Lazy long weekend

The Memorial Day holiday is just about at a close, and what did we do over this long weekend? Pretty much nothing, which was actually kind of cool. Saturday night we went downtown for a few drinks, and I tried a new beer called Sunrye, which I liked. Mike didn't like it so much, but he had a Guiness beforehand, and this was the complete opposite. Sunday we tried a new (to us) place for breakfast called Sammy's. Good food, but the service was so-so at best. Probably not someplace we'll go back to. In the afternoon we saw the new X-Men movie, which was pretty good. A lot of characters got killed off, but if you stay past the credits you'll see an extra scene which raises some questions. Today we went to Allerton Park. We didn't stay long because it was very hot, but it was still nice to be out there. We also stopped by Circuit City, and their computers were working again so we were able to pick up some movies and music. I got the new Eagles of Death Metal cd, as well as the Raconteurs, and I'm very excited to give those a listen. We've picked up a lot of new music lately, and I'm still trying to catch up.

And of course, the reason for this day off-the men and women who serve our country. I may not agree with the situation in Iraq, but I am very appreciative and supportive of the soldiers who are serving there and in other parts of the world. And of course, the ones who have fought over the years and have given up so much in order to serve their country. To all the veterans, thank you.

Junk for Sale

The subdivision across the street from us had a community garage sale today, and we wandered over there this morning to see if we could find anything good. I found a couple of books, but that was about it. I am constantly amazed at what people try to sell. One house was trying to sell the Scrubbing Bubbles toilet wand. That's been in their toilet-gross! Another house was selling planters without the plants-just dirty, old planters. We did a rummage sale a long time ago with someone who sold her old underwear-yes, people bought it! I know that one person's trash is another's treasure, but there's got to be a limit! We've got some stuff that we're accumulating and I assure you, our junk is much better!

Relay for Life

The Champaign County Relay for Life is this weekend. It's a fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, and Mike and I have participated every year that we've been here. We've had family members touched by cancer, and this is a way to honor not only those who've lost the struggle, but also the ones that have survived. We got involved in this through the bank, which sponsors a team every year. This means we don't have to collect donations, but if you would like to help you can donate online. What we basically do is walk around Centennial's track. The relay starts at 6 PM on Saturday and goes to 6 AM on Sunday. Mike and I are scheduled to walk from 3-4 AM, which is actually a very nice time to walk. The luminaria are lit and it creates a really peaceful atmosphere. Everyone on our team keeps track of how many laps they walk and we tally it up at the end. I know last year we beat the previous year's totals, so hopefully we'll do the same this year. I don't think we get anything special for it, just bragging rights. There's also all sorts of other activities going on throughout the night, such as theme laps and there's usually a band playing at some point. So if you're bored at 3 AM and feel like getting some excercise, come on out to Centennial and walk with us. We'll be easy to spot, we'll be wearing the bright green T-shirts.

Spa Day!

We've been on vacation this week, and boy what a week it was. We went to Phoenix, Arizona on Friday and returned on Tuesday. Phoenix itself was okay, but the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. I could totally get used to seeing mountains every day. And while it was hot, I could tell the difference immediately. Much nicer without the humidity. We did miss the 100+ degree days, that happened after we left. Mike's blog has more detail about the trip, so I won't repeat. But the train ride was really fun, and the scenery around Sedona was just gorgeous.

Today was Spa Day. As an early graduation gift, Mike got me a "Day at the Spa" from BJ Grand Salon & Spa. Talk about relaxation and pampering! The morning started out with a full body massage. Laura is a Director, which is the highest level BJ's has. I could immediately see why. She made me feel very comfortable, and she gave a damn good massage. Even the other times I saw her she was very friendly and kept asking how I was doing, if she could get me anything. In other words, she made me feel like a princess!

Next up was a facial and eyebrow wax with Debbie. I wasn't sure what to expect, since my experiences with waxing at home were dubious. But it only hurt for a second, and the difference is amazing. The facial was so relaxing, and my skin still feels shiny and new. She used a seaweed mask, the first of many seaweed treatments of the day.

Next was a pedicure with Jo, which was also a first for me. This also involved a seaweed treatment, which was a bizarre yet nice feeling. The mixture is warm and you can feel it crackling and popping. This helps release the toxins, and she mentioned that she gave a pedicure once to someone who was drinking vanilla martinis the night before, and after she did the seaweed treatment she could smell the vanilla. Remind me to watch what I eat next time I have this done!

After a short lunch break, it was time for the manicure. Again, there was a seaweed treatment. I'm starting to understand how sushi feels. I gotta admit, my hands were smooth and shiny when she was done. Remember what I said about toxins? She knew that I had eaten a few onions in my lunch!

Last stop of the day was a hair treatment with you guessed it-seaweed! Lori gave me a really nice head massage first, and then it was time for slime. Then a shampoo, and a blow dry, and it was all over. I felt so relaxed, it was almost hard to drive home. This was definitely a wonderful present, and I couldn't have asked for a better day. Thanks so much honey!!!

