Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The scale really does lie, depending upon where it lay


202.5 lbs

204.6 lbs when scale moved
just 1 inch

Yes I know, shame on me for posting pics of my ugly hairly legs.  I like to weigh myself second thing in the morning (after my first coffee and constitution) and I've confirmed that where I put the scale does seem to impact my weight results.  By as much as 2 lbs apparently.

I would also like to note here that today while driving to work I noticed that I felt like I had a touch more energy and the desire to work out.  I believe it is because yesterday after work I went to the gym in my office building and in addition to running 4.5 miles on the dreadmill (1 mile warmup, 3.5 run), I also got in some weight lifting.  I was able to do this because Nightingale was going to be coming home late so there was no pressure to rush home to see her like I usually do.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Things that live in the garage
















The organizing and reshuffling of things that live in the garage continue.  This time a little asthetical surgery on the garage.  The blinds the owner left behind were covered in layers of dirt and dust.  I didn't want to bother hosing them down.  I figured I'd just find some replacements at a thrift store.

Then it occured to me, while sitting on my deck enjoying an adult beverage and staring at these ugly blinds, that I could put a picture or two (or even three I suppose) in that space and point them back out to the outside.

Lo and behold, the Goodwill near my office had a couple of matching pieces of wall art that I thought were nice enough for a garage window.  Alas, Nightingale feels these may be too nice for a garage and despite my claim that the frames are a bit beat up, these may end up in the house and I'll be back to the drawing board.

At the same Goodwill, I came across this item pictured below.  My city saavy told me this was a duck but Nightingale informed me it was a goose.  Either way, it will go on our front lawn in the spot that often pools during heavy rain making an impromptu pond.
 

His name is Herman, no word yet on whether he steals Formal Dates


Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Overall this weekend didn't suck

Bingo and Beer, what could go wrong?
I'm doing a mediocre job of writing here because I'm busy at work and also trying to write more here.  So if you don't mind, hop on over there and click Like, Tweet and Share.  Your secret internet identity won't be reveal to me and it will help with my pageviews and audience reach. 

This weekend started out a little rough but ended on a very good note. My sleep patterns have been out of whack for the last several weeks and it finally took its tool. I didn't get up Saturday to join the CARA marathon training group. 

Since I'm only leading a half marathon group and anyone who runs at an 8:30 mm pace is going to be fine running with the marathon group, I didn't think it was the worst decision I've made recently. Still, I felt guilty because I can use the mileage.

Instead we slept in and then hit the neighborhood yard sale. We got out of the house much later than I wanted so we probably missed out on any super awesome finds. But we did manage to score an electric lawn mover which may or may not die after a few uses for $5. I also scored this peg board for $2 which went up in the garage and now holds as many rakes as it possibily can. Cannot recall whatever we bought but we definitely did our part to spread the wealth we don't have.

These will eventually live on
our front porch
We checked out BBQ fest for about 30 minutes on Saturday and happened by a resale shop that had some wicker chairs Nightingale liked enough that we purchased, after getting the owner to drop the price a bit.

Saturday evening we went to Logan Bar to watch the blackhawks game with K&J. Originally we were supposed to have a picnic in Pritzker Pavilion but J wanted to see the game and K&J have already done several of those this week.

What was an otherwise pleasant evening out with another couple was somewhat marred by the waitress coming back to our table and outright asking if we stiffted her on the tip because it was short $20. First we didn't stiff her. We put in a 20% tip but when she brought back the check, a $20 appeared to be missing. Did one of us forget to include it? Or did waitress pull a fast one and make an extra $20 off a table that was there all night?

Our back door had come off the hinges in two places. This seemed to occur the exact week that I happened to give two separate people spare keys to our house. However, it looks like the culprit was the small (1 inch) screws that whoever installed the door used.
I went to the local hardware store and got some 2" screws. I wanted to get enough for the door hinges as well as the part that attaches to the doorway, but the 2" is apparently too big for the jam, so we are sticking with the 1" for now.

We also invited some friends over Sunday to check out BBQ Fest and hang out at our place under our new deck umbrella that we had to buy because the sun beats down on our uncovered deck like no one's business.  Nightingale wanted to get people to come spend time and perhaps a little money at a fest in our hood in hopes of increasing it's draw power.  I figured this is a good beta test for a what a bigger scale cookout sometime this summer.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Two Weddings, Two Communions, same God

We went to two wedding in one Saturday a couple weeks ago and I suppose I should say something about that. Because we made the effort, the first party sat us at their table as guests of honor, which I believe was quite classy, if rather unnecessary.
This photo is aligned right just like the groom's politics
This of course had the intended benefit of us staying a little longer than planned such that we got to the second ceremony just in time to receive our second communion of the day.

We were seated with Sabrina who was one of the few single women there so she got a lot of attention from a couple of the single guys. Never got the 411 on what happened though there was a FB post later that evening showing everyone having a good time.

While that picture was being taken, we were at the second reception, sitting with a group of the bride's coworkers. They were a nice friendly enough bunch to get through the evening with no expectation of long term bonding. The gentleman next to me was excited because he and his son had run the SF10 together. I mentioned that I had run it too but didn't share my results as that would have seemed like boasting.


The reception was at a golf club on the south side and it was a dated but elegant club. Couple two hired a live band from the Red Hat Piano Lounge and really wanted people to come out and dance so we obliged.

We made a short term friend at this wedding who was interesting to talk to although I cannot remember her name. I guess that term ended.

I should say something profound about these couples getting married relatively later in life than they had hoped.  Indeed, I'm all out of profound these days.. So how about this instead. 

Saturday, June 8, 2013

How a Runner Packs for a Trip

We are out of town visiting the SIL and staying in her new house in The South.  She works in Memphis and therefore, like many of that town, bought a home in nearby Missisippi.  Hernando, MS to be specific.  We got to see the new house and meet the new boyfriend.   The house is cute and the BF on good behavior, nothing wrong with either at this point though we aren't looking very hard.

Note the running clothes get their own section of the suitcase

We've had our own rough month with the basement flood and some more financial drama in my mom's world that is impacting us.  We just cannot seem to catch a break.  So I would say a short trip away from it all is just what the doctor ordered.  The weather here is mild for this time of year but much warmer than the Chicago weather we left.  When we leave, they will get their hotter temperatures and Chicago will hopefully be done with the cold and rain for a while.  Everyone wins except my waistline since the food here is delicious but not remotely in the zip code of healthy especially the mass quantities I have and will ingest throughout this trip.


What I don't think that doctor ordered was an additional side of Getting to the Airport Drama but that is life with Nightingale.  We couldn't get our act together and make the bus to the El station, so we had to drive nearby and park the car on the street.  Hopefully it is still there when we get home, unticketed at all.

I didn't ask my mom to drive us because the last time I asked her to take me to the airport, I almost missed my flight to Hong Kong.  She didn't understand that when I said I needed to be at the airport two hours early for an international flight, it wasn't me being anal.  That is the Airline Industry and Federal Government's own specific brand of home grown stress for the modern traveler.  Even though that was four years ago, I'm still afraid to take that chance.

Anywho, I've probably shared too much especially since I think some of my actual relatives have started to read this blog occasionally.  Therefore I will just leave with another picture, this one of me culling the Skeet population which grew larger than average thanks to a mild winter.