First of all, thanks to everyone who chimed in on my Chicago list. I plan on updating it soon (adding the lake, Second City, and a few more items), and will keep it on my links list as Sarah suggested. I'll do my best to add a few things for families and people with cars at some point as well.
Now, on to the meat of this post: a few weeks ago I wrote about my quest for personal fulfillment (which I'm thinking is going to continue beyond the next 6 months, but that's another story for another day). One of the things I mentioned was the gun class I'd signed up for, which took place last Saturday night. While spending 5 hours on a Saturday night at a gun class might sound a little weird, I highly recommend it!
The class, called NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting, took place at Maxon Shooters Supply in Des Plaines, IL. I chose this place because it's local, family owned, and I knew the class size would be small (this one had the maximum of 8 students) so I'd get some good individual attention when it came to actually shooting.
The class began with several classroom sessions: safety, parts of a gun and some classroom practice with them using fake bullets (caps? I forgot the actual term, but they're the kind that don't go off at all), ammunition, how to legally transport weapons, and that sort of thing. Most of it was good, common sense information but certainly necessary to review - you'd be surprised at how hard it is to keep your finger from automatically going to the trigger when you pick up a gun, rather than stay along the side until you're ready to shoot!
After about 3 hours of classroom time we spent an hour on the range - so fun! We each got to try several different guns, starting with a .22 caliber revolver, moving on to a .22 semi-automatic, then on to a .38 revolver and several different .38 semi-automatics. The format and pacing was very good in we each started with an instructor individually on the first revolver before they switched up our guns. I felt like I got some very good instruction, both at first and then with each successive weapon, but didn't feel like anyone was breathing down my neck.
After an hour on the range, which was plenty of time, we wrapped up in the classroom and each received a certificate of completion. I think I'm going to find a certificate frame and hang it up somewhere. Considering I never framed me college diploma, you can tell how excited I am by this.
My overall impressions of my own shooting are that I am slow, and that I need to start to with .22s before moving up. Being slow isn't so much a problem since I'm fairly accurate - I was complimented by my instructor and others in the class on how tight my groupings were - and it's not like I have a need to be getting shots off quickly. Sticking with .22s for a while is just something I think will help me get used to the kickback a little bit more easily.
Along the lines of sticking with .22s, I think I'll be sticking with semi-automatics rather than traditional revolvers though I do need to do a bit more comparison. I think that the double action settings on the revolvers made for a tighter trigger than the semi-autos, which I'm sure contributed to more/worse soreness later on. Comparatively, the single action revolver settings just made for a wimpy feeling trigger, but the semi-autos were a nice balance. I think semi-autos just look cooler, too.
With regards to soreness, while I was expecting some delayed onset soreness, it took slightly longer to hit me, and felt a little worse than I anticipated. It certainly wasn't bad by any means, just more extensive, and though I was expecting to feel it by Sunday evening, it didn't really hit until just before lunch on Monday.
On a completely different note, I really do need to mention my instructor, Jessica. She really kept the classroom part of the evening flowing well, was very witty while still conveying the serious nature of the topics we were covering, and I appreciated her continually modeling correct posture and handling throughout the class. I think the fact that she was right around my age, and the mere fact that she was female, really helped put me at ease quickly (I was the only woman out of 8 students, and while I'm a tough bitch I think it still made me feel more comfortable). Jessica teaches a follow-up class once a month, which is really more like a group lesson, but I'm definitely trying to get in for April!
Now that class is over and I have my FOID card, I can legally rent a gun and spend some time on the range. If I go to Maxon's I need to take a buddy, so let me know if you're interested! If you like to go shooting and are fairly knowledgable in the area of handguns, I may try to talk you in to going with me. :-)
Ok, that's enough for one post - now it's off to the opera!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Viki's Chicago list
So, Katrin asked me to put together a list of Chicago must-sees. The list I put together for her is below (not necessarily all in the must-see category, but I love them nonetheless). I'm sure I've left things out. Do any of you have suggestions?
