Teri Parris Ford's Blog

Art Institute in Chicagoland

Today was perfect. I planned and executed a field trip to the  Art Institute in Chicago. I created a scavanger hunt for the students that included capturing a photo of Mr. Newland eating a meal and posting a jumping picture on the roof of the Institute. I'm hoping to post these images in the newspaper next month! When Josh picked up his meal at Portillos, a dozen students followed him to his seat to get pictures. It was hilarious. He loved the attention and the lunch. Once at the museum, students were free to wonder over to Millenium Park, but I hung out with the French teacher who brought her French 5 students along at the museum the whole time. The time evaporated while wondering, looking at amazing artwork. On the way home we watched HP7 while stuck in Chicago traffic. It was just what I needed to unwind from a stressful week. Tomorrow, I'm back to business.

SB'12: Day 6- Home Again

Balt actually let me sleep this morning. He snuggled up next to me and occassionally nudged his nose into my hand as if to let me know he was there, but let me sleep in until after 7am. I got the girls up and we were one the road within an hour. I ran 4 laps around the hotel with Balt and Jessi did several as well. By the time we were on the road he was good and tired. By the time we got to Chicago, Jessi and I were already arguing. Home, sweet home.

We drove into our driveway in Madison at 2pm. I started cleaning out the car, then got to laundry and finally up to my room. I walked Balt and went to a yoga class. It was nice being home, but I miss the beach. I think I'm going to need to retire somewhere coastal.

So I came up with a few highlights of our trip:
- Talking in the car: I believe the easiest way to get your kids to talk to you for a long period of time is to trap them in the car with you for a 19 hour drive.
- Long walks on the beach: I walked anywhere from  2 hours to 5 hours a day because of Balt.
- Road trip music: Jessi made 2 CD's & Moni made 1 plus lots of radio. We never got enough of Gotye! 
- Meal times:  vacations and holidays are the few times we sit together for long meal times.
- Sight seeing: we got a few new states to add to our list of visited places. 

SB'12: Day 5- In the car...

We enjoyed one last morning on the beach, a leisure breakfast and clean up time. We checked out at 11amand were well on our way by noon. We decided to try a different way home and were left at the mercy of myiPhone. We drove through the Virginias, at times going through back roads and at other times on tollways.Monika wanted to drive all night in order to get home by morning. Jessi wanted another hotel with a pool andhot tub. I started falling apart as I approached Indianapolis and decided not to risk it. We are staying in a dogfriendly, pool-less La Quinta to sleep. We'll be on the road again in the morning and home shortly after noon.
(above are Monika's Instagram photos from our road trip. Instragram is a cool iPhone picture taking/filter adding application) 

SB'12: Day 3- Lovin' it!

Balt still had a hard time sleeping last night. I was up at 4am for a quick walk and again at 5:30am for a long walk on the beach. I had hoped to catch the sunrise but when I returned an hour later, it was still dark. I had a cup of coffee and snoozed until 7:30am when we took another hour walk on the beach, but this time in the sunshine. After 3 walks Balt was ready to do some snoozing.

I got the girls up before 9am in order to get our free La Quinta Bright Side Breakfast. The girls ran straight out to the beach while Balt and I stayed in.  I tried to get Balt to sit by the pool under my seat but he kept wanting to jump in the pool, so we got kicked out (no pets allowed in the pool area). We went inside and I finished up some computer work while he slept and started an essay. The girls came back hungry. I found a Jimmy Johns and we got sandwiches to go. We all went back to the beach together. It was crazy hot (84 and muggy), Balt would run into the ocean to cool off, then roll around in the sand to dry off. 

We got back to the hotel, showered and rested a bit. I took Balt for another walk on the beach after his dinner at 5:30pm. An hour later we got caught in a scattered shower which sent us back to the hotel just in time to take the girls to dinner. The day was wonderful. We decided to forego the hop to Annapolis and stay here another night. 

Today was Danny's funeral. I felt bad about missing it, but was so glad to know that Joe had attended. He texted me that the page I had made in the Sword & Shield honoring him was blown up large and on display. I was glad I was there in spirit. 

