Chi-Town Stories

Happy Easter!

2006-04-19T19:09:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody, we're still alive! Hope you all had a nice Easter weekend. Ours was a whirlwind of driving, but we had a great time. We started one weekend early by dyeing eggs and eating a huge dinner. Blake even got me an Easter basket with lots of candy!

We headed to Blake's sister's house in Indiana on Friday afternoon. It was going pretty good until we got stuck in a huge hail storm on the highway in Indiana. It got really dark, began to pour, and then...golf ball-sized hail! It was covering the roads and fields, and everyone was pulling off the road. Needless to say, Blake's new car is covered in dents! Oh well, we did get there safely.

The next morning, we went out to breakfast with the family, dyed eggs, and hid them for the kids. Then, we had fondue, salad, dessert, and lots of other great foods. It was almost hot during the day, so we got some sun sitting outside all day. In the evening, we headed to my sister's house in Ohio.

On Sunday morning, we watched my nephew, Kolby, hunt Easter eggs and open his Easter basket. Then, we went to my parent's house for Easter dinner. The grandkids got baskets, and again, hunted for Easter eggs in the yard. Courtney and Kevin hid scratch-off lottery tickets for the adults. That was really fun, but we only had a few winners.

Some of us went out to the field to look for arrowheads after that. We all found lots of flint and neat rocks and slate. After lots of looking, I found the bottom half of a pink one, and the top half of a white one. We stayed in Ohio until Monday, and then we drove back home. As you can see, Rita is still trying to recover from all of the excitement. Hope you are all doing well. We miss you already!

Home again in Indiana

2006-03-27T20:56:00.000-06:00

Rita always loves to travel, but she especially loves it when we go t o see my sister and her family in Lafayette, IN. This was just one of those weekends when it was a good time to see family. Doesn't Rita looks so happy?

Here is a picture of Jessica playing hide and go seek. She always loves to play childrens games when she visits historical monuments. It helps her to relax and think of her childhood. Doesn't Jess look so happy?

Look it is a group of crazed natives planning our demise at Prophet's Rock. Ok, not really that is my sister her husband Samy and the tiny one in the back with the evil grin that is my mom. Doesn't my mom look so happy?

All together this was a very fun weekend. We did a lot more than just go to historical monuments. We visited my old stompin' grounds at Purdue, and it was also the first time I ever talked my mom into going to a karaoke bar. One day maybe I could get her to sing. Trust me that would be a blog.

I AM an American Idol...

2006-03-25T19:39:00.000-06:00

In my opinion, it is important to celebrate the good things that happen to you as long as you are not bragging. It is also important to share them with your friends. So, on that note...I got a new car, I got a new car, oh yeah, who's the man. I mean look, isn't it pretty? Sorry about the obvious bragging, but my old car needed to go to car heaven. He automatically failed the emissions test here without even taking it, and after three months of looking, we finally found Emee. She is a Honda C-RV. She doesn't get great gas mileage, but she has a lot of room, and gets really great ratings according to our research. She is like a station wagon with high heels on.

Not to mention that I am a contestant in a karaoke singing contest. I made it through the first round, and in a few weeks I'll compete in the second round. It is a lot like American Idol, but without the really great singers. Actually, it is at a bar called Harry's of Arlington in a suburb called Arlington Heights. The winner gets $300 in cash and prizes. I'll keep you updated. I have a couple more posts lined up and ready to go, but I think you should take this in right now and enjoy it for a bit. I'll open the window to our exciting lives again, soon enough.

Our Humble Abode

2006-02-25T21:22:00.000-06:00

So we have lived here for nearly a year, and we have never given you a tour. Without further procastination, here it is...971 Charlela Lane...an unoriginal idea brought to you from the person who brought you all those cool pictures from Malaysia, mad props to Zach. Please hold your applause until the end of the tour.

Here is the front of our building. The awning makes it seem all fancy. The truth, however, is that just to the left is the garbage bin and the area where most people take their pets to do their business.

Speaking of pets doing their business. Here is the poster child for why pit bulls are banned in cities all over America. The fearsome, ferocious RITA. I'm sorry Rit-rit. I was just kidding. Don't cry.

