The Windy City

I lived in the actual city of Chicago for exactly a year. I went to school full time and it was much easier living close to campus then from my home in the suburbs. Chicago is nicknamed The Windy City and today, I definitely knew why. As I was on the train back home to the suburbs, I was thinking of how many things I miss about living in the city, as well as how many things I DON'T miss.

Things I Miss about Chicago:
-Being able to walk to any local attraction the city has to offer
-The easy access to public transportation
-There is always something to do on the weekends
-The numerous places for frozen yogurt
-Shopping on Michigan Ave.
-The friends that still live down there
-The lakefront
-Great food right down the street

Things I Don't Miss about living in the City:
-The el or buses running late
-The constant noises from the fire trucks and ambulance
-Roommates never cleaning up
-The windy and freezing walks to class everyday
-The unpredictable crimes that happen so close to where you live
-Having to commute over 45 minutes just to see family, friends, and the boy
-The crowds everywhere; LP zoo, Michigan Ave, restaurants
-Having to wait over 45 minutes to be seated at a decent restaurant
-Paying twice as much for everything: clothes, food, rent, etc.

The Boy and I doing a Segway Tour on the lakefron

(I highly recommend it, if you're ever in Chicago)

I think it's safe to say that I'm glad I moved back home. However, I do not regret living in the city for a year. I learned a lot. If I didn't live down there then, I probably would have liked to live down there sometime. I'm glad I did it when I did. I love the city and would consider myself a city girl, but I prefer to live in the suburbs.

Death

Death. It’s inevitable. Everyone knows its coming. Yet, it’s something we so easily forget about in our daily lives. Deaths can be unexpected or predictable. Sadly, people die everyday. Newborn babies to the elderly. Even when you’re expecting it, you can never fully prepare for it. Death is just apart of life. It’s what we’re already registered to do when our time is done. With the joys of life comes the sorrow of death. Every now and then, people’s time on this earth is cut way too short and sometimes even the oldest of people aren’t ready to let go either. I mean, who is ready? Death is a scary improbable unknown and no matter how knowledgeable you may be, you can never be ready. There is so many what ifs circling around death? Could I have done anything to prolong his time here on earth? Am I ready to accept this? Was he in pain or content? And most importantly, did they know how many people loved them throughout their life? We sure wish they did.

After a long determined willingness to survive, my Grandpa Dick passed away yesterday, October 13^th, 2011. He was 94 years old. A father, a grandfather, life-partner and friend, who were admired by many, left his signature and imprint on all he had meet. He endured what no human should ever have to live through. Hell. When he signed up to defend our country, he never imagined he would be a Prisoner of War for 3 ½ years, As a WWII vet, I never heard him complain about what he’d been through and he never felt bad for himself.  He lived his life with love for life, dignity, loyalty and a smile accompanied by laughter, always resting on his face.

My Grandpa’s quote: "I always wonder why I am still alive, when so many others did not make it.”

His last few weeks of life, we’re the hardest on his family. He was declining quickly. Knowing that he wouldn’t be here much longer was a fate we couldn’t accept. We thought we were prepared for it, but it’s something you can never be completely emotionally ready for. It hurts just as much as when it is unexpected. The feeling is unknowing and empty.

Grandpa, I speak for your whole family; your daughters, Sue and Kathy, their husbands, John and Kent, your 4 grandchildren, Rick, Laura, Kate and I, and you’re other half, Peg, that you were our family rock, a simple man with so much wisdom and love to share. You will be remembered for your heroic sacrifices, your love for life, your famous one-liners, and the 94 years of memories you have shared with so many. You were the greatest Man I have ever known and I am lucky and honored to call you MY Grandpa.

I am at ease knowing that you are smiling down on us and that you are finally at peace. I am forever grateful to have spent 22 years with you as my Grandpa. I will cherish the wisdom you have taught me, the laughter we have shared and love you have shown us. You were by far, the greatest Grandpa, most admirable man and most importantly a praiseworthy person. I miss you Grandpa, and even though you were 94 years young, that wasn’t long enough. I love you Grandpa, forever and always.

Grandpa Dick---June 20th, 1917- October 13th, 2011

Keep smiling Grandpa. You’re pretty when you smile.

WILW

This is my first WILW. I've read so many and I wanted to get into the fun too! Link up here to join the party!  

I'm loving 

End of story!

I found these all on Pinterest and yes, I LOVE them all.

Source: blowoutparty.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: 247moms.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: picasaweb.google.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: ffffound.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: fussymonkeybiz.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: robinscreativecottage.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: atypicaltypea.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I WANT THIS OUTFIT!

Source: polyvore.com via Kristen on Pinterest

This jacket is on my christmas list! :)

Source: express.com via Kristen on Pinterest

and I'll be making these for Christmas this year!

Source: buddingbaketress.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

He did WHAT?!?!

The other night I was upstairs working on a paper that was due in a few days. It was only me in the house with our new puppy....Tio.

He is about 6 months old, so gets into everything and anything. That night I had him in my room with me when I was working on my paper. I gave him a new bone so I thought he would be occupied for a few minutes. Well, 5 minutes later he jumped down from my bed, with his bone in his mouth. I let him out of my room because I figured he would just be chewing it downstairs by the dining room table, where he loves to chew his toys. 

About an hour goes by and I don't hear him. You know it's a bad sign when a puppy or child is quiet. So, I go downstairs and he is chewing an EMPTY advil bottle. I freak out, yell at him and google the emergency vet office to seek help! The bottle is completely empty and the cap is no where to be found---so I assume he just ate the cap off of it. The vet office tells me to give him 1 tblsp of hydrogen peroxide and he should throw up within a half hour. If he doesn't, give him one more tblsp and wait again. The vet lady also told me that I should call the poison control for animals to see what they suggest I do. She gives me the number and as I'm saying bye and about to hang up, she says, "Oh and by the way, they will charge you $60 for the consultation (if you even call it that), so have your credit card ready." I was so mad. I love my dog, but I am not about to pay $60 for an answer that I can get on google....ya know?

So, I give him one tblsp of hydrogen peroxide and he never threw up. This whole time I'm trying to contact my Dad to tell him to get home because he had the only car we have and in case Tio needed to go to the vet emergency room we would have a way to get there. 

I call him 3 times, my Mom was teaching, but she was also trying to call him. Finally, after 15 mins. my Mom calls me back and says, "Kristen, Dad through the empty advil bottle in the downstairs garbage and the cap he threw away in a different garbage bin---so everything is fine and Tio didn't eat any advil!" 

A huge sigh of relief came over me. Everything ended up being fine because Tio didn't have any advil or the cap for that matter. I still don't understand why my Dad threw away an empty advil bottle in TWO different places....but that's just my Dad for you. My poor dog licked all the hydrogen peroxide right off the spoon, but never threw up. 

Still love my puppy!!