For my birthday, my main squeeze J organized a trip and didn't tell me where we are going. Since I'm not working and I have a lot of time off, we've decided the responsible thing to do is travel! J managed to keep it a secret until we were in the departure lounge. Chicago is a wonderful city! The tourist area is full of parks, wide sidewalks, museums and attractions and gorgeous architecture. We went on a museum-mad walkabout, stayed in a haunted hotel (no evidence found), J took many photos which I have not yet seen, we ate Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (which is really pie and very filling) and I learned about the wonders of Chicago mix popcorn (which is weird, but it works)
The museums and art gallery were amazing. At the Art Institute, I saw Seurat's La Grande Jatte, Impressionists galore, a wonderful installation (I love interactive art), American Gothic (which I found underwhelming) and the most amazing set of miniature rooms. I know it sounds cheesy, but they were so cool. If you are running short on Xmas gifts, I would love a Reactable like the one I saw at the Museum of Science and Industry. The aquarium was probably my favourite - I probably could have had a nap under the shark tank if they would have let me. It was an excellent trip and I would have loved to stay longer, but we came home at the right time; J and I developed some kind of cold from hell the night we got back.
Right after we got back, I dropped off my criminal records check at a school in hopes of getting my name out there, and it was the best thing I could have done. In a wonderful case of right place, right time, I snagged an LTO for the month of December that needed an experienced teacher on short notice. It's a wonderful school. I don't want to say much about the kids, but they are making me earn my wage! It's a good fit for me.
Several Mondays have come and gone, and Mac n' Cheese Mondays has become a greater challenge - not just because of time, but because of the amount of cheese two people can consume! There is a limit. The latest recipe is Kicked Up Mac n' Cheese and it is my favourite so far. It is not spicy at all, in my opinion, but it's nicely zesty with excellent cheesiness. J votes this one a keeper. It is the recipe to beat, so far.
It's all-sorts-of-swear-words kind of cold up here. I am learning all sorts of things, like the wisdom of plugging my car in at night, how to jiggle loose a frozen door and how to layer lots of clothing for yard duty. I'm doing alright so far. I love the snow, and I'd far rather shovel that than deal with piles of slush. I think I've got enough to hold off the cold but local folk have me nervous about February. Today was so cold outside that hurt to breathe deep.
And that's all she wrote, folks. I'll try to keep a more regular schedule soon enough.