Here, we have the right wing of our spacious apartment where we have been known to hold grand affairs and dinners with heads of state. Ok, I'm a liar. But, Jess's sister did bring her dog last time, and she's pretty important. Bonus game: Try to guess what furniture we rescued from the dumpster, and what we got from old lady next door...all for free. Oh yeah.

The left wing holds more recent additions to our humble estate. In fact, there are several one-of-a-kind items on display. In other words, not all of them are from the dumpster.

Here in the kitchen, you can see we have all the major appliances readily available in what the french call la cuchina petite.

Here is my favorite room, le chambre d'amore. Kings and queens have remarked on the finesse with which we have attached the bikes to the wall and raised the bed to make room for storage.

To be honest, I am really proud of this picture because it features the bookshelf I made for Jess at graduation. AWWWW. I built the raised bed frame too. I am so handy, like a lumberjack.

DRUMROLL PLEASE:
We saved the best picture for last...the bathroom. We are working on another idea that we got from Zack. Next week, we are installing an orange hose.

Sorry...Dull & Boring

2006-02-12T10:58:00.000-06:00

As you may know in knowing me, the title of this post is two fold. One is a slam on our current dictator, and well the other is the truth. Jess and I have a dull and boring life here in the Chi-town suburbs. Actually, I would not say that it is truthfuly dull or boring. It is just immensely overwhelming. Trying to stay above water and save money and build a fun and exciting life here in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. is hard. My job has a lot of new demands and Jess keeps getting new things piled on her. Ok, I sound like I am complaining and making an excuse for not posting. Well, I am. We have a lot of ideas for posts like Mac & Hamburger Dinner Obsession, Our Zachian Apt. Tour, D&D Wednesday Update, and even A Look at Davinci Academy.We just don't have the time or the energy. Look forward to these posts, and new ones about car and apartment searches and a new weekend with the Casebolts. So get of our backs, we'll do what we want to...Gosh.

Wafflepalooza

2006-01-30T17:55:00.000-06:00

Good morning everybody. I would like to make a very special post. This is our salute, to breakfast. So keep your Pj's on and your robes closed. It's early in the morning and I'm making waffles. It was a Sunday not unlike other Sundays when Jess said to me, "Let's make waffles." I said in a cheery voice, "Yes, Dear." It was more than just a wonderful idea to me because one of our favorite fams had recently gifted to us a waffle-maker. Hooray!!
Then the waffle making ensued. Using ancient techniques taught to me by an ancient waffle master, I began stirring and mixing the batter. Sometime during the dance of a thousand stirs, Jess rested the the batter from me and began creating her own waffle. Can you tell which one I made? I thought you could.

The real winner, though, was this cross-breed of style and form that we named the waffle-star.
Sure this post may seem weird; sure it may seem a little silly, but the most important thing is, we made waffles.
Thank you, Casebolt family.

Why I am not an American Idol...

2006-01-24T21:20:00.000-06:00

Well, the truth of the matter is I have never tried out. That is right, it was here in Chicago, but I had a cough, yeah that's it. Well, that and according to the requirements for American Idol you have to be ages 16-28, and I, well I am 29 years of age. It hurts, it really hurts. What hurts even more are the reasons Jessica thinks I would never be an American Idol. Don't get me wrong, she loves that I can sing she just doesn't like the grimaces of passion in my face as I belt out ACDC or G-N-R. She looks at me and doesn't know if I am hurt, or trying to frighten my adoring public. Another reason she gave, before I could get the question out was, "you are very loud."Look I may be loud, but I am ROCKIN'!! You can't sing "Dirty Deeds" or "Sweet Child" without projecting from the diaphragm. Ok, seriously, we can't let this injustice continue. I am asking all of you to sit at your computers, pick up your pens and write. Write and e-mail, write a frippin' letter, but do something to extend the age limit of American Idol. If not to support me, but to proove Jess and others like her wrong. Because Rock-n-Roll ain't noise pollution and it is my time to shine. Paula abduhl ain't got nothing on me. I am an American idol.

