Month 1- first visitors

Joe and I hit our first month anniversary last week! I can't believe how fast it went. We have continued to experience the local flair, including TRYING to eat at the Doughnut Vault on weekend mornings. Only thing is, they open at 9:30 and close when they sell out. The line is endless! One morning maybe we will get lucky.

This weekend we had our first visitors- Joe and Angela from Ohio. Joe and Angela used to work with Joe at the hospital in Phoenix but moved to Ohio a few years back. We hadn't seem them since our trip to Pittsburgh in 2009. The Scarano's had never been to Chicago and Joe and I are still new so naturally we did the touristy stuff. Saw Solider Field, The Field Museum, took a water taxi to Navy Pier, ate at Harry Caray's, experienced Chicago style stuffed pizza (Gino's East), went to Wrigley Field, saw The Bean in Millennium Park and of course stopped at plenty of bars to drink beer and watch football- what we all do best. And no, we still didn't get into the Doughnut Vault!

 

Bloody Mary's and Ginormous Beers at Harry Caray's

Water Taxi to Navy Pier

Wrigley Field

 

 

 

 

The Field Museum

 

Art Institute of Chicago Museum (Ferris Bueller)

 

 

 

We  miss them already!  Hobbs and Tater enjoyed their visit as well. Both are settling into city life and we even bought Tater a nice blue fleece jacket for the approaching winter. 

Can't wait for our next visitors, the Niehuses & Cokers, come to town in a couple of weeks!

Exploring the 'burbs

Joe and I took the car out yesterday and explored the burbs. He had a gift certificate to Cabela's and needed a quality sweatshirt/jacket for the quickly approaching winter we have been hearing about. On our way to Shaumburg, IL we made the obligatory stop at Steak and Shake in Rosemont near the airport where we always stop when visiting Chicago.  I played tourist and took a picture of the leaves, restaurant, and store. I have a new saying: we can be tourists for the first month. Then we have to be locals and not take pictures of everything.

After our day in the 'burbs, we went to a Notre Dame bar our good friend Jacquelyn found in Lincoln Park called Racine Plumbing. Joe was right at home as we watched them KILL Purdue! I took a picture of this poster hanging in the bathroom stall (yes, I took a picture from the bathroom stall) of the bus rides to South Bend. Might take advantage of that one next weekend before Joe starts his new schedule which includes working Saturdays :(

After recovering from our fun night out, Joe and I decided to take Tater on a long walk to Groupon which is located in the River North area. Joe wanted to show me where his new job will be. We stopped for Slurpee's on the way, let Tater run around a new dog park and took the River Walk route and saw some kayakers, boat tours and enjoyed the beautiful 60 degree weather.

Groupon sign behind him

It was a good walk for Tater.  He hasn't been adjusting well to all the city noises and actually gets a bit psychotic at times. Hobbs on the other hand, is enjoying life on the 13th floor balcony. (until we get our new couch, the recliner is out on the patio).

To embrace fall and add to our new apartment decor, I made a wreath for the front door. Trying to incorporate some DIY ideas from my new obsession Pinterest.

Week 2

As I sit in the family room watching football while wrapped in my blanket and wearing flannel pj's and listening to the sound of rain, I realize we aren't on vacation and Joe and I actually made this happen. We talked about moving for a few years and I am still in awe how fast it happened when the time came. Feels like we have been here longer than two weeks. But, it's been two weeks to the day that we started making our home here on Kinzie St.

The apartment is coming along, since work started I have less time to decorate and try anything new. We aren't in a rush though. Got some of the bedroom finished and recently decided to have all the blinds open to enjoy a 360 view.

Joe and I got invited to the Cubs game on Monday evening in the BrightTag suite. It was my first game at Wrigley Field- quite the first experience. We enjoyed a good view and awesome beer cans!

My walk to work is most enjoyable. An easy 10 minutes of fresh air and fairly decent sights. My ear phones, and streaming Pandora is a must. Usually I blast my 80' hairband music to get me pumped up for work. My building is located at Wacker Dr. and Randolph right on the River.

Commute Traffic

Joe and I met for lunch on Tuesday and enjoyed a 70 degrees view in the courtyard across from work.

Soaking up all the sports we can get, Joe and I watched the Bears game last Sunday at our favorite (so far) neighborhood bar Jefferson Tap. It was raining that day as well. Jefferson Tap has THE BEST wings.

Tater and Hobbs are settling in as well. Tater loves sitting on the couch and looking out the window's. Hobbs loves that as well. The window's go all the way down to the floor, so if he isn't sprawled on couch, he is looking out the window's and down 13 floors.

So besides leaving my first shopping purchase of cute winter knit hats in the cab last Friday night, no funny stories or dumb Sara moments, but I guess that is a good thing and means we aren't sticking out like sore thumbs in the city after all! Hope you enjoy the sights.

Our New Digs!

Although not 100% complete, Joe and I have made significant progress on the apartment set-up. Most boxes have been collapsed, now it's just a matter of finding room for everything. A tad crowded, but I am thrilled with the apartment and it's amenities.  The only complaint I have is that we were given the wrong address. Twice. Yes, not once, but twice. Our mail is floating somewhere in an abyss and I hope it catches up with us soon.

I have to give a shout-out to my Dad for accompanying us on this journey across the country. Poor guy put up with my yapping, Hobbs puking and crawling all over him for 3 days straight in the car. We found it worked well if he drove in the morning and I drove in afternoon/evening because without my morning Starbucks ritual I kept nodding off. When we finally arrived, Dad quickly attacked the truck, defused a potential situation with the doorman and next scheduled tenants. Couldn't have done it without him. Too bad by the time we had to take him to the airport the apartment started looking like an apartment.

I started my job today. As I have mentioned a few times, there is a Starbucks in the lobby- naturally I stopped there first. Joe drove me to work this morning so he could see where it was and so I would be on-time. Everyone was really nice- went to lunch with my team (there are 4 of us) and attended 3 client conference calls. I already have an afternoon of Kayaking on the 21st and am going to a Cubs/Brewers game in a suite on Monday evening. Although much smaller office space and QUIET surroundings, I think I will settle in well. We are located on the 19th floor and the CEO insists on having a fridge full of soda and salty snacks at all times. As I was enrolled in ADP they had a field day with my AZ license not expiring until 2046. All-in-all it was a typical first-day.

Joe met me at work around 5:45 and we walked to Moe's Cantina on Kinzie and had nachos and margaritas. We then walked home and now I am being lazy on the couch while he watched the Reds/Cubs, does laundry and hangs pictures frames. I have a glass of my favorite Kendall Jackson to accompany me as I update the blog. Pictures of several outside and inside views of our apartment are below. Warning: not 100% settled, as you will see.

Dad relaxing in the only corner without furniture on the first day

 Lobby

 Family Room

Other view from family room

 View of our two buildings. We are on the 13th floor of the right building, facing northwest

 The pool

 Another view from our family room window- dog run on the right

 View of the Blommers Chocolate Factory (yes, we can smell chocolate 24/7) OMG

 family room and Hobbs surrounded by boxes

 the view from our kitchen

 the view from the pool at night

 we arrived!

 view from family room into bar/kitchen

Our first view into the City when we arrived

My work! (see the Starbucks?!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moe's Cantina

And seconds before I posted this Joe and I heard a big BANG coming from the washer and dryer. it decided to shake so much the bottle of laundry detergent feel off the top and splattered all over the floor! I swear it's not our first time living in an apartment. Just feels like it. LOL