SAILBOAT!!!!!

while the rest of chicago was watching the blackhawks finally clinch the stanley cup in game six against the flyers nick and i were admiring the city from the water aboard the tall ship Windy.

yes, I was a new found hockey fan watching my first game (game 5 of the series) and I even went to take a picture of the art institute lions in their blackhawk helmets.

but nothing could keep me away from my sailboat times.

we got there early...aka with an HOUR to spare after being nearly kicked out of dinner because we were just sitting there...so we took some pics.

lots and lots of pics

and then it was BOAT TIME!!! where I took some more pics.

and I got to RAISE A SAIL! why? because when the asked for volunteers my hand shot up and I exclaimed "ohhhh I volunteer" and then nearly got by mutt kicked by a little kid when lifting the 600 foot sail. yes it actually was 2 little kids and the help of the crew memeber...but still. and then I made nick volunteer.

and of course, I took lots of pretty black and white boat photos because those are my favorite.

How do you measure..measure a summer?

in miles rode?

in rooms cleaned?

in visits to the beach?

in books ready?

in films seen?

in days of website avoidance?

how do you measure, measure a summer?

clearly some are better than others...who wants to clean rooms all summer after all. and so I've chosen 3....which may expand to 4...to measure my summer by and have created my summer log: miles on my bike, books devoured, and days spent avoiding the apartment listings on Craig's List.

summer resolution

to not check Craig's list apt listings for new places to live

since I am still committed to this place for 8 months.

summer vacation

back in the days of student teaching one of my little darlings said to me "ms becker, you went to notre dame, you were a chemistry major, you could make good money....you want to be a teacher now why?"

I looked him straight in the face and said "christmas break and summer vacation"

all seriousness aside - yes as a teacher i get to touch children's lives (not their bodies), impart knowledge on the future generations, awaken in them a love and appreciation of science, help them to become who they are, blah blah blah - I get christmas break and summer vacation.

the kids think its news to me when there are 25 days of school left...sorry I've been counting down since there were 50.

they walk into my room to take their final exam telling me I am sooo done with school. too bad I was soo done weeks ago...remember how the last week you've had work-on-your-study-guide-time.

I am so ready to ride by bike, lay on the beach and ready my book.

penthouse and fireworks

went downtown tonight to have one more dinner with tim and papa deloitte and to scope out the penthouse. we settled ourselves into the swanky diggs,

then headed out to rock bottom brewery for some delicious chicken waldorf salad, a couple of beers (extra large thanks to our mug club membership......next visit = free mugs!)

then back to the penthouse for a tour and surprise fireworks! time to test out the new camera's fireworks setting to capture the fireworks in all their brilliant colors. see tim's video here!

all this followed by el times with lots of drunk cubs fans including the people who were "el surfing" aka standing up without holding on and seeing who would fall first....too bad I didnt quite make good enough friends for a picture...and there were no good angles for stalker photos...since we know I dont have to actually be friends to take pics :)

more church humor

tonight was baccalaureate mass at schoolio aka another 14 hour work day. but at least cool priest said mass....tonight's homely began with the following.

"on the first day god made the cow. and he told the cow that he would labor under the sun working in the fields and provide milk for the farmer's family. and that his life would be 60 years. the cow said '60 years, that is too long for that hard life. how about I take 20 and give the remaining 40 back to you' God said this was ok.

on the second day, God made the dog. and he told the dog he would sit at the door to the human's house and bark at any who tried to enter. and I will give you a life span of 20 years. the dog said '20 years is too long to sit barking how about I take 10 and give you the other 10 back' God said this was ok.

on the third day God made the monkey. he told the monkey he would live his life doing monkey tricks and making the human's laugh. he told the monkey that he would have a life span of 20 years. the monkey said '20 years is too long doing monkey tricks how about I take the same deal that the dog did, accepting 10 years and giving you back 10' God said this was ok.

on the fourth day God made the human. he told the human he would lay around and do nothing but have fun and laugh and that his life span would be 20 years. to this the human said '20 years that is not enough....how about I take the 20 years you offered, plus the 40 years from the cow, the 10 years from the monkey and the 10 years from the dog.' God said this was ok.

and thus the humans live the first 20 years doing nothing but laughing, laying around, and having a good time, the next 40 years working away under the sun providing for the family, the next 10 doing monkey tricks to make the grandchildren laugh, and the last 10 years sitting outside the house barking at strangers.

anyone else see a problem here?

I spend my free time counting down the days till we get to move out of our current apt and scouring the craig's list postings for new abodes.

most of the time I find places I like that will be rented long before my lease is up, or filter through 18 posts for the same apartment posted on the same day, or wonder how a place that looks as nice as the photos be going for so cheep but then notice no location is listed which screams not a place I want to live.

but every once in awhile I come across something that makes me scratch my head and say "humm..." I leave you with one of these. the floor plan of a place that looks great.....if you only want access to your kitchen and closet.