A Weekend in Winamac

2006-01-20T21:35:00.000-06:00

Blake: Well, yeah is not Cambodia, but it is my hometown, and there is no place like home. It had been consoliday since we last visited my mom and it was a great time. I wish she did not smoke like a chimney, but my mom is one of the greatest women ever. *sniff* *sniff* I am getting misty-eyed. The truth is we had a great time seeing my aunt's, my mom, and my best buddy Otto. The truth is maybe someday we would lke to live in a smaller sized town. Definitely not a Winamac, but someplace that makes our lives feel nearly as special as our hometown's do. Someplace with good people, and a couple of state parks. A place with a YMCA and a Super Wal-Mart, where Jess can write and I can work with kids and families (again tearing up *sniff*). Well until next time.

Jessica: So it isn't Malaysia or Cambodia or Thailand, but our weekend in Winamac was really nice. We drove down on Saturday and spent the day with Blake's mom and his four aunts (I'm not sure where all the uncles were....) We had lunch while they chatted and played a card game that was way over my head. The sisters are actually really funny, and they remind me a bit of my own sisters. We spent Saturday evening with Blake's old friend, Otto, playing some pool and having a few beers. Sunday morning came all too soon, and we visited a bit more before heading to the local park to walk and see Winamac's famous suspension bridge. Yep, it was everything I could have ever hoped for in a bridge. :) Overall, it was a great weekend, and I'm a bit sad to be back at the rat race. The term "road rage" takes on a whole new meaning here. My friend Zach, though, did update his blog recently, and I'm really excited about it. He's teaching english in Malaysia, and he has some awesome stories and pictures. We can't get the links working on our blog, but check it out at: http://garinger.blogspot.com/

Our post Christmas post

2006-01-04T21:23:00.000-06:00

Grandma Helen (L), Mom & Dad with the kids(M), Sadie & Rita(R)

Jessica: Hey everyone! It’s been forever since we’ve posted, so this might be a long one. We had a great Christmas and New Years in Ohio. I took some time off work, and of course, Blake had a long vacation from school. We stayed with my sister, Courtney, and her family in Cridersville for about 10 days. Believe it or not, I don’t think we wore out our welcome. It was really nice sleeping in, drinking coffee until noon, shopping, and just hanging out with the Casebolts. Their whole family was off from school and work too, so we were able to spend lots of time together. We went to a local coffee shop where Blake sang Christmas songs and some of his regulars. We watched my nephew, Kolby, open presents from Santa, and spent Christmas day with my parents, and all of my sisters’ families. Rita came with us, and she and the Casebolt’s rottweiler, Sadie, got along pretty well.
We also spent New Year’s Eve with the whole family at Alicia and Matt’s house. We had lots of great food and booze, and had an awesome time overall. The only thing bad thing that happened while we were there was that my car wouldn’t start on New Year’s Eve. Yes, the day before we left, my car decided to be a pain. Thankfully, a good spark plug cleaning did the job, and we were able to return to Chicago on New Year’s Day. We came back to lots of cleaning and laundry, and Blake’s car decided to be a pain as well. The day after we returned, Blake had to spend a bunch of money on brake work for the wonderful Chevy Malibu. That’s fodder for another post, though. One that involves a nice rant about the hassles of cars and apartments and doggists. Until then, I hope everyone had a great holiday, and is doing well. See ya!

All of us playing drinking games (top), Lish & Court (B) (AKA Canada)

Blake: It was a great time and we spent it with great people. It was good to be able to feel at home when we were with the Casa-bolts(hehe). This is also the first year that I did not make a Christmas list, and I got a sword. That is so cool, I have always always wanted one. I had a good time with everyone. Matt and Lish were great hosts on New Years Eve. To be honest, I just want to get this posted it was such a long day at school today. We had meetings from 8:30 'til about 3. Hopefully they will make a difference for our school. We really have so much more to talk about with the cars, work and you all will just have to wait.

Merry Christmas!

