Tonight is Amateur Night. What will you be doing?
After work, CP and I are headed into Boston to meet up with my sister, her boyfriend, her best friend and her boyfriend. We are going out to a Japanese restaurant for dinner and then headed to a Guns N Roses cover band show. CP and I are not thrilled with our plans, but my sister happens to be in Boston so it would be pretty crappy of us not to do something with her.
At least we will be out and about with childless people this year. Although last year was nice and cheap, it was a bit boring to sit around and watch the various NYE shows after our friend’s kids went to bed. CP and I are not quite that fuddy-duddy just yet!
I hope everyone has a fun and safe NYE! Catch ya in 2010!
12.31.2009
12.30.2009
Our Paradise Falls
This past weekend CP and I watched the movie Up. The beginning shows an older couple that met when they were kids due to a mutual love of a famous explorer who traveled in South America. The movie shows a quick montage of them getting married, trying to have kids and failing, and trying to save for a trip to “Paradise Falls.” Paradise Falls is a fictional place in South America that they have always wanted to go to, but every time they try to save up enough money to go, they fail because of life events such as a car breakdown.
Just as the husband buys plane tickets for the couple to go to Paradise Falls, a place that they have been dreaming about going to since they were little kids, the wife falls ill and dies.
CP then commented, “are the Galapagos going to be our Paradise Falls?”
With a possible move in our future, the Galapagos may just be the place we will never get to visit. Although I promised CP that we would get there within the first five years of our marriage, financially we couldn’t make this trip right now. We definitely don’t have the money and we both know and accept that. Moving (if that happens soon) will add more debt to our lives, even if it will save money in the future. CP wants to buy a house within a year after we move….I’m not sure that’s possible but we’ll see. Then there are possible kids in our future. All of these things cost a lot of money. Adding a trip to the Galapagos on top of that would be difficult.
I know that at our ages, we have plenty of time to get there. But when you put things off too long, do you risk never doing them?
Will we get there? Who knows. But I still hold out hope that one day we will make the trip.
Just as the husband buys plane tickets for the couple to go to Paradise Falls, a place that they have been dreaming about going to since they were little kids, the wife falls ill and dies.
CP then commented, “are the Galapagos going to be our Paradise Falls?”
With a possible move in our future, the Galapagos may just be the place we will never get to visit. Although I promised CP that we would get there within the first five years of our marriage, financially we couldn’t make this trip right now. We definitely don’t have the money and we both know and accept that. Moving (if that happens soon) will add more debt to our lives, even if it will save money in the future. CP wants to buy a house within a year after we move….I’m not sure that’s possible but we’ll see. Then there are possible kids in our future. All of these things cost a lot of money. Adding a trip to the Galapagos on top of that would be difficult.
I know that at our ages, we have plenty of time to get there. But when you put things off too long, do you risk never doing them?
Will we get there? Who knows. But I still hold out hope that one day we will make the trip.
12.29.2009
Be the Match 2
Yesterday, NPR ran a story on Maya, a mixed-race child who is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. A few months ago, I posted information on becoming a bone marrow donor.
Well.....did you sign up? If you didn't, Be the Match is once again looking for donors and waiving the sign up fee. If you are interested, go here. The promotion code (supposedly good through the end of 2009) is marrow4maya.
Well.....did you sign up? If you didn't, Be the Match is once again looking for donors and waiving the sign up fee. If you are interested, go here. The promotion code (supposedly good through the end of 2009) is marrow4maya.
12.28.2009
It's over already?
Wow. I can’t believe that Christmas came so quickly and is now over. I didn’t step a foot into a mall the entire holiday season- which is probably why I felt like the season sped by.
CP and I spent most of the long weekend away from home. Christmas Eve was spent with his dad’s side of the family at a huge family gathering. On the way to his aunt and uncle’s house, I started crying because I felt like I was a bad wife because I wasn’t really in the Christmas-y spirit. I was sad that I didn’t get to spend Christmas with my parents for the first time in my life too. When I couldn’t quite explain why I was crying, CP started laughing at me (not in a mean way) which in turn made me realize how silly I was being. I was a little less talkative when we arrived at the party, but I’m not sure that anyone noticed. Fuzzy Britches had to stay outside the entire party because the last time we were at this house, she jumped up on the counters not once, but twice, to eat roasted vegetables and pumpkin pie. Bad Fuzzy Britches!
Christmas Day was spent with his mom’s side of the family and poor CP was roped into cooking the entire meal. It turned out great, but I felt bad that he wasn’t able to relax. His grandmother told the same 10 stories that she always does (one of the new ones in rotation is from our wedding) and his mom just rolled her eyes at her mother…..despite the fact that she does the same thing!
CP and I drove home Saturday and spent most of the day relaxing. We also opened up presents from each other and my side of the family. CP got me some baking tools- which I promptly used to make French baguettes yesterday- and a 3 day ski pass for a mountain in NH. :-)
So, how was everyone’s Christmas? What was your best present?
CP and I spent most of the long weekend away from home. Christmas Eve was spent with his dad’s side of the family at a huge family gathering. On the way to his aunt and uncle’s house, I started crying because I felt like I was a bad wife because I wasn’t really in the Christmas-y spirit. I was sad that I didn’t get to spend Christmas with my parents for the first time in my life too. When I couldn’t quite explain why I was crying, CP started laughing at me (not in a mean way) which in turn made me realize how silly I was being. I was a little less talkative when we arrived at the party, but I’m not sure that anyone noticed. Fuzzy Britches had to stay outside the entire party because the last time we were at this house, she jumped up on the counters not once, but twice, to eat roasted vegetables and pumpkin pie. Bad Fuzzy Britches!
Christmas Day was spent with his mom’s side of the family and poor CP was roped into cooking the entire meal. It turned out great, but I felt bad that he wasn’t able to relax. His grandmother told the same 10 stories that she always does (one of the new ones in rotation is from our wedding) and his mom just rolled her eyes at her mother…..despite the fact that she does the same thing!
CP and I drove home Saturday and spent most of the day relaxing. We also opened up presents from each other and my side of the family. CP got me some baking tools- which I promptly used to make French baguettes yesterday- and a 3 day ski pass for a mountain in NH. :-)
So, how was everyone’s Christmas? What was your best present?
12.25.2009
12.23.2009
Charitable donations
While looking up something on Google for work, I came across this blog on Aid and Charitable Donations. I know that a large number of you do charity work and/or give to charitable organizations…..this blog is both interesting and informative.
This woman worked in Thailand after the tsunami, helping with aid efforts and gained a lot of knowledge in what works and doesn’t work. Interesting stories include sending large numbers of baby bottles and diapers to women in Thailand…..except that most of the country doesn’t use bottles or diapers. Or a request to send used bras to Uganda….but women there don’t wear bras.