SB '12: Day 2- In Heaven

Balt had a hard time sleeping last night in the hotel. I suppose if you let anyone sleep all day, they're going to have a hard time sleeping at night. I took him for a walk at 4am and got a nap between 5 and 6. I got the girls up and we were on the road shortly after 7am. I wanted to be on the beach by 4pm. The drive was non-eventful, kind of painful at times.

Once at the hotel, we made our way straight over to the beach and both Balt and the girls were in heaven-- it was 70 degrees and beautiful. The rain has been put off until Tuesday, so tomorrow will be perfection, high of 84! 

Myrtle Beach is a lot like the Dells, or any other touristy spot. Every restaurant and activity you can think is close by, but all I want to do is sleep, read, walk and swim.

SB '12: Day 1- Get out of Town

Photo 1; The outlook for Myrtle Beach looks pretty good. Photo 2; I had hoped to be on the road by noon but we were delayed because Monika could not find her phone.

I had a lot to do this morning before I could make my escape. I got up at 6am, made coffee and finished the April issue of the Sword & Shield and had it posted by 7am. I spend some quality time with my husband walking Balt. We had a good chat while making sure Balt got a good run in, knowing he'd be in the car most of the day. I had hoped to get to a yoga class in but opted for having breakfast with my husband instead. He's looking forward to getting some cleaning done while I'm gone!

Photo 3; On our way through the Windy Cindy! Photo 4; I got on the wrong highway and ended up in traffic on the south side of Chicago. Photo 5; (Indianapolis) Jessi drove through the state of Indiana, giving me time to enjoy the scenery. Photo 6; Balt loves the drive. We had no complaints the whole way. He seemed to be in heaven the whole ride.

We stopped in Kentucky for the night and there's a lot of "Go Big Blue" signs everywhere!? The girls want to get up super early tomorrow so that they will have time on the beach tomorrow.

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In the Windy City...

It was a grand day in Chicago. Geof organized a very popular field trip, so popular we were able to bring 3 bus loads of kids and all 5 art teachers. I'm not sure how he got the weather to cooperate but it did. It was amazingly wonderful. Millenium Park to start the day and Navy Pier for lunch and the SOFA show. It was an all day affair for Monika and I. 

The Lazy River

Melissa called me Friday to invite our family to float down the Wisconsin river with her family today. Both Monika and Jessi, with a friend, joined me on this mini-adventure. Lisa and her husband came along as well and made it especially fun. My husband was too busy working on his curriculumn and Erika had to work. It was an amazingly wonderful Summer day. My only regret was not bring Balt along. I did call the tube company in Sauk City that we rented the tubes from if dogs were allowed and they said no, but they failed to tell me I could still bring him. He just couldn't use one of their tubes. I am going to be on the look out for a dog life vest so that next time I can have him float along with us.

Of course, all the sunshine has me feeling utterly exhausted now. I did use 30spf sunscreen (which I normally don't use) to make sure I did not burn. The girls were good about protecting themselves as well. They were concerned that they not be too active now that they need to stay competitive. There isn't too much activity involved in floating down a river. It was just the kind of day they needed. 

MIA & The Walker Art Center

It was another great day in Minneapolis! Melissa and I got to visit the Minneapolis Institute of Arts during lunch and later, after dinner went to the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. It was a busy art day with a class sharing time and lots of work time. I had the class pose for a picture after our sharing time. I am not sure why I am always the one that wants a photo... I mean, I know WHY I want a photo, I am just not sure why I always the ONE that wants it. I am finding the older I get the less photogenic I seem, but it doesn't matter, I still want a picture. 

Melissa and I had lunch at the Institute of Arts which is right next to MCAD and then after class ran over to her aunt's house to pick up some art work then to the Walker for dinner. I wondered the Minneapolis Sculpture gardens for the first time ever. The place is famous for the spoon with a cherry on top, I believe. There were other famous sculptures there I recognized. The show inside the Walker was less impressive-- a lot of crazy stuff, even vulgar. MIA was a lot more conservative-- a bit more my style I must admit. We've only one day left and both of us are eager to see family, but it's been fun. Melissa has been a great "partner in crime"-- we travel well together. We are quite different people, which I think helps.

5 States in 1 Day!

We left Southern California at 9am. Erika was very eager to get on the road, so she got things rolling. It is always hard to say goodbye to my mom, and although she says it is not as painful as it used to be, I still always tear up when leaving her.

