Back from Shuffling

We're back from a long weekend in Chicago, a trip that this time felt more like a visit to the north pole. We left home Friday in nearly 60 degree temperatures and arrived in the big city at about 20 degrees cooler. And if that doesn't seem all that cold for you, imagine my dismay at getting up Sunday morning to a snow covered landscape and snow filled air, only an hour before we hit the slushy streets. The impetus for this trip was my inclination to run the 8K Shamrock Shuffle my brother and his friend, a decision I lamented only slightly as we stood shivering, waiting for the race to begin, but an accomplishment with which I am pleased, especially after finishing with a pace better than a 10 minute mile even with running in inches of slush and crossing the finish line soaked all the way up to the knees. I can't say I'd like to race in those conditions again, but race again I will; the Dex-Ann run is only two months away, though I doubt they hand out beers just past the finish line.

Of course there was more to the trip than just my running. We had a wonderful visit with my brother and his friend, and enjoyed such frivolities as Chicago deep dish pizza, a night at a jazz club, braving the cold for shopping on Michigan Ave, and an afternoon at the Museum of Science and Industry. I will say that traveling has become a bit more arduous as Calvin matures. He is still the fantastic traveler he always was – he sleeps just as well in a tiny walk-in closet as he does in his own room at home, and he didn't even blink at the time change or the massive obliteration of his daily schedule – but because he is so much more busy and interactive now than ever before, it is harder to settle into more confined spaces, like the car or the apartment, without the general peace suffering some injury. At home, where he has his own play room or bedroom, the constant singing and word play are great fun, and the time he spends playing alone are enough to recharge your energy for the next sequence of "why, why, why" (did we mention he has entered the why phase?), but in more confined quarters it is hard to get the reprieve needed to bolster your patience for the next onslaught. He was incredibly cooperative and happy the whole trip, he's just more tiring than he used to be and we/I owe a great thank you to my mom, who stayed behind to watch him on several occasions, allowing us to go to a jazz club Friday night, attend the runners' expo Saturday afternoon, and let Jon and dad come down to snap pictures and take care of our warm coats during the race.

The final day of our trip was a special gift, since Curtis realized only that morning (after walking all the way to work, of course) that he had the day off and could spend it with us, and we spent it all together enjoying the Museum of Science and Industry. Destinations like that become increasingly enjoyable as Calvin ages, and the talkative nature that makes him so tiring at other times made him quite fascinating during the museum trip. He especially loved any and every exhibit that had anything to do with a train, and, of course, the banana split we had for lunch (don't tell!) at the old fashioned ice cream parlor. It was the cherry on top of our weekend vacation. So now we are home.  There are, of course, a great many more pictures.  If you want to see them visit the March 2009 gallery.  Happy spring!

We're back

Back from our internet hiatus and back from a fantastic vacation north to visit my Godmother, both of which we really enjoyed.  In years past our vacations have given us great blog fodder thanks to an abundance of youthful energy, but for some reason (could it be we are getting older, or is it just the toddler sapping all of our strength?) this year we relished an entire week of just lounging.  Really just lounging.  We spent a little time out on the town (we really love Petoskey), a little time cooking dinners (trying out our favorite recipes on family is always fun), and a little time playing in the snow, and all of it was fantastically relaxing and the perfect way to start the new year off right.

More pictures from the trip can be found in the Merry Christmas (2008) album.  Happy new year!

