Dana Daily

We had a wonderful Christmas. Emmy made her wishes known, and I think she received everything she asked for - lots of clothing. Sarah had wanted a wool coat earlier in the season, but with several jackets to her name already, it was impossible to justify as anything other than a Christmas gift. Seth's big gift was a bike, but he's been just as into all the other gifts he received - more train tracks, books, an umbrella. I got Sal a duffle bag he requested and a Browns golf shirt he can wear to school. I had asked for a Kindle Paperwhite (and I love it).

Christmas Eve is a busy day for us. My nephew, Anthony, was born on Christmas Eve, and my sister always plans his party for that day now. Then, the kids participate in the 9pm "Midnight" Mass at St. Nicholas. They wear traditional Croatian attire, and process with Baby Jesus to the manger. This was Seth's first year to participate. Then when we get home we have to get everyone off to bed so Sal and I can play Santa.

I opted for studio pictures this year and was really happy with how these turned out. Here is our 2019 Christmas card!

I certainly didn't mean to take time off from blogging, but it's been a whirlwind both at work and at home. At work we have agencies and contractors preparing for shut-down or work stoppages, and everyone is in a rush to complete projects by the end of the year. I go through this every year. On the homefront, Emmy's soccer season wrapped up, Sarah's in the middle of pre-teen angst over school and actually having to focus when she does her homework, and Seth was diagnosed with an ear infection a little over a week ago. Sal had his meeting with the transplant team on Monday, November 25, and as far as these things go, it was a good appointment. He appears to be a good candidate for a transplant, but it's a matter of either finding someone to donate or waiting for a cadaver kidney. I had a routine dental appointment a couple weeks ago and was diagnosed with three small cavities - this on the heels of an extraction in early October. I had them filled yesterday. ...

Due to high winds and copious amounts of rain, trick-or-treat was moved to Saturday. It's always easier when it's not on a work/school night so I have no complaints.

Sarah took this cute picture of Seth yesterday on the way to run some errands. His new glasses are in, and I'm hoping to pick them up this week.

I put the finishing touches on Seth's school bus costume that Emmy helped me with on her day off from school (for Columbus Day). I think it turned out pretty cute. I didn't take a picture, but there are suspenders that will hold this on Seth's shoulders to free his arms and hands. He wanted to be a school bus for Halloween this year, so a school bus he will be.

It's the big one one - as in #11 for daughter number 2. We celebrated with a family party on Saturday, but today I took Emmy to Subway for lunch, which she loves. Sarah and Seth stayed home so it was nice to spend time 1:1 (see how I worked another 11 in, sort of). She was excited to have today off from school, thanks to Columbus or Indigenous People, whichever way you're going this year. And, a picture for posterity.

Emmy is now in braces too. Like Sarah, she'll have them approximately 18 months. We took before and after photos. She admitted to me a few times over the past year or so that the gap between her middle teeth made her self-conscious about her smile, so I hope this helps.

Sal has polycystic disease. I learned this within 2.2 seconds of meeting him, not really, but I've known a long time. Anyway, he had an appointment today with a nephrologist and laid it all out for me. His numbers have doubled. He needs an MRA to check for an aneurysm. He need additional bloodwork. He has to switch to a no salt/low salt diet. He has other dietary restrictions. He has to decide what type of dialysis he wants. He doesn't know when he will start dialysis. Soon. I had successfully denied the presence of this thing, this  disease , for eight years.  If I even bothered to think about the disease, let alone dialysis, it was always in terms of an eventuality, something that would happen  in the future . I never considered that each day, each week, each year was propelling us closer to that reality. This, in spite of Sal telling me over the years that he had lived longer than his grandfather, that he made it longer without serious complicati...

Seth and I picked up his things from Seelos, and followed up with a tour of Holy Cross. He starts on Monday. I wasn't sad at all leaving Seelos, and I'm glad to put that school behind us. We struggled through last year, and after only two weeks, it was apparent we would be going down the same path this year. I could go into details, but ultimately, it just wasn't a good fit for Seth. I had called several centers/daycares over the summer, but either places didn't have availability or they were unaffordable, which is sad to say. I don't know why Holy Cross didn't come up in any my searches, because I thought I had called all the centers in the area. Adding to the madness and confusion as to what was really going on with Seth; he had attended a daycare in Cranberry for two weeks during that gap between Sal returning to school, and his first day at Seelos, and we didn't hear of any issues, potty, behavior, nothing. Upon returning to Seelos, issues started ...