The drive was smooth. We got to Las Vegas in time for lunch and of course we enjoyed our last In-N-Out meal. Erika and I shared fries and I got mine protein-style (no buns). I took the girls through the strip so they could see all the sites and then we got on the 15 and headed for Utah. We had a small corner of Arizona on the way. Utah was amazing -- much more impressive then the bit we saw on our way here. We passed by many national parks and were awed by purple mountains majesty.

Erika would not let me stop in Utah, as I had planned. She insisted (and drove) that we keep going to Colorado. So here it is 1:45am and I am trying to post something quick before bed. 

On the road again

 

I love LA!

Only 4 of the 10 million who say they live in LA actually live in LA city. If you are going to LA, then you are going to the LA area or county. I was born in Montebello, spent most of my childhood in Santa Fe Springs and then moved to Santa Clarita in 7th grade. I have happy memories here and love that my family is here so I can visit whenever I want to. The cost of living and jobs kept us in Madison, but being home for even this short bit makes me think maybe this is the place I need to come back to when I retire. Sure, that years away, but I still think about it. I have always wanted to go somewhere warm, like Arizona, but LA is home.

We left our campsite around 11am and made our way to the Camarillo Outlet mall to get Vans. They sell them for $10-30 there so whenever we are close, I let the girls pick out a pair of shoes each. I love getting myself a pair for the school year as well  (spent $105.98 on 4 pairs of shoes, 2 t-shirts and a wallet). We stopped in Woodland Hills for an In-N-Out burger ($24.63) and then got to my parents home on an empty tank ($35 to fill it). We all unpacked the trailer, then headed for the pool. I washed my car and all of our dirty clothes while the girls played with Balt in the pool. He's still not completely comfortable in the water, but we are making progress. We went out to dinner with Jim's parents and sister, Linda. The girls absolutely adore their aunt Linda. After dinner, we went over to Linda's to hang out and chat. I left Balt with my mom. I came home to find him waiting in the front yard for us. He's been a good traveler.

Jessi and Erika are eager to get back to friends and work while Monika and I would not mind staying a little longer. It's going to be tough rushing out but it is looking like we will take off on Sunday morning. There's so much I'd like to do, so many I'd like to visit with but it's looking like my vacation is over. I uploaded <<<NEW images for my California Album for you to check out.

Surf & Sun

Balt still has me up early--5:30am, but at least he's waiting till the sun is up. We don't get to see the sun rise in the morning because of the mountains but it's still beautiful that early. I let him loose on the beach and he loves to gallup around, chasing birds & chewing on seaweed. Today he found a dried up seal that had been beached. I thought he was pulling off the bark from drift wood only to catch up to him and find it was a dead seal! Soo gross! He's going to miss this place.

This morning the girls went out surfing near where all the locals hang out down the beach aways. Erika said she could tell the surfers were frustrated with them because they got in their way. After lunch we went out again body surfing and then I drove the girls to the outdoor showers since they were so exhausted. it's been a wonderful week. I'm not eager to pack up tomorrow but a swimming pool will be nice.

Emma Wood State Beach

There are more then a dozen state and county camp sites to chose from in southern California. Most locals have a favorite. Growing up I got to experience quite a few between family, friend and church camp out's and for some reason Emma Wood has become my favorite. It's the first state beach after downtown Ventura which makes it very close to a grocery store (okay, there's an In-n-Out pretty close too). It's located on old PCH 1 which gives it a cool vibe, not to mention all the surfers that frequent it! All the camp spots run parallel along the ocean (not in circles like many) and what I like best is that the ocean is right there. There's no camping out and then walking to the beach. All you have to do is open the door and you're there. I love that. I give up all hook ups in the world for that!

Yesterday we surfed in the morning and visited with family all evening. The photo below is of my parent's 6 grandkids-- the first time together in 3 years. Today we needed to avoid too much sun so we went downtown, saw the mission, shopped a bit ($21.44) AND of course, had In-n-Out burgers for lunch ($31.26). While girls read this afternoon I visited with my parents, showing them photos of the trip thus far and walked Balt along the beach. It's been so restful-- exactly the vacation I wanted.

Kickin' it old school

Camping means a lot of different things to different folks. Jim thinks one should only have what you can carry and be as far away from humanity as possible. That's partly why Jim and I have separate vacations. I don't mind staying in camp sites next to people but a little privacy is nice. I don't need electricity or running water but a nice shelter with a comfortable bed sure makes for a better experience.

