to have children... I'd wow them with "well, back when i was your age i had to shovel out of 12ft high snowdrifts just to cross the hall and get to the bathroom" and whatnot.

I've decided: I'm going to make T-shirts. "I survived the Great Chicago Snizzard 2011" Oh yeah!

Come to think of it...maybe they should be sweatshirts. Or parkas. Eeh. ...either way, you can pick the "awful storm name" of your choice. Think of it! It would be a wearable memento of the global warming phenomenon. You'd have instant friends just by wearing it.

The real storm wasn't all that it was hyped up to be. We Texans survived with ease, calling on our common sense to dictate our actions. Once we were shoveled out of the driveway and front door, we spent the day rescuing poor Yankees out of ditches.  It was rather fun, i have to admit.







Success!

  
    

Holy crap that was a lot of work.

We both are sore now, but it's hard to complain when you see your 80yr old neighbors out dealing with the same thing as if it were completely natural. Ugh. They constantly show us up! I think Bob was actually elated about the whole thing. Days worth of snowblowing? Yes, please. Lorainne was not as excited, but she dealt with it like a pro, and even fussed at me to "go do your own sidewalk if you're bored, i don't need any help!" when we went over to offer assistance. Ugh.Crotchety old lady. I hope i'm just like her when i'm old.  :) 

 

  





Bob, in his element.





Either way, i know i don't want to deal with this year in and year out. I'll give the people that do a big kudos for what they do, but no thanks. And i'm not staying even one more year unless i get one of THESE babies: