Category: Excursions

Halloween Houses & Craft Shows

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Saturday (10/20) we went to Willowbrook High School for their annual craft fair but left empty-handed unlike last year. I did see a few things I liked, including a little fleece jacket for Wookie that fastened with velcro (which she prefers over wearing something that goes over her head) but the only version in her size was cut a little crooked so I opted not to get it. I took the woman’s card and I might purchase a custom made jacket at some point since her prices were reasonable and she’s local.

Joe had to go to court twice that week (10/22 and 10/25) to get his old child support accounts officially terminated so they stop charging us $36 annually to maintain accounts that aren’t even being used. I really hate the state of Illinois and the hoops they make you jump through. He sat in the courtroom all morning and part of the afternoon that Monday just to get a stamped piece of paper that took less than five minutes to receive. Luckily on his return trip he only had to wait around an hour.

In between that was our wedding anniversary (10/23) so we visited the arboretum and had a nice dinner at Jameson’s Steakhouse.

This past Friday (10/26) we drove around Carol Stream to look at the houses decorated for Halloween.

On Saturday (10/27) after Joe donated some blood we stopped at Sonny Acres for apple cider donuts and a walking taco for yours truly. I swear their prices keep going up. A half dozen of donuts was $9 and my walking taco was $4. That will probably be our last visit since it’s not that much fun anymore as it always seems cold and there’s nothing to do if you don’t have kids. Doesn’t really matter anyway since the property is up for sale and likely won’t be around come this time next year anyway. That night we stopped at Just Kabobs for dinner and then went on the Gallery of Ghoulish Homes Tour in St. Charles. It wasn’t judging night (which was the previous weekend when the weather was super windy) and we started a bit early (before 6 pm) than usual so it wasn’t the same. We didn’t get out of the car and I didn’t bother taking any photos. Traditions are nice but sometimes they start to get stale, you know? Perhaps that’s a hint we should move…

Yesterday (10/28) we went to Oak Brook mall because I had an appointment with the Apple store to have my iPhone 6 battery replaced since they are only offering the discounted $29 replacements until the end of the year. They wouldn’t do it, however, since I had already had the battery replaced by Batteries+ last year. Something about liability and for the protection of their staff which I guess I understand but still sucks. I debated just upgrading my phone now but other than the improved camera, I’m not all that thrilled with the changes that have been made to the latest iPhones and I sure as hell don’t like the price points. I can’t stand Android, though, so eventually I will have to upgrade, but I’m hoping my current battery will hold out another year and I’ll get whatever the latest and greatest Apple has to offer in 2019. I want to have a good camera in my phone for when we return to Disney World in spring 2020.

Today I went to Savers and then met my friend for lunch at Pot Belly. I struck out at Savers even though I did find a sweater I liked. It was The Loft too, for only $6, but was made with wool and rabbit fur which was itchy and made me sneeze so I passed.

Ferret Show & Carpet Munching Dog

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Someone needs to slap me next time I start talking about how much I love fall. I mean, I do love the activities the season brings but I could really do without all the cold and rain. It’s not even 40 degrees today! It’s days like these I do wish I didn’t hate how brown Arizona is. I cannot wait until we’re in the position to become snowbirds so I can spend the winter months there instead of this godforsaken state. The worst feeling in the world, for me at least, is having frozen toes and around this time of year that’s all I have.

On top of that, due to the weather we weren’t able to check out the scarecrow fest last weekend. We did attend our friends’ ferret show (they have two which they enter into competitions) for a few hours since that was indoors. I also made two loaves of zucchini bread but even though I checked on them early, I still missed the super moist window so they turned out rather dry. Boo!

Joe is working all this weekend so there won’t be any glass pumpkin patch at the arboretum this year either. We have a birthday party later this afternoon to attend but I’m feeling apprehensive about that because kids will be there and I really don’t like talking to kids LOL.

Oh, and for some reason Wookie has decided to start tearing up and eating the living room carpet. It started approximately two weeks ago when she vomited bile on the carpet under my desk right next to her bed where she typically sleeps. I thought I had cleaned it up good but a few days later there was a quarter size hole where the vomit had been. I rolled my office chair wheel over the spot to prevent her from picking at it and a few days later when Joe was home upstairs working she created a second quarter sized hole! We went out that evening to Menards and bought a plastic runner to place over the holes to prevent any further damage. Now we’re kicking ourselves for throwing out the big roll of extra carpeting we had in the garage for years. Had we known we’d get a dog we’d have kept it. We can cut some carpet from the upstairs closet to patch it, but the problem is I caught her last night trying to rip a new hole somewhere in the vicinity. I was sitting on the couch and heard a strange noise and when I came around to my desk she was standing there with carpet fibers in her mouth. I couldn’t find where she had ripped them from, unfortunately.