Camping with my parents is always exactly what I like. The have an old trailer with hook ups but I like staying at a campsite that doesn't have the hook up stuff --but in case of an emergency my dad can kick on the generator. He turned it on today for 1/2 hour and we all plugged in our phones! There are cold showers & pit toilets about a mile away from our site so it's nice that we can use the camper toilet when it's got to be quick. After beach time, a trip to the showers makes for a nice afternoon.

My sister-in-law came by today with her kids & dogs. So we had 6 grandkids, 5 dogs, 2 moms & 2 grandparents today! Lots of fun-- especially when Balt ate all the hot dogs. I had to go to the grocery store for more dogs and few other goodies ($40.30).

Hello, my old friend!

Ever since I can remember, I've been in love with the Pacific Ocean. I used to play keep away for hours on the beach running and laughing with the waves. I like to talk to it and it seems to talk back. Today I finally got to spend some time with my old friend and now I've introduced Balt to it. He loves it!! I'll be hanging on the beach all this week away from the technology I'm addicted to. Time with my parents & daughters uninterrupted by scheduled activities & needs for rides. There's no where to go & nothing to do but talk to the ocean and walk with Balt. Mmmmm.... maybe a little yoga too?

Today the girls went to the aquarium ($27.95 for student admission X3). They loved it and said it was WAY better than the one in Chicago. They assured me it was worth my spending nearly 100 bucks. I must admit I very much enjoyed the time alone with Balt. We only stopped for gas once ($31.26) and I picked up some fruit, bread and cheese at the grocery store for lunch while they were busy ($14.10). We met up with my parents at the campsite for dinner. I had to pay $40 for the extra car at Emma Wood and our campsite was $128 for the week.

Where it began...

I let the girls sleep in this morning while I sat by the pool with Balt enjoying the sun and coffee. Pets were not allowed by the pool but it was fenced in and very convenient to have him in there. Once the girls came down and joined us, Balt had a blast running around and playing with the girls as they swam. We rolled out around 11am and headed for San Francisco. There is so much to do in San Francisco, but with all the traffic we had to deal with there wasn't much time to a lot- so the Golden Gate was a must. We had lunch at the Vista Point on the north side of the bride ($23.58). Tolls cost $11 total in SF.

After spending much of the afternoon in bumper to bumper traffic we headed south to Santa Cruz. I wanted to show the girls Jim and my first house. The shack was still there but cow fields that surrounded it were gone. There was a lot more junk in the yard and the landlords had passed on.  We then made our way to the university where Jim and I transferred our junior and senior years. Our senior year at UCSC, we moved into family housing on campus for the  convenience. The girls were very impressed with the college campus as well as the town of Santa Cruz. It was a wonderful time in my life with so many fun memories. Not much had changed really on campus, but the town was very different. The traffic leaving Santa Cruz was nuts. It took us an hour just to get out of the downtown area and get on PCH. We managed to get on the road to Monterey as the sun set so the girls got to see some of the bay, but tomorrow will be about the ocean! We only stopped once for gas ($33.77) in Las Gatos and ate "dinner" there-- we stopped for ice cream ($14.10). The La Quinta in Monterey was a whomping $174.74 and is one of only a handful that do not allow pets. We snuck Balt in the back door.
 

Splendor usually means no internet.

We left Ely, NV late. I only got about 4 hours of sleep because Balt had me up at 4:30am which is actually 6:30 Madison time, so it made perfect sense to him. We walked around in the dark outside and then I fed him breakfast. I took a cat nap then gave up and got ready to go. The day was amazing- warm, sunny and wonderful. We left our hotel by 8:30am and made our way to Yosemite ($20 entry fee). We did not stop for lunch which ended up being a mistake as the girls get very punchy when they have not been fed, BUT the splendor of Yosemite took their breath away. We eventually ate dinner ($40.30) at the Yosemite Village Lodge. I have so many memories from my youth being at Yosemite. It was not quite the same. I picked the very busiest time of the year to visit! It was CRAZY crowded. So amoungst the amazing awesome sites were swarms of humanity from every nation in every make and model of car. The traffic was horrific.