School's winding down......

Hard to believe that after waiting all semester, school's about to end. In case you didn't know, I am a part-time student at Eastern Illinois University. I'm enrolled in a program called Bachelor of Arts in General Studies, which is a program for us old farts who have been out of school for a while. In this program you can do a portfolio of your work experience and earn college credit based on your experience. I actually was not able to do that since another requirement is college credits through Eastern at the junior/senior level, but it's still a good program. Since the degree is liberal arts, you are pretty much open to take whatever you want. I'm looking forward to my summer class, which is on J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm looking forward to it even more since it will be my last class. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't get cancelled on me!

Another interesting thing about this program is I've never set foot on campus. Eastern's about a 45 minute drive south of here, but all of my classes have been either over the internet or at Parkland's campus. Books are either mailed out or the instructor brings them, and I even have an ID card that allows me access to the online library (and student discounts!). So I will graduate from a college that I have never actually set foot on.

I've also been lucky because my employer is paying for this. I actually got the bug to go back to school in 2000, and started at Parkland College. I earned an associate's degree in business management while working full time, and I learned about Eastern's program when I saw a counselor before graduation. I wish I had known about this program sooner, since that would have saved some time. But either way, I'm glad I went back. It's funny I've taken credits at four different schools to earn this degree-Milwaukee Area Technical College, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Parkland, and Eastern. Guess I'm quite the mutt!

And on a side note-I know all you film buffs love Ebertfest, but for those of us who work downtown, what a pain in the butt!

An Open Letter To The Residents of My Community

To the occupants of the house on Springfield Ave: TAKE DOWN YOUR CHRISTMAS WREATH!! Today is April 19, not December 19. I'm sure that your wreath was lovely around Christmas, but now it's a dried out yellowish brown hunk of pine on your window.

And to those of you who still have your icicle lights up, take those down as well. That's just laziness.

Thank you.

A Recycling Challenge for You

I was putting a plastic bag from Target in our bag bin when I noticed they now have 10 Ways to Reuse Your Target Bag listed on the side. Here's the list:

1. Tiny Trashcan Liner-definitely use this one!
2. Doggy Duty-we don't have a dog, but some of our neighbors do.
3. Water Balloon-why didn't I think of this sooner?
4. Roadtrip Rubbish-again, very useful!
5. Soggy Laundry-really, it was from swimming!
6. Ice Pack for Head Lump-usually use Ziploc baggies, but this would be better.
7. Toiletry Tote-an leaky shampoo bottle will convince you of the value of this one.
8. Kitty Litter Liner-more like Doggy Duty, but close enough.
9. Tomorrow's Lunchbag-I feel vindicated now!
10. Care Package Padding-actually it was to return a pair of shoes, but same thing.

We've also used them to dispose of a dead rabbit found under our lilac bush. Yuck!

So that's really 11 uses, and I'm sure there's many more. If you don't already, I challenge you to start putting your plastic bags to good use. What do you use them for?

Close Encounters of the Mormon kind

Yesterday I didn't feel like eating the frozen cuisine I brought for lunch, and since the sun was shining, decided to venture over to Za's to get a salad. Za's serves pizza, pasta, salad, and sandwiches, very tasty stuff. You fill out menu cards, which allows you to customize your meal. When I got there, the parking lot was pretty full, but I managed to sneak a spot by the front door. As I was walking in, I saw two college age guys in suits also walking in. I figured they were young professionals on their lunch break. I got in and filled out my menu card, and started waiting in line. One of the young guys was ahead of me, and I noticed he was wearing a name tag which read "Church of the Latter Day Saints". I looked behind me, and there were about ten more guys and a couple of girls, all wearing black suits (the girls were wearing black dresses). Mormons!!

Overall, I don't have a problem with religion. I went to a Catholic grade school and a Catholic high school, and I don't know that I would have a lot of the values I have if it weren't for that. I'm not a religious person, but I respect other peoples religious beliefs. That being said, Mormons kind of creep me out. They strike me as kind of cultish, and they have to wear special underwear. Not to mention the whole polygamy thing. And Donnie and Marie. The other thing that popped into my head was they aren't allowed to have caffeine, so they would be ordering water. Sure enough, they all did. Since I was surrounded by them, I got iced tea just to prove I wasn't one of the clones.

I was able to snag a seat in the restaurant where their whole group wouldn't fit, so none of them sat by me. I was getting close to finishing my salad when I noticed that some of them were already done eating. To kill time, they started talking to a woman sitting at a table by herself reading her book. Where are you from, that kind of thing. I figured they would start talking to her about religion next. At that point, I realized that I would be the next target, since I was also sitting alone reading a book. So I scarfed down my last bite and got the heck out of there. No special underwear for me!!