Cinderella

Yesterday, Duksim got a phone call from her sister telling her what her nephew (Isaac) said. He was looking at our wedding photos and the following conversation ensued:

Isaac: "mom? emo (aunt) is a Cinderella"
Mom: "ha ha really? then what is mom?"
Isaac: "mom is mom~ (duh!)"

Kids say what they will...



The photo that inspired his imagination...

Isaac (left) with his older brother Justin...the excitement coming through on my face for this photoshoot is simply unreal...

White Sox World Series parade

Man, if you want to talk about totally non-productive workdays - yesterday was the day - but for a good thing, mind you! As you know, the White Sox finally won the World Series after 88 years of disappointment. As a result, being that Mayor Daley is a die-hard Sox fan - he spared no expense in setting up this ticker tape parade to congratulate them for their acheivements. Luckily, I was working downtown this past week, and since the parade route ran right in front of my building, I was literally in the right place at the right time. The parade started at U.S. Cellular field, wound their way through various south side neighborhoods and finally made their way up LaSalle Street to LaSalle & Wacker where the rally was to be held. Weather-wise, it was perfect, and large crowds turned up for the event. Here are some pics I managed to take while in the midst of all the craziness:


This was in front of the CBOT building - very nice!

This was hanging from the Federal Reserve Building.

This is an example of the air cannons used throughout LaSalle St. to shoot the confetti into the air as the parade passed by. I have to say, they ended up doing a pretty good job...

And now for pix from the actual parade itself:

Unfortunately, after the parade passed by, I had to return to work and was not able to join the rest of the crowd at the rally. It's ok though, this was fun regardless! And all I can say is - I am glad I am not stuck cleaning up all this confetti...

door county

This past weekend, Duksim and I drove out to Door County. It was the first time for the both of us, and the timing would be great to experience the famous fall colors in the trees. We stayed at this B&B for the duration of our stay.

A profile shot of the B&B...right by the lakefront (you can kinda see it in the window reflection).

One thing about T-Mobile, I think they have a number of partners from which to distribute their wireless service. In Door County, we encountered one such partner...

Yet another alternate service partner for Duksim's phone...gotta love T-Mobile...

Here we are on a biking trail - I guess it's true what they say in that once you learn how to bike (like swimming or driving), you never forget...

Apparently no one told me about that rule...doh!

After almost two hours of biking (it was only supposed to be one hour), it was time to check the map and see where the heck we were...note Duksim's rather pleasant expression.

mmm! Duksim was enjoying sliced carmel apples while we attended a street festival.

What kind of animal do you suppose this is? You don't see them very often, that's for sure...

Neither do you see goats on a rooftop very often either! Wild...

A scenic shot of the fall foliage of Door County...the main reason why we went in the first place.

While we were in Door County, we took part in a traditional fish boil. The host gave us a history of the event while the fish was boiling, then he proceeded to put out the fire:

Good thing we got out of the way...



Finally, the resident dog of our B&B. I forgot her name or what breed she was, but she was very friendly...and very old.

delayed marathon post

First things first, sorry for taking so long to put these pics up...I could give you a thousand reasons for not doing so sooner - but basically it all comes down to laziness. But I actually found time to put these up today! Why? Maybe because of the prodding by some, but also because I happened to have the day off of work. Why? Please refer to my xanga posting. But in any case, here we go:


The start of the Chicago Marathon. The cover of the Tribune section looks much more impressive than this does, unfortunately. But needless to say at least 40,000 people started, and 1.5 million people were along the sidelines cheering the runners on.

Here's James and Rob as they were passing by the Starbucks where Duksim and I were casually enjoying refreshments (he he). Note Rob's forced acknowledgment of the camera. Where's Ravee?

Jennifer Willbanks reportedly ran this race (and I saw her name in the paper). But of course she inspired others to become "runaway brides" as well...

Judy was able to capture our enthusiasm as we cheered on James, Rob and Ravee. Admittedly having only one Thunderstik didn't help matters, but I couldn't scavenge another one...

Here's the victorious James and Rob! It's good to see that they are their own greatest fans, as the signs indicate...

Another pic of the twins - where's Ravee?

Aha! Turns out that he ran a pretty even-tempo race from the get-go, and almost caught up to James and Rob in the end...

The three runners with their medals (and very nice medals, I have to say)...

Eliza, this picture is for you! Many strange and colorful characters in this race...