2005-12-19T08:37:00.000-06:00

Jessica: Since Blake and I are going to Ohio next Friday, we had our Christmas yesterday. We got up in the morning, opened presents, and pretty much relaxed all day. It was great. As you can see from the pictures, Blake got me a digital camera, which I'm very excited about. Now, we can take and share pictures with all of you, without dealing with stupid scanners. Blake also got me candy, cookies, socks, my favorite movie, and some other stuff, but I'm focusing on the camera. Now we just need to go somewhere so I can take pictures! I talked to my sister, Courtney, today; she and her husband are having faux-Hanukkah until Christmas. They're opening one present every day, and then on Christmas day, it will just be their 8-year-old son opening presents from Santa. I thought it sounded fun, so maybe Blake and I will do that next year.

Blake: Well, hmm... I am not sure about opening gifts like that, but it might be ok. I am a believer in making sure to keep Christmas as close to the date as possible.
I hear it heightens the experience. We did have an amazing day and a lot of relaxing, which was great. Jess made my Christmas great. She got me a gnome, we have named Marco, a new Bears hat, socks and a whole lot of things I love. We had a great first Christmas together. The most amazing thing I got for Christmas was a scrapbook. This wasn't just any scrapbook; it was a compilation of our first year together. It included things like the actual receipt I wrote my number on when we first met, and included all of our big adventures and important moments. It is an amazing gift and tribute to our life together so far. To all of you, I hope all your holidays are as wonderful as mine are shaping up to be.

My Job Rocks

2005-12-16T22:51:00.000-06:00

When I wake up every morning I have the right to mope and complain. That is because I work, I have a job. The difference is, my job rocks. I am a P.E. teacher at an independent school in a chicago suburb, and I love it. That is right, I am a teacher and I love my job. This week was our last week before the school shut down for winter break. Let me just say, it was nuts. Kids listened less than usual, and class became a joke. All of this would have usually made me upset, except it is the holiday season. That means gifts from the kids, secret santa and treats all over the place. It also means the annual skating party. I only fell down 5 times, but I had a great time. The kids absolutely loved it. It was truly amazing because the feeling of the season came on the bus as we sang songs, and at the rink, as 8th graders helped Pre-k's. It was the perfect end to a hectic week that reminded me what the season is truly about.

What a Day!

2005-12-10T10:02:00.000-06:00

"CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- A Southwest Airlines jet slid off the runway during a heavy snowstorm at Chicago's Midway Airport and crashed into at least one vehicle at a nearby intersection on Thursday night, a spokeswoman for Chicago's Department of Aviation said."

So...I thought the freezing temperatures were a pain...Now comes the snow. Right in time for rush hour, a big nasty front plopped down on Chicago and much of the Midwest. It's about 9 p.m. now, and we have about 6 inches. On a normal day, it usually takes Blake and I each 30 minutes to drive home from work. Today it took Blake an hour and a half to drive home. It took me almost three hours. Let me tell you how bitter I am at Chicago right now. Yes, bitter, like the cold. The traffic was so backed up that I drove about 3 mph for most of the trip home--that is, when I was actually moving. I was at a standstill near the O'Hare runway talking to Blake on the phone as planes were flying way too low above my head. We discussed how airports must have good snowplows, but little did we know that a jet was about to skid off the runway at Midway, the other Chicago airport. Crazy stuff. Either way, I have to go to work tomorrow. Hopefully it will be better because if it takes me 3 hours to get TO work, I'm turning around and going home! Zach, I really need some Malaysian weather right now! Thank goodness Courtney, Kevin and Kolby sent us some delicious cookies and fudge. It isn't Malaysia, but it's certainly delightful.

Happy Birthday!

2005-12-08T21:01:00.000-06:00

Jessica: First off, we'd like to say happy 6th birthday to my nephew Gabe (Dec. 7), and happy 60th birthday to my mom (Dec. 16) Above is a photo of my mom and sisters at the birthday party. Blake and I couldn't attend because it fell right between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (In the second installment of Consoliday, Blake and I celebrated their birthdays on Thanksgiving.) I'm a little sad we couldn't go to the actual party, but we'll be heading back to Ohio again soon for Christmas.

Merry Consoliday!