We got into the village a lot later than I had hoped because of the traffic and of course we left in the dark. I told the girls that I used to spend a week there for many years and never really saw it all. I told them they needed to go back with their friends. I enjoyed Yosemite with my friends, hiking and hanging out under what I feel is the most beautiful place on the planet. I wanted them to see more, but I gave them a good taste of the place. Jessi was disappointed she couldn't swim and Erika wanted to stay another day to see the Sequoias in Kings Canyon. We rolled into Modesto, CA at midnight where the closest La Quinta was on the west side of Yosemite ($96.22). I was exhausted, but Jessi stayed awake with me talking and making sure I did not fall asleep. Erika offered to drive, but the hilly terraine on the way out was intense so I was uneasy with her skill level at night. We stopped for gas only twice, once on the way into Yosemite and once in Merced when were out ($71.48 in gas spent).

It seems Balt has stayed on a Madison schedule. He had me up at 4:30 am again this morning. I got on line only to find everything I posted along the way on Facebook and my mini typepad ap post did not make it onto the internet. I think that is what happens when you are in God's country.

Go West (part 2)

We left North Platte at 7:54am (Madison time). I had told the girls I did not think they could get up and out by 8am, but they did, not realizing it was really 6:54am mountain time. We drove through Nebraska as fast as could and then enjoyed Wyoming, stopping several times. The views were pretty spectacular at times. We stopped at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Monument, 10 miles SE of Laramie on Interstate 80 at the edge of a rest area. It stands at summit near Sherman Hill, and marks the highest point on I-80. It is 48.5 feet tall (see Monika sitting below).

I filled up my tank in Nebraska and twice in Wyoming ($93.70). Breakfast was free in the hotel and we ate lunch on the road; snacks at a gas station ($13.97). Near the end of Wyoming, I started feeling pretty tired especially with everyone asleep in the car and my only getting about 5 hours of sleep. I pulled over at a rest stop and told the girls I needed a break. Jessi happily volunteered to drive. She is a confident driver, but too confident. Monika was very nervous and I have to admit at times I would think about the worst case scenario and wonder if I was doing the right thing. But I finally dozed off and got a refreshing nap while Jessi managed to get us to Salt Lake City all in one piece.

After eating dinner (In-N-Out=$25.61) we found an area to explore the lake. It was pretty gross, buggy with dead birds. BUT Jessi was happy and that was all that mattered. Jessi needed to be able to say she had swam in the Great Salt Lake. She did it. Erika and Balt joined in on the fun, Monika was too grossed out. Luckily we found a rest stop not too far out with sprinklers watering the grass. We all cleaned up, including Balt and drove comfortably from there to Nevada. We stayed in a very nice La Quinta in Ely, NV ($123.88).
 

Go West

I added an In-n-Out's app to my phone so I could find the first one we came close to easily. Salt Lake City has several and it was going to be right on the way. We didn't eat lunch knowing in-n-out was coming. Monika got a little cranky but we survived. Of course the anticipation was met with satifaction. Even Balt got in on the action. He had his own dinner on a red tray, then managed to grab some onions left on the floor from someone else.

We are going to try to find the lake then keep driving into Nevada. It'll be a late night.

Best Laid Plans...

The test run I did last night with the cargo box attached to a hitch worked out quite nicely with only Balt's luggage. This morning after the box was filled with everyone's stuff it dragged. So my plan to be on the road at 7am was foiled. We drove over to the Uhaul Center for advise only to find a line out the door. I did not want to waste an hour waiting for nothing. We added straps hoping that we could pull up the drag and while it did help, it did not prevent it altogether. Finally the girls figured that they could put all the luggage under Balt and he could still have a comfortable bed in the back of the car. I was quite impressed with their ingenuity.

It was 8:30pm when we got on the road. We traveled 700 miles and rolled into the La Quinta in North Platte, NE ($129 for the night) about 12 hours later. I filled my tank in Madison ($3.39pg), in Iowa City ($3.45pg) and in Omaha ($3.49pg), totalling $92.66 for gas. We picked up sandwiches at Subway ($25.68) and ate at a rest stop, picked up drinks and snacks at a gas station ($5.98) and brought in Taco Bell to the hotel ($26.41). As I walked Balt down the hotel hall I heard at least three other dogs in rooms. I never knew that La Quinta's were so pet friendly! Balt has been an absolute dream traveling. He whined once and we stopped shortly after at a rest stop. Other than that he never complained. Occassionally he'd sit up and pant but in general he slept most of the car ride. I made sure to walk him this morning before we left (that will be an important part of our daily ritual). We left Balt in the hotel room while we all visited the chacuzzi and pool. The girls are watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) while I type.