I received a call this afternoon from Seth's teacher, and apparently the trend from last year continues, he pooped in his underwear. Not only did he poop, he tried to clean it out himself and it would up on the floor where several kids walked through it. We discussed how to handle this, why it's happening, and whatever else. When I returned to my desk I had an email from the school stating that they were discontinuing the aftercare program effective October 1. It would be available, but only until 4pm. I can't arrive for pick-up at until 4:30, at the earliest, most days so we had to find another option. Right away, I messaged one of my friends with a "you're never going to believe what Seelos has done now ." She told me to Holy Cross Academy, where her 4 year old attends. I explained the situation, and the secretary asked me a few questions, and then told me could start on Monday. It's Thursday. My head was spinning. Mrs. Spagnolo directed me to the ...

I have more insight into Seth's day than the girls, which is great given his age. He's not able to, or doesn't talk about his day as much either so it's nice to see it in pictures. I love that Seth's teacher took a picture of each kid with a first day sign. She uploaded them to the class app, and I was able to download. I caption this "Grrrrr. . .I love preschool." What is with that face? He had a busy day today. Look at that concentration.

Today was Seth's last first day of preschool. He was at this same school last year, but in the three year old program. This year he moved up to Pre-K. We have eight payments to go, and then we are tuition-free! Seth was so excited to be an "upstairs" kid, and be back with his friends. He's the star of the day on Friday, so we went in his completed "homework," and snacks. In an update from his teacher, he had a good day, and earned a sticker. In extended day care he made a paper airplane and a ladybug craft. The school year is officially underway.

And. . .she's off. The only difference for Emmy this year is that she goes to school without Sarah. This is Emmy's last year of elementary. Same building, same bus, same routine. She's excited to have the same team of teachers that Sarah did last year. She connected with one of the teachers in particular, I think because Emmy's locker was right outside her classroom, and she ended up with her for ELA. ELA is the one subject she struggles with so I'm glad she loves the teacher. That's half the battle. One day closer to next summer.

Such a dreary start to Sarah's middle school career. The chill and rain didn't seem to dampen Sarah's spirits though - she was ready for a brand new adventure this morning. The bus pulled up, and I heard a cheer go up from somewhere inside when Sarah climbed up the steps. The middle school houses both seventh and eight grades, but to help the incoming class get acquainted with their new digs, only seventh is scheduled (and only for a half day).  She was able to tour the school last week, but we went over her schedule again and I reminded her that schools are just like hotels - room numbers that begin with a 3 will be located on the third floor. It didn't seem like she had connected these dots on her own, but I think she's all set now. I cannot wait to hear how her day went.

Sal had it planned out that he and Seth would go to the Indians game in Cleveland with his Uncle Ernie, leaving an empty house for me for the day. This was a treat, for all of us. Unfortunately for me, I woke up with what I think is a sinus infection, and felt worse as the day went on. However, it didn't stop me from meeting my goal of finishing The Dragonfly  by Leila Meacham. I love this picture of Seth and his great-uncle. It's so important for him to have these memories, and for Sal too. They had a great time, and I had an awesome weekend!

My mom came down for the day, and we spent the day hanging out as a family. It was one of the cooler days I remember falling on my birthday. The temperatures were barely into the mid 70s. My mom gave me cash in a card, but the kids went all out, my favorite starburst candies, lottery tickets (on which we won a pittance), and a magnetic board to display all my travel magnets. We went to church at St. Nicholas, and then had dinner at Eat-n-Park. I like to get a picture with the kids every year on my birthday so we did that as well. Can you believe there was zero coordination in the choosing of our outfits. Love it.

We have plans for the whole weekend. Today we went out to dinner at my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh,  Cafe du Jour. It's also where we had our first date so we make it a point to come back every year for our anniversary. It's nice to visit once in the summer, and once in the winter. It keeps it special, and they have different menus based on the season. We followed dinner with Where'd You Go, Bernadette  at the movie theater. I had listened to the audiobook, and thought it quite entertaining. Sal agreed to see the movie with me so we added it to my birthday celebration. I felt it was a worthy adaptation. This birthday is off to a good start, and if I'm being honest, I don't think 42 looks too bad on me.

