Showing the Humms Around Chicago

Sap & I have had a lovely time showing the Humms around Chicago, particularly this little one.

Loads more photos to follow!

Steve, Bridge & Finners Are on Their Way

Steve, Bridge & Finn arrive in Chicago later tonight. We can’t wait to see them!

2009 Roundup

We had a pretty manic end to the year this year. Work for me was pretty hectic but we had an awesome holiday in Mexico just before Christmas. We arrived back to a very chatty cat and a kitchen full of festive food & drink. Now we find ourselves nearing the end of 2009 and so much seems to have happened!

Celebrating One Year in Chicago

November 15th marked our first full year living in Chicago. It’s gone so fast! I had hoped to post something on the 15th for posterity but it just slipped away with everything else we had going on. Seems so long ago since we arrived at O’Hare to be picked up by Ben & Mandy and wander around Chicago awestruck by it all.

Then we had our first snowfall (I still remember being so excited at seeing that much snow. Remember — in the UK snowfall is pretty pathetic!) and Sap, Mandy & I made snow angels (after a few ‘warming’ drinks, of course) as Ben looked on calling us mad…

Thanksgiving 2009

We had ‘our’ first Thanksgiving this year — we spent Thanksgiving 2008 with the wonderful McKee family (and Ben!) — and thoroughly enjoyed it. We cooked good food and drank great drinks. We ordered an apple pie from The Chopping Block — it was amazingly good. Definitely something we will order again next year. Alas they only make them for Thanksgiving and no other holiday.

Celebrating Two Years of Marriage

Sap and I celebrated two years of marriage on the 22nd December. Again, it seems to have gone so fast! We had a fairly miserable first anniversary in 2008 — we went out walking for the day in freezing temperatures so that, by the time we got home, we were too tired & cold to go out for dinner. So we ordered a takeout which turned out to be fairly horrid. We vowed to have a better anniversary this year so we planned a holiday to Mexico. Needless to say it was better in every way!

Our hotel was amazing and we treated ourselves to a relaxing massage whilst we were there. We came back to a soggy Chicago well rested and looking forward to our second Christmas in Chicago.

Christmas 2009

We arrived back from Mexico on Christmas Eve to a very, very chatty cat. As we opened the door she miaowed as if to say “THERE you are! I’ve been looking for you everwhere!” Bless her. She was very happy to see us (as we were really happy to see her — strange how much you miss a ball of fur that constantly wakes you up at 6am!).

We had done all our Christmas shopping for food, presents, drink etc. before we left so there was nothing we had to do — it was bliss! Great planning & organisation by Sap. It’s her thing. So we woke (early) on Christmas morning to let Peppy open her presents first. She got a tunnel (which she LOVES) and a new bed (which she turns her nose up at) as well as some foody things from her relatives across the Atlantic. She was more interested in the wrapping paper than what was in it though.

We Skyped family and then settled down to enjoy a nice warm, cosy, quiet Christmas. It was wonderful. We had two days of lazing around the apartment, eating & drinking all the goodies we had bought.

New Year 2009

We’re off to the Blackrock pub tomorrow night to celebrate 2010 heading our way. It’s the same place we went to last year with Nick, Paul & Nige (can’t believe that was a year ago either!) so we’re really looking forward to it as it was a fantastic evening.

Then we have a few more days off before we head back to work on the 4th. But let’s not think about that yet!

Birthday Shenanegans

We went out at the weekend for mine & Paul’s birthday (we’re only a week apart). We started at Finn McCool’s (such a great name for a bar) and moved onto another place (who’s name I cannot remember) and then finished at a sushi bar. Yeah, a sushi bar. We only went in for drinks as there was nowhere else open!

Make with the click & photo viewage.

Our First Baseball Game

Sap won tickets to a Cubs game at work (nice one!) for last Thursday. Hard to believe that despite being here for nearly a year we’ve yet to see a Cubs game!

Unfortunately the game was rained off but we did get to see about 30 minutes of baseball.

See lots of photos of rain on Flickr.

Visiting Indianapolis

Sap and I visited Nayan Bhai and Hemali Bhabi in Indianapolis the other week. We had a great weekend starting with the journey down there on the Megabus. We managed to get seats at the front on the upper deck. Yes, I was like a child!

The highlight of the weekend for me was visiting the Indianapolis Speedway. The place is just massive! We took a bus trip around the track (yes, you can get on a bus and get driven around the track) and stopped at various points, including the famous bricks on the start/finish straight.

The museum at the track houses a fantastic array of cars and motorcycles from all types of racing — there’s even a Benetton F1 car there from 1991.

Nick’s Visit to Chicago

Nick just left Chicago after a week long visit. We had an absolutely fantastic time — I took some time off work, much needed — and really enjoyed having fun in the summertime. Nick had never seen Chicago without mounds of snow everywhere!

We crammed a lot into a week and even then there were things we didn’t get to do. Sounds like the ideal excuse for another visit Nick!

The highlight of his visit, I’m sure, was meeting Pepper. From the moment Nick arrived with his suitcases, she was investigating…

Of course, she got lots of cuddles whether she wanted them or not! When Pepper wants to get down she gently taps you on the cheek. If that doesn’t work, she’ll miaow at you. If that doesn’t work she’ll wriggle free of you! Here she is ‘patting’ Nick:

We went to the Bull & Bear, where the beer taps sit on the table. This means you can pour your own beer…

…with varying results!