Now I’m not sure how to handle this, but I don’t trust her being left alone downstairs anymore so she got locked in the kitchen last night. I could tell she didn’t like it but short of ripping up all the carpet and installing hardwood floors I’m not sure how to curb this behavior. I believe she’s only doing it when we are home which doesn’t point to any separation anxiety. More like boredom or her realizing she really likes it or something.

Family Get Together & Barkapalooza

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Friday (09/28) we went to the nearest Big Lots because I heard they had good fall decor. Well, there was some decent stuff but the prices were not as cheap as I was expecting so we didn’t end up getting anything. We also checked out a different Target to see if their Bullseye Playground had anything different than ours but alas, it did not. A Dollar Tree we don’t normally shop at was a bust too. But all was not lost when we tried a new restaurant my optician recommended called Taco Maya. OMG, the food was SO good. I had a mahi mahi taco and another specialty one and Joe got beef enchiladas. I can’t wait to go back and try some other unique flavors. The tacos are a little pricier than your regular Mexican joint but they are stuffed full of food and very delicious so the extra price is totally worth it.

Saturday (09/29) we donated a huge box full of stuff to Savers and sold some books and games to Half Price Books. We only got $5.25 for our efforts because the stuff was pretty old and outdated. I expected that, however, so it was no big deal. It just felt good to get more unused stuff out of the house.

We took Wookie with us to the Harvest Fest at a local park and bought some homemade treats from the Girl Scouts as well as two hot dogs and hot apple cider. Unfortunately they didn’t have any homemade zucchini bread this year so it looks like I’ll be making some in the near future; I’ve been craving it for weeks and was holding onto hope it would be at the fest again this year.

Saturday evening we went to my parents’ to celebrate my mom’s upcoming birthday. My cousin was there too. We had a good time (other than serving as tech support: helped my mom turn off closed captioning on her Netflix, fixed her computer, and updated my dad’s computer). By the time we had eaten and worked on the computers there was only a little time to play Uno before we had to head home so we wouldn’t be up too late.

Sunday (09/30) morning our friend K came by with her dog and we all went to Barkapalooza in Lisle. We weren’t sure if the weather would hold up since they were calling for rain but we only got a little drizzle just as we were leaving so it worked out perfectly. It was definitely one, if not the, biggest dog related fests we’ve ever attended. They even took complimentary photos for everyone which they posted on Shutterfly. Seeing all the happy people with their dogs was so cute! K came back to the house for a bit afterwards and then Joe and I just relaxed the rest of the day.

This morning (10/01) I decluttered the former rat room and started a new box of items to donate. It feels like it’s never-ending but I’d rather do it slowly now than have to rush through it when we eventually decide to move.

Cheese Days & New Halloween Decor

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Friday (09/14) as I was getting my stuff packed for our Saturday day trip, I picked up my sunglasses and they snapped. Great. It’s very hard for me to find decent fitting sunglasses with my small head. Off to the mall we went to check out the sunglasses at New York & Company since that’s where my current pair had come from. Luckily I found a pair that was similar, although not quite as comfortable, but they were good enough, and on sale for only $7, so I grabbed them. Crisis averted!

Saturday (09/15) R (my brother’s g/f) came over to keep an eye on Wookie while we drove up to Monroe, Wisconsin with our friends K&E to attend Green County Cheese Days. It was so hot/humid that I didn’t eat nearly as much food as anticipated, though. In fact, I only ate half my beef sandwich when we stopped for dinner at Beef Shack before heading home. The main attraction, deep fried cheese curds, had such a long line that we didn’t end up getting any, although we did have fried cheese with maple bourbon syrup (yum), a grilled cheese sandwich made with brick cheese with some type of green mustard and rye bread, and a Kona ice slushie (I got peach flavor which was ok but had a bit too much syrup in it). My friend and I met Wedgie the Cheese and got a photo with him which was funny.

Before leaving we picked up some fudge and I got a Hip Klip to try out for those times when I don’t want to lug a purse around. So far I’m not entirely loving it but it might work in the winter when I’m wearing my thick leggings at work and don’t have pockets for my phone. I hope so since it was $35 and I really hate wasting money!

Notes for next time we attend this fest (which should be the year 2020 since they do it every other year):
Get there a little earlier
Get in line for the deep-fried cheese curds right away since the line only gets longer as the day goes on
After that, go on a dairy farm tour before it gets too hot and no one feels like going
Don’t expect to have any cell signal (unless using Verizon)

Sunday (09/16) after getting gas at Costco we split an Acai bowl that Costco recently starting carrying in their cafe.The acai (pronounced ah-sah-ee) berry is considered a superfood. Since it hails from Brazil, it’s typically only available in the U.S. in puree form and can be on the pricey side. So $5 for the bowl, which contains acai puree, strawberries, blueberries, and granola, isn’t bad. It was really tasty too and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I could see myself getting one about twice a month for breakfast.