Museum of Science & Industry:
Navy Pier:
Architecture Tour:
Chicago Style Pizza:
Public Transportation information:
The CTA runs buses and trains in the city - their website is pretty good for trip planning both within the city and outside city limits. Going outside of the city is doable by public transit, but can be a pain as trains and buses don't run as frequently. All of the things I've mentioned below are within city limits and very accessible via public transportation.
Willis Tower or John Hancock Center Skydecks:The Willis Tower is my favorite of the two. It has Ledges, glass boxes that extend several feet outside of the building.
The Hancock has an outdoor (screened in) part on the Skydeck, and a restaurant a few floors below called the Signature Room - it's expensive, but worth having a drink up there to enjoy the view. In both cases, she'll want to go on a clear day. If it's cloudy you can't see as far, and if it's foggy, forget about it.
The Hancock has an outdoor (screened in) part on the Skydeck, and a restaurant a few floors below called the Signature Room - it's expensive, but worth having a drink up there to enjoy the view. In both cases, she'll want to go on a clear day. If it's cloudy you can't see as far, and if it's foggy, forget about it.
Willis Tower: http://www.theskydeck.com/
Hancock: http://jhochicago.com/en/
Millenium Park:
Featuring, among other things, Cloud Gate (aka, The Bean)
Art Institute:
Finally got a chance to go to the new modern art wing a few weeks ago - loved it. This is one of my favorite musuems anyway.
Shedd Aquarium:
This is just cool - walk around outside in back of the Oceanarium for a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline.
Museum of Science & Industry:
The neatest thing about this museum is the train display - it's a model train set that has miniature landmarks across the US, including a mini Chicago.
Cultural Center:
Has art and other exhibits, as well as free concerts daily at 12:15 - concerts alternate between classical, jazz, blues, and world music.
Wrigley Field:
Tickets for baseball games are relatively inexpensive in April - Wrigley is one of the few remaining historical ballparks. It was built in 1914.
Navy Pier:
This is touristy, but does house the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, has exhibitions that go through the Great Hall that can be interesting, and the Ferris Wheel is fun.
Architecture Tour:
I'm including a link to the company I've used before, but there are others. I'd recommend the combined lake/river tour.
http://www.wendellaboats.com/experience/riverarchitecturetour.aspx
http://www.wendellaboats.com/experience/riverarchitecturetour.aspx
Chicago Symphony:
They've got plenty going on in April.
Lincoln Park Zoo & Conservatory
Both are free - I'm a big fan of zoos. :-)
Must Eat:
Chicago Style Pizza:
Pizzaria Uno or Duo are the two originals, but that's Uno on Ohio Street. Do NOT go to any restaurant call "Uno Chicago Grill." If those two options don't work out, Lou Malnati's or Giordano's are good as well.
Chicago Style Hot Dogs:
Portillo's is a good spot - they also have Chicago style Italian Beef. Just remember that there's NO ketchup on a Chicago-style dog.
Garrett's Popcorn:
You have to eat this stuff warm right after you get it. It's divine.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
My year of personal fulfillment
Since about the middle of last summer I've made a fairly concerted effort to make sure my life is about me (I know, what a concept!). It started out as a necessary component of me getting myself back to a place that was emotionally balanced, and has continued as a means of keeping me there and ensuring that I keep things in perspective. A few months ago I got to the point at which I felt like I should've started going back to thinking a little more about the logistics of life and professional pursuits, but after a bit of internal debate I decided that I should give myself the rest of the year off.
And what have I been doing with this year of personal fulfillment? There are a few major things that come to mind, and others that are not so major but still worth noting. These are in no particular order:
Drinking more beer: this is probably obvious given my ongoing research study, but I'm a beer snob. Around Thanksgiving I downloaded an app called "Untapp'd," and have since made an effort to try new beers whenever possible even if my favorites are on tap.