From what I can tell, it looks like a good resource to check out before making donations this year. She stresses that the “non-sexy” donations are actually the most helpful ones. Plus, she is hoping to put together in the next month or so a rating system that looks at best practices of aid agencies, not simply the percent spent on administration costs.
What do you think about what she is saying?
*If you don’t feel like poking around the website, here is her list of things to think of before giving.
This woman worked in Thailand after the tsunami, helping with aid efforts and gained a lot of knowledge in what works and doesn’t work. Interesting stories include sending large numbers of baby bottles and diapers to women in Thailand…..except that most of the country doesn’t use bottles or diapers. Or a request to send used bras to Uganda….but women there don’t wear bras.
From what I can tell, it looks like a good resource to check out before making donations this year. She stresses that the “non-sexy” donations are actually the most helpful ones. Plus, she is hoping to put together in the next month or so a rating system that looks at best practices of aid agencies, not simply the percent spent on administration costs.
What do you think about what she is saying?
*If you don’t feel like poking around the website, here is her list of things to think of before giving.
12.22.2009
12.21.2009
Change of plans
Oh boy is my brain not working today. CP and I had a great weekend down in Philly (especially because the Eagles kicked butt!), but that darn snowstorm really threw us for a loop. Philly ended up getting 22 inches of snow, which meant places were fairly deserted on Saturday. No cabs or cars to speak of on the roads, so we ended up walking down the middle of main streets because they had been plowed at least once- as opposed to the unshoveled sidewalks. CP and I visited some of our favorite Philly places- for him it was lunch at Sarcone’s (he claims it is the best Italian sub) and then Monk’s for dinner. I was able to get my favorite martini of all time- the Buzz Aldrin (now called the Astronaut) at the Continental. YUM.
Because of the snowstorm, the Eagles game got pushed from 1pm to 4pm. Our plan of driving back to MA yesterday night after the game was then ruined. We ended up heading to bed after getting back from the game/ eating dinner and then waking up at 3:30am so that I could get to work on time. Luckily we hit NYC around 6am so traffic wasn’t too bad. However, my four hour commute is the longest commute of my working career! After work I will be happy to put on a new pair of pants…..the jeans that I am wearing need to go into the wash after 4 straight days of wearing them!
How was your weekend?
Because of the snowstorm, the Eagles game got pushed from 1pm to 4pm. Our plan of driving back to MA yesterday night after the game was then ruined. We ended up heading to bed after getting back from the game/ eating dinner and then waking up at 3:30am so that I could get to work on time. Luckily we hit NYC around 6am so traffic wasn’t too bad. However, my four hour commute is the longest commute of my working career! After work I will be happy to put on a new pair of pants…..the jeans that I am wearing need to go into the wash after 4 straight days of wearing them!
How was your weekend?
12.18.2009
Philly weekend
This weekend CP and I will be heading down to the great city of Philadelphia; a city that we both lived in right after college. A city that we both loved, but had two completely different experiences in.
I can’t wait…..especially because we will be going to the EAGLES GAME on Sunday against the 49ers!!! It’s been a few years since I have been back to my “home,” aka Lincoln Financial Field. Gillette Stadium last weekend for the Patriots game was fun and all, but a bit boring football-wise for my tastes. No fighting in the stands? No crazy tailgates? No jail in the stadium? New Englanders really need to learn how to loosen up a bit more. :-)
So hope for a BIG Eagles win on Sunday. My boys are #1 in the NFC East and we would like them to stay there!!
YAY!!!!!!!
I can’t wait…..especially because we will be going to the EAGLES GAME on Sunday against the 49ers!!! It’s been a few years since I have been back to my “home,” aka Lincoln Financial Field. Gillette Stadium last weekend for the Patriots game was fun and all, but a bit boring football-wise for my tastes. No fighting in the stands? No crazy tailgates? No jail in the stadium? New Englanders really need to learn how to loosen up a bit more. :-)
So hope for a BIG Eagles win on Sunday. My boys are #1 in the NFC East and we would like them to stay there!!
YAY!!!!!!!
12.16.2009
Rant
Thank goodness I have my friend J to rant about the awful state of CT. We both work here and have some of the same thoughts about this pathetic excuse for a state. Let me give you a few reasons as to why I wouldn’t be unhappy if this state suddenly disappeared:
*One of the highest property tax rates in the country.
*Oldest population in the country outside AZ and FL
*It is a pile of nothingness between Boston and NYC
*There are no big cities in this state- the few “semi-cities” are run-down and depressing
*The population of CT? White, preppy and boring.
*Despite it being a small state, you have to drive a lot to get anywhere
*The population of CT is about 3.5 million people; yet the state makes you feel so isolated.
*The state has an uppity “I’m better than you” stance towards people that are not from CT.
*Joe Lieberman is a CT senator.
The one good thing about this state? ESPN.
I could make some disparaging comments about NJ too, but CT has taken its place as the #1 place I never want to go to. I mean at least NJ has given us the magic that is Jersey Shore. Sorry people of CT…but your state sucks donkey b*lls.
*One of the highest property tax rates in the country.
*Oldest population in the country outside AZ and FL
*It is a pile of nothingness between Boston and NYC
*There are no big cities in this state- the few “semi-cities” are run-down and depressing
*The population of CT? White, preppy and boring.
*Despite it being a small state, you have to drive a lot to get anywhere
*The population of CT is about 3.5 million people; yet the state makes you feel so isolated.
*The state has an uppity “I’m better than you” stance towards people that are not from CT.
*Joe Lieberman is a CT senator.
The one good thing about this state? ESPN.
I could make some disparaging comments about NJ too, but CT has taken its place as the #1 place I never want to go to. I mean at least NJ has given us the magic that is Jersey Shore. Sorry people of CT…but your state sucks donkey b*lls.
12.15.2009
The sh*t has hit the fan
After writing about my search for a transfer out to the Denver area last week, one of the directors found me on Friday and said that a regional director from the Denver office called earlier in the week to ask about my job performance. First off, it would have been nice to know that they were going to do that so that I could at least give supervisors a heads up before the call came in (I have told NO ONE at work about my desire to get transferred). The call came in at the worst time possible- when my boss walked into the director’s office!
I really, really like my boss which is somewhat of an anomaly in my industry. However, when another director recently left for another position in the company, my boss’s reaction was let’s just say, less than supportive. She basically told the director that she wouldn’t like living in the new city, that it wouldn’t be a good place to raise her kids, and that she probably wouldn’t do well in her new position. So you can imagine why I haven’t been forthright in my plans with my boss…..
