Category: Friends

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 We only got $5.25 for our efforts because the stuff was pretty old and outdated.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.

Court & Wookie’s Birthday

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Friday (09/21) Joe worked from home and we went down to the Bridgeview courthouse to look into how to stop getting a $36 annual fee for old child support accounts that are still open with the state. Apparently even though the terms of the orders were fulfilled, you have to appear before a judge to have the account closed. Of course, trying to even find out WHERE to go has been an exercise in frustration because you can speak to three people and each will give you a different answer. We had been convinced, thanks to a conversation Joe had with someone, that we needed to go downtown. Luckily I called the number on the paperwork and was instructed, in not the nicest manner I might add, that we needed to go to the court where the order originated, which would be Bridgeview. I wasn’t 100% convinced that was true, but figured it would waste a lot less time and money going there and being wrong than heading into the city.

Luckily that information was correct. We had to fill out some very complicated and not self-explanatory forms, and then file that same information online on computers they have set up for that purpose. That process, too, was not easy whatsoever and required an employee to stand with us to show us every step. Your tax dollars at work!

FINALLY, after much back and forth, he had his court dates. Yes, that is plural, because when his pain in the ass ex originally filed for child support it was before they were divorced (and she was awarded LESS money than he was already giving her (that’s what she gets for being greedy)), and then a new order was opened when they divorced since it also included alimony. The original order wasn’t closed, however, and because one is strictly child support and the other divorce related, he has to see two different judges on two different days because certain cases are only heard on particular days. Fun! Again, your tax dollars at work.

I have no plans on accompanying him to either court date because a) I will be at work for one of them and b) I have a difficult time hiding my disdain for this entire ridiculously convoluted process.

Observations:

They really need to stop hiring people who hate people in general, because the woman I spoke with on the phone was pretty condescending, not to mention stupid. She told me since the accounts had a $0 balance there was nothing we needed to do despite the paperwork stating otherwise. And she works in the department that handles these queries on the regular!

It makes no sense that the automated process knows when to stop deducting child support from his checks but you still need to appear before the judge to officially close the account and stop getting billed an annual fee for account maintenance. Just another way Illinois tries to get money as much money as possible out of people!

Anyway, I was more aggravated than Joe was once we left the office. We stopped for some breakfast before heading back home so he could do some work and I could clean the house. I did a quicker job than I usually do since I wasn’t really in the mood plus didn’t have as much time to get things done.

Friday was also Wookie’s birthday so we gave her some special treats and new toys to celebrate.

Wookie’s Birthday Presents

I also ordered this cute Chewbacca treat jar a couple of weeks ago from Petco since it was only $8 and practically has her name on it.

Star Wars Treat Jar

We also took her to the dog park before the regular time most people go since she prefers to be alone to sniff all the areas without being bothered. It worked out well since we met up with our friend, D, for dinner at Culvers followed by miniature golf. After golf we ended up at a dive bar where her friend was hanging out and had a few drinks and played pool. By the time we got home it was around 10 but I wasn’t able to get to sleep until after 1 am!

Because of that, we got up later than usual on Saturday (09/22). I wanted another Acai bowl from Costco so we headed there for breakfast. This time we each got our own. I just wish they had put more granola in there.

Costco Acai Bowl

We also stopped at Walmart for a few things and ran into our friend SL there. I found a pair of Halloween themed leggings that are super cute too.

Halloween Leggings

Later that afternoon we also took a trip to the library which we haven’t done in months. Having free On Demand movies through Joe’s work has eliminated the need to borrow any, but I did want some books and Joe wanted to check out the new music releases. I want to state for the record that having access to movies via On Demand is really convenient, but at the same time I miss the excitement of going to the library to see what good stuff you might find in stock. It’s just not the same when everything is so readily available.

Sunday (09/23) morning we finished our breakfast leftovers from Friday before heading to a charity dog show nearby. It was held in the same place as another dog event that apparently lost funding and ceased after several years. This new one was sponsored by a local animal hospital and the turnout was even worse than the aforementioned festival. There were far less booths, only two food trucks, and no place to sit and enjoy the various contests going on (such as waggiest tail, best costume, etc). The festival would have bleachers which is a must because this park is just littered with goose feces. Ick! I told Joe that if they hold the event again next year we should bring our own chairs so we can stay longer. We were there for about two hours anyway, but it was such a nice day out I would have liked to have stayed longer.

Monday (09/24) I headed to Savers but it was a bust. Did see this very unique Deadmau5 artwork, however.

Deadmau5 Artwork

I also went to Target where I ended up spending $55 on fall and Halloween decor! They had a spiderweb tablecloth that I wanted, plus a matching table runner, and by that point I figured I’d re-buy some black pumpkins to get the $5 off $30 deal and then return the original ones from my receipt earlier in the month. I also spent a lot of time digging through the disorganized Bullseye Playground section as well and found some cute fall things although I’m starting to rethink the light up leaves as they aren’t as cute as I originally thought.

New Fall Decor

Note: The pumpkin lights aren’t from the cheap section.

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.

