There was one guy standing in the front of the museum. By the time he realized I was taking a picture and moved, someone else had come out. Arrgh.
Sue, the Field Museum's most famous resident. She is "the world's largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex."
It never occured to me that zebras have striped manes.
These are the two lions that the movie The Ghost and the Darkness was based upon. According to the information listed, their skins were cut up and badly tattered, so the museum had to make due and re-construct them the best that they could. In real life, the lions were much larger.
A snake skeleton. Cool, but creepy.
I love the dinosaur exhibit at the Field Museum. Growing up in a small town, I never got to see stuff like this as a kid.
The first time I ever saw the giant ground sloth, I got tingles. Isn't it amazing?
Today, my company let us have the day off. Since everyone else I know had to go into work, I decided to catch the King Tut exhibit at The Field Museum. Unfortunately, you couldn't take photos of that exhibit, but if you click here you can visit the Field Museum's Website to learn more about it.
Rob, Sweeney (the cat) and I are heading to Michigan to see my family for Christmas, so I won't have access to a computer for four days. Happy holidays, everyone!
Warning: This post is a gross example of the commercialism that has overtaken Christmas. However, chances are that if you come from any type of Christian background 1) you celebrate Christmas and 2) in celebrating, you give and receive presents. Here is a photo list of the gifts I have purchased to give to my loved ones ...
Above: I got Rob's mom a book of Sudoku puzzles and his dad a book of word-find puzzles.
Above: A few weeks ago, I had a really awesome housewarming party. I meant to take lots of fun pictures to post, but I was too busy playing hostess and most of my pictures were crappy shots of my friends stuffing their faces. Anyway, I digress. Rob bought me these cool photo coasters from Crate & Barrel as a housewarming gift. I thought they were really neat, so I decided that's what to get for my boss for Christmas this year. (And NO, I didn't re-gift. I bought her her own!)
Above: Normally I dislike getting gift cards for people, as nothing says "I don't know you very well" or "You're not important enough for me to put any thought into your gift" quite like a gift card. However, that doesn't mean I won't buy them. Since they're the only thing my aunt and uncle asked for this year, I broke down. I got each of them two gift cards and another small gift. As you can see, I purchased my uncle a Chicago shot glass to add to his collection.
Above: I got my aunt two gift cards and a Sudoku book (popular gift) because, well, she likes Sudoku.
Above: Do you have someone on your list who is impossible to buy for? That person for me is my dad. While he's one of the more interesting people I know, his hobbies (motorcycles, dogs, hunting, golf, and acting [he's been in 6 or so local commercials]) are all areas I don't know much about. This year, I just decided to spend all the money I'd budgeted for him on a nice Fossil watch. He's been wearing the same faux Rolex for years now, so maybe he'll like something new ... ? We'll see what his reaction is.
Above: I got my grandfather a book I really like ("A Prayer for Owen Meany"), Lindt dark chocolate truffles (chocolate addiction runs in the family) and a word-a-day calendar.
Above: My sister and I are notorious for how much we don't get along. Strangely enough, she is by far the easiest person I have to buy for. I can look at something and tell if she would like it or not. This year, she asked for dark flannel sheets and a clock from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I also got her two pairs of capri pants that were on sale really cheap at Old Navy.
Not pictured: 1) Rob's gift(s), because he reads this thing. 2) My mom's gifts, because I still have one more gift to buy her. 3) My grandma's gifts, because I didn't get around to wrapping them yet.
Not pictured: 1) Rob's gift(s), because he reads this thing. 2) My mom's gifts, because I still have one more gift to buy her. 3) My grandma's gifts, because I didn't get around to wrapping them yet.
Here are some pictures taken out my window. The first two were taken from the living room, while the last one was taken from the back.
These photos are of the front room. When you walk in the door, you look to your right and this is what you see. The "living room" portion is to the right, while the "dining room" portion is to the left.
Today, we got a tree and decorated it at Rob's place. Last year we got a Balsam Fir; this year, we decided to get a White Pine in order to try something different. I've never had a Christmas tree at my place, as I spend Christmas at my parent's house in Michigan and don't really see the point in having my own. However, I had fun decorating today. It's cool to see all the ornaments Rob has had since he was a kid, and there are some new favorites, like the chipmunk and the rhino. :)
The picture says it all ...
Last night, Rob and I went to a Chicago Wolves game with our friends Nick and Anne. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I hate sports (playing, watching, or hearing about ... ) but Rob really loves hockey so occasionally I will humor him and go to a game. Luckily I find hockey to be the least dull of all the major sports. It never ceases to amaze me that they'll stop the game to let players pound each other in the face.
As a side note, the first time Rob and I ever really spoke to one another (we'd met for the first time about 6 months earlier, but that's another story ...) was at a Wolves game with Nick. I'd gone to college with Nick, who was a co-worker of Rob's at the time. One Friday in January of 2005, I asked Nick what he had planned. He said he was going to a hockey game with his friend Rob. I didn't have anything going on that night, so I asked if I could tag along. I spent the entire game talking to Rob, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Chicago is one of the last major U.S. cities to go smoke-free. There was a HUGE debate going on at the end of last year, and it was finally decided that as of January 2006, all Chicago restaurants had to go smoke-free. Bars have until July of 2008 to comply.
Rob really likes to go out on Fridays and Saturdays, and this is sometimes a point of contention with us because I hate going to smoky places. I've been trying to find more smoke-free places in Chicago but it's hard, because sites like Metromix and Citysearch don't always have the most up-to-date info. So, if you're a fellow Chicagoan and you know of any bars I've missed, please feel free to let me know!
Agave (tequila bar)
3115 N Lincoln Ave.
Big Chicks (haven't been here)
5024 N Sheridan Rd
Charleston (neighborhood bar)
Galway Arms (Irish pub, non-smoking room)
The Grafton (Irish pub, non-smoking room)
Marty's (martini bar)
1511 W. Balmoral Ave.
Minibar (small gay bar)
Redder (martini bar + restaurant)
3417 N Southport Ave
(Cross Street: Roscoe Street)
Chicago, IL 60657
The Trinity Bar (haven't been there)
2721 N. Halsted St.
Uncommon Ground
(Rob took the above photo. He always takes better pictures than me. I hate him.)
(Rob may have taken this one. I don't remember.)
Christmas is probably one of the best times of the year to be in the Windy City. It's usually not bitterly cold yet, and the city is always beautifully decorated. Rob and I went shopping on Michigan Ave. (or "The Magnificent Mile" if you're a tourist) on Saturday. The first two pictures were taken at Macy's (formerly Marshall Fields, a very touchy subject to Chicagoans). After our shopping trip, we hopped off the bus at the Lincoln Park Zoo to see Zoo Lights, which is put on every year. It was pretty dark out, so I found it difficult to take good pictures, though Rob was of some help. His pictures are usually really good, and yes, that makes me jealous sometimes. Anyway, I was able to get a few shots of the animals. In addition to the small cat and giraffee above, we saw a seal, a tiger, a hippo, and polar bears. :)