Needless to say, yesterday I knew that I would have to talk to my boss and I hoped that it would go well. Unfortunately, now I am a bit worried. You see my boss? Not happy with me right now. She came back from vacation with no less than three phone calls from Denver managers AND all of the emails that I sent to the Denver office (thankfully they are all straightforward and to the point- nothing bad about my office). She said that she was disappointed and upset that I didn't talk to her about it first. And then said that she could "make or break" the transfer herself because my office has to "release" me. CRAP.
My future is very uncertain.....
I really, really like my boss which is somewhat of an anomaly in my industry. However, when another director recently left for another position in the company, my boss’s reaction was let’s just say, less than supportive. She basically told the director that she wouldn’t like living in the new city, that it wouldn’t be a good place to raise her kids, and that she probably wouldn’t do well in her new position. So you can imagine why I haven’t been forthright in my plans with my boss…..
Needless to say, yesterday I knew that I would have to talk to my boss and I hoped that it would go well. Unfortunately, now I am a bit worried. You see my boss? Not happy with me right now. She came back from vacation with no less than three phone calls from Denver managers AND all of the emails that I sent to the Denver office (thankfully they are all straightforward and to the point- nothing bad about my office). She said that she was disappointed and upset that I didn't talk to her about it first. And then said that she could "make or break" the transfer herself because my office has to "release" me. CRAP.
My future is very uncertain.....
12.14.2009
Celebration
Last Thursday was my birthday! Most of the day was spent up in NH for a boring conference. Afterwards I headed back home, stopping at the RMV on the way to get my new drivers license!* The rest of the night was spent on the couch watching bad tv (aka Jersey Shore) and snuggling with CP. My magical birthday dinner consisted of Chinese food….because any calories that you ingest on your birthday don’t count, right? RIGHT???? Overall, the day was pretty good although CP got annoyed that I kept calling it my annual “pretty princess day.” Ha!
CP gave me the option to either go out to dinner for my birthday or have him make me something. I opted for him to make me something and I’m pretty sure that I confused him as to what I wanted…..mainly on the entrée. I requested fall-apart beef with some kind of flavorful sauce. Poor guy. He ended up going all-out with a delicious dinner of:
-Red Pepper and Corn Bisque (similar to the soup we had at our wedding- but with corn added in because he knows me so well!)
-Mussels in White Wine Sauce (the dinner we were having when he proposed- no diamonds included with this dinner though)
-Mushroom Risotto
-Braised Leeks/Swiss chard/Fennel
-Falling-apart braised beef with a homemade flavorful sauce that he made up
The dinner was ridonkulously good and I’m so excited to have leftovers tonight! CP might not always be romantic, but he spent a lot of time on this meal. He truly is an amazing cook.
*So far, no problems with moving my maiden name to my middle name. I’m not quite sure what all of the fuss was about!
CP gave me the option to either go out to dinner for my birthday or have him make me something. I opted for him to make me something and I’m pretty sure that I confused him as to what I wanted…..mainly on the entrée. I requested fall-apart beef with some kind of flavorful sauce. Poor guy. He ended up going all-out with a delicious dinner of:
-Red Pepper and Corn Bisque (similar to the soup we had at our wedding- but with corn added in because he knows me so well!)
-Mussels in White Wine Sauce (the dinner we were having when he proposed- no diamonds included with this dinner though)
-Mushroom Risotto
-Braised Leeks/Swiss chard/Fennel
-Falling-apart braised beef with a homemade flavorful sauce that he made up
The dinner was ridonkulously good and I’m so excited to have leftovers tonight! CP might not always be romantic, but he spent a lot of time on this meal. He truly is an amazing cook.
*So far, no problems with moving my maiden name to my middle name. I’m not quite sure what all of the fuss was about!
12.09.2009
NSC seeking transfer
Earlier this week, I alluded to a possible move out west. Despite my day of freaking out when we got back from our honeymoon, CP and I sat down and had a good talk about our future. We really had two options: Boston or Denver.
Boston pros included living near CP’s family, CP keeping his current job and moving closer to friends. The cons included a long commute for me into the city because we would want a house and to be able to afford said house anywhere near Boston would not be possible. Plus any town we would want to live in would be on the north shore and probably at least an hour train ride. If we have kids being so far away at work is difficult. What if they get sick during the day? My parents worked 45 minutes away from us while we were growing up. Luckily they could count on neighbors and friends if something happened to us, but I would rather be closer. Plus, I am sick of wasting two hours of my day on my commute. What a waste of time, gas, wear and tear on my car, etc.
Denver pros included living near the mountains, getting to enjoy the outdoors a lot more, moving closer to friends, a lower cost of living, and the ability to live closer to the city without having to sacrifice land or a long commute. Not to mention CP’s sister and family live only an hour away so we would get to see our niece and nephew a lot more. It is also the second best place to work in the country for my industry. The only con we could think of was that CP’s job might not be happy about him moving to CO. Right now he is working from home and occasionally traveling. He could do the same job from CO right now, but the job always changes. Losing CP’s salary would be a big deal, but he seems to think that with his contacts and experience he wouldn’t have an awful time trying to find another job.
So, as of last week I have been actively seeking a transfer of my job out to Denver. I’m not sure how long the process will take or even if it will happen. If I am not able to obtain a transfer then I will wait until my fellowship is over in August and apply for jobs at that point. Either way, I am happy that we made the decision to make this move at some point (hopefully) in the next year. Send good transfer thoughts my way! :-)
Boston pros included living near CP’s family, CP keeping his current job and moving closer to friends. The cons included a long commute for me into the city because we would want a house and to be able to afford said house anywhere near Boston would not be possible. Plus any town we would want to live in would be on the north shore and probably at least an hour train ride. If we have kids being so far away at work is difficult. What if they get sick during the day? My parents worked 45 minutes away from us while we were growing up. Luckily they could count on neighbors and friends if something happened to us, but I would rather be closer. Plus, I am sick of wasting two hours of my day on my commute. What a waste of time, gas, wear and tear on my car, etc.
Denver pros included living near the mountains, getting to enjoy the outdoors a lot more, moving closer to friends, a lower cost of living, and the ability to live closer to the city without having to sacrifice land or a long commute. Not to mention CP’s sister and family live only an hour away so we would get to see our niece and nephew a lot more. It is also the second best place to work in the country for my industry. The only con we could think of was that CP’s job might not be happy about him moving to CO. Right now he is working from home and occasionally traveling. He could do the same job from CO right now, but the job always changes. Losing CP’s salary would be a big deal, but he seems to think that with his contacts and experience he wouldn’t have an awful time trying to find another job.