He has two days of in-service, and then kids arrive on Tuesday. Summer is over. I worked from home today, and the kids kept themselves entertained.

In a prior post I had said that when we vacation with Sal's family, we generally plan a 3-4 night getaway. Well, in 2020 they have proposed doing a full week in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. While Sal and I have been to New Hampshire, though not together, the kids never have. I'm not sure how much time Sal has spent there, but I visited for an overnight and the highlight was traveling to the summit of Mount Washington. Kim's cousin has a home listed on VRBO in the Bartlett area, and during the summer, off ski-season, rates are incredibly reasonable. Based on what Kim has told me, and what I've found in a couple hours of research, is that there is plenty to do during the summer months. Story Land Amusement Park Santa's Village Amusement Park Mount Washington various hikes/scenic drives zip lining, and other high adventure type activities I've planned out a few stops on our way home too - a ferry across Lake Champlain, Almanzo Wilder...

My oldest nephew turned 11 on August 9, but his birthday was today. This also means that Emmy's own 11th birthday is only about 9 weeks away. These kids are growing up. My sister had a cookout birthday party for him, and she made an ice cream cake. It was delicious. There was also plenty of sangria, and both my brother and I drank entirely too much. Thank goodness Sal was driving. I took fruit salad and guacamole as my contribution to the potluck. Yum. Andrew asked us when we're going to Glacier and Yellowstone so I guess he's interested in traveling with us again. I'll have to bump those places up on our list.

Now that our vacations are over for the summer, and we have back-to-school on the mind, Sal and I have started discussing our Summer 2020 vacation plans. He is gunning hard for New Orleans. I think the prudent thing to do would be to stay closer to home and try to recover financially from 2019. Between buying another new car, and paying for childcare, not to mention knowing we'll be making student loan payments on Sal's masters degree, another expensive vacation scares me. N'awlins ain't cheap, ya'll. I suggested long weekends at Niagara Falls and Hocking Hills State Park. We already know we'll be vacationing with his family for a few days as well, and I suggested extending that trip into a week to 10 days on our own. If we plan to vacation with them from Wednesday to Sunday, then we could take the few days prior somewhere in the vicinity and then meet up with them as scheduled. Ah well, lots of time to work out these little details, but I am dying to know...

We're home from vacation, and I'm back to work. Seth's new glasses, his bifocals, came in while we were out of town, and I wanted to pick them up as soon as possible so Sal took him to Lawrenceville today. I asked how he was doing with them, and Sal said he hates them. I put a call into the doctor, and then did some research online. What wasn't clear to me at the doctor's is that he needs the bifocals to force his eyes to work together. He doesn't have a vision issue as much as he has issues with the eye muscles/tone. There will be a period of adjustment, but especially since he's in school and does "close work" he needs to be in bifocals otherwise, his eyes will work too hard and one will just quit working as the dominate eye tries to over-compensate. We'll keep an eye on this and see how it goes. UPDATE: Tuesday was a much better day for him. He seems to be adjusting.

We woke up to a torrential downpour, and took our time making our way to Colonial Williamsburg. While the Storch's opted to skip buying tickets to tour Williamsburg, we were all in. Last summer we started at the State House, at one of the Duke of Glouchester Street. This year we started at the Governor's Place end, and I think now it's fair to say we've seen it all. This evening Doreen offered to watch the kids so the four of us could go on a ghost tour of Williamsburg. We had a blast.

Katie had a full day in the Outer Banks scheduled for us. First the Wright Brothers Memorial, followed by lunch, and the afternoon at the beach. The drive from Elizabeth City into the Outer Banks area is nice. It's a four lane road through farmland. It felt laid back; no rushing to get anywhere. We spent more time at the Wright Brothers Memorial than I think anyone had anticipated. Emmy and Seth worked on their junior ranger badges, and we explored the museum. Sal and Seth went up to the obelisk. Most interesting to me were the markers in the grass showing the distance of each of The Wright Brother's flights. Flight is ubiquitous in our culture, and it all began right here. Amazing. After Katie's first choice in restaurant for lunch was closed, we ended up at  Pigman  BBQ. I like Carolina BBQ because basically whatever meat you order comes to you naked, and then you add the sauce you want from a variety provided on the tables. I also ordered hush puppies because tho...