Summer Party & Being Excluded

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Yesterday (Sunday, July 15th) was our friend’s annual summer party. We met with our mutual friends (K, E, and S) for lunch beforehand at a place they suggested called Charkies which is really close to our house, and then arrived at our friend’s house around 3 when her party started. We wanted to get there earlier than we usually do because we couldn’t stay late to watch the fireworks because we needed to be home for Wookie who has developed a fear of them. Last year they, and thunderstorms, didn’t really phase her but now she paces and pants trying to get away from the noise. We’ve tried two different doses of Xanax which hasn’t worked so we just stick around so she’ll feel safe.

Things are also really busy for Joe right now at his job after his company was purchased by another much larger one and he was promoted, so he had to work the next day. He also worked Saturday from 3-midnight which really bummed me out especially because I found out Brother J and my mom went to Brother B’s house to visit. Granted, they didn’t stay long because my mom is too sensitive to everything, but considering she’s only come to my house twice in fourteen years and has already been to Brother B’s house 3+ times, it bugs me. When I mentioned that to Brother J he said “move closer” which aggravated me because while I am further away than Brother B, I’m an hour’s drive so it’s not like I’m across the country. It’s not my fault both my mom and Brother J refuse to drive on expressways. I understand being scared to drive them when the experience is new but you quickly adjust. Their problem is they refuse to even try, much like other things they are completely stubborn about. It’s really getting to me that every single holiday requires us going to my parents’ house vs them coming over to mine occasionally. Needless to say I ended up crying myself to sleep because I was feeling really unloved and lonely. Hanging out with friends Sunday kinda helped get me out of my funk at least so the weekend didn’t end on a low note.

I Photographed A Wedding!

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This past weekend was spent getting sh*t done so it wasn’t as fun compared to previous weekends.

Saturday (6/2) morning we took my car in for its first oil change and went out for breakfast while we waited. I nearly always regret grabbing breakfast anywhere but a fast food place because it’s very expensive for what you get. Our bill after tip was $35… for BREAKFAST. All I had was pancakes and hashbrowns and Joe had a platter of some sort. Blah.

Later that afternoon Joe accompanied me to photograph the outdoor wedding of my friend’s son. I truly didn’t want to do it when she asked but she kinda wore me down until I eventually agreed. Apparently her son and his fiance were fond of my photos but those are nature ones, not people. I don’t consider myself a people photographer and due to my introversion I find it hard to deal with strangers. I was super anxious about it especially after taking some test shots of Joe on Friday to re-familiarize myself with my digital SLR which I haven’t really been using lately. Most of the photos were not coming out well and I was convinced I was going to f*ck everything up. Thankfully the wedding was quick and even though I totally sucked at directing people, my more extroverted friend took the lead to help set up shots. When we got home I was supremely relieved to find that 95% of my shots came out great. I was so worried my friend was going to pay me for out of focus blown-out photos since it was pretty sunny outside. I opted to stick to a single lens for the entire shoot (my 28-135mm zoom) and leave it on programmed auto so that the camera would by and large choose the proper settings in the moment. Thank god it all worked out.

Speaking of pay, my friend gave me a card which I opened once we got home and inside was the agreed upon fee in cash, but also a Target gift card in the same amount. So in a way I was paid double. My friend explained that the gift card was a personal thank you for taking on the task which I thought was very generous, if unnecessary. Now I just need to motivate myself to work on her photos this week.

Sunday (6/3) we headed back to Visionworks so I could return my new glasses which were giving me headaches. I’m bummed they didn’t work out because my current pair are several years old and I do need new ones with an updated prescription. It’s so hard to find frames that don’t overwhelm my face which is why I opted for frames meant for children. Unfortunately they were a bit too tight and hurt my head to wear despite feeling comfortable when I initially tried them in the store on more than one occasion. I also didn’t like how they cut the lenses as they weren’t smooth around the edges. Plus I purchased an anti-reflective coating but I was noticing more reflections while wearing them than my old pair. When I mentioned that on the day I picked up the lenses they tried to tell me it was because of my prescription verses the size of the frames but I’m not quite sure I buy that. Plus they didn’t assist me whatsoever in picking the right type of frames for me which I think sucks. In fact, I shopped around at all the regular glasses places and no one could even show me petite frames and instead told me I would just have to find them by looking around. Great customer service! I’m just glad Visionworks has a 30-day unconditional money back guarantee because those glasses set me back $473!

Unfortunately, now I’m back to square one. If I could find a pair identical to my current ones but with a slightly short arm so they don’t keep slipping down my face I would be overjoyed. This is why I rarely buy new glasses – it’s such a pain in the ass and I hate the entire process. I wish I could just go back to wearing contacts most of the time but my eyes just aren’t having it anymore.

We also did some more organizing of the garage yesterday and threw out a ton of empty boxes. As if we’re going to pack stuff in their original boxes if/when we move. Not likely. We still kept some, especially for current electronic gadgets in case we try to sell them, but still freed up a lot of space. Now if only Joe can motivate himself to reorganize his tool area. That part of the garage is the messiest but I can’t help much since it’s his space.