So, as of last week I have been actively seeking a transfer of my job out to Denver. I’m not sure how long the process will take or even if it will happen. If I am not able to obtain a transfer then I will wait until my fellowship is over in August and apply for jobs at that point. Either way, I am happy that we made the decision to make this move at some point (hopefully) in the next year. Send good transfer thoughts my way! :-)
12.08.2009
Dating Disaster #5
An occasional series of some of the worst dates in my life and/or general disasters with the opposite sex. I am what you would call a “serial monogamist” so I didn’t go on tons of dates, instead choosing the people that I wanted to date carefully and generally dating them for a while. It’s the guys that didn’t last very long that provide the best material (or the ones that I drunkenly kissed).
Dating Disaster #5
After college I moved down to Philadelphia and in addition to working a 40 hour a week desk job, I became a promotional brand model two to three nights a week. It was a chance for me to make some extra money ($17/ hour) and head out to clubs and bars. My usual brand happened to be Marlboro which was especially frustrating because I had to talk to smokers who would automatically assume that you also smoked (I didn’t), and then proceed to blow it in your face.
Anyway, we generally went back to the same 5 bars or so every couple of weeks so some of the staff and I got to know the bartenders and bouncers fairly well since by the end of the night, we were the only sober people left in the building. That is how I met Rob (I don’t actually remember his name).
Rob was a bouncer at one of the clubs we worked and he was a cute, brown hair, tall and in-shape guy. We flirted back and forth for a while before he finally asked for my number. We talked a bit on the phone and then decided to meet up at a club in Philly on a Sunday night. I am not a club-type person, but I do like to dance every now and then (mainly when I am NOT sober) so I agreed to meet him there. Turns out that night was 18+ because the next day was a day off for high schoolers. GREEEEAT. Despite the annoying young kids that kept sweating on me, I remember having a fun time at the club with Rob. A good enough time to continue talking with him over IM and the phone.
I’m not sure if I have explained this yet, but I was very careful about who I slept with and who I hooked up with. Kissing? I would kiss almost anybody. But anything else? That was a different story- no matter how drunk I was. This attitude occasionally frustrated guys because I wanted to be in a relationship with someone if we were hooking up- nothing casual. I wasn’t planning on getting an STD from anyone! I’m not sure that is what Rob wanted. Other than the club date, I only remember us going on one other date….it ended in disaster when my purse got stolen and we had to call the management company to open my apartment to get my extra set of keys so that we could head back and grab my car. Ahhhh South Street in Philly.
So imagine my surprise when one day WHILE I AM AT WORK, Rob IMed me and wrote “So when are we going to f*ck?” I quickly shut down the window and immediately yelled at Rob for writing such a thing while I was at work. Anyone could have passed my desk and seen that message.
Needless to say, that IM ended our brief affair. He wasn’t someone that I would have considered having a long term relationship anyways….
Dating Disaster #5
After college I moved down to Philadelphia and in addition to working a 40 hour a week desk job, I became a promotional brand model two to three nights a week. It was a chance for me to make some extra money ($17/ hour) and head out to clubs and bars. My usual brand happened to be Marlboro which was especially frustrating because I had to talk to smokers who would automatically assume that you also smoked (I didn’t), and then proceed to blow it in your face.
Anyway, we generally went back to the same 5 bars or so every couple of weeks so some of the staff and I got to know the bartenders and bouncers fairly well since by the end of the night, we were the only sober people left in the building. That is how I met Rob (I don’t actually remember his name).
Rob was a bouncer at one of the clubs we worked and he was a cute, brown hair, tall and in-shape guy. We flirted back and forth for a while before he finally asked for my number. We talked a bit on the phone and then decided to meet up at a club in Philly on a Sunday night. I am not a club-type person, but I do like to dance every now and then (mainly when I am NOT sober) so I agreed to meet him there. Turns out that night was 18+ because the next day was a day off for high schoolers. GREEEEAT. Despite the annoying young kids that kept sweating on me, I remember having a fun time at the club with Rob. A good enough time to continue talking with him over IM and the phone.
I’m not sure if I have explained this yet, but I was very careful about who I slept with and who I hooked up with. Kissing? I would kiss almost anybody. But anything else? That was a different story- no matter how drunk I was. This attitude occasionally frustrated guys because I wanted to be in a relationship with someone if we were hooking up- nothing casual. I wasn’t planning on getting an STD from anyone! I’m not sure that is what Rob wanted. Other than the club date, I only remember us going on one other date….it ended in disaster when my purse got stolen and we had to call the management company to open my apartment to get my extra set of keys so that we could head back and grab my car. Ahhhh South Street in Philly.
So imagine my surprise when one day WHILE I AM AT WORK, Rob IMed me and wrote “So when are we going to f*ck?” I quickly shut down the window and immediately yelled at Rob for writing such a thing while I was at work. Anyone could have passed my desk and seen that message.
Needless to say, that IM ended our brief affair. He wasn’t someone that I would have considered having a long term relationship anyways….
12.07.2009
New family
Yesterday, at a holiday party for one side of CP’s family, I was reminded of how lucky I am to get along with my in-laws and various other family members. They are all so nice and welcoming. They have taken an interest in my life and are genuinely sad that CP and I are actively trying to move out west (again)- and not just because of him! Not only does it make get-togethers with family a lot more bearable, but it makes our young marriage a heck of a lot easier with supportive in-laws.
It also makes it easier because this year will be the first year that I will not be home with my parents and sister. Between the wedding, honeymoon, and our credit card debt, CP and I decided that flying back to Chicago for Christmas was going to be too expensive. Despite the fact that I am almost 31 (3 more days!), every single Christmas has been spent in the Midwest with my family.
Not only will I miss the annual Christmas Eve dinner with my family, but I will also miss our annual gym visit the morning of Christmas. Yes, my family is funny in that knowing that we are going to eat a lot later on that day at my aunt’s house, we head to the gym as a family in order to not feel as bad when we are stuffing our faces with pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail, roast beef sandwiches, and homemade sundaes (amongst other things). Not only will I miss out on the food that I only eat once a year, but I will miss out on meeting the new babies of two of my cousins.
Instead, I will experience new traditions on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the two sides of CP’s family. It will be different, but made easier knowing that I have been welcomed into his family.
It also makes it easier because this year will be the first year that I will not be home with my parents and sister. Between the wedding, honeymoon, and our credit card debt, CP and I decided that flying back to Chicago for Christmas was going to be too expensive. Despite the fact that I am almost 31 (3 more days!), every single Christmas has been spent in the Midwest with my family.