Today was another hang out and relax day. Katie was adamant about not trying to get into the Outer Banks on the weekend because of traffic, and that sounded good to me. We took the kids to a local splash pad for the afternoon, then did some fishing in an nearby pond. I put fishing in quotes because none of us caught a thing. I had one on the hook for Seth, but it slipped off. Near the pond we saw a snapping turtle cross the road, and there were box turtles swimming around. We also saw a vulture and bald eagle soaring in the sky. Katie and Bill love their hummingbirds so I was sitting on the front porch, when I decided to try and get a picture of one at the feeder. I came up with some cool shots. There's nothing like a southern sky. It's the bluest blue, as you can see in these pictures. We went to  Van's  for dinner, another local restaurant. Our server complimented the kids on their behavior, and told us they had been so polite. We had sat them at a separate tabl...

After attempting to sleep on the most uncomfortable bed ever, with the worst pillows known to man, we had breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast room was chaos, but I put my head down and focused on getting us all fed. Then we packed up and got the heck out of there. That's a place I won't stay again. Anyway, we hit the road, and it was onward to North Carolina. The kids thought the Hampton Roads Bridge / Tunnel was cool. I just prayed no one would wreck inside it. We made it just fine to the other side. We stopped for gas, and we arrived at the Anderson's around lunchtime. We ate and then Katie and I took the girls to Walmart for food and sundries. I am so happy to be back in the South. We went to Mass at 5:00, and afterwards had dinner at the City Grill after. The restaurant was crowded and service was slow, but our food was delicious. I had cheese ravioli.

In theory Colonial Williamsburg is only 6.5 hours from Pittsburgh, but we have to travel I-95 to get there, on a Friday. I knew it was going to be ugly. We rolled out of Pittsburgh by 9:30am, stopped for lunch at Subway in Breezewood, and then once we hit the DC area crawled the rest of the way to Williamsburg. Williamsburg was just a stopping point for the night on our way to Elizabeth City, North Carolina. We plan to spend a few days in Williamsburg with Sal's family after leaving North Carolina. But, in a moment of brilliance, I suggested we eat at our favorite restaurant today, rather than hoping plans would fall together to make it happen later in the trip. It was after 7 by the time we arrived, but we were seated at  Chowning's Tavern  right away. They still had Sarah's favorite salad on the menu, the best salad she's ever eaten actually, and some other favorites. We tried the crock of cheese which is pimento cheese with a bacon jelly, which is served w...

We knew this day was coming, and our plan was to buy one when Seth finished preschool. However, I wasn't finding a minivan rental for our upcoming vacation to the Outer Banks and Williamsburg for less than $1200. We decided now was the time to buy, or cancel our vacation. My had outgrown my Honda CR-V, and the air conditioning hadn't worked for 3 summers. We looked into having it repaired, but our mechanic couldn't even guess-timate how much it would cost. He knew the air compressor was shot, and that there were blockages in the system, but until he tore it apart to see what was really going on, the cost involved was anyone's guess.  We visited a few car lots and looked online for possible options. I really wanted cloth seats, a back-up camera, and a CD player. As it turns out these options together are only available on a base model Honda Odyssey. Base model Odyssey's are a unicorn. After checking out a 2014 Honda locally, and a Toyota Sienna in Butler, I fo...

Seth has been wearing glasses for 18 months now, or so, and today we had a routine visit to check on this progress. It seems they've gotten worse. I don't know this can be. He always wears his glasses. His eyes are healthy, and incidentally show no signs of nearsightedness, but his near vision is worse than it was 6 months ago. The ophthalmologist recommended bifocals, and would like to see him back in three months. I just want to cry. I'm glad there's a way to help him see better, and there's still a good chance he will outgrow the need for glasses, but how frustrating. I am glad she wants to see him in 3 months rather than 6. I'm praying for progress. On the way home from his appointment, we stopped and ordered his new glasses. They'll be in within two weeks, right before our next vacation.

Resisting the idea of ending our vacation and driving straight home to Pittsburgh, I asked Sal, a native Ohioan, if there was anywhere we could stop on our way home. He suggested see a Columbus Clippers game, a minor league team. The kids and I had never been to a minor league ballpark, and all of us were into the idea. We arrived at the park, bought our seats, and grabbed pizza and nachos for lunch. The weather was great. The Clippers won, and finally, we had no choice but to call it a vacation, and truly end it. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner, and then made it home by 9pm.