I think the highlight of the trip for all of us was the Segway tour we did at the weekend. It was so much fun — the Segways are so easy to control and are a great way to see the city. We had a fantastic day for it and three hours just wasn’t enough time!

Nick & I also visited the Sears Tower (sorry, ‘Willis Tower’ may be correct but it doesn’t sound right!) They recently installed four glass cubes on the 103rd floor. The worst part was the wait beforehand…

…but once we got up there it wasn’t so bad. Everybody seemed to be taking photos of themselves lying down on the floor of the cubes…so, when in Rome:

The cubes actually look more scary when you look across to one:

Once Nick was in the cube he gave Paul a quick call:

We did the usual tour of the sights — we went up the Sears on Nick’s last visit but I don’t think the visibility was as good.

One day Sap & Nick went to the cat sanctuary where they fell in love with some kittens. Don’t worry — Pepper is still our only cat! But one of the kittens they saw could have been Pepper as a kitten.

We took Nick to Bin 36 on his last night for some wine & cheese. He and I had the 13 cheese flight — “13 cheese you cannot live without”, apparently — and had a wine flight and some port. It was a lovely civilised evening and rounded off a top time.

Come back soon Nick! Bring your onion bhaji with you. More photos of the visit are up at Flickr.

Tweeting Shopping

Over the long July 4th weekend Sap & I went shopping. Whilst we trawled Chicago’s finest shops for wares — and wears? — I decided to tweet about the experience. Not only did it give me something to do whilst waiting for Sap to try on all the stuff she liked but it will hopefully serve to remind me of the day in detail in future.

(Oh and the #moonfruit at the end of some of the tweets was referring to a competition. I didn’t win.)

Here then is my day.

Shopping with the wife today. Currently in “Macy’s 2nd floor women’s dress” hell on State St. Heading to Mich Av later & then fireworks.
11:03 AM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Currently holding 10 items for wife. Just been told by an obviously gay man to ’stop looking like I’m having so much fun”.
11:15 AM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Of the 10 items tried on, 1 was retained. Another batch being tried on now. iPhone should be standard issue for all husbands in shops
11:42 AM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Just eaten an awesome burger @ Macy’s. Think we’re ready to leave & go to another shop. The fun continues.
1:01 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Feel like I’m trawling Chicago’s shops for wifi spots. None in Old Navy, sporadic in Macy’s. 2.30 already!
1:30 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Dreaming of a new MacBook Pro (http://bit.ly/E9pW5 to help ease the pain of wife spending all my money #moonfruit
1:36 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Arms getting a good workout from carrying wife’s ‘possibles’. Shopping can be good for you? #moonfruit
1:39 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Have acquired shorts & shirt. Wife trying on more stuff. Could do with a beer #moonfruit
2:16 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Old Navy are piping Bananarama into the changing room waiting area. Sadists. #moonfruit
2:20 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Owen to United: done #moonfruit
2:30 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

In a very crowded H&M. Deep breaths. Beer is promised soon. #moonfruit
2:53 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Enjoying a mid-shop Blue Moon in the Berghoff. Much needed. Michigan Avenue awaits! #moonfruit
3:31 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

And we’re off again. Urban Outfitters held nothing, currently in Charlotte Russe ‘browsing’. Then off to Michigan Av #moonfruit
4:16 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

@arksandrey gives me something to do whilst she tries stuff on!
4:16 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific in reply to arksandrey

Wow, GAP is pricey #moonfruit
4:41 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

Some horrendous teen star doing a book signing @the Disney store on Michigan. Line around the corner, I’ve never heard of him/her #moonfruit
5:06 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

In danger of having a wardrobe full of Abercrombie & Hollister #moonfruit
6:22 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

More tshirts acquired. In the other H&M now then El & Castle for food. Then we’re done, phew #moonfruit
6:51 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

That guy’s got the right idea. Following his wife around wearing HEADPHONES #moonfruit
7:19 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

And we’re done. Enjoying a Merlot & food with wife in Elephant & Castle then home to a hungry cat. Interesting tweet experiment? #moonfruit
9:01 PM Jul 3rd from Twitterrific

A Top Weekend at Cedar Point

We’ve just had an amazing weekend at Cedar Point in Ohio. We met up with Pat, Wayne & Allison and some of their friends and had a great weekend exploring the theme park and water park.

I went on my first rollercoster (cherry: popped) and absolutely loved it, even if I was terrified (and very quiet in the line!). I rode Maverick and Raptor on Sunday and loved it.

Didn’t get to take many photos of the weekend but here are the crew at da Point on Saturday.

Top weekend — want to go again!

Feels Like Summertime in Chicago

I’m sitting in a Starbucks writing this on the phone. Today is another gorgeous day in Chicago town and it really feels like summer now. Shorts and shades every day!

Love having air conditioning in the apartment and love having a balcony. Love that we’re so close to the lake and that we have both Millennium and Grant parks close by. And there’s lots of great bars and restaurants nearby too (even if they do all close down at the weekends!)

About to go get a haircut and then enjoy my day off!