Not only will I miss the annual Christmas Eve dinner with my family, but I will also miss our annual gym visit the morning of Christmas. Yes, my family is funny in that knowing that we are going to eat a lot later on that day at my aunt’s house, we head to the gym as a family in order to not feel as bad when we are stuffing our faces with pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail, roast beef sandwiches, and homemade sundaes (amongst other things). Not only will I miss out on the food that I only eat once a year, but I will miss out on meeting the new babies of two of my cousins.
Instead, I will experience new traditions on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the two sides of CP’s family. It will be different, but made easier knowing that I have been welcomed into his family.
12.04.2009
TGIF
Sorry for the depressing post on Wednesday…I just don’t understand why people feel the need to get sick during the holidays. You know, because they clearly have control over it…. It’s supposed to be a happy time! Luckily for my friend’s father, although he took a while to react to the medicine, he has been released from the hospital and they think that he will make a full recovery. Yay!
We will be away for most of the weekend visiting groomsmen and CP’s family. I look forward to seeing them AND to sleeping in tomorrow morning! CP is now working from home and feels the need to stay up until 11-11:30 every night. Although I am walking up a little later these days (6:15), I can’t continue going to bed that late. Being a light sleeper doesn’t help… even if I head to bed before him (as I did last night), it takes me a while to fall asleep and he wakes me up when he gets into bed anyway. Ahhh the complexities of married life! ;-)
We will be away for most of the weekend visiting groomsmen and CP’s family. I look forward to seeing them AND to sleeping in tomorrow morning! CP is now working from home and feels the need to stay up until 11-11:30 every night. Although I am walking up a little later these days (6:15), I can’t continue going to bed that late. Being a light sleeper doesn’t help… even if I head to bed before him (as I did last night), it takes me a while to fall asleep and he wakes me up when he gets into bed anyway. Ahhh the complexities of married life! ;-)
12.02.2009
Why?
Why is it that people always get seriously sick in time between Thanksgiving and Christmas? In most of the country the weather is getting colder so I understand people getting the flu, colds, etc. but I am talking about illnesses that are not caused by a sudden dip in temperature.
Example: my mother is in college. It is Christmas Day and she heads out with her siblings and mother to church. Her dad stays home. The family comes home to a father, dead of a sudden heart attack.
Example: my friend’s grandmother. Just took a turn for the worse and died yesterday.
Example: my friend’s father. Had a nice Thanksgiving and then boom! Rushed to the hospital on Saturday morning with a pulmonary embolism.
So what is it? Is it stress from the holidays?
*sigh*
Example: my mother is in college. It is Christmas Day and she heads out with her siblings and mother to church. Her dad stays home. The family comes home to a father, dead of a sudden heart attack.
Example: my friend’s grandmother. Just took a turn for the worse and died yesterday.
Example: my friend’s father. Had a nice Thanksgiving and then boom! Rushed to the hospital on Saturday morning with a pulmonary embolism.
So what is it? Is it stress from the holidays?
*sigh*
12.01.2009
Bumming out
I am a bum. Or rather, I have been a bum. Sure, I did a lot of cooking on Thanksgiving, but the rest of the weekend? A bum. On the couch. And you know what? As much as I would have felt better if I went to the gym? It was kind of nice.
Thanksgiving was fine. Half of our guests (ha- we only had two!) were sick with the flu so it was a fairly easy night of drinking. We did get to torture them with videos from our honeymoon though. :-) CP was nice enough to create a new dish for Thanksgiving just for me- corn three ways. Since corn is my absolute most favorite thing to eat in the entire world, CP created a dish made up of frozen corn, creamed corn and grits. YUM YUM YUM. It was fantastic and I can’t wait for him to make it again!
This long weekend was definitely ripe for a lot of movie watching- and that is what we did!
Bride Wars- I knew that it would be fairly bad, but watched it anyway (CP said he had "other, better things" to do than watch the movie with me).
Watchmen- THREE HOURS of a crappy movie. It started out okay…..and then just dragged ON and ON. What a waste of time.
Dazed and Confused- Always a good movie to curl up to!
March of the Penguins- CP hadn’t seen the movie yet and I always like to see waddling penguins!
Obsessed- I started to watch this movie, but it was getting too ridiculous and I decided to turn it off.
Doubt- This movie had such good reviews, but I found it a bit boring. Too bad.
Elf- Man I love this movie! Will Ferrell cracks me up.
From reading people’s posts yesterday it sounds like everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I hope that you are finding interesting ways to eat all of your leftovers! We made turkey pot pie to put in the freezer, turkey paninis with stuffing and gravy, and last night had turkey tacos. Yum! And with such different flavors, we are not sick of turkey….at least not yet!
Thanksgiving was fine. Half of our guests (ha- we only had two!) were sick with the flu so it was a fairly easy night of drinking. We did get to torture them with videos from our honeymoon though. :-) CP was nice enough to create a new dish for Thanksgiving just for me- corn three ways. Since corn is my absolute most favorite thing to eat in the entire world, CP created a dish made up of frozen corn, creamed corn and grits. YUM YUM YUM. It was fantastic and I can’t wait for him to make it again!
This long weekend was definitely ripe for a lot of movie watching- and that is what we did!
Bride Wars- I knew that it would be fairly bad, but watched it anyway (CP said he had "other, better things" to do than watch the movie with me).
Watchmen- THREE HOURS of a crappy movie. It started out okay…..and then just dragged ON and ON. What a waste of time.
Dazed and Confused- Always a good movie to curl up to!
March of the Penguins- CP hadn’t seen the movie yet and I always like to see waddling penguins!
Obsessed- I started to watch this movie, but it was getting too ridiculous and I decided to turn it off.
Doubt- This movie had such good reviews, but I found it a bit boring. Too bad.
Elf- Man I love this movie! Will Ferrell cracks me up.
From reading people’s posts yesterday it sounds like everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I hope that you are finding interesting ways to eat all of your leftovers! We made turkey pot pie to put in the freezer, turkey paninis with stuffing and gravy, and last night had turkey tacos. Yum! And with such different flavors, we are not sick of turkey….at least not yet!
11.26.2009
Thankful
Things that I am thankful for this year:
CP. To be honest, married life is not much different than non-married life except we can relax at night and not worry about planning the wedding! But I’m okay with that. I get to come home to a handsome, funny, smart man every night who constantly challenges me. Not to mention an amazing cook! Our marriage is in no way perfect, but then life wouldn’t be very interesting if our relationship was perfect!
Fuzzy Britches. CP and I are slowly realizing that she is getting older (she will be 6 in January). Bernese Mountain Dogs only live to be 8-10 years old so we probably don’t have much longer with her. Luckily she is not showing signs of aging at all, but I am going to be heartbroken the moment she does. No matter how bad my day was, I know that when I come home she is going to be wagging her tail, excited to see me, with her most favorite ball in her mouth, ready to play.