This Best Western had the best hotel breakfast of our trip. The breakfast area is located inside the lobby, which is a separate building from the rest of the hotel, but it's 1950s themed and there's outdoor seating. Today was going to be a long day of driving, and the more we do today the less we have to do tomorrow. However, before we truly got back on the road for home, we had one more stop to make. The Laura Ingalls Wilder home and museum in Mansfield, Missouri. This is the home Laura was living in when she wrote the Little House  books. I have spent a lifetime dreaming of visiting this mecca. I had wanted to be at the house when it opened, but there was no getting the kids out of bed early. Early morning after early morning has worn on them, and today they were beat. We let them sleep in late, and didn't arrive until almost 11am. Our itinerary left an hour for the museum and home tour, but we ultimately ended up spending more than two. It was a gold mine and treas...

We woke up to the alarming news that Kansas City was under a severe weather watch, and upon looking outside it was dark as night. We ate a quick breakfast, and when we checked our phones, were relieved to see that we would eventually be driving out of this weather system. We loaded the van, and hightailed it south. My initial itinerary had us finding the swale (ruts) this morning prior to our drive to Oklahoma, and I was so glad we took the time to find them the day of our arrival. To get to Mickey Mantle's home in Commerce, OK, the GPS took us back into Kansas and it was a straight shot at that point. On the way we passed through Pittsburg (no "H"), Kansas, which we had heard about frequently on this trip. We'd tell people we were from Pittsburgh, and they'd want to know Pennsylvania or Kansas. This part of Oklahoma isn't the dust bowl that gave Oklahoma the stereotype. This area is as green as Kansas and Missouri. Mickey grew up in a poor neighborhoo...

The Negro Leagues Museum had been on our itinerary, but as I was browsing Pinterest for other things to do in Kansas City this morning, the Jazz Museum popped up. Since it's in the same building as the Negro Leagues Museum, I had no choice, but to mention it. I like different types of music, but not jazz. It just sounds like a hot mess to me. Being married to a music teacher though, I wasn't getting out of this. We bought passes for both, but started with the Negro Leagues. That was interesting. We watched a short film about the history of the league, and actually there were teams in Pittsburgh which were quite famous. There was a ball field set up inside with statues of famous players. A collection of baseballs signed by players and owned by Getty Lee (lead singer of Sal's favorite band, Rush) was on display. Lots of good exhibits and we spent quite a bit of time here. Then, it was time to move to the Jazz Museum, and I tried to get into it, but it wasn't re...

Independence was a highlight of the trip for me. Even as a teenager, I was super interested in Westward Expansion and the various trails (Oregon, Santa Fe, California), and Independence was the starting point. Independence was also the hometown of Harry and Bess Truman, and we stopped by the National Park Service office to watch a short film about them and schedule a tour of their home. Tours are free, but you do need a ticket. Emmy and Seth completed junior ranger badges as well. We signed up for the 3pm tour, which gave us a bit of time to explore Independence beforehand. The National Frontier Trails Museum was high on my list of things to do, and I was thrilled we were able to squeeze it in. After a short introductory film, we toured the museum. I just let my imagination go. What a fascinating place. Various items that had survived travel on the trails were displayed, and in some cases a family story accompanied them. I think I read every board and looked at every display. A d...

Using the one hour time difference to our advantage, we arrived at the arch early. Our tickets for the tram said 8:30 and by the time we walked there from our condo, went through security, and used the restroom, we were right on the money. We spent quite a bit of time actually in the arch itself, and when we did finally arrive back on the ground, Emmy worked on a junior ranger badge. We also took in many of the exhibits in the new (as of 2018) museum underneath. From the arch we walked across the street to the Old Courthouse, notable because that is where the Dred Scott decision was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1857. While the actual room they believe no longer exists, and is now a hall, one courtroom is set up as it would have looked in 1857. Emmy also earned a junior ranger badge here. We decided to walk to the National Blues Museum, which was only a few streets over, but we needed to eat first. We stopped at the first restaurant we came to, Caleco's , which was empt...

We left Pittsburgh at 9:00am on the dot. It's a 9.5 hour drive, but we planned on 12 for meals and potty breaks. We arrived in St. Louis around 7pm (8pm Central Time). The kids got their first views of the Gateway Arch as we drove into downtown to find our airbnb.