While I did all of the driving, the girls dozed and read and enjoyed each other's company, once in while we would engage in a deep conversation but mostly we listened to music and enjoyed the ride. Day 1 of the road trip ended up being a success, even after a rough start.

Packing Heat

I had hoped we could get on the road tonight but that was wishful thinking. It's past 9 pm & no one is ready but Balt. I have the car set up with all of his stuff and I will take a test run with the cargo box on the back when I go to pick up Monika's from her friends. She will be up late since she decided at the last minute to go to the lake with her friends after tennis. I have my stuff almost ready. I want to finish up tonight's blog and pack my laptop. A friend is staying over to take care of cats and get mail, so I wanted to make sure all was cleaned up. I wiped out the fridge and made a big friut salad for lunch to finish up all the fresh fruit. I made a big stir fry for dinner to get all the vegie's done. 

As I was looking over the weather it looks like we are in for some heat. The next 5 days we will travil with no rain-- which I was concerned since all of our suit cases will be out behind the car. I will be keeping you posted along the way. 
 

Road Trip Part 2

Our hotel had a wonderful view. I got a great deal on free parking and breakfast. We slept in until after 9am and enjoyed a very leisure meal. Check out was at noon, so the girls enjoyed the rest of the morning at the hotel. Chicago was cold, rainy and windy. There was no hurry for me to get out into the elements.

Jessi had never been to Chicago sight seeing. Monika had gone with me earlier in the school year with the art department. I had never been to Millennium Park without the art department. It was quite wet, so it put a bit of a damper on the time there, but Jessi was still very impressed.
As the rain came down harder, we decided to make our way to the Shedd Aquarium. I was suprised to find an hour long wait in front of the building-- OUTSIDE. The four of us waited in the wet, cold, wind to get inside. It was almost miserable but the rain subsided and in front of us in line was an interesting family that entertained me to make the time go by. Once inside, the girls were happy. My feet were killing me. There was a new exhibit on jellyfish which was part of the reason the place was packed. After 4 hours of fish, we were hungry. We went to Greek Town and had dinner at the Greek Islands, a place Joe recommended. The food was good and since I ate dinner, I decided I needed to made up a fast day on Monday after Easter! (Maybe I'll just going for one more whole week?) We drove home in hard rain and loud music. Initially I had planned for two nights and concert, but both girls have a lot of homework to do still, believe it or not! Of course they had procrastinated it for the end of vacation. I did the same thing with some of my school work. 

Day 38: Busy Day

It was the first busy day of vacation & I end up without Internet access at a downtown hotel in Chicago (I'm supposed to have it, I just can't get it to work). I'm already for bed, super tired & have no eagerness to call for help. Oh well.

You'll have to wait on my report. Lots of pictures to come, I promise! I'm not sure when... but eventually.

The Johnson Creek Pine Cone Travel Plaza

Back when Jessi was doing synchronized swimming and used to compete in Milwaukee, I learned about the "The Pinecone." It's a truck stop really with a big gas station and restaurant. I have never actually stopped for a meal, but every time I go to Milwaukee, I stop at the gas station, either on the way there or on the way back depending on wether I need gas or a snack. This morning I needed both.

I always get the girls a cookie, muffin or donut as a treat if I'm coming home alone. Jessi loves the carmel apples. I used to get Jim a big rice crispie bar, but I don't anymore. The sizes are big! The prices are not. 10 years ago, things were a lot cheaper, but I can't complain. I got 4 big treats and coffee for $9.40.

I love their huge pig cookies. I like pigs and even though eating the whole thing makes me feel like one, I still like them. This time I refrained! I purchased an Easter egg cookie for Erika and grabbed the blueberry fritter for me.
I had been craving an apple fritter, but when I saw the blueberry one, I switched out. I ate the whole thing and was not so sorry I did, it was quite tasty! Not as greesey as most fritters I have had in the past. It was also a lot more lighter and fluffier then what I would consider a typical fritter. I don't think that is a bad thing.