My family. I have always been close with my parents, telling them a lot of things that other children may not. However, I have not been very close with my sister. We have always been competitive in sports and for the attention of our parents. CP has been slowly pushing me to form a better relationship with my sister because as we grow older, our parents are not always going to be there. Using the wedding as something to have us grow closer has worked- and I’m excited to see our relationship get closer as we age.
My new family. Some people have problems with in-laws, but for now, my in-laws are great! I don’t mind that they are only two hours away from us so we see CP’s parents, aunts/uncles, etc. fairly often. When we move back out west we are not going to have as many opportunities to see them, so it is good that we are taking advantage of that now.
Friends. This is also an obvious one. I was honored to see so many of our friends come together for our wedding in the middle of nowhere. It really makes you feel loved. In addition, getting closer with CP’s childhood friends has been fun- they are a great group with fabulous wives that I have fun hanging out with.
Job. While I am not excited to go into work these days, I at least have a stable and secure job, which is more than a lot of people these days.
Health. Not only am I a healthy 30-year-old, but just in case something happens, I have health insurance. Once again, this is more than some people (but hopefully not for long).
Roof over my head. CP and I would love to buy a house in this down market, but we may be moving soon. Helping to pay for the wedding has hurt our bank accounts and we are in a bit of debt. For now, we are content renting the house that we are living in.
What are you thankful for today?
CP. To be honest, married life is not much different than non-married life except we can relax at night and not worry about planning the wedding! But I’m okay with that. I get to come home to a handsome, funny, smart man every night who constantly challenges me. Not to mention an amazing cook! Our marriage is in no way perfect, but then life wouldn’t be very interesting if our relationship was perfect!
Fuzzy Britches. CP and I are slowly realizing that she is getting older (she will be 6 in January). Bernese Mountain Dogs only live to be 8-10 years old so we probably don’t have much longer with her. Luckily she is not showing signs of aging at all, but I am going to be heartbroken the moment she does. No matter how bad my day was, I know that when I come home she is going to be wagging her tail, excited to see me, with her most favorite ball in her mouth, ready to play.
My family. I have always been close with my parents, telling them a lot of things that other children may not. However, I have not been very close with my sister. We have always been competitive in sports and for the attention of our parents. CP has been slowly pushing me to form a better relationship with my sister because as we grow older, our parents are not always going to be there. Using the wedding as something to have us grow closer has worked- and I’m excited to see our relationship get closer as we age.
My new family. Some people have problems with in-laws, but for now, my in-laws are great! I don’t mind that they are only two hours away from us so we see CP’s parents, aunts/uncles, etc. fairly often. When we move back out west we are not going to have as many opportunities to see them, so it is good that we are taking advantage of that now.
Friends. This is also an obvious one. I was honored to see so many of our friends come together for our wedding in the middle of nowhere. It really makes you feel loved. In addition, getting closer with CP’s childhood friends has been fun- they are a great group with fabulous wives that I have fun hanging out with.
Job. While I am not excited to go into work these days, I at least have a stable and secure job, which is more than a lot of people these days.
Health. Not only am I a healthy 30-year-old, but just in case something happens, I have health insurance. Once again, this is more than some people (but hopefully not for long).
Roof over my head. CP and I would love to buy a house in this down market, but we may be moving soon. Helping to pay for the wedding has hurt our bank accounts and we are in a bit of debt. For now, we are content renting the house that we are living in.
What are you thankful for today?
11.25.2009
The BIG meal
Last week I received an email from CP regarding Thanksgiving- he wanted me to pick out our dishes (my picks in bold).
-Turkey: smoked or roasted
-Potatoes: mashed, roasted or potato au gratin? Or cheesy grits? and or Sweet Potatoes?
-Soup: cream of asparagus, Pureed Soup (squash, potato, or carrot), creamy mushroom,
-Cranberry Sauce
-Green Side- green beans, asparagus, spinach/chard/kale, broccoli, sprouts? Peas?
-Gravy
-Corn? Of course
-Bread- You make the call. You have the pizza stone to work with. Dinner rolls
-Stuffing- your moms or alternative? (we tried making my mom’s DELICIOUS stuffing last year and didn’t quite get the recipe)
-Cheese plate appetizer. Nuts
-Dessert : You make the call. Pumpkin pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.
We are making ALL of this food for a grand total of FOUR people. Let me repeat, FOUR people. Boy he makes me laugh sometimes, but he wants to make it like any other Thanksgiving. We weren’t going to do soup, but one of our wedding gifts was a soup tureen, so we figured that we would put it to good use!
So far CP has already made the turkey stock for the carrot soup and the cranberry sauce. I made the vanilla ice cream (using a Madagascar vanilla bean- YUM!) last weekend. Being the engineer that he is, CP will put together a Excel spreadsheet of all of the ingredients still needed and oven times. I seriously hope that CP’s dad and girlfriend bring Tupperware for leftovers!!!
Needless to say, it's really important that I get to the gym today AND Friday as I don't think that I am going to have time tomorrow....but boy am I going to need to work off some of these calories!!
-Turkey: smoked or roasted
-Potatoes: mashed, roasted or potato au gratin? Or cheesy grits? and or Sweet Potatoes?
-Soup: cream of asparagus, Pureed Soup (squash, potato, or carrot), creamy mushroom,
-Cranberry Sauce
-Green Side- green beans, asparagus, spinach/chard/kale, broccoli, sprouts? Peas?
-Gravy
-Corn? Of course
-Bread- You make the call. You have the pizza stone to work with. Dinner rolls
-Stuffing- your moms or alternative? (we tried making my mom’s DELICIOUS stuffing last year and didn’t quite get the recipe)
-Cheese plate appetizer. Nuts
-Dessert : You make the call. Pumpkin pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.
We are making ALL of this food for a grand total of FOUR people. Let me repeat, FOUR people. Boy he makes me laugh sometimes, but he wants to make it like any other Thanksgiving. We weren’t going to do soup, but one of our wedding gifts was a soup tureen, so we figured that we would put it to good use!
So far CP has already made the turkey stock for the carrot soup and the cranberry sauce. I made the vanilla ice cream (using a Madagascar vanilla bean- YUM!) last weekend. Being the engineer that he is, CP will put together a Excel spreadsheet of all of the ingredients still needed and oven times. I seriously hope that CP’s dad and girlfriend bring Tupperware for leftovers!!!
Needless to say, it's really important that I get to the gym today AND Friday as I don't think that I am going to have time tomorrow....but boy am I going to need to work off some of these calories!!
11.24.2009
A new addition?
Yesterday I opened up my email to find these two pictures waiting for me:
My aunt’s black lab had puppies this past weekend and she offered us a puppy!!