Today was Sarah and Emmy's last day. Sarah will officially be a middle schooler in the Fall, and in a different building so we'll be on different bus schedules again. Anyway, here are pictures from the first day (top) and last day (bottom). For some reason this seemed like a really long school year. So happy it's summer.

Later this month we're going to be road tripping across Missouri, into Kansas and Oklahoma, and then home. Sal and I are super excited to see to last the last remaining 9ft wide piece of the original Route 66 highway just outside Miami, Oklahoma. This section of highway is known as the "Ribbon Road" or "Sidewalk Road." There's more about it here . We drove parts of what had been Route 66 a couple years ago on our way from Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon, but nothing like this.

This morning Seelos had a breakfast and program for the parents. Seth wasn't fully awake yet, I don't think, and was overwhelmed by all the extra people and activity. However, he participated by going through the hand motions of the songs even though he didn't sing a note. He enjoyed a donut and fruit salad afterward, and then we headed home. I took a picture on his first day of school, and one on his last. I don't know why I hadn't expected much change, but I didn't. In the first, he was still so thin and almost gaunt looking from that awful virus/vomiting he dealt with in August into September. He looks a lot better now, even if he didn't appear to be happy to have his picture taken.

Something Sal and I have discussed for a couple summers now was purchasing an outdoor dining table. Seth and I love to eat outside, and we bit the bullet a couple weekends ago with a major shopping spree at Lowe's. Our order was delivered today so we set it up for this evening. One thing that isn't finished yet, is the privacy fence panel that will be placed between the patio and the street. We enjoyed our meal outside, but felt quite exposed given our proximity to the side street which has heavy foot traffic in the evening as people walk the neighborhood. We did put an umbrella up over the table as well, but decided that ultimately we'd like a three season room, or at least a covered patio. We shall see. Once Seth is out of preschool and happily enrolled in public school, we'll have more funds for such things. We all agreed though, that outdoor dining is where its at.

I was so very spoiled this Mother's Day. Sal really makes an effort for the holidays, and I truly appreciate it. He gave me an Edible Arrangements bouquet, which all 5 of us devoured, and a dozen roses. The kids gave me a whole bag full of little goodies, placements of the United States, a flamingo plant holder for the mantle, flamingo dish towels, my favorite candies, and a beautiful card. We went to the Square Cafe for breakfast, and as always, the lemon ricotta pancakes were delicious.

We have a six hour drive home, but first, Indiana Dunes National Park! The newest park in the national park system, just included in February of this year. I wish we could have spent a full day here, but we got some sightseeing done in the limited time we did have. Incidentally, today is Junior Ranger Day. At the ranger station we received the junior ranger booklet for Seth to complete. He was able to identify animals that make this area home, and match them to their tracks. He did really well with this activity. He also put on a puppet show for us. The ranger suggested we start at the Chellberg Farm . This area was settled by Swedish immigrants in the 1800s, and this land/farm was purchased by, who else, but the Chellberg's in 1869. Seth saw cows, pigs, and chickens. We didn't linger here since you can see animals anywhere, and the home itself wasn't open for the season yet. From the farm we drove through the Century of Progress homes which were built for the 1933 C...

We had a quick breakfast at the hotel, and then hit a Walmart across the street for some New Glarus (Spotted Cow) beer. It seemed weird buying beer at 10am, but at least we weren't drinking. The 1.5 hours from Beloit to Chicago, was the shortest leg of our trip. After freezing at the Twins game two nights prior, we weren't looking forward to a repeat, but. . . The Windy City  sure lived up to its name. We might have paid $60 for parking at Wrigley Field, but it was worth it. We were a few steps from the stadium, and not blocked in. Because this was an afternoon game, meaning the sun was out, AND it wasn't raining, it didn't feel as cold. The wind just never stopped though. We made it 6 innings and then decided it was time to exit. In what turned out to be a debacle, we decided to take Seth to the bean at Millennium Park. It took us forever to get there because of traffic, and then instead of just parking on the street, we opted for a parking garage. We checked o...