2005-12-08T00:00:00.000-06:00

Jessica: Hey everyone, we're finally back. We've actually been hibernating for the last two weeks, trying to keep warm. This morning the temperature was 1 degree with a wind chill of -13. We've given up on our rule of not running the heater before 8:30 p.m. It's running on high right now, but I'm on the couch in my sleeping bag. Yes, the joys of being poor! Blake and I had a great Thanksgiving with my family. Besides a great Thanksgiving dinner at my mom and dad's, we went to the Wapak bars with Sarah and Lindsey, and stayed with Courtney, Kevin and Kolby for a few days. We then went on to Indiana for what became known as "Consoliday."

Clockwise: Sammy, Blake, Mom, Brooke and Griselda

Blake: Consoliday rocked! We took my niece Griselda's Birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas and had a great time with my family. It all started with the need to coordinate time in Cridersville, as well as Winamac. Then, following the realization that my mom and my sister have very busy schedules, we met someplace near the middle with Consoliday. It was great because I was blessed with spending time with Jessica's big awesome family, and I was able to create a silly tradition with mine.

Blake, Rita, Sammy, Griselda, Brooke and Mom at the Pulaski
Christmas Lights on Thanksgiving. Merry Consoliday!!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2005-12-07T21:45:00.000-06:00

Jessica: In my 23 years, I have never had a real Christmas tree. This is the year I'm changing that. I don't care about the fire hazard (knock on wood), or the needles on the floor; I just want a real tree. So...last Friday, Blake and I went to Marmion Abbey to visit the monks and cut down a tree. A nice little man pointed us toward a field of trees ready for the cutting. I must say, it was somewhat traumatic, as we moved from tree to tree discussing the flaws of each. We finally settled on one, and Blake went to work.

Blake: So, there it was. I began sneaking up behind the creature. I could see that it was covered in what could be deadly sharp needles. I was ready to put all those hours of watching the Croc Hunter to use. After spending hours in the bush, we found 'er, and she looked like a naughty lil' girl. I climbed down to her level and quickly began to saw. Then she fell like thunder to the ground, and like a brave counting coup, I raised my prize in the air. Too much? Sorry, it was just such a fun experience. If you ever have the chance, I would reccomend a good ol' fashion tree hunt.

Sorry for the delay...

2005-12-04T00:59:00.000-06:00

Blake: I know that everyone has been waiting for our next exciting post to our blog. However, unlike many of our fellow bloggers, our technology is not up to par with the standards of 2005. We only recently got our Thanksgiving pictures developed, and we need to scan them so that we can share all our adventures with you. In fact, since our return home to the EGV, we have had some adventure. That's right, you know it, it's wall-to-wall excitement here in the Chi-town burbs, but due to our limited technology, you will just have to wait. The suspense is killing you, isn't it? So as you sit there staring blankly at your monitors, I will tell you this. We had a great Thanksgiving, and we hope you all did too. In our next post, we promise to bring you up to speed on why we did.

The Best B-Day Present Ever!

2005-11-20T14:34:00.000-06:00

Jessica, Lindsey, Sarah and Mandy in front of the
Clarence Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park

Jessica: Blake gave me the best birthday present ever for my 23rd birthday on Nov. 12. We went out to dinner on Friday night, and when we came home my friends Sarah, Lindsey, Mandy and Kyle were at our apartment! It was such a good surprise. We stayed up late chatting, and it felt just like the good old days of birthday sleepovers.

In the morning, we had brunch at Christy's Pancake House, and rode the train downtown. We walked around all day, saw Sears Tower, Millenium Park, Michigan Ave., the theater district, etc. We had deep dish pizza and beer at Giordano's and smoothies at Jamba Juice. It rained a bit, but it was so great seeing my girls. When we went back to the train station, we had about 90 minutes before the next train, so we went to the bar and had more beer! It was the longest train home ever because we all had to pee! Although everyone had to leave early Sunday morning, it was the best birthday present ever!

Sarah, Jessica, Blake, Mandy and Kyle at the train station

Linz, Jess, Blake and Sarah on the train

Devil's Lake, WI

2005-11-20T14:22:00.000-06:00

Blake and Rita overlooking Devil's Lake

If any of you want to visit a great state park, try Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisc. We went for a day trip during their peak fall color season. It was a bit rainy and cold, but we had such a great time. We took Rita along, and she did awesome. She even carried all of her own stuff in a backpack.