When I got back from work, I immediately started talking to CP about the offer. Just a few weeks ago, CP and I discussed getting another dog; the conversation included what breeds would we consider. I had a black lab growing up as a kid and my sister and I ADORED Toby. He was a fantastic family dog.
However, CP and I are really happy with the Bernese Mountain Dog breed. Fuzzy Britches had the right amount of energy for us, she has a great demeanor, she doesn’t bark, and she also doubles as a foot warmer in the winter! :-)
My aunt’s black lab had puppies this past weekend and she offered us a puppy!!
When I got back from work, I immediately started talking to CP about the offer. Just a few weeks ago, CP and I discussed getting another dog; the conversation included what breeds would we consider. I had a black lab growing up as a kid and my sister and I ADORED Toby. He was a fantastic family dog.
However, CP and I are really happy with the Bernese Mountain Dog breed. Fuzzy Britches had the right amount of energy for us, she has a great demeanor, she doesn’t bark, and she also doubles as a foot warmer in the winter! :-)
We also don’t think that it is fair to get a puppy when our plans for the future are up the air. What if we move in a few months? We have no idea what kind of place we would be moving into. Fuzzy Britches is kind of used to moving and is old enough that she doesn’t particularly care….a puppy might not take to the move as well. Not to mention that money is still tight and with Christmas coming up, we don’t particularly have the money right now for a puppy.
So sadly enough, I think that CP and I are going to have to decline my aunt’s puppy offer. I may have to drive down to her house to see the puppies before they are given away though…..
So sadly enough, I think that CP and I are going to have to decline my aunt’s puppy offer. I may have to drive down to her house to see the puppies before they are given away though…..
11.23.2009
Inspiration
About two weeks ago I made a snap decision to run in a Thanksgiving-themed 5K. The race was yesterday and I am really glad that I did it. Not only did I burn some calories by running a hilly course for 3.2 miles, but I supported a local charity in the process.
Little did I know that there would be a “celebrity” also running the race! A couple of years ago I remember sitting down to read one of Rick Reilly’s back-page Sports Illustrated columns. The article about Dick and Rick Hoyt made me tear up because it was just such an amazing story!
Picture from Team Hoyt website
Yesterday, Team Hoyt kicked my butt. Dick ran the 5K in 26 minutes and 30 seconds, averaging an 8 ½ minute mile pace. It was not even close to his best time of 17 minutes and 40 seconds (which is RIDONKULOUS because that means that he was running at a sub-6 mile pace!!), but then again he just had HERNIA surgery this summer….and he is 68! I was fully inspired yesterday after the race. I mean here is this 68 year old man who is pushing his son in a wheelchair up the same hills that I was dragging my fat a** up…..and his pace was a whole 2 minutes faster than me!* Dick has push Rick through marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks, Ironmans and even triathalons!! Amazing.
*My time was 32:54 which I was pretty happy with considering that I didn't run for the entire month of October! It was a 10:36 pace.
11.19.2009
Surprised
I had a great time checking people in and serving lunch at the soup kitchen yesterday. All of the other volunteers were really nice, along with the two AmeriCorps employees that help run the program. This particular soup kitchen serves lunch every weekday and recently added dinner three nights a week.
I remember being surprised as a kid when someone would come in dressed in a suit or looking particularly clean. Yesterday no one came in dressed to the nines, but I was surprised to see the janitor from my office building. I hope that he wasn’t embarrassed to have me see him eating there….I can’t imagine that he gets paid very much although he does work really hard.
Seeing him reminded me of the book “Nickel and Dimed.” Have you guys read that book? It’s by a journalist (Barbara Ehrenreich) that decides to go undercover and work minimum wage jobs in different parts of the country to see if people can really survive. It’s a fascinating book and not surprisingly, she finds it very difficult to eek out a living on minimum wage. I would bet that the janitor in my office building gets paid more than minimum wage, but most of the northeast is crazy-expensive to live in. I don’t know if he has a wife or kids, but I truly shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was to see him eat the free lunch.
I look forward to going back next week!
I remember being surprised as a kid when someone would come in dressed in a suit or looking particularly clean. Yesterday no one came in dressed to the nines, but I was surprised to see the janitor from my office building. I hope that he wasn’t embarrassed to have me see him eating there….I can’t imagine that he gets paid very much although he does work really hard.
Seeing him reminded me of the book “Nickel and Dimed.” Have you guys read that book? It’s by a journalist (Barbara Ehrenreich) that decides to go undercover and work minimum wage jobs in different parts of the country to see if people can really survive. It’s a fascinating book and not surprisingly, she finds it very difficult to eek out a living on minimum wage. I would bet that the janitor in my office building gets paid more than minimum wage, but most of the northeast is crazy-expensive to live in. I don’t know if he has a wife or kids, but I truly shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was to see him eat the free lunch.
I look forward to going back next week!
11.18.2009
Volunteering
The last post of honeymoon pictures will be up either tomorrow or Friday—this time photos of our week in Mozambique! I hope that you guys have enjoyed the pictures….
In other news, today is my first day volunteering at a soup kitchen! Weekly I will be serving lunch in a church across the street from work. When I was a Brownie my troop volunteered at a nearby soup kitchen one day and I liked it so much that my mom, my sister and I would go monthly. With so many people out of work and hungry, I hope that I can help to make a small difference in the lives of others while I am still working for my company. :-)
In other news, today is my first day volunteering at a soup kitchen! Weekly I will be serving lunch in a church across the street from work. When I was a Brownie my troop volunteered at a nearby soup kitchen one day and I liked it so much that my mom, my sister and I would go monthly. With so many people out of work and hungry, I hope that I can help to make a small difference in the lives of others while I am still working for my company. :-)
11.17.2009
Big cats of Kruger
Now to the animals that everyone has been waiting for- the big cats!
Check out those teeth!!!
This lion decided that he was tired after his big roaring session (to be posted later when CP finishes with the videos), so he decided to lay down on the pavement.
Two female lions walking in unison.
We came across this male lion and a female lion (not in this picture) together. Our guide told us that if a male and female are separated from the rest of the pride, it means that they are mating. They do this for 4 to 5 days EVERY 20 MINUTES. Wow.
CP takes good photographs.....
We came across this bunch of mothers and cubs laying down by the river. Adorable.
This adolescent male lion decided to play with a stick he found on the ground. He and Fuzzy Britches would be best friends! :-)
We came across this pride as they were trying to chase a giraffe. Sadly they lost....as that would have been really fun to see.
The cubs of the pride recovered well by playing with their mothers....as this one is doing.
