i went to cleveland this weekend. i went to see poppa.






i took these photos of him over memorial day...last time i was there to see him. this time things were finally changing. finally getting better for him, though perhaps harder for others. he spent 5 days in hospice for a respite stay. one moment stands out for me from the weekend, and it had little to do with my grandpa.

i had stepped out into the hallway. while i was there, a young man was wheeling down the lane in his wheelchair. not being able to take my therapist/work pants off, i struck up a conversation with this man. in addition to being in his 30's and in a wheelchair, he was experiencing other effects of whatever was ailing him...drooling, paralyzed hand, and impaired vision.

me: what's your name?
him: johnny, what's yours?
me: kaye. where are you headed?
johnny: back to my floor. i just came up here to pray for all of these people. i will pray for you too, kaye.
me: thank you, johnny. i will do the same.

[exit johnny]

i don't have too much else to say about this, except i am sure that every moment in life happens for a reason. i can't even say that i am religious...but what i can say is this is not an experience that i will forget. poppa moved into a nursing home today and now i can finally breathe a sigh of relief. but, i can't tell you how challenging it is to have my professional and personal life coincide. in one life i get paid to deal with it, and in the other, i can't pay people to listen.

a wonderful dream.

i dreamt i was at the grocery store. looking for something easy to make because justin was going out of town, when i stumbled upon a sale on kraft macaroni and cheese.
but.
this was not just any kind of macaroni and cheese.
no.
the noodles were shaped like bunnies!!!!!!
and - - -
they were buy one get one free.
the best dream in many nights.

norwood park bungalows

i acquired a new appreciation for the chicago neighborhood in which i work, today. norwood park. still within the city limits, but only by a hair, this nested neighborhood is filled with houses built around wwII. tiny, cute, and just right for a young couple and a bunny. eh-hem.

today i was meeting my former supervisor, eden, for dinner (around norwood) at 6. i get out of work at 4:30, so i thought my hour and a half to kill would be the perfect time for a run. best decision in a long time.

as i ran through the neighborhood, a variety of dinner smells came across my nose...i wondered if the people eating dinner inside their tiny houses appreciated their neighborhood and their home-cooked meals. i felt nostalgic for something i cannot put my finger on.

a bungalow. this image makes me a bit queasy, but that aside, the house is adorable. i can just imagine myself saying, "i live in a BUNGAlow." can't you?

ps - if you would like to see the real bungalows of norwood park, click here...
http://www.trulia.com/property/1048755965-6650-W-Raven-St-Chicago-IL-60631

pps - i could look online for houses for HOURS. when i was little my mom and i used to watch the realty one tv show on sunday mornings...the show displayed house after house after house (inside and out). sometimes after the show we would go and look at the houses in person. so fun. member, les?

september has brought...

...a visit to cleveland,






...and some exciting news from this one.

ho-hum.

my two favorite things in an extra gigantic version. reminds me of a few weeks ago when i suggested to justin that we rent "honey i shrunk the kids." he said no.

do you remember the scene in "honey i shrunk the kids" where the kids are eating oreo-like cookies while sitting in the legos? i remember thinking what a perverse and sexual scene it was. i was 8.

this is what is really going on in the pic...

Aug 5 2010
A worker sprays paint on a three-wheeler car in the shape of a ladies handbag made with steel plates at a workshop in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad August 4, 2010. The handbag and shoe is part of a ladies series of creations by Indian car designer Sudhakar Yadav and the cars can run at a maximum speed of 45 kph (28 mph). Picture taken August 4, 2010. REUTERS/Krishnendu Halder (INDIA - Tags: SOCIETY TRANSPORT)

paternal birthday.

(taken one summer...one of my favorites)

happy birthday.
you are one hell of a dad.
may your days be filled with lakes and oceans.
fish, too.
i love you,
kaye

and the award goes to...

recipient of the "kaye t. shaddock" award (formerly the kaye t. pryor award)

please join me in congratulating justin bertin shaddock. mr. (dr. pending) shaddock received the kaye t. late this evening and was beyond joyful at the news. in fact, he peed his pants a little...just a drop. he is a two-time winner of this award.

shaddock has worked hard to earn this award. he has been a candidate under scrutiny for the past five years. mr. shaddock was found to be stellar in the following competencies:

- extreme kitchen mastery, specifically red sauce
- scholarly drive and persistence
- eye color
- fathering rabbit skills
- espresso froth designs
- callused fingers from guitar playing
- gentleness
- grocery store cart maneuvering
- pateience
- robust laughter

shaddock has been reported celebrating at home with wife and bunny.