Trying new cigars: ok, so I haven't had that many cigars this winter, but I have made an effort to try new ones when I have. The impediment to this is that I have a fully-stocked humidor (yes, I bought my own humidor, albeit a small one) and have tried most of what's in it. Fortunately over the winter it's too cold to smoke on my patio so I have to go to a cigar lounge where there are always new things to try. :-)
Shooting: I shot a handgun for the first time last June, an experience that was the only redeeming event in an otherwise disastrous weekend. I loved it though, so for my birthday I decided to really treat myself - in a couple of weeks I'll be taking a gun class, during which I'll learn about gun safety and handling, and get to try several different handguns. I'm stoked! Although it wasn't required for the class, I've also applied for my FOID (Firearm Owner's ID) card. All of this makes me feel like a tough bitch - go me!
Cooking: I haven't done quite as much of this, but will try to make it a point to do more once all of the craziness in March is over and done with (lots of concerts next month). The little bit I have done, however, has felt great. I think my main goals with this point are a) to get myself into the mindset that I'm worth making myself a nice dinner, and b) to get back to cooking in general so I can have dinner parties and not end up with kitchen disasters.
Wine-ing: Wine is another thing I've not focused on over the past couple of years, a realization I came to a few weeks ago as I was going through what I kept from the wine cellar. I realized that there are wines for which I have no descriptions, no notes on when they will drink best, no ratings, or any of that. Now that my picture project is pretty much complete, my next one is going to be to flush out the cellar list. Fortunately I have the day off on Monday!
Traveling: last August I took a vacation by myself, going to Washington DC for a few days. This is a trend I need to continue. I'm thinking this year maybe Seattle. I hear the coffee is great, and I'm sure I can find a good winery to visit...maybe I should think about taking someone else along, though, as a DD.
Writing: I've been doing much better with this one of late. I don't know if anyone really cares about what I have to write about, but I still enjoy doing. I used to be pretty decent but feel out of practice, hence my aim to do it more.
Singing: not that this really needs mentioning since it's always been a focus, but I'm hoping to get in a little more solo work this year. A couple of summers ago I was part of a recital with a couple of other sopranos (Sopranorama!), and I'm hoping that this summer we can get it together to put on another one. While last time I sang some more traditional rep (Vilia, Adele's aria from Fledermaus), this year I'd like to find some things that are a little out of my comfort zone, or at least out of the norm for me.
There are more things, I'm sure, but those are the major ones. On that note, I'll sign off - have a wonderful weekend everyone!
And what have I been doing with this year of personal fulfillment? There are a few major things that come to mind, and others that are not so major but still worth noting. These are in no particular order:
Drinking more beer: this is probably obvious given my ongoing research study, but I'm a beer snob. Around Thanksgiving I downloaded an app called "Untapp'd," and have since made an effort to try new beers whenever possible even if my favorites are on tap.
Trying new cigars: ok, so I haven't had that many cigars this winter, but I have made an effort to try new ones when I have. The impediment to this is that I have a fully-stocked humidor (yes, I bought my own humidor, albeit a small one) and have tried most of what's in it. Fortunately over the winter it's too cold to smoke on my patio so I have to go to a cigar lounge where there are always new things to try. :-)
Shooting: I shot a handgun for the first time last June, an experience that was the only redeeming event in an otherwise disastrous weekend. I loved it though, so for my birthday I decided to really treat myself - in a couple of weeks I'll be taking a gun class, during which I'll learn about gun safety and handling, and get to try several different handguns. I'm stoked! Although it wasn't required for the class, I've also applied for my FOID (Firearm Owner's ID) card. All of this makes me feel like a tough bitch - go me!
Cooking: I haven't done quite as much of this, but will try to make it a point to do more once all of the craziness in March is over and done with (lots of concerts next month). The little bit I have done, however, has felt great. I think my main goals with this point are a) to get myself into the mindset that I'm worth making myself a nice dinner, and b) to get back to cooking in general so I can have dinner parties and not end up with kitchen disasters.
