Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of where-in-the-world-has-Mary-lived....

2) My dorm!

Here I am in all of my nerdy glory in my dorm. Note the various music posters behind me and the large white desktop. And lack of any style. This was my first home away from my parents, and my roommate Ashley and I made the most of it. Actually, she was mostly gone rock climbing, so I had a quasi-single. What a great roommate!

Here, my friend Jill and I sit in my "dorm fort," which latest at least over a week before the RA told us it was a potential fire hazard. Ah, college days. How I miss them. Except for the food. And lack of air conditioning. And lack of privacy and a clean shower. Wait, never mind, I don't miss my dorm.

3) My first apartment

This is the only photograph I could find of my first apartment that I shared with 3 other girls (including Megan, the taller one - I'm the one in the college-stereotype plaid pajamas bottoms). The day we moved in, my mother cried, thinking that I was going to be living in such filth. We moved into a place with dilapidated furniture, holes in the walls, and dirt and dust everywhere. Ah, college. It was the second and third floors of a house off campus, and although it was small and crowded and the landlord was a jerk, it was the first time I felt truly on my own (despite the financial support from my folks - thanks, Mom and Dad, for the pseudo-independence!).

We're Moving! (again....)

My big news for the day is that at the end of this week, we're moving! Yes, I have been holding out on you all, but frankly, packing has kept me quite busy these last few weeks (not that much is really packed...)

It's somewhat of a bittersweet move, since the house that hubby and I have been living in for the last two years is my grandparent's house, meaning that I have to start to come to terms with the fact that Grandpa is in assisted living, and probably has to remain there. And that (when my parents sell the house) someone else will be cooking in my grandma's kitchen. And I won't live as close to my parents. :( Not that we'll be far (about 45 minutes away), but still, like I said, I'm a little bittersweet.

But the good news is that both hubby and I will be closer to our jobs, and I always welcome change. Both Tony and I have moved a lot during our adult years. A LOT. I realized the other day that I have moved 7 times in the past 8 years. Scary, huh? You'd think that I would be a pro by now and that everything would be packed and ready. You'd think, wouldn't you?

Anyways, after I realized how many moves I've taken, I decided to share with all you out there the various places I have lived.

1) Mom and Dad's House

Ah, good old 740 Mohave Street. This was the home that my parents' took me home to from the hospital, and where I stayed until I left for college. To me, this house means everything: family parties, childhood memories, even the tumultuous teenage years.

Ironically, I couldn't seem to find many pictures of just the house itself, but here's one of me getting ready for my wedding day. I spent the night there before the wedding, just so I could say that I spent one last night as a single woman under my parent's roof. I love the hardwood floors and the simple, homey feel of the house and furniture. I'm quite sentimental about that house - it was the only home I ever knew for 20 years!

Nature channel in my backyard....

So, this morning, I was quietly getting ready in the bathroom for work, when Tony yells out from the kitchen, "Come here quick!" I ran in there and saw that there were 4 red foxes playing in our backyard. As if it was the most natural setting for a herd of foxes, and NOT in the middle of the freakin' suburbs! We watched them play and wrestle for at least 20 minutes until they left, and while Tony was convinced that they could hear me snap photographs of them, they didn't seem to mind a bit.

You know, there are times when I complain about living in the suburbs - the lack of non-chain restaurants, the people who drive obnoxiously in gas-guzzlers, the seemingly endless amount of plastic - but every now and then, I am reminded of the reason why I moved back out here. Yes, the suburbs may have been built upon these beautiful foxes land, but damn it, I like having a backyard, especially for these occasions. And let's face it, the suburbs smell a whole lot better than the city.

Here are the pictures I took of our little visitors:

Meet Eddie

There's a member of our little newlywed family that you all haven't met yet - and that's Eddie, our beloved kitty. Well, he's not a kitty any more, being about 5 years old this year, but he'll always be a kitty to me.

Tony and I adopted Eddie when I started grad school at the University of Chicago. Living alone in Hyde Park (while Tony was living a few hours away in central Illinois teaching) was sad, and we decided to adopt a poor, homeless kitty to help keep me company. Tony, my mom, and I went to a local shelter, and while my mom and I were looking at all the cats, Tony kept saying, "Hey, this guy is following me around. You should take this one." It was Eddie. While the other cats were fighting over food and territory, Eddie followed us around, eventually falling head first into the garbage can and getting stuck behind a microwave. What can I say, it was love.

So I took Eddie home, and even though he has cried and whined every morning at about 5 am since, we love him dearly.

**Note: part of this sentimental-pet post may be because I just watched "Marley and Me." Great movie, but be prepared to sob violently, followed by smothering your cat/dog, who's probably thinking, what's with her?

Family Photos

So I mentioned that Mary-Carolyn over at Longbrake Living posts family photographs on her blog, and that I wanted to do the same...so, no time better than the present to start!

This is a picture of my dad (the young man in the suit) with his parents (my grandparents, Bernice and William) and his little sister Kathy. Missing is my Uncle Billy, who recently passed away. I love wedding pictures, because everyone always seems so happy and dressed up and excited.

Check out the ringlets on Aunt Kathy! My dad's side has great, dark brown/black curly hair. Yet, somehow, the super curly ringlets of my dad's side meshed with the beautiful, sleek straightness of my mom's side, and left me with an annoying head of hair that refuses to go either straight or curly without a ton of heat. Sigh. He did give me thickness, which I am told is a blessing. Drives me crazy, though...

Blog Love: And the rest....

To finish up my list of blogs that I read regularly (and love!), here we go:

Money Blogs:
These are blogs that encourage you to save, find ways to pinch pennies, and (my favorite) ways to rip off Target and Walgreen's and get free stuff by stacking coupons. Gotta love that! Here are some of my favorites:

Money Saving Mom - lots of great coupons. Go here to rip off the corporate man.

The Simple Dollar - explains financial conundrums like stocks and bonds and other things that go over my pretty little head.

Laid-off Ladies - Two best friends try to make ends meet in Chicago after being laid off. Great ideas, but I especially love it for the local freebies.

Misc. Blogs:
These are blogs that aren't really about fashion, or houses, or money, but rather a little bit of everything in a person's life (sort of like my little blog here!).

Making This Home - An American in...Berlin! Sometimes, this blog makes me long for living in Europe, where everyone else has tiny kitchens and walks everywhere without thinking you're a freak for doing so.

Dooce - This woman is hilarious. Not sure how to explain Dooce, you just need to read it. I hope I have as much humor and swear words in my life when I enter the motherhood.

Longbrake Living - Cute blog about marriage and life and "Lost" (which I've never seen, but looks delightfully confusing). Mary-Carolyn also posts old family photos every Friday, which I LOVE and plan on stealing shortly....

So there you have it! All the reasons why I ignore my own blog and spend far too much time glimpsing into the lives of others....