croutons.

we went to a brand new pizza place in logan square...the boiler room. the ny style pizza made our eyes water with delight. THIS is precisely the type of pizza we have been searching for since moving to the chi. alas.

in addition to the masterpiece, we ordered a caesar salad. while the salad was great, but after much critique, we decided that more croutons were needed. more croutons. end of story.

that night i had a dream that there were 3 croutons hiding under a piece of lettuce...and since neither justin nor i overturned that piece of lettuce, we never found them. so in fact, it was a nightmare.

hiatus.

phew! a month has come and gone. here is a list of what june brought:

1. a trip to wisco to visit sweet carol (and jan and mike)
2. little sara's wedding
3. north carolina (related to number 2)
4. a visit to hooters (also related to number 2)
5. a one year wedding anniversary shared with the mr.
6. days at the rooftop pool

here is what has happened in so far in july and what to look forward to this month:

1. a visit from my moley em and her beau, ben
2. the mr.'s trip to perry sound, canada
3. purchased a vintage picnic "suitcase" from (you guessed it) the gift shop at work!!! on sale for $2. beat that.

this is what the picnic suitcase looks like...no, the mr. and i do not hope to look like this on wednesday at ravinia. (although the hairline is...)

4. a much needed dinner with jiwon (we discovered we will both be at ravinia on wednesday to see the swell season, all because i showed her my picnic suitcase!!)



the swell season performing in byron bay, australia...a utopia that we visited last year at this time...



one of the beaches at byron bay.

5. officially and seriously back in training for the next half marathon - sept. 12th.

i am back and ready to write. thanks for being patient.

avacado/weekend

nathan, whom i endearingly refer to as "cheech," had a bbq yesterday! man, can he cook. deliciousness was had all around. we made a pact to bbq many more times this summer.



me at surfer's paradise.



the fantastic ceramic avocado dish i purchased at pete's fresh market today!!!!!!!! displayed on the bottom shelf, i was on all fours choosing my dish when i heard an "eh-hem" behind me. it was justin. the avocado dish is precisely the type of object that i love and justin thinks is ridiculous. my original plan of sticking the dish in the cart without him seeing it was foiled. plan b - bargain for the dish until he caves. he caved!! we had delicious guacamole in our new purchase this evening!!



ps-the brown stem is a spoon.

shopping is therapeutic. i should know, i'm a therapist.

today i bought a dress for my dear sari's wedding. i can't wait to squeeze the bejingles out of her in two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i got a cute pair of yellow shoes to go with it...nina makes them. nina seems to be not very chic, but i have always found amazing fancy "nina" shoes.

i love shopping in chicago. there is something about having everything you need at your fingertips...just a train ride away.

far away.

sydney sky in july.

dear yesterday,
i know i talked shit, but i would gladly trade you for today.
love,
kaye

i am looking forward to bagels tomorrow with justin and bunnels...after her trip to the vet. little does she know...

crisp.

the most easterly point in australia.



today was quite bland...well, that's putting it mildly. it's hard to believe that this little plot of land is existing so far away. i feel better about today knowing i was there a few yesterdays ago.

time does more than fly.

wow. it is june already. on sunday it felt like june would never come, and today it is here. this is a landmark in my little life because i got married almost one whole year ago! holy cow.

in honor of june i plan to post a photo from our australian honeymoon everyday. lengthy recaps won't be involved, just photos from the amazing land down under.

this june i am looking forward to my little sari's wedding, among other things. she is going to be a ravishing bride and i can't believe i have known her for 10 years. no need to get sentimental now...i will save that for june 19th.




ps-these little legs belong to the man who stole the tomato straight off of my plate one morning at breakfast.

park.

we took bunnels to the park a week or so ago...
wide open spaces weren't her favorite. she refused the carrot that we had brought along to bribe her with.
the escapade ended with a wild leap followed by an almost hanging (all done herself courtesy of her diamond studded leash)...thanks to a toddler on his tricycle careening down the lane.

pre-park:


she refused to speak to us for hours after the park incident. actually, she didn't come out from under the bed for almost a day...

post-park:

pool rat.

today marks day 3 in a row that i went to the pool. tonight i went for an evening swim. it was so peaceful. the pool is on the roof. for a second as i was lounging in the chair drying off it felt like a late august evening. i breathed a nice sigh of relief when i realized that it is not even june yet. i heart the pool.