Chicago, marathon style

Tuesday, tuesday, tuesday – dance class, laundry, dusting, work, and dinner –  the routine is always oh so boring when following on the heels of a mini vacation such as the one to which we were treated this past weekend.  On Friday, for Jon's birthday, my parents loaded us all in the van and treated us to a weekend in Chicago to visit Curtis, who also got older on Friday!  Big city living is fun in small doses.  Curtis's new apartment offers both a great location and a marvelous view (think walking distance to the Pier, Millennium Park, and the Magnificent Mile, all places that we visited), and  even had a closet in which Calvin could sleep (important unless we all plan on going to bed at eight with the baby).  On Friday we arrived in time to enjoy a fantastic birthday dinner, French style, at Cyrano's Bistrot.  Mmmmm escargot.  On Saturday we stuffed ourselves at breakfast, enjoyed a late morning outting to The Navy Pier (mmmmm local beer), and stuffed ourselves again with an early dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe.  Mmmmmm  carbs.  And that brings me to the second reason for our weekend visit–The Chicago Marathon, in which both Curtis and his friend, Julie, were running.  So Sunday morning we stuffed ourselves once again at breakfast and then made our way through Millennium Park (a fun destination in itself, too, what with the bean and Crown Fountain) and over to mile 26 of the 26.2 mile marathon route where we camped out against the barricades for an hour in order to see them run by (and snap some pictures, of course).  A successful endevor!  They both finished what was their first marathon in just under 4.5  hours AND managed to look pretty peppy in the aftermath.  Our final day, Monday, found us shopping the Magnificent Mile and enjoying a deli lunch before packing it in and heading for home (at which time Curtis probably heaved a sigh of relief at having his apartment to himself again and the tme to rest his marathon weary legs).  One more stop, this one for dinner at the nearly century old Schuler's in Marshall, Michigan, for their famed prime rib.  And that brings us to today.  How boring.

Pictures galore in the Chicago Trip album.

For heaven's sake

As you can probably tell by the stagnant conditions on the blog, I've been away for a short trip.   My loving husband sent me on a four day retreat to  Northern Michigan where I spent my time window shopping,  hiking ski hills, taking in the brilliant fall colors, and scrapbooking at a weekend convention.  It was a much enjoyed break, but I have always suffered from an overactive homesickness gene, an affliction that was not improved upon with the advent of motherhood, and was, therefore, itching to get home as the final day drew to a close.  I relished that first pint sized hug when I finally  arrived home, sat down to spend some play time, and though I was gone for only four days I could swear that Calvin's language developed tenfold while I was away.  Maybe it's a trick of the memory, having been working with pictures and notes taken nearly a year ago, but when I first arrived and sat down to play he was talking a mile a minute, in full sentences, and without much space for breathing.  It was while I was trying to drink in this wonderful moment that I apparently erred in my toy placement, to which Calvin responded "No, not there, the dude goes down here.  Oh for heaven's sake."  Yep, definitely tenfold.  And I really was only gone four days.

You really can go back

It was umpteen years ago on beautiful Walloon Lake in northern Michigan, and my family, consisting at that time of parents, sibling, cousins, and grandparents, was lazing at the end of a white dock stretching into the turquoise lake with its rocky edges and sandy bottom.  It's a memory that  has always lived vividly in my mind, and will do so even more now that we have been back and made good on the belief that it is possible to reclaim those times from the past.  The key to success in going back, of course, is understanding that it doesn't mean erasing time, but embracing it.  We missed those who are no longer with us, but enjoyed seeing each successive generation step into their waiting roles.  The baby sleeping upstairs was not Curtis, it was Calvin, and the man enjoying scotch and cigar at the end of the dock wasn't our uncle, it was Curtis.  Oh how time does fly.

Our time there was limited by work demands at home, but we thoroughly enjoyed the four days we had by packing them as full as possible (For the photo journal of our trip go to the Lake Vacation album.  Click on thumbnails for bigger pictures, and now you can click on the bigger pictures for even bigger pictures):

Saturday, August 9:   9am Meet at the Hiller homestead, pack cars, load people, head north.  10am Hit construction, slow to a crawl, realize that construction is an enjoyable diversion when traveling with a 2 year old.  11am  Make obligatory stop at Birch Run Outlet Mall, buy  sunglasses and Osh Kosh clothes, enjoy lunch and floats at the A&W.  3pm  Arrive at cottage on Walloon Lake in high winds but beautiful sunshine.  Unpack cars.  Enjoy watching the whitecaps on the rough lake from the dock while getting soaked by spray before going back inside to read before dinner (kabobs on the grill).  8pm Make last minute after dinner decision to dash into town to view the sunset over Little Traverse Bay from Sunset Park in Petoskey.  9pm  Return home to watch the Olympics.