Jessica at Balanced Rock

Gauley Marathon

2005-11-17T22:34:00.000-06:00

Gauley River Rafters: Keith, Stacey, Sarah, Jessica, Blake, Kristi, Serge

So we're trying to catch you all up on our lives, and this is a photo from our rafting trip. In late September, we did the Gauley Marathon, which is basically rafting the entire Gauley River in one day. This is 28 miles of non-stop whitewater containing approximately 150 rapids--60 are Class III or better, including 6 Class V+. It was amazing. Everyone should try it.

Rita Pita Gordita

2005-11-17T00:25:00.000-06:00

Jessica: Everyone, meet Rita. No, we didn't name her after the hurricane, but we did get her that same week. As you may have heard, she's one of those "Chicago" pit bulls that attacks children selling magazines. No, just kidding. We adopted Rita from a neighboring county animal shelter. We weren't expecting to get a dog so soon, but when I met her, I knew she had to come home with us. She's three years old, but she's pretty small (about 50 lbs). A lot of people think she's a pit bull puppy. Either way, she's very cute and a pretty good dog. She likes kids and other dogs, but she loves us a little too much. She has a little separation anxiety when we go to work, and she's basically destroyed an extra large wire cage that my sister used for her Rottweiler. Also, she likes candy--a lot. Last weekend, she ate about five candy bars and multiple brownies while we were gone. She has a serious sweet tooth, but luckily, she also must have a really strong stomach.

Blake: Rita has been a mixed blessing since joining our lives, and she has definitely challenged our patience on several occassions. To date, we have lost at least five sentimental items, and have gone out of our way to design living room arrangements to keep her out of certain areas of our tiny apartment. The truth is, no matter how hard we try to educate ourselves, our dog is at least as smart as we are, if not smarter. People think I am crazy for saying that, but if you have ever tried or heard of a trick to get a dog to do what you want, you need to meet Rita. We had to give her pills when we first got her. We tried peanut butter bread, meat snacks and then finally just putting her down her throat. All of them worked at first, but even the last was foiled by her hiding the pill in her jowels and then spitting it out after I thought she had swallowed it. Maybe I will get her to tutor me to help with the kids.

We Have a Blog!

2005-11-16T23:44:00.000-06:00

Blake and I this summer at the Lincoln Park Zoo

Jessica: So...we have a blog! I'm actually really excited about this. We just got the internet at home a few weeks ago, and I've enjoyed reading everyone's blogs. It's such a great way to catch up. I always plan to call everyone, but by the time I get home from work, I always feel so lazy.
For anyone who doesn't know, I'm working at a business to business publishing company in Des Plaines, IL (a suburb of Chicago). I'm the associate editor for two magazines for people involved in the water/wastewater industry. I'm learning way more than I ever wanted to about this exciting industry. It's a lot of business crap, though. I always laughed at all you GLC kids, but I'm turning into a saleswoman. It's a really good starter job, though. I've attended several conferences downtown, and I went to a tradeshow in DC for five days in October. Thankfully, I'm probably done traveling until spring.
Aside from work, Blake and I live in Elk Grove Village, which is another suburb. It's a pretty nice place, and the village actually does have a herd of elk. There's lots of traffic, etc. but it's nice. And now...here's Blake!

Blake: Not only does it have a herd of Elk, it has two people from OU and a cute little pup named Rita (who you'll hear more about later). We have had our ups and downs since moving here. Although Jess came here with a job, I was not so lucky. I spent some time looking and hoping, and finally got a job as a PE teacher at a private school in ELgin, IL. The kids there are incredibly gifted and surprise me nearly every day. The other day, for example, a 4-year-old came to me, and instead of saying her tummy hurt, she told me, "her stomach was uncomfortable." Just like most teachers, I still have rough days when they won't listen, or they would rather do something on the internet than play a game in the gym. They still help me smile everyday--even though they are smarter than me.