justin, the budding barista (bb)

set in our kitchen at approximately 11am

(cease gurgeling sounds of espresso maker)

enter frothed milk...

bb: i made a tiny christmas tree!



what will tomorrow bring?

sip

i have been dreaming of australia recently (both daydreaming and nightdreaming).

what a peaceful and amazing trip.

i need to take many little moments (like the one in the photo) for myself to get through this crazy weekend.

the weekend rundown:
ethics panel
spring art show opening reception at work
HALF MARATHON

eeeeek!

les.

dear mom,
happy mother's day.
this is my all-time favorite photo of you, taken in my all time favorite place,
chautauqua.
i love you.
xoxo.
kaye

hmpfffff.

if justin were an australian tag, this would have been him this morning. deflated, dejected, and hopeless (yet still stylized and terribly endearing). i am sad to announce that my running buddy is literally, out of the running.

he had taken a week and a half off to help his knee heal and tried to run an easy 2 miles this morning. he barely made it 1.

sigh.

i will trot on for the sake of the bananas, but i will be a lonely banana.

10 days til the race...

don't tell flannel.

...i fell in love with a kangaroo while in australia.

in bunnels' favor, i think the pair share quite a resemblance. flan is of course on the more petite side, but still. she can be sensitive, and i'm just not sure she is ready to know who came before her. how would you feel if you knew your mother was in love with a kangaroo before she had you?

my hero

did i ever tell you the katz's deli story?

well, in january, justin, ashley, and i stopped in at katz's for a pastrami sandwich and some fries. (katz's is a famous jewish deli on the lower east side).

by famous, i mean that the place is jam packed...like elbows, shoulders, chins...all of the above in your face at every moment. to find a table in under a half hour is a miracle. somehow, we found that miracle table. ash and i held the table while justin went up to the counter and ordered our precious sandwiches.

[exit justin to the deli counter]

.............

[return justin 50 minutes later to the table with food in hand]

[exit justin (again) to fetch the fries for which kaye sweetly pleads]

[return justin with the precious fries]

in the 20 minutes that it took justin to return with the fries, i had eaten my half of the sandwich (j and i were splitting one). i became ecstatic at the sight of french fries and did my best to clear off a place for the fries, and of course, for a place for justin to eat his little lunch. that is when tragedy struck our tiny ass table...



[silence ensues the crowded restaurant as the plate shatters to the ground..well, at least in our 10 x 10 square]

justin's sandwich on the floor. the look on his face...his broken heart, utter shock, fierce disappointment, complete sadness.

me : oh no...i am so sorry. [repeat 30 times, literally]
justin : [weak smile] that's ok, i wasn't that hungry anyway. (total lie)
mormon lady at our table : what kind was it?
justin : pastrami...[tiny sigh]
mormon lady at our table : [cutting her sandwich in half]...here is half of mine.
justin : [without hesitation] awww, thanks. that is really kind of you [already taking a bite].

2 morals:
1. justin is as gentle as a lamb and such a trooper.
2. not all mormons are freaks of nature.

what in the dickens!?!

does this sign have legs or is there a man inside?...

THERE IS A MAN INSIDE!! i was on my way to petsmart just about 2 hours ago to return an item for flannel, when i came across this man. what an ad campaign. every few seconds he would shout, "sushi, sushi, want sushi!" the best line was when he approached a pretty blonde woman..."hey baby. baby, want sushi, baby?" as one might imagine, the pretty (now disturbed) blonde continued walking, pretending that there was not an obnoxious sign-man harassing her.

who decided this was a good idea? dress up as a california roll, or even some tempura - sure. but a sign?

i'm sorry, but if hiro's sushi cafe was ever on my list of "must eats," it is officially off.

dear bunnels,

the most tender place in my heart is not for strangers. it is for you.

watership down

because i love flan, nathan gave me his childhood copy of watership down...a novel about rabbits. let me emphasize this...a book where rabbits are the main characters and they talk!!!!!!!!!! i can't wait to read it.

betsey johnson...at the gift shop????

this is betsey johnson. today i found her at work...of all places.

so, for those of you who know me well, it is well known that my favorite store in chicago is the gift shop at work. i have found many little treasures there. let me emphasize many. it's the joke over at our house, actually. everytime i bring home a treasure, justin rolls his eyes and giggles. i have collected everything from carved wooden paintings of a norwegian boy and girl, to a rhinestone necklace, to rabbit salt and pepper shakers.