Wine-ing: Wine is another thing I've not focused on over the past couple of years, a realization I came to a few weeks ago as I was going through what I kept from the wine cellar. I realized that there are wines for which I have no descriptions, no notes on when they will drink best, no ratings, or any of that. Now that my picture project is pretty much complete, my next one is going to be to flush out the cellar list. Fortunately I have the day off on Monday!
Traveling: last August I took a vacation by myself, going to Washington DC for a few days. This is a trend I need to continue. I'm thinking this year maybe Seattle. I hear the coffee is great, and I'm sure I can find a good winery to visit...maybe I should think about taking someone else along, though, as a DD.
Writing: I've been doing much better with this one of late. I don't know if anyone really cares about what I have to write about, but I still enjoy doing. I used to be pretty decent but feel out of practice, hence my aim to do it more.
Singing: not that this really needs mentioning since it's always been a focus, but I'm hoping to get in a little more solo work this year. A couple of summers ago I was part of a recital with a couple of other sopranos (Sopranorama!), and I'm hoping that this summer we can get it together to put on another one. While last time I sang some more traditional rep (Vilia, Adele's aria from Fledermaus), this year I'd like to find some things that are a little out of my comfort zone, or at least out of the norm for me.
There are more things, I'm sure, but those are the major ones. On that note, I'll sign off - have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Choosing how to remember it all
Excuse the lack of posting last week (and the dumb title to this one - I need to work on better titles). In addition to making an effort to stay away from fluffy or mundane topics, I was working on a project that took a little longer than anticipated. In fact, it's still not quite finished. It has to do with organizing pictures. By pictures, yes I mean actual printed photos. Does anyone else still do this?
When I was younger - high school and my first year or so of college - I schlepped my camera everywhere. I have cute pictures with witty, and sometimes not so witty, captions next to them. For the next few years, until I got a digital camera, I wasn't so good about taking snapshots. Fortunately I still have a few good ones taken by others during that time period, and being tagged in Facebook photos has helped fill in some more gaps.
In any case, a couple of weeks ago I decided that since it had been several years (several as in over 6) since I'd put printed photos into an album, I really wanted to take the time to go through old pictures. I sorted through prints and digital images, pulled pictures off of Facebook, spent several hours uploading photos to Walgreens.com, and finally placed a fairly large order. I then spent the second half of the Superbowl getting most of my prints into an album rather than paying attention to any of the game or commercials. I'm still not done, but I'm close.
Going through this process, a couple of things have occurred to me. First, is it strange that I have this need to actually put together albums, or have something tangible? And second, is it strange that now that I'm single again, I've made certain memories my own?
On the subject of needing to have something tangible, I guess a similar example involves reading books. Despite living in the age of online newspapers and e-readers, I still prefer picking up an actual book. To that end, I've found myself justifying book purchases in recent years by rationalizing that if we want publishers to keep printing books, someone has to keep buying them. When it comes to e-readers, and maybe this is because I don't own a Kindle I just use the app on my phone, there's something about not being able to flip pages of a book back and forth that almost detracts from the experience of reading for me. I'm hoping that during my lifetime print media and photo albums don't go away completely.
On the subject of making memories my own, given my updated relationship status I've taken my ex out of the equation which means I have literally taken him out of the pictures. I'm wondering whether or not that's too weird, though. There were some great trips we took or good times we had with friends together that I'd like to have photos of simply because, relationship aside, there are several moments that made me happy. I had pictures from moments in time like that printed and I added them to my album. Similarly, on my former blog I did several posts from the November 2009 trip to Europe we took together, and last week ended up making prints of several of those images.
Now, none of the prints I had made included pictures of him, which I think anyone would agree makes sense, but is that weird? We did take the trip together, but so many of the things we did I enjoyed and would have done anyway - the butterfly house, the cemetery in Vienna, the zoo, the Stiegl brewery. Still, if I'm looking through the albums later with a love interest, it's eventually going to come out that I went on this trip with my ex-husband. I imagine that these instances will have a similar degree of awkwardness to the times now I make mention of having lived in Italy. Anyone who doesn't know asks, "Wow, what took you to Italy?" to which my answer starts off with , "Well..."
