The Flying Weglarzs

Sister-in-law!

2012-01-22T21:08:00.000-06:00

My wonderful brother-in-law has found true love and we are thrilled that Lily has joined the family. They had a super fun wedding with a beautiful formal church ceremony followed by our favorite wedding reception theme ever: ICE SKATING! It was truly unique and we had a great time celebrating their marriage. Here are a few shots of the wonderful event.

Getting Ready


All dressed up

Lily making her heart-filled and very moving vows to Sophia.

The Braniff Contingent

Aren't they lovely!

First Family Skate

Cutting Jenna's amazing cake creation

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:28:00.000-06:00

Gotta Love California Christmas at Swanson Acres!

New Year's Eve Walk on Baker Beach


A Year of Many Family Visits!

At the Top of Mt. Tam in September

Hiking at Phoenix Lake with the WW's.

Thanksgiving Stick Throwing at Pumpkin Ridge, Mt. Tam Park.

Enjoying our closest state park, China Camp


New Year's Day Hike....Gotta Love California Winter! We've had quite a good year. We are now settled in our new home in San Rafael and enjoying all that Marin County and living upstairs from Sean and Saci has to offer. We have also welcomed many new friends and little ones into our lives. Other news includes Phil having a successful first year of business as both a Marriage and Family Therapist and an Children's Expressive Arts Program Director. And most exciting of all, we are officially entering the process of trying to become adoptive parents ourselves. Much to look forward to in 2012. Love to all! Kate & Phil

Our New Home

2011-08-17T18:56:00.004-05:00

Wow--moving is such an ordeal. I really hope that I can suppress my annual urge to relocate and spend my energy doing something less stressful! I have lived in 22 homes over my 38 years and I'm getting a little tired. 5 of those have been in our 10 years of marriage (which we are celebrating TODAY!) --so we both could use a break. But, we did it and I am so glad we did. Our new home is awesome and we are truly thrilled to be here. Erika and Daniel were our first house guests and we have had so many shared meals with Sean & Saci.

The final moments in our SF apartment-sure made it look small. Of course our Weglarz sign had to come in the car with us en route. I needed a huge egg and bacon breakfast after a grueling moving day, here I am on my way back home from Trader Joes (only 3 blocks away) on our first morning. Being greeted daily by Aunt Saci's dahlia's is one of my new favorite things....

What a couple of weeks.....

2011-07-02T10:11:00.005-05:00

The amazing whirlwind of hosting family, moving, remodeling at work, hosting friends, unpacking...it all started 2 weeks ago with the arrival of Caryn & Madeline in San Francisco.

We had so much fun taking a break from packing and playing during our last weekend of being San Franciscans.

I have to remember the city is only a ferry ride, bus ride or drive over the Golden Gate Bridge away.

Change is afoot!

2011-06-04T12:18:00.005-05:00

Well, the time has finally come. We are taking the plunge and moving to Marin County to live in Sean & Saci's lovely upstairs apartment. We have denied their offers before, but this time we decided to go for it! We are so excited to live in San Rafael and be surrounded by loving family and good vibes. Gardening, hiking, hot tubing, home-brewed kombucha, the BEST Farmer's Market, and many family fun nights....here we come!

Here's the lovely house....that will be our big picture window upstairs (more photos coming!)
Sadly, the one thing Marin County DOESN'T have is an ice rink. We are slowly and painfully breaking in our new skates this month and will try to find ways to keep skating in San Francisco and Oakland.

Maui May

2011-05-28T10:16:00.002-05:00

May began with a warm and lovely visit to Dad & Dori's new Maui home. The food there was fabulous! This is Dori's delicious Chinese Chicken Salad....one of many great meals we had out on the lanai.

This time we decided we would make the effort to drive up to see the sunrise at Haleakala Crater. Sadly Phil had to play the part of the sun at 5:45am in the freezing fog.

Back down the mountain (13,000 ft down), we found sun at Baldwin Beach Park.