Finally, the agony of the 26.2 miles caught up with pretty much everyone by the end of the day. Rob is not going up the staircase, as you might suspect - but going down...yes, his legs were that sore already! All good though - will this inspire me to run next year? We'll see...

ARGH!!!

I was on my way to post an update about the past Chicago Marathon weekend...when this happened:


I love Microsoft...of course I lost everything I typed and didn't think to save periodically. ARGH!!! Update to the Marathon will be forthcoming when I cool off...

good as new (?)

Well, today Duksim and I was busy as a bee running errands - and one of the things we accomplished was to pick up our SUV from Woodfield Nissan. Duksim received a call from them stating that the repairs were done, and that it was ready for pickup. Even though the body shop was closed on weekends, they mentioned that it would be in the service area - so that wouldn't be an issue. So today we went to pick it up, but when we went to the service area, they couldn't find our work order - which meant to them that the car was not ready. Argh!!! We promptly went to the service bay and talked to the manager in the area - and after much back and forth, they found that the paperwork was underneath the piles that they kept at the counter. Jeez! Well, they brought the car to the front all washed and ready for us. By then, I had drove the rental back to Enterprise to return it and finalize all the paperwork. Well, you would think that it would be a simple procedure, right? Hah! After processing it, the guy behind the counter told me that AllState (the other party's insurance) denied the rental coverage. Without giving specifics! After explaining that the AllState insurance adjuster assured me that it was covered, the Enterprise guy emailed AllState for an explanation. So we'll see how that develops. Anyway, with that behind us (hopefully), we proceeded to drive home in our repaired Murano. Unfortunately, as we were driving in stop-and-go traffic, we heard a rather unusual noise coming from the brake area - kinda like the brake pads were sticking - but only happened when releasing the brake from a full stop. We considered turning back to the dealership, but after driving for a bit, the noise went away and now the car is working normally. Good thing we didn't turn back - it would have developed into a classic mechanic scenario where the problem mysteriously goes away the minute one pulls into the service bay (you know exactly what I mean by this). We'll see how it goes the next few days...but regardless, it does feel good to have our car back...

autoshow in motion

Today, Duksim and I attended this event, which was held at Arlington Park parking lot. I only assume that I received an invitation in the mail because I got included in some database when we attended the auto show earlier this year. Whatever the case may be, of course I jumped on the opportunity to go to this event. Why? Well, aside from there being cars, it provided an opportunity to test drive the models they had on hand and experience more than just sitting in the models on the showroom floor. They had a pre-defined track from which to navigate once inside the cars - and the vehicles they had available to test ranged from small cars to the monster SUVs. This was basically a GM-sponsored event, so most of the cars were from GM. However, they also had other models from the competition on hand to test (for comparison) - which was nice. It was interesting to test drive cars that otherwise I would not be able to test unless (1) someone I knew had one - and would let me drive it, or (2) visit a dealership. But there was no pressure to buy here - which made the experience altogether rather laid-back. Some of the models we tested were: Chevy SSR, Hummer H3, Acura MDX, BMW X5, Nissan Titan, Lexus ES330, Lexus LX470, Mercedes ML350, and Volvo XC90.



















But by far the best of the day was test driving the Corvette!











I had my skepticism of this car prior to jumping in the driver's seat - I dunno, maybe my bias of American cars was affecting my perceptions. But after driving this beast, I was blown away! This car was a smooth as silk, engine growls like a cougar, corners like it was on rails, acceleration left my breath at the starting point - you name it, it happened...but I did not wet myself, thankfully. Unbelievable - I can see why so many Corvette fanatics love this car. Not bad - not bad at all...left me with a huge grin on my face...

Lastly, this is for Jae:




























They had a live display of the upcoming Saturn Sky. Have to say, looks very nice - much better in design than their other attempts in the past. Quality and reliability remains to be seen - but this is a very promising start...

not quite the same

well, today was the day that I had to take our Murano to the Allstate insurance adjuster to get an estimate for the damage done to our back bumper (insurance company for the person who hit us). The good thing was that my manager was off today, so I was able to use some time during work to take the car in (I mean, during my "extended lunch break"- he he). Also, fortunately for me the adjuster's office was not too far from my work (it was located at Grand and Narragansett). So the appt was for 1:30pm, and I dropped off the car and ducked into the waiting room while the guy did his thing in the garage. Funny thing, at one point he stuck his head in while he was on the phone and asked me if the car was a rental. Um, right - of course I corrected the obvious error. Eventually he called me in and went over the details, gave me a printout to give to the body shop and cut me a check for the damage. The grand total for the damage came out to $894.58 - apparently the rear bumper did what it was supposed to and absorb the impact. The rear hatch wasn't damaged, and the structural integrity of the body wasn't compromised. We'll see, after the body shop does its thing, whatever the leftover charges come to will be covered, so I'm not too worried.