So again, is it strange that I'm including these pictures knowing that I'll probably have to explain myself? Being 32 and divorced has the potential to scare people off, which makes me nervous - should I be?
I guess the most important question involves whether or not having this level of detachment is healthy. My inclination is to say that it is, but is that normal or does it make me a freakishly cold person? Throughout my life I've made it a point to do whatever grieving I need to, but then focus on the good things and the happy memories. I'm sure losing my dad earlier in life had a lot to do with that. Last year was tougher, but I made it through and ended up in a much better place. Will other people recognize this? Should I care?
That's my food for thought this week. Until next time...
When I was younger - high school and my first year or so of college - I schlepped my camera everywhere. I have cute pictures with witty, and sometimes not so witty, captions next to them. For the next few years, until I got a digital camera, I wasn't so good about taking snapshots. Fortunately I still have a few good ones taken by others during that time period, and being tagged in Facebook photos has helped fill in some more gaps.
In any case, a couple of weeks ago I decided that since it had been several years (several as in over 6) since I'd put printed photos into an album, I really wanted to take the time to go through old pictures. I sorted through prints and digital images, pulled pictures off of Facebook, spent several hours uploading photos to Walgreens.com, and finally placed a fairly large order. I then spent the second half of the Superbowl getting most of my prints into an album rather than paying attention to any of the game or commercials. I'm still not done, but I'm close.
Going through this process, a couple of things have occurred to me. First, is it strange that I have this need to actually put together albums, or have something tangible? And second, is it strange that now that I'm single again, I've made certain memories my own?
On the subject of needing to have something tangible, I guess a similar example involves reading books. Despite living in the age of online newspapers and e-readers, I still prefer picking up an actual book. To that end, I've found myself justifying book purchases in recent years by rationalizing that if we want publishers to keep printing books, someone has to keep buying them. When it comes to e-readers, and maybe this is because I don't own a Kindle I just use the app on my phone, there's something about not being able to flip pages of a book back and forth that almost detracts from the experience of reading for me. I'm hoping that during my lifetime print media and photo albums don't go away completely.
On the subject of making memories my own, given my updated relationship status I've taken my ex out of the equation which means I have literally taken him out of the pictures. I'm wondering whether or not that's too weird, though. There were some great trips we took or good times we had with friends together that I'd like to have photos of simply because, relationship aside, there are several moments that made me happy. I had pictures from moments in time like that printed and I added them to my album. Similarly, on my former blog I did several posts from the November 2009 trip to Europe we took together, and last week ended up making prints of several of those images.
Now, none of the prints I had made included pictures of him, which I think anyone would agree makes sense, but is that weird? We did take the trip together, but so many of the things we did I enjoyed and would have done anyway - the butterfly house, the cemetery in Vienna, the zoo, the Stiegl brewery. Still, if I'm looking through the albums later with a love interest, it's eventually going to come out that I went on this trip with my ex-husband. I imagine that these instances will have a similar degree of awkwardness to the times now I make mention of having lived in Italy. Anyone who doesn't know asks, "Wow, what took you to Italy?" to which my answer starts off with , "Well..."
So again, is it strange that I'm including these pictures knowing that I'll probably have to explain myself? Being 32 and divorced has the potential to scare people off, which makes me nervous - should I be?
I guess the most important question involves whether or not having this level of detachment is healthy. My inclination is to say that it is, but is that normal or does it make me a freakishly cold person? Throughout my life I've made it a point to do whatever grieving I need to, but then focus on the good things and the happy memories. I'm sure losing my dad earlier in life had a lot to do with that. Last year was tougher, but I made it through and ended up in a much better place. Will other people recognize this? Should I care?