however, today's purchase might just be the purchase of all purchases.
A BETSEY JOHNSON BAG!!!!!!!!!! never used, still sporting the original $110 tag, and amazing. i scored this number for a mere 35 bones. today when i came home, justin was impressed and said, "yep, it looks about right for you." (go to the link below to see a photo of it in all of its' glory).

http://img.torrid.com/is/image/HotTopic/585226_hi?wid=500

the gift shop has moved up in the ranks. what was once my favorite shop in chicago, is now, my favorite shop in the country.

what is the deal?

i have had it up to my nose with flimsy toilet seat covers. who designed the blasted things? i am completely in favor of the public bathroom toilet seat cover mission, BUT...the little part that you punch out and drape inside the bowl is my arch nemesis. no sooner have i placed it on the toilet that is it slowly sinking into the toilet! by the time i am ready to sit down, the whole cover is swimming in the toilet water!

i have started ripping the little center part out all together. strategies?

pizza party

justin, flannel, barbie, and i had a pizza party tonight. we all ate dinner on the kitchen floor. bunnels ate her salad while justin made pizza from scratch. (ok, i lied. barbie did not attend. she cancelled at the last minute because she had a date with ken...)

anyway, kitchen pizza parties are the best. we used our special pizza plates (triangle-shaped plates), drank wine, and petted the bun...all while sitting on our kitchen floor. we do that sometimes.

a great evening in for a shitty evening out...yes, it snowed today.

sisters?

i am an only child. buuuttt, i have sisters. i have some very special women in my life that i have met along the way who i truly consider my sisters.

sisters are people who will make soup with you for your grandma while wearing bunny ears. (and it will be their idea to turn a disaster into a delight). thank you.

...they will rip open your pants pockets - you know, the kind that are sewn together for the sheer look when you first get them.
they will send you tape and foil pieces of feces.
they will also knit a small sweater for a mole and send it to you.
they will drink vodka and cranberry with you and sing shania twain with you on the beach.
they will do the arseno hall chant when you ask them to.
they will tell you that you are right, and they will tell you when you are wrong. they will make you toast.
they will support you when you don't ask them to, and they will know when you need them.

a year ago this coming weekend my friends descended upon me for my bachelorette party.

cleveland, pittsburgh, los angeles, baltimore, new york, chicago...

featured in the photo is my very special sister ash.

friends are the best.

a face only a mother can love?

well, i think not. however, i am the mother of this precious snoot, so my opinion may be a bit subjective. BUUUUTTTT, i don't think it is. you will have to tell me. how darn cute is she??

bunnels has put her little one bedroom, one bath apartment up for rent. she is hoping to move into our bedroom. we have a sheep in the house, herman, and she would like to rent it out to him...she feels he would be a responsible tenant...

...we have not told her that this is not an option. it is extra pathetic because she made a sign and hung it in her apartment window...

on a lighter note, flan makes my life so great. she is completely tuned in to my moods and is extra loving and concerned when i am sad, or sick. are you thinking of getting a bunny? do it!!!

big city dogs.

i wonder where these guys are this very minute...

doris lessing

what a beautiful, graceful woman.

i started reading "the golden notebook," written by doris lessing, today. purchased with 34 quarters and a dollar bill from the local used bookstore, bookleggers, it seems to be worth every cent.

i saw the book last night and attempted to buy it with my debit card, but bookleggers is cash only. justin didn't have any cash, so i had to go back today with my sack of change. the store owner said that quarters and dollar bills go the quickest from tiny stores, so he was very grateful for my form of payment. little does he know that quarters have been supporting me since...well, forever. my friends used to get embarrassed in high school, when at the gas station i would pull out my sandwich baggie full of quarters to fill my tank up.
(*note* - my quarters, if not from poppa, were stolen from phil's change jar).

anyway...i have only read the introduction, but i cannot wait to read the rest. i am excited that there are 640 pages because i always get sad when a good book comes to an end. i don't have to worry about that for awhile.

have any of you read "the golden notebook?"

sick.

stale chips, pennies, and a knife with some rancid sour cream.

q: did i accidentally take a nibble off of this spread?


hmmmm.........................................................

a: no.

you could have fooled me at 5 this morning into believing that indeed i had. my day was filled with many unpleasantries, but throwing up was not one of them (knock on wood). however, although i feel sick as a rabbit, i have a few things to be thankful for...