Our giant stand-up paddle boards....how fun! We even got Dad out there. This is definitely my new favorite Maui activity. So peaceful just gliding over the crystal clear waters.

The happy couple...this was our outing over to Lanai where we did some amazing snorkeling and had a rocking and rolling trip home on the ferry!

We went to a fundraiser for a local hula school and enjoyed listening to the choir and watching the dancers.

The bittersweet moment when Phil has his last ice cream cone of the week (a daily ritual) at the airport. Back to the Mainland and a busy, busy month.

Caryn & Scott Visit (Madeline too!)

2011-04-24T11:46:00.004-05:00

Caryn & Scott in Pacifica at the Beach. We are so thrilled to have them visit!

Madeline's big day out in the city started with a visit with our friend Tim at Blue Bottle Coffee to get the city's best brew along with Maple Bacon Donuts. Yummmm....

Fueling up our transit card and getting some snacks at Walgreens.

Whewwwww....walking up all these hills is tiring; let's take a little break.

Lunch at La Mediterranee and delicious mint tea with Caryn.

The best Goodwill in the city always offers some great finds.

Tired Legs...time to take a crowded city bus and meet some cool new friends at the bus stop.

Waiting in line for dinner at Anchor Oyster Bar....best little place in town!

Back at home relaxing with some tea and chatting with Scott.

Love those pajama pants and, boy, is that ice cream good!

Birthday Week

2011-04-21T20:17:00.005-05:00

The Swansons visited for Spring Break and we had a gorgeous day out on Alcatraz.

Then a birthday retreat....off to Big Sur for the weekend to unplug and relax.

The outdoor bathroom was a bit of a surprise...but thankfully it wasn't raining!

The Dragon House...built by the landowner and very, very sweet.

Sunset over the Pacific, an amazing view from the deck.

As we wandered our way back up Highway 1, a stop at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was in order! Phil with Laughing Sal.

Happy Birthday Girl on Carmel Beach.

With Adorable Husband....

Point Lobos Hike. Loved the Whale Boneyard vertebrae.

Phil was getting hungry.

Artichoke Season in full bloom...farmer's market stops along the way home.

New Skates

2011-03-06T17:12:00.006-06:00

As our skating careers begin to bloom, we decided it was time to upgrade into better skates. Also, we are in our birthday season and thought this would be the perfect gift to one another. Better edges, jumps and spins and the ability to point our toes in our "dance" skates....here we come. Unbelievably, San Francisco is the home to 2 custom skate makers who actually make the skates to order right here. We are getting made-to-order stock boots that will be ready in a couple of weeks! We didn't spend the big bucks and go all out like Joyce and her pink suede boots, but if we ever win a competition that might be an option :-)

They also do custom roller skates---aren't these awesome!

The shapes our leather will be molded around.

I love that we got a full tour of the process and our guide, the third generation skate maker, was very excited every step of the way. We'll go back when they are ready for a 2 hour appointment where they punch out spaces for ankle bones and bunions, assess your alignment issues, mount the blades and sharpen them. Then, I'm afraid to say, it will be a bit like learning to skate all over again for a couple of weeks. Can't wait!

Super Snowy!

2011-02-25T18:54:00.014-06:00

We had an amazing trip up to Tahoe with the Johnson's last weekend. It started out with a 10 hour journey (normally 3-4 hours) east on I-80 during a pretty fantastic blizzard.....my cousin Laura was the driver extraordinaire! As luck would have it, we arrived at 11:30pm and found the snow plow right on our street to help plow the way to Cindy & Mike's house. We were all thrilled to have arrived safely and the snow was beautiful.

The Morning After....
Excited with ice skates in tow, we headed down to the Northstar Village to see the skating rink being used as a snow storage area....boo hoo!

So we spent a relaxing day just hanging out enjoying the snow. Cousin Laura, Spencer the dog, and Sophia spent come quality time on the sofa.