Sunday, Aug 10:  8am  Wake up to sunny but still slightly windy and chilly weather.  Grandpa, Curtis, and Cortney all go running (the hills are killer).  Curtis and Cortney end their run with a jump in the still wild lake to the backdrop of boaters wearing sweatshirts and ski hats.  10am  Calvin tries the lake, but the air is just a bit too chilly, so we play in the hammock and with the toys and books we brought while Gram attends a high school reunion style luncheon.  1pm  The whole entourage makes a shopping trip into town, followed by naps (mostly) all around.  4pm  Extended family (cousin Polly, her husband Justin, Uncle Smokey, and Godmother Lonnie) begin arriving for dinner.  6pm   we all enjoy a dinner of steaks and corn on the patio.  7pm  Curtis, Patty, Calvin, Jon, and Cortney go with Polly and Justin to their nearby ranch and enjoy some ring riding time.

Monday, Aug 11:  7am  Cortney runs alone and opts out of the post run plunge though the day has dawned sunny, calm, and warm.   9am  The whole entourage packs in the van and heads to Alanson for a relaxing boat ride through the Crooked River and into Burt Lake (we had originally planned to motor through the locks on the river, but the locks just happened to be closed that of all days for maintenance).  11am  After said relaxing ride we enter Burt Lake and motor straight across toward the very small public dock that is our landing for lunch at Hoppies, our favorite  "local" frequented bar that happens to be easier to reach by boat than by car.  12pm  Finally locate said dock (it's practically unmarked and you have to know what you are looking for) and descend upon Hoppies for beer, burgers, and video games (and a view of the race winning outhouse) before heading back out onto the lake to enjoy the sunshine.  2pm  Locate sandbar and anchor for swimming and sunning.  3pm  Weigh anchor and head for home, with Calvin assisting the captain (Uncle Curtis) as soon as the boat is moving at a snails' pace in the river.  It was also about this time that Calvin discovered the "slow no wake" signs and also discovered how funny people thought he was when he read them as "sloooooooow     noooooooooo    waaaaaaaaaaaaake."  6pm  Arrive back at the cottage to enjoy a relaxing evening and sunset on the dock.

Tuesday, Aug 12:  7am  Cortney and Grandpa go out running but again opt out of the post rung plunge.  The day is even warmer, calmer, and sunnier than the day before even though the forecast called for incoming clouds and storms.  9am  Cortney "sights" said incoming storms and calls for everyone to get out and enjoy the day while they still can.  Most of the entourage grabs some coffee and heads for the dock while grandpa cooks  bacon for breakfast (yum).  11am  Still sunny and now much warmer, the whole entourage dons suits and grabs towels to take further advantage of the beautiful weather before the storms come in.  1pm  Still sunny, everyone, now including Lonnie, grabs margaritas, chips, guacamole, crackers, and pate for lunch out on the dock in order to take advantage of the weather that is still holding, believe it or not.  4pm  Not a cloud in sight so we all  decide that enough sun is enough sun and head in for some naps and Olympics.  6pm  Now refreshed we head back out for a relaxing dinner on the dock, followed by a sunset swim in the warm lake.  10pm  Back inside we watch the Olympics before bed.  What a wonderful (stormy?) day!

Wednesday, Aug 12:  7am  No running this morning, instead we get up to pack and enjoy one last walk out on the dock, one last swing in the  hammock, and one last vacation style breakfast.  9am  We spot two mink, possibly juveniles, running and playing on the dock.  One leaves, but the other stays to eat a crayfish.  He is not too worried about us and allows Cortney to get close enough to grab some good pictures, even giving her a quizzical and photogenic look from only five feet away on the boat lift when she ventures out to the dock end.  10am  The storms that never came yesterday  suddenly arrive with thunder and rain just as we are carrying things out to the cars.  11am  We hit the road, headed for lunch in Gaylord before making the rest of the trek home.  Again we say it has been a wonderful trip!  Thanks to Gram and Grandpa for the wonderful idea, for securing the cottage and the boat, and for all the wonderful food and drink.  Thanks to Aunt Patty and Uncle Curtis for taking the time to be there.  Thanks to Calvin for some pretty phenomenal behavior.