- nurse justin and dr. bunnels who have been very supportive in the gatorade, ginger ale, and water department. nurse justin provides the beverages and dr. bunnels believes that to be a good dr., she must make an effort to taste each one
- hulu (mtv's 16 and pregnant - catelynn and tyler are truly amazing teens that really stand out from the bunch. if i had some cash to throw around, which i don't i would give them scholarships to college).
- my mom's radar-mom ears that heard my pathetic text message at 5am while i was taking a bath, my remedy for all ailments
AND
- the story that i will be able to share at dinner parties for years to come describing my trip to the urgent care today

all in all, it was a day to remember. i hope my stomach stops tying itself into raging knots every few minutes, tomorrow.

12 weeks out...

today the mr. and i are beginning our half marathon training regime. we, of course, have been running regularly for the past 10 months or so, but today the official training begins.

what we need are amazing outfits for the race...(it seems contradictory to refer to it as a race because we have already made a pact that if one of us gets tired, we will walk for a mile. clearly with this mentality we are not trying to break any records).

i have been suggesting our team name to be the "trotting bananas."




he disagrees.

well, time to "peel" myself away from the computer and hit the ground, running.

bunny snoot

* fLaNneL *

...bunnels...
...bun-bun...
...flannel bananel...
...missy...
...flan...(can be pronounced with a strong french accent, thus the "n" is almost silent)

the most lovable bunny ever. in the whole world.

to my valentine,

xoxoxo,
kaye

fire and ice.

our favorite ice sculpture.

our favorite snow sculpture.

both can be seen on 3rd street in sturgeon bay, wisconsin. we had a lovely day, bundled from head to toe (phil with his "jammies" on under his jeans and his festival hat on his dome), strolling from carver to carver. we had a delicious burger (with a side of beer) for lunch. bunnels baby-sat sophie (sophie believes that she watched bunnels), and reported all good remarks...except - she was just about at her wits end with the easy listening ditties that sophie likes to unwind to while her parents are out. bunnels prefers neko case and jolie holland - music she can eat a carrot to. but...

the festival was incredibly charming, as was the downtown area of sturgeon bay. just what these city folks needed for the weekend.

wisco.

helloooo, all. we are up in wisconsin for the weekend. i tried to paste a photo of our surroundings, but didn't work. i'll write more when we get home. here are some updates so far:
1. bunnels met her maternal grandparents
2. early morning work-out with the entire fam (minus sophie and bunnels)
3. manicures with mama
4. super-comfy flannel shirt
5. cheese curds at the "neighborhood pub"

looking forward to:
6. "the dinner party," a play that we are attending tonight
7. fire and ice festival (which includes ice and snow sculptures)

happy valentine's day! xoxo

click my heels.

now, this is pure beauty. i snapped this shot in sydney after patronizing "the local" pub with the mr. one afternoon. we would have been kicked out of the boutique, had we not bolted immediately after taking the photos. the owner did not appreciate my documentation of her very pricey pumps...

i think i like the middle ones best. you?

i inherited a true passion for shoes from my mama. if people only knew how many shoes we have if we put our collection together. i am looking a bit sheepish when i admit that 3 digits would be involved. we are guilty. guilty of loving shoes. granny shares our affinity as well.

les always says, "shoes make the outfit...why bother putting on a good outfit if you don't have shoes to go with it?"

poppa

this is poppa on his 91st birthday (august 30, 2009)!! he looks a little unsure of the cake, but i think it is a great photo of him. here are some of my favorite "poppa-isms" :

"whaaat?"
"what does she look like?" (his reply when he answers the phone and i ask for granny)
"how about some bean soup?"
"i don't knooooww."
"be careful."

i sure miss granny and poppa. riding in the "way back" of the station wagon was just the best when i was little.

spending many of my hours during the week with older adults, makes me think of my grandparents...my grandparents make me think of the people i spend many of my days with. if granny and poppa weren't so great, i wouldn't have the job i have today. thanks g & p for all of the memories and all of the sleepovers. i am so lucky to be 28 and have 3 grandparents. unheard of, really.

advice.

this is carol next to a tree in hampden, which we thought fit our tastes perfectly. i needed carol to "hug me" over the telephone last night, so i dialed this little lady and told her i had a problem...

me : (very concerned) flannel and i have been fighting the last few days.
c : (very concerned) why??
me : i love her too much and i can't stop trying to pick her up.
c : (laughing really hard) well, does she like to be picked up?
me : not really.

such simple advice. i really thought maybe i loved flannel too much for a day or two. i have to remember that flannel is not walking around with a shirt that says "hug me" on it. thanks, ro.