tomorrow, we move to Switzerland.

omg

Two quick things!

1. I really like my new job!

2. J and I have been engaged for six weeks. I have a different blog devoted to the wedding planning. If you'd like to join me there, it's at whentwoheartscollide.wordpress.com

Both have kept me pretty busy and away from livejournal and normal stuff blogging. Still, I'm pretty active over at the wedding blog for now.

Back soon!

This is why we need to introduce lobsters into our curriculum.

x-posted to fb, but hey, i love it so much, i want to share here.



Truth be told, I've actually watched almost all of the wedding dance videos on youtube. Here is my other favorite wedding toast. (it takes a good minute to get good, but i promise it does)



What is it about weddings that makes me cry so much? Even if I don't know the people, they radiant happiness. They radiate love.

I love it.

So.

I'm chilling at home eating dinner and watching Mythbusters when I realize that there is something increasingly noisy outside. As I scramble to press mute, I realize that this noise isn't a lawnmower, motorcycle, or jet engine but a full fledged MARCHING BAND. And it is coming down my street.

Now, I do not live on a main street in Naperville. (In fact, it's a small road between the train station and the park.) Today is not any sort of holiday. In fact, it is 7:42 on a Monday night.

And yet, I go to my front porch and sure enough, fronted by tween-age baton twirlers, is the Naperville community band, marching down the street.



Beware of the boy scouts

(x-posted to FB)

Last night, we were staying in. J doing work, me doing job research and "attending" a bridal shower via videocam when I got a text from a strange number in Seattle.

"Can Zach go to Hooters too?"

...

Possible responses:

"I don't think that's a very good idea..."
"No."
"Only if Zach is over 18"
"I think it would be best if you all went to Red Lobster instead."
"What for?"
"Yes."

What else could I text back?

But I want it.

This commercial is in "English", and has Japanese subtitles.

From blog photos

The cold is also bad for commuting. Three days of delayed METRA trains. I should bring my camera next week so you can see how packed the lower tracks and waiting rooms become. Because no one wants to be waiting out in the cold.

Also, glad this major derailment of 17 hazardous material freight cars didn't happen on my line. Because then, that would be a sign that I should just not go to work at all anymore.

Apparently I've used this subject line before because it populated itself when I began typing "Bad day..." in the subject.

So, as you know, I live in Naperville and I take the train into the city each day. My usual train is the 7:40 express, and days when I am lazy, I'll catch the 8:00. I am very glad that today I ran and caught the 7:40 because the 8:00 was stormed by police armed with semi-automatic weapons Apparently, some passengers had to have their hands up for 20 minutes while they searched all the cars for "someone with a gun" who turned out to be a secret service agent. (Apparently, he went to the ticket window at Naperville and asked if there were metal detectors on the train because he said he had a gun. What he should have also mentioned was that he was a secret service agent.)

Anyways, while I thought I had escaped the train woes, an Amtrack train decides to derail just outside of Union Station, cutting off not only my route home but two other routes as well delaying over 30,000 commuters.

I ended up walking to the other train station and taking a different west line out and having J come pick me up. It took about an hour and a half, but it seemed like a better option than fighting the crowds at Union. And believe me, when trains are delayed at Union Station, it is a mob scene.

Did I mention that it's about four degrees outside? The windchill tonight will be around -30.

Um, awesome.

Don't eat Santa's cookies.