That's my food for thought this week. Until next time...
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Topics for research studies
So, one of these is funny, and one is serious. The serious one includes more than some of you may want to know about female body systems. Consider yourself warned.
Research Study #1: Average length of time a cute girl spends waiting for assistance at the mixed 6-pack shelf directly corresponds to whether or not she’s wearing a wedding ring. Also, a quantitative study of customer service received based on the same conditions.
I know I posted something on Facebook around Labor Day about being flattered at the quick response and fantastic service I got while looking for good beer on the mixed 6-pack shelf at Trader Joe’s. That afternoon the guy helping me went so far as to go digging around in the back room to find me several additional bottles of Bell’s Oberon.
Well, it happened again a few weeks ago. I was checking out what was on the shelf and someone came over almost immediately. I asked him a quick question about a certain brew and he started making all kinds of suggestions, even breaking up complete 6-packs so I could try new beer.
These experiences got me to thinking that, at least for the past few months, every time I’ve been digging around on that shelf someone comes over to see if I need help, and every time I’ve asked a question, it’s turned into a fun beer conversation. This makes me want to find a ring that looks bridal and, for the purposes of experimentation, go to the liquor store and start timing how long it takes to get someone to come over to me when I’ve got it on vs. when I don’t have it on, as well as gauge the level of service I receive based on whether or not I’m wearing it.
I mentioned this all to my sister-law-one day, and she pointed out that what really made the difference was the degree to which a woman was dolled up. See, she’d had an experience at the Home Depot in which she found it odd that she had a hard time getting help while wearing painting clothes (i.e. obviously in need of and item or items for immediate use). Then store associates were all busy helping women who were wearing slightly nicer clothes and makeup. I pointed out that I popped in to a hardware store after one of my December concerts, which meant I was wearing a long black gown – I was asked whether or not I needed assistance by every single associate I walked by.
All of this is food for thought. Others with comments are welcome to chime in!
As a side note – something I was never really good at was flirting to get better service or more attention (I always thought I needed to take lessons from Karen). Well, I think I’m figuring it out. Just after Thanksgiving I lost one of the little rubber things from the hands free ear buds that plug into my phone, and learned that they don’t sell replacements – you have to buy a whole new ear bud set. Not yet ready to break down and shell out the $30+ bucks, I thought I’d try one more place. Score! A little flirting with the guy at the Water Tower Place phone accessory kiosk got him to part with an extra little rubber thing from a headset he’d opened. Woo-hoo!
Research Study #2: Correlation between seasonal affective issues and hormones.
I wrote about how I was convinced that there is a link between the menstrual cycle (really cyclical hormonal shifts) and seasonal affective disorder a couple of winters ago (click here to read about it and here for the update). Despite my doctor at the time telling me that there was no correlation, I’m even more convinced that there is.
I think in my previous post I wrote about how the day before my period started I had a really hard time getting out of bed – it was as if I’d been hit by a truck I was so exhausted. Trying to be proactive and get more rest for a couple of days before that tended to be futile because my cycle has always been so irregular, so it would end up that one day I’d wake up not able to get myself going, and figure it out by the next day. Did I mention that my cramps for the first day of my period were also almost unbearable? A heating pad + 4 Advil would start to help, but I’d still spend about the first day and a half zoning out and completely useless.
Last year I tried doing a couple of things, the first of which was adding protein to my diet. I think that helped with my overall energy level, so it’s something I’ve continued. Half a scoop of protein powder added to my oatmeal every morning is great.
The second thing I did last year was to try to take birth control pills again for only the winter months. My thought was that if my hormones were regulated, my body would return to a semi-normal state. Taking pills really helped with the cramps, but had a very negative side effect in that the mix of pills didn’t work with me anymore (same prescription I had before I got my IUD) and I ended up spotting heavily for two weeks at a time. Not fun. I decided that I wasn’t going to mess with that again.