Gas was only $3.67 at the Shell station there. It might have been a few cents cheaper at Costco, but I didn't have enough gas to get all the way back to Madison, so I was glad not pay $3.69 which was the going rate in Milwaukee.

Chicago

It was Monika's first SOFA show. Erika went to all four shows during her time at Memorial. I hope that Moni will follow in her footsteps. Jessi won't miss school to go. This year we took 100 kids to Millennium Park and then Navy Pier to see the SOFA show. We had a great day, everything went perfectly. Monika's finger throbs from time to time, but it doesn't seem to slow her down.

Reading, Writing and Noah's Ark

The girls slept in, but I got up and made my way to the nearest Starbucks. I spent most of my day there, from 9am to 4pm with only a break for lunch. The girls called me back to the hotel at 10 to bring them breakfast and take them to Noah's Ark. I dropped them off and then went back to Starbucks. I had a nice chair, free wireless and a plug for my laptop. I got in lots of reading and at least an hour of writing. I am almost done with chapter one. I plan to print it out this weekend to have the girls edit it and add input. It is about a teen-aged girl after all. 

Jim surprised me with a lunch time visit on his way to Fort McCoy. We enjoyed lunch together at Wendy's and then I was back to work at Starbucks. At 4pm, I had expected just to get the girls some food, but they were tired and eager to go home, relax and have pizza for dinner. I got home in time to pick up Monika from her soccer practice. Monika is not a fast ride kid, so Noah's Ark had no attraction for her. She'd rather not miss soccer. I think she was happy to have me home early. 

I was able to get in my 35th yoga class this evening and came home to left over pizza and watched a DVD-- Bandslam. Erika made fun of me for watching it when she got home from work. She told me the movie was made for 12 year olds. I LOVED IT! I'm not sure I'm much older than 13 in my head- so I guess it all makes sense. 

Out to breakfast and on mini vacation

This morning Jim, Monika and I went to the Pancake House. I think it's my very favorite breakfast place ever. I used to take my students there during school when I worked at Spring Harbor. It's walking distance from the school. If I wrote about food and restaurants, the Pancake House would get a thumbs up, A+, four stars or whatever was the best review possible. Everything is delicious; omelets, pecan pancakes, strawberry waffles-- but it's all so fattening. So while Jim was eating his meat omelet, sausages and pancakes and Monika was eating her vegi-omelet, I allowed myself the best oatmeal made in Madison. It comes with creme and brown sugar, but I only sprinkled in a bit and added a splenda.

This afternoon we decided to go to the Dells. Its a default vacation spot when I can't figure out where else to go. Jim and Monika drove up separately for the afternoon and dinner but left this evening. I let Jessi bring a friend so tomorrow we are off to a water park. I haven't decided what I'll be doing.

Would you like to see my pictures?

I have spent some time editing photos and have put together a photo album for you over on the left column << called Italy & Greece.

Last night at Jessi's basketball game I bumped into a friend from work who complained that I did not post enough photos while traveling. I did not explain to her that my time was limited and I often had to work on my blog after midnight, knowing I would need to be up by 6am. My main problem was not having Photoshop to edit and shrink images which caused huge delays in uploading since I was uploading original sizes right from my camera. Then to top it off I did not always have WiFi available and typically would have a blog post pending on my iPhone until I could borrow WiFi from a restaurant. Often others would wait for me while the post uploaded, so I tried to keep things short. Anyway, for those who are interested, there are lots of pictures to look at now!

Before & After

I spend a little time everyday playing with photos. It is fun to sort through them all. I am working on a birthday gift for my dad first, then I will start working on images for an art show at school. Many images are being posted on Facebook by other travelers, so it's been fun to look through their images as well. 

This before and after picture is pretty funny. Jessi and I went out to lunch and asked if we could share a dish. We told the waitress we were not that hungry but mostly we did not want to spend very much money. I had been told that in Europe it is very important to be very specific about what you order. Often vendors will ask if you want a little something extra only to find you have just doubled your bill. Americans are dupes for this. Well the waitress asked if we wanted a little extra meat and I thought I said no, but out came this huge platter for two that cost about 35E (that's nearly $50). So much for saving money! But as you can see, Jessi was hungry.