We wanted to explore Minneapolis a little before heading toward home, so we asked the hotel about walking to Hell's Kitchen. It's a restaurant we first heard of on Ali Khan's Cheap Eats . As it turns out Hell's Kitchen is just a couple blocks from the Best Western, so we set out. I ordered a lemonberry ricotta pancake, but it did not measure up to ones you can buy at home at the Square Cafe. However, the bacon was out of this world. It tasted like meat, and not bacon at all. We asked the waiter about it, and he said it's delivered from a farm in northern Iowa. We ordered Seth a Minne-Sota pancake, but he wasn't impressed. Sal had a stack of pancakes and bacon as well. After breakfast we had a list of a few sites to see - the Spoon Bridge, St. Anthony Falls, and the Mississippi River National Park and Recreation Area (MRNPRA), which is actually located in St. Paul. The Spoon Bridge was a fun photo op, and there were other statues/art in the area. St. Anthon...

The Field of Dreams movie site is somewhere Sal talked about visiting even when we were still dating. It was fun to finally make it out here. I saw the movie one time, and while it was okay, the details didn't stay with me for long, nor do I get all the hype surrounding it. As a result, when we were talking about visiting, I told Sal he could take the house tour and Seth and I would just hang out outside - playing on the ball field, taking a walk around the grounds. Well, wouldn't you know, it was raining and cold when we arrived so all three of us ended up on the tour. It was interesting. Sal loved being there and seeing all of this first hand. I found some minor details interesting - like why this farm was chosen out of hundreds to be the site of this movie.  We had hotel reservations at the Best Western Plus Normandy Inn in Minneapolis, which was just over a 4 hour drive away, so we got back on the road as scheduled about 11am. We stopped at a random Subway for...

This was a long day of driving - Rossford, Ohio to Dubuque, Iowa is about a 7.5 hour drive, made longer with meals and potty breaks. Even with a two mile detour to Michigan, and a stop at Notre Dame University, we managed to arrive in time to ride the Fenelon Place Elevator , see one of only three remaining shot towers , and walk along the Mississippi Riverwalk after dinner at the Stone Cliff Winery located at the site of the now-closed Dubuque Star Brewery . Being from Pittsburgh, we know inclines. However, one look at Fenelon Place, and I nearly backed out. Going down wasn't so bad, but coming back up resulted in sweaty palms. It's steep, the steepest in the country, actually. Fortunately, it's also short, the shortest in the country. I'm not sure these pictures capture reality. We lived to tell about it, and it was pretty cool. It cost us $6 round trip. The shot tower wasn't exactly what I expected. Given it's historical significance as pretty much ...

In order to minimize the amount of vacation time required for this impromptu trip, we decided to leave Monday after work. Friday is a holiday so this only ate up 3 days, out of my 21. Sal is on Easter break until Tuesday, April 23. We got on the road around 4:15pm, which was only 15 minutes later than I had hoped. We stopped in Streetsboro, Ohio at our favorite Ruby Tuesdays, and arrived in Rossford, Ohio around 9pm. Upon check-in at the Country Inn and Suites , I was told we were given a free upgrade, which awarded us with a larger room (ie, suite). However, our room faced the interstate, and needless to say, I didn't sleep well. Semis whizzing by kept me awake until 2am. Not the greatest night in a hotel, and I blame the fact that I booked this room on Expedia, which hotels hate. No evidence that that was the reason, just my feeling. The room was nice, and we loved having the extra space. Here's a picture for posterity.

I'm a day late, actually a full year late, but I had my very first mammogram ever today. I don't know what I expected, but it was a breeze. Not exactly comfortable, but not painful either. The worst thing about it was the awful dusty rose colored gown. Washed me out completely. I even took a picture, an intentionally pathetic picture.

For reasons unknown to us, Seth has been emptying closets, taking pictures off the wall, and basically pulling things out of places that he's never bothered with before. This morning, while we were sleeping, he was busy in his old bedroom and found Sal's senior picture. He must have liked it because it placed it carefully on Sarah's bed, leaving everything else strewn about on the floor. Inspired, I dug up my senior picture. Fun fact: I was 10 or 11 years old when Sal was having his picture taken in 1988.

McDonnell Construction our of Trafford started our new roof on Tuesday, and finished with a half day today. They replaced a 9 x 4 foot section of the upper roof on the back of the house because the fan from the shower was blowing hot air into a cold attic creating condensation.  The condensation degraded the wood, and softened that area of the roof. Now it is properly vented, and we'll never have to worry about it again. We chose black architectural shingles, and while my parents told us the black would draw heat, it looks awesome so I'm convinced we made the right choice. And, just look at that gorgeous blue sky. More typical in this part of the world is the gray sky shown in the first picture.