So, now on to Woodfield Nissan for the body shop visit. Why all the way out to Woodfield? Just wanted to have the body shop of the dealer we bought our car from service the repairs. So after battling rush hour traffic, finally got there around 4-ish. Dropped off the car and requested for a rental car. They placed a call to Enterprise and said they would pick me up from the front of the dealer. The manager told me to wait about 5 minutes and they would be there. Well, after waiting around 20 minutes, I asked the service bay rep to call Enterprise to see if they forgot about me. After that, 5 minutes later a lady shows up in a gray Ford Focus to pick me up and take me to the Enterprise office across the street. Why didn't I just go across the street myself? Just in case I decided to walk, and they decide to drive over and pick me up and we miss each other...eh, wanted to avoid the whole scenario. Anyway, after many phone calls and paperwork, we got our rental car:















Let's just say...it's not quite the same. Oh well, at least the rental is covered under the insurance claim - so on that front, it's tolerable until our car is repaired. Man, amidst all the hustle and bustle I forgot to ask the mechanic how long the repairs will take. Jeez, gotta call back on Monday for that...if it isn't one thing, it's another...

new car no more

ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish there was a more harsh way for me to express my frustration, but doing so would not be the wisest thing to do anyway. Ok, here's what happened. Duksim and I were on our way to my dad's house in Round Lake, as his parents were there (flew in from Korea) and were leaving tomorrow afternoon. They wanted to see us before they left, so we obliged. It was raining at a good clip through the drive, so keep in mind the potentially slippery conditions on the road. We were on Townline Rd in Vernon Hills and up ahead we saw people were stopping - probably for an accident that just happened. So of course I slowed down to a stop, but through my rear view mirror, I saw a white Jeep Wrangler bearing down on us at a speed that told me that they weren't gonna stop in time. It was one of those slow-mo moments where I pictured myself saying n-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o (I think you know what I'm talking about). Also keep in mind that this particular road was one lane going in either direction, so there was absolutely no way I could have avoided this. Well, we got hit pretty solid from the back by that Jeep, but since I was still on the brakes, thankfully it didn't turn into some chain reaction accident. So we moved over to the side of the road - along with another pair of cars that apparently had the same kinda accident (what are the odds?) That must have been a spectacle for all the gapers passing us by (yes we were causing the infamous "gaper's delay" here). The people who rear-ended us turned out to be a couple of teenage girls (the driver whom we later found to be around 16 years of age, so she just got her license...great!). She was apologizing profusely stating that she was braking, but her tires were hydroplaning and thus the reason she plowed into our car. Regardless, the look I gave her could have curdled milk. Eventually the cops arrived, 2 cars in fact: one that we happened to flag down, and another that was called by another person. At least those girls were insured, so this will be taken care of hopefully sometime this coming week. But for now, our rear bumper is dented in the middle, and apparently pushed up somewhat, as now we cannot open our rear door (which is also kinda bulging out). So now we have to deal with the hassle of lowering the rear seat to access the hatch area, bring the car in for repairs, get a loaner/rental car until it's done, and so on and so forth...yadda yadda yadda...

Duksim already knows this about me, but whenever things like this happen, it usually takes quite a bit of time for me to get over it. For her, she is pretty good at rolling things off her back and moving on. In this case, for me anyway, I think I will not fully get over this one until we get the car back in its original condition. Of course, I know that now it cannot be classified as a new car anymore, but still - until I see our car back in like-new condition, I shall remain in my dark and moody cave...

"summer" cleaning

This past Saturday was a day that I hoped would never come...

I was forced to clean out my junk.