Afterwards we did a little shopping and I couldn’t resist grabbing more Halloween decor from Target. I was so excited they finally put out the Halloween stuff in the seasonal section. They’ve had some Halloween stuff available for awhile in their Bullseye Playground but I wanted to see what else they had this year and the black pumpkins did not disappoint.

The bat lights up purple, and the sign, which was only $1, is reversible.

As much as I love my fall decor, which I ended up putting up Labor Day weekend, I can’t wait to put up my Halloween stuff. I plan on waiting until October 1st if I can. Although most of my fall stuff will end up going back up after Halloween for Thanksgiving since it’s very pumpkin-heavy which works for that holiday too. If it wasn’t for the colder weather and earlier sunsets, I’d love fall even more than I already do.

Septemberfest & Labor Day Weekend

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Friday (8/31) Joe and I decided to have dinner at The Village Inn Tavern since we haven’t eaten there in years. I don’t know why, but that place just doesn’t thrill me that much even though the food isn’t bad. I had a Reuben with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and Joe had the all you can eat fish. Our bill with tip was $36 which seems high for that type of food. In contrast, we went to Chuy’s out in Schaumburg on Sunday for lunch and paid closer to $30 and enjoyed our meal much more, plus we had a ton of leftovers. The free chips, salsa, and jalapeno dip alone can really fill you up, plus we got free queso for checking into Facebook (which I had planned to do anyway). I got their #1 combo and Joe got the #2 but I think next time maybe I’ll just get the chicken flautas since that was my favorite part of my plate. I also liked the enchiladas, but could have done without the ground beef taco, rice, or beans.

After dinner on Friday we headed to Target where I found some nice unscented candles on clearance. I ended up buying five for only $13.14 (regular price was $29.25 and the cashier forgot to scan one of the candles for some reason). I originally intended to gift them to my mom but I’m thinking about keeping them for myself. I wrapped them multiple times in plastic bags and put them in an upstairs closet to keep out any scents just in case, though.

I also got a candlescape set on clearance. In addition, we found a box of six solar pathway lights (called Malibu lights back in the day) on clearance for $10.50 and decided to get those for the front walkway. Joe put them up and they look so nice! I’ve always wanted some but didn’t want to shell out a lot of money so we were both pretty excited about our find.

Saturday (9/1) we took my car to the dealership for them to do recall work. Apparently the car can stall at low speeds when the A/C is on full blast. I never run it that high, especially now that my windows are tinted, but got that out of the way anyway. The recall was announced the week before I took my car in to get the headunit updated since my bluetooth was randomly disconnecting, so I wish they had done the work then, but they claim they didn’t know about it at the time. While they worked on the car Joe and I first had breakfast at Taco Bell and then went to check out a dog boarding place nearby. Unfortunately I don’t think it would be a good fit for Wookie since it’s similar to the place near the house that makes her anxious. We also hit up Dollar Tree to look around and by then the car was done.

Sunday (9/2) we headed to Schaumburg for Septemberfest since they always have the best craft booths. We found really close parking too which was nice. What wasn’t nice was how muddy the grounds were because it had been raining all weekend. I’m so glad I didn’t wear my new grey sneakers or flip flops like I had been contemplating because our shoes were caked in mud and I had to clean them in the sink when we got home. We ran into my friend, C, which I totally expected since I know she loves that fest. It took us about an hour to go through all the craft booths and by then it was already getting really warm so we decided to take off. Chuy’s wasn’t open yet so we decided to kill some time by checking out a pet store, Dollar Tree, and Target in the area. I got a new toy for Wookie at the pet store but she doesn’t seem to like it very much. I found a cute Beware sign at Dollar Tree and since I couldn’t decide between the orange and white one I got both. At Target we found another box of the solar pathway lights and they were even cheaper – $7.50. Score! We decided to put them around our back patio.

Labor Day (9/3) we dropped Wookie off for a half day of doggie daycare and did some shopping, then I came home and documented all my Halloween decor so I know what I do and don’t need this year. Hint: I don’t NEED anything but I might see something I really want. Also, I wouldn’t be sad if I found a nicer door hanger than the one I’ve been using for years. I also decorated for fall because I couldn’t wait.

During this process we cleaned up the garage a bit more and I came across a storage tub of my old stuffed toys from my childhood that I had completely forgot I even had. In it were my Pound Puppies, Pound Kitty, Fluppy Puppy, Garfield, and my Popple amongst others. I can’t believe how clean they still are after 30+ years! I definitely need to get some pictures of them and decide whether I’m willing to part with any of them. I think not for the Popple but the others are up for debate. I do want to get rid of my Care Bear collection since that one was acquired as an adult (why???) but they’ve just been sitting in a bin for years with tags still on. What a waste of space.

We made cheddar brats for dinner on Monday and then ended up eating our Chuy’s leftovers for dinner on Tuesday.