We spotted this former impala hanging in a tree. When leopards kill something, they haul it up a tree so that lions and other animals are not able to steal it. There wasn't much of this kill left, but often a leopard won't eat the animal in one sitting.Unfortunately we didn't get to see the leopard that killed this impala.
However, we did get to see this hyena at the bottom of the tree waiting for the former impala to drop so that he could eat the leftovers. He was a very patient animal....
We also came across this hyena a different day....he ran into a hole and let out his hyena cackle....which oddly enough DID sound like a crazy laugh.
Although we didn't get to see a leopard, we did spot two cheetahs. They weren't doing much because it was hot and the middle of the day, but cheetahs are usually harder to see than leopards, so we were pretty psyched to see them. I kept calling them "Chester" and asking if they had any Cheetos. Yes, I am 10 years old.
However, we did get to see this hyena at the bottom of the tree waiting for the former impala to drop so that he could eat the leftovers. He was a very patient animal....We also came across this hyena a different day....he ran into a hole and let out his hyena cackle....which oddly enough DID sound like a crazy laugh.
Although we didn't get to see a leopard, we did spot two cheetahs. They weren't doing much because it was hot and the middle of the day, but cheetahs are usually harder to see than leopards, so we were pretty psyched to see them. I kept calling them "Chester" and asking if they had any Cheetos. Yes, I am 10 years old.11.16.2009
Heavy animals of Kruger
This is the last week of honeymoon pictures....then we will be back to our regular-scheduled programming. :-)
CP used his fish-eye lens for this picture. Gives you an idea of what we looked at while searching for animals. However, within a mile the terrain could turn into red soil with no grass on the ground.
This elephant was in the middle of shaking water off his head. To the left of him (not pictured) were hippos and he was having fun throwing water and mud on them. Why? Simply because he could.
This is a man-made watering hole and as you can see, elephants get pretty desperate when they need water. The two biggest killers of elephants? Humans and drought. 
This herd of mothers and babies just crossed the river (which is why the lower half of them is darker in color). The babies had a bit of trouble getting up the slope in the middle.
Black and white close up. Check out those eyelashes!
A ridonkulously large elephant- with a broken tusk!
Baby elephant
We came across this white rhino just as he was finishing marking his territory. Basically, they take huge poops, then step in it and walk all over their territory. Lovely. 
Rhino close up
Mother and baby rhinos running away from us.
It is VERY rare to see a black rhino- there are only 350 in the park. Unfortunately, we came across this dead one with a crocodile getting ready to eat it (a rhino's butt is the softest part of its body so the crocodile starts there). :-(
11.12.2009
Larger animals of Kruger
On to some of the larger animals of Kruger....
Female Kudu.
Male Kudu- their horns are so cool!
Reedbuck- another rare sighting in Kruger.
Impala. They are ALL OVER Kruger. Our guide called them JAFIs (Just Another F*ing Impala). LOL.
Waterbuck.
Zebras.
Buffalo. I kept wanting to call them "water buffalo" for some odd reason. I really liked their ears.
Blue wildebeest. CP did not mess with the color of this photograph at all.
Baby hippos with birds on their back.
Hippos fighting in the water. Hippos are actually the number one killer of people in the park every year. People don't realize that they are fast (at least in covering short distances).... and then it's too late. They also have ridonkulously powerful jaws.
Giraffe just hanging out. Giraffes have horrible eyesight so they actually walk towards you to figure out whether they should be scared of you or not.
Giraffes are hilarious. Gotta love the black tongue!
Female Kudu.
Male Kudu- their horns are so cool!
Reedbuck- another rare sighting in Kruger.
Impala. They are ALL OVER Kruger. Our guide called them JAFIs (Just Another F*ing Impala). LOL.
Waterbuck.
Zebras.
Buffalo. I kept wanting to call them "water buffalo" for some odd reason. I really liked their ears.
Blue wildebeest. CP did not mess with the color of this photograph at all.
Baby hippos with birds on their back.
Hippos fighting in the water. Hippos are actually the number one killer of people in the park every year. People don't realize that they are fast (at least in covering short distances).... and then it's too late. They also have ridonkulously powerful jaws.
Giraffe just hanging out. Giraffes have horrible eyesight so they actually walk towards you to figure out whether they should be scared of you or not.
Giraffes are hilarious. Gotta love the black tongue!11.11.2009
Medium-sized animals of Kruger
Continuing with honeymoon pictures.....
A large lizard.
This is a community spider. Hundreds (or even thousands) of spiders work together to create this web. *shudder*
Warthogs. They were pretty funny creatures. When they were scared, they would run away with their tails straight up in the air. This is because they have poor eyesight and need to follow each other into the brush. They also were poorly designed in that they have to get on their knees in order to search for food.
Chacma baboon heading up a tree.
Baby chacma baboon
Baby chacma baboon being adorable.
Vervet monkey. These guys were hilarious- mainly because they have blue balls. This resulted in a large number of jokes at their expense. Oh, and they also liked to play with themselves.
A rare sighting of a female ostrich in Kruger. She was running away from the male ostrich playing hard to get.
This poor male ostrich (also a rare sighting in Kruger) ran after the female ostrich, trying to court her. We saw him do his preening/ mating dance for her (twice), but you will have to wait for the video for that as it is hard to tell what he is doing in the picture. There was a second female ostrich that CP didn't get a picture of, but she was basically chasing after the male ostrich. Poor female ostrich couldn't give herself away!
This crocodile caught a catfish in the water and then was promptly chased by an even bigger croc! Eventually, this guy had to release the fish...otherwise he risked getting eaten by the bigger croc.
A large lizard.
This is a community spider. Hundreds (or even thousands) of spiders work together to create this web. *shudder*
Warthogs. They were pretty funny creatures. When they were scared, they would run away with their tails straight up in the air. This is because they have poor eyesight and need to follow each other into the brush. They also were poorly designed in that they have to get on their knees in order to search for food.
Chacma baboon heading up a tree.
Baby chacma baboon
Baby chacma baboon being adorable.
Vervet monkey. These guys were hilarious- mainly because they have blue balls. This resulted in a large number of jokes at their expense. Oh, and they also liked to play with themselves.
A rare sighting of a female ostrich in Kruger. She was running away from the male ostrich playing hard to get.
This poor male ostrich (also a rare sighting in Kruger) ran after the female ostrich, trying to court her. We saw him do his preening/ mating dance for her (twice), but you will have to wait for the video for that as it is hard to tell what he is doing in the picture. There was a second female ostrich that CP didn't get a picture of, but she was basically chasing after the male ostrich. Poor female ostrich couldn't give herself away!
This crocodile caught a catfish in the water and then was promptly chased by an even bigger croc! Eventually, this guy had to release the fish...otherwise he risked getting eaten by the bigger croc.
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