This year things are slightly different in that I my doctor discovered in November that I was slightly anemic. This was not a problem in the spring or the summer because my iron count was high enough for me to be able to donate blood in both May and August. In any case, I started taking an iron pill each day, and bam, I feel so much more normal.
Why am I all of a sudden anemic, though? Well, something else I really honed in on this year, and I think this is probably the key to this whole issue, is that my cycles over the fall and winter have been much shorter than over the spring and summer months. I’m talking an average of 24 day cycles since October, vs. 34 day cycles during the spring and summer. No wonder I’m anemic!
In any case, at this point, I’m convinced that the fact that my cycles are so much shorter over the winter must have something to do with the days being shorter and there being less sunlight. Less sunlight, less energy, shorter menstrual cycles, I’m SURE they’re linked, and I really think someone actually needs to do a study on this.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
My new doll
My Godi has been bugging me a little about my lack of posting, and while I feel bad that I haven’t gotten to it as much as I’d like, there are others who haven’t posted in several months, so, yeah. Here’s one that’s long overdue but definitely one that I’ve wanted to write (I’m sorry for those who have heard this story already). Hopefully it will to kick off what will turn into a 2012 posting trend.
First, a little background. When I was younger, I, and just about every other girl I knew, wanted an American Girl doll. For those who are unfamiliar with American Girl and their products, they started off with three different characters/dolls, each from a different era. There was Kirsten, the Swedish immigrant from 1854; there was Samantha, the “Victorian beauty” from 1904; and Molly from 1944 whose father was off fighting on the European front in WWII. Each character has her own series of books, many of which have won awards since the characters are such good role models for girls today. Did I mention the dolls are gorgeous and have the neatest clothes and cutest little accessories ever?
In any case, there was a period of time during which I was obsessed with Samantha. I borrowed the books from the library and looked through the American Girl catalogue on a regular basis, something that continued until I was probably too old to be doing it. Actually receiving a doll, however, was not in the cards for me, and since then I haven’t kept up with the company’s offerings much.
Fast forward to last month, when the Kindergruppe families gave me one of the coolest Christmas gifts I have ever received: an American Girl gift card, along with a little doll-sized dirndl. You would’ve thought I was 10 years old again based on my reaction, although I think the kids in the group were just as excited as I was. I spent much of the evening looking through the catalogue and taking recommendations from the girls.
Now, I received this gift card on a Friday evening, and I was so excited that I went to the American Girl Place at Water Tower Place at my first opportunity – Monday at lunch – to pick up my doll. For those who are not aware, I work just down the street and can walk there in 10 minutes.
Let me tell you that I was completely unprepared for the American Girl Place experience! It’s CRAZY in there! The collection of character dolls has expanded significantly over the past 20 years and there are large displays for each one (remember each has all kinds of cool outfits and accessories, including furniture). Add to that the “Just Like Me” dolls and the myriad of stuff available for them and any of about ten specialty “shops” like the Doll Spa, and it gets just a little overwhelming.
After a few minutes of walking around I started feeling a little dizzy so just decided to get my doll and get the hell out of there. Since Samantha is now retired, I chose Marie-Grace, a girl from 1853 New Orleans who, in the story, has recently started taking voice lessons. My main hang-up on the doll, as beautiful as she is, was that she came in a pink dress. In the end I determined that it was more of a salmon color and picked her up anyway. I also got some cute little Mary Jane shoes for her so she’d have the proper footwear for her dirndl. Here's a picture of her:
I brought her to our last Kindergruppe practice, and all of the kids seemed excited. As I was talking to the kids about the doll and thanking them again for the gift I also had parents taking pictures of me, so I guess they were excited, too. It’s funny that even as people age there are simple things, like dolls, Legos, or any number of other childhood toys, they just never get old.
That’s all for this installment – posts in the cue include “Topics for Research Study” and a post about my wanting to learn more about firearms.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Having problems commenting?
If anyone is having problems commenting, please let me know. I thought I'd fixed whatever the issue was, but apparently not...
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