#37 – Make an extensive French flash card collection.

#38 – Memorize every last French flash card.

#39 – Hire a French tutor to work with me once a week (6 months).

I’m taking a different approach to getting my French up to speed, and Dave is coming along for the ride!!  We found a native French speaker who has been coming to the apartment once a week to help us out.  One of her first comments to me, “Flashcards are boring!”  She spends an hour talking to me, and correcting my goofy grammar, and she spends an hour teaching Dave the basics. 

I know French much more as a spoken language than a written one…this comes through two summers of total French immersion in Quebec 10 years ago, as well as a customer service job speaking French on the phone.  Revisiting the basics through Dave, while spending time each week just talking in French, have been really valuable and fun. 

Dave’s homework is focused on memorization, while mine is focused on reading and writing things I am interested in, focusing on improving spelling and grammar.  I’ve enjoyed doing this with Dave, and our different talents in life help each other learn.  That’s to say that I just say anything in French to get my point across, while Dave focuses on spelling and pronouncing thing correctly.

The goal is to take our summer vacation in Quebec in 2012.  It would be wonderful to introduce Dave to that time in my life, as well as reconnect with the family that I lived with.

#14 – Get an eye exam.

This did get done this winter…with kinda mixed results.  The good news is that I passed all of the physical eye tests.  My vision is better than 20/20.  The challenge, however, is that I didn’t get answers to any of my concerns.  I know that my vision has changed in the last couple of years.  Just ask any of my coworkers…they will all complain that I save documents at 130% size.  And I’ve always had floaters, but they now get stuck in my direct line of sight, while that never happened before.

I really wan’t pleased with the opthomologist that my general practicioner referred me to.  Three hours in the office, and about four minutes with the actual doctor, didn’t seem cool.  I will not be going back.

Not sure what my next step is here.

Seems like this winter, these crazy jobs of ours and life in general have swallowed this blog…oops.  But it’s spring now in Chicago, and things are changing.  Let’s see if we can find something interesting to share.

Come visit us in Chicago!!

We have a little bit of snow.

20.2 inches to be exact…the third largest accumulation of snow in Chicago history.  And with 70 mph winds and thundersnow (yes, this is real), last night was a bit scary.

This is what we woke up to this morning…more accurately, this is what Dave woke up to this morning.  The company I work for called a proper snow day.  And while Dave’s company also suggested that people remain safe and inside, he is in the middle of a production project that required his attendance this morning.

So he commuted to work in the snow this morning…while I stayed at home doing a bit of work and taking a proper snow day nap.

Uh, dear landlord…we need to talk about some insulation issues.  This was the scene in the foyer this morning.  The very strong wind blew snow through the door.

And while we’re at it, can we also talk about the purple walls please?  Never mind, actually, I don’t want to argue with Ukrainian interior decorating techniques.

This was the scene at all of our windows.

After Dave was able to leave work early today, we ventured out for a little snow day fun.  Yes, he is standing up in this picture.

This was pretty much the view around the city.

I put my ski garb to good use.

And made a good old fashioned snow angel.

After some persuasion, Dave joined in the fun.  Ultimately it was a fun day to goof off on a Wednesday and enjoy the snow.

Being tall is a significant advantage in deep snow.

Oops…someone lost a bumper.

Seriously, come visit us!

In what was a very lovely break from work and winter weather, and a wonderful chance to visit with family, Dave and I spend Christmas and New Years this year (or last year, or whatever) in California with his family.

Christmas and New Years were both very properly celebrated with chocolate and wine and ham and lots of goodies.

Touristy things were visited.

The Hollywood sign from Griffith Observatory.

Sunny and smoggy downtown LA from Griffith Observatory.

Personally the most exciting touristy thing over vacation was getting the change to see a gray whale migrating off the coast.  At Point Vincente, volunteers track the whale migration.  This time of year the whales are heading south to birth their young.  We had been to this spot before for whale watching, but despite our previous hours of patience, had not actually seen anything.

This time around we were treated to a gray whale upon our arrival.  I know it looks small…it’s cooler in person.  Really.

Christmas presents were played with.

No, this isn’t a picture of the family contemplating the skies or the meaning of the Korean Friendship Bell.

They’re checking out Dave’s kite, with it’s 9′ wingspan and 50′ tails.

Quite honestly, I’m shocked that the kite didn’t fly away or launch one of us into the Pacific Ocean.

But the most important we got to do in California was visit with lots of family and friends!  I only wish we lived closer so that we could visit more often.

Now we’re both back in the swing of work, and almost over the colds that we got after returning to Chicago.  Blah.

We were lucky enough to see the Grand Canyon on the way home from a recent trip to California.

NPR’s Only a Game story on the 24 Hours of Lemons offers an explanation to the previously posted picture.

And last weekend was the 24 Hours of Lemons, Rod Blagojevich Never Say Die 500.

Dave would like to write the official post about this, in which I’m sure he will try to convince you that this is a normal sport that rational wives should fully support.  The only pieces of evidence that I will present to the contrary are this picture…

And the fact that our racing team will be featured on an upcoming NPR show on crazy sports.

Dave, your move.

Also in October weekend fun, we had lots of baby snuggles with our godson Daniel…

Our favorite Pickles stopped by for a couple nights as they made a grand road trip through the eastern half of the United States to see family and friends…with four kids.  Brave people, I tell you, very brave people!

I was a little worried about the fact that our apartment isn’t exactly kid proof…a cat with claws, chemicals under the sink and knives within reach of tiny hands…but we did survive injury free!

And fun was had by all.

The penguin slide finally got some serious love.

Katie learned to fly a helicopter…also known as a “hockerpocker” in some circles.

Miriam gave us a beautiful piano concert.

And adventures were had at the local playground…the one that I had walked by almost everyday for two years without venturing into.

What people say about how hard it is to get kids to smile in the same direction…it’s true.

Smiles!

Uncle Dave got to practice keeping small children alive.  See Dave, you can do it.

And Katie being silly.  Funny thing is I didn’t notice this shot until I started scrolling through the pictures today.

Good times!

It was wonderful to have the Pickles as our guests.  I only wish we lived closer, so that we could visit more often.

Everyone survived the weekend…with the kid unfriendly apartment, pointy cat and all.  The only one of us who was seriously traumatized was Moxie!  Oh, and quite possibly our downstairs neighbor, who I personally thank for not knocking on the door at 7 AM on Saturday to ask why we had suddenly adopted a really bouncy football team.

I will start with weekend fun from the beginning of October.

My brother Michael started his seminary studies this fall, and we celebrated with him at the family day festivities at Mundelein.  My parents came into the city for the event.  It was really wonderful to see Michael in his new element, getting into the routine and discipline of seminary studies and prayers.

Who would have guessed that Michael would be the holy on in the family?

The campus is quite lovely.  We enjoyed an architecture tour, Mass and lunch with Michael’s new friends and a good old fashioned ride on a restored fire engine, the personal hobby of one of the priests at the seminary.

And to top the day off, we had a dinner and early celebration of Michael’s birthday.

Study hard Michael.  And pray hard too.  We are very proud of you!