I admit, I am somewhat of a packrat, a clothes-horse...all the adjectives you can think of - I can associate with. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I am nearly as bad as I used to be back at my mom's house, but yeah - it was kinda getting up there (in retrospect). I tried my best to keep them arranged and out of the way, but alas, I think I finally brought home one too many gadgets. This past Saturday, we went to WalMart, and purchased a rather hefty 2 drawer storage chest to use for my clutter. Lo and behold, both drawers are now rather full and HEAVY - man, amazing that it is still holding up under all that weight. What I could not fit in them, I brought downstairs to our storage area in the basement (which by the way is also practically filled to capacity). Believe me, this was quite an effort to accomplish, more than once I tried running Duksim out of the room so that I could somehow enact some "out of sight, out of mind" maneuver on her (he he). Hey, at least that tactic kinda worked in Duksim allowing me to keep whatever stuff I have in my closet in there - at least I can close those doors and hide the contents from view. Man, I think my mouth was turned downward the entire time (those of you who've seen it can imagine how hilarious it must have looked).

Well, the whirlwind cleaning of the computer room has been accomplished and all my junk put away in one location or another. I have to admit though, it does look more spacious - imagine that, I wonder where all that space came from? Duksim told me that the next time we move (single family home), I will have a room all to myself (home office) where I can junk up to my heart's content. Whereas I was initially elated by that prospect, I now realize that before that happens, I'd probably better purchase a dust mask and more storage bins...

what are the odds...

I had to do a double take when I saw this in the Bally's parking lot today as I pulled in after work (note the color):












What are the odds that I would actually see another one of these apart from the one in Jae's driveway? he he...

busy weekend...

Ugh, what a weekend! Busy, but glad it turned out that way. Each day had something going on, so let's see how it all broke down:

Friday - I had the day off, and spent it running errands while Duksim was at work. Why did I have Friday off, you may ask? In all fairness, I totally forgot that I had that day off (I think we were planning on spending the Labor Day weekend at her sister's in St. Louis - but didn't pan out). Ah well, it was all good - at least I was away from the office, that alone was awesome!

Saturday - Another kinda lazy day - made even more so because I took care of most of the usual things we would do on this day yesterday. But we did section some time off to visit the park area of The Glen. Usually we would go to that area to see a movie. But this time we took a detour and perused the park area, sat on a swing bench and watched the kids play, had some ice cream from a truck that passed by, and walked the trails. We got to see brand spanking-new tennis courts, the new Kohl's Children's Museum (opening next month), and the Glen Club (great golfing facility - the LaSalle Bank Open is held there every year).












































Sunday - During lunch after service, Duksim received a call on her cell regarding her Honda Civic that we're trying to sell off. It is currently parked in the parking lot of her aunt's cleaners (for better exposure to the public). We agreed to meet up with them, so after lunch we went home, changed and went to meet them at her aunt's cleaners. We got there, and after some negotiations, they wanted a test drive. Unfortunately, when Duksim tried to start it, it wouldn't start! My guess was that the battery finally kicked the bucket. It's been sitting there for a week, and found that after 7 years, she was still using the same battery in her car. But man, what a time to find that out! It was an embarrasing moment, to say the least. Really didn't matter though, those people were still trying to undercut our price, so we passed on their offers. Next up, we went to a farewell BBQ get-together at the house of one of Duksim's coworkers. It was pretty entertaining, turns out he's leaving because he managed to sign on full time with US-99 as a radio DJ. He was already doing it on the side, but the opportunity came up to go full-time, and he grabbed it. We don't listen to country, but knowing he'll be on the air may cause us to tune in once in a while...Lastly, we ended our day by seeing "The Lion King" at the Cadillac Palace Theatre downtown. Very nice production all the way around - stayed true to the animated film storyline, visual/vocal/musical aspects were all great. It was the final show of their run in Chicago, so I guess we lucked out in grabbing tickets while we were able to...

















































Labor Day - Duksim and I decided to take a chance and go visit James over at his neck of the woods in Indiana. The 2.5 hour drive over there was not bad - not nearly as punishing as a drive down to St. Louis would be...but then again, maybe taking a new car helped to cushion the effect of the road trip. Ah well, in any event, the visit was great - and James was right on the money when he forewarned us on the lack of things to do there. Yeah, it was pretty dead - but we had a nice picnic and mini-hike in a nearby park area. Judy was there as well, so it made for a good time all around. We saw a chestnut tree, knocked some nuts down, but they weren't ready to be eaten. We even cracked open one with two in it (cool, a bonus!) James acted as our official tour guide on our hike, and wouldn't you know, I found myself in a bit of a jam at the end...maybe it was those chestnuts - I didn't take any, I swear!