The next gorgeous mountain day we decided to embark on our first snowshoe adventure. We bought tickets up the Gondola to the X-Country Center at Northstar and headed out on the mountain, one slow step at a time. It was really fun at first!

We crossed paths with some fellow snowshoers coming down a trail and they raved about the great view of Lake Tahoe at the top. For better or for worse, anyone who knows me is aware that I have to get the the top. However, we quickly discovered that snowshoeing is about 5x as hard as walking. The trail was hilly, the snow deep, the air thin, the body sore. There were some minor meltdowns along the way up, but the view was spectacular.

After a quick snack, we realized it was already 3:30 and we had a 2 hour walk back. Oh NO! Seriously, this was the hardest endurance activity I can remember doing. We started hoofing it back, one slow snowshoe step at a time, worried it was quickly going to get cold and dark. There were a few moments of painful despair on the way down...

And then the overwhelming joy of accomplishment and feelings of delirium (probably from dehydration) when we knew we were almost there.

Back at the house we had a delicious dinner of Chicken Tortilla Soup followed by Oatmeal Cookie Bars with ice cream. Apparently snowshoeing burns 650 calories/hour and our 41/2 hour walk made for some hungry hippos! We had a ton of laughs playing Balderdash before crashing into a deep sleep.

Thanks to Pilates, hiking, stair climbing and ice skating, I actually felt ready to go downhill skiing the next day. We met up Kelly & Mike on the slopes.

To round out our winter sports extravaganza, we HAD to go ice skating after skiing because the rink was finally open!

This was the last glorious moment before spending all week at home with a nasty cold. I had to cancel most of my clients this week and with a foggy head mucked my way through 2 mid-term exams at Acupuncture school. And somehow summoned the energy to celebrate Phil's Birthday! Happy Birthday my dear and TGIF...they are predicting snow in Bay Area tonight!

Aunt & Uncle

2011-02-12T14:36:00.002-06:00

Welcome Greysen Edward! We are so happy to be your aunt and uncle. Can't wait to meet you in person, but Facetime has served us well this week.

Super Sunny!

2011-02-12T14:19:00.003-06:00

Cheers! We have been having the MOST amazing weather. I need to remember these days when it's freezing cold fog in July and I can't imagine sitting out on the balcony. This morning we were out there drinking our tea in morning sunshine at 8am, in a tea shirt and wearing sunglasses. Ok-sorry to make the non-Californians jealous, but it is an invitation to come and visit in the winter!

On the way to the rink to meet up with Ladie & Kibriya for an afternoon skate date. Did at least 2 perfect one foot spins (still inconsistent!)

At Civic Center being framed by the giant Buddha sculpture...
We spent all last Saturday walking through different neighborhoods wandering downtown towards the ice rink. It felt good to cool off when we got there!

Basking in the light at Yerba Buena Gardens.

Next Weekend we head up to Tahoe for some winter sports fun...the weather is changing this week back to winter rain and SNOW in Tahoe. How perfect. Now, where is that winter jacket again?

January....ready, set, GO!

2011-01-30T14:29:00.010-06:00

January was an incredibly busy start to 2011. Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine classes, lots of work, new projects, taxes, Phil's new Active Imagination and Aerial Dance classes for kids.... Thankfully, we have been able to stay healthy despite a crazy schedule. We also managed to see lots of family, hold the new babies in our lives, and have some good times skating and enjoying San Francisco & Chicago.

New Year's Day Celebrating Nizi's Birthday with the Swansons!

At Church with Dad after listening to Pastor Dale

Phil visiting Sophia Grace Bowes on her second day (he works upstairs from where she was born). Congratulations to Kelly & Peter!

Holding Baby Samuel Jasper as Jessica gets a little rest. Congratulations Jessica & Seth!

A sold-out attempt to see The King's Speech forced us to get "Happy Face" ice cream crepes in Japantown Mall. Love it!

Phil heads to Chicago for a long weekend to teach at Columbia College and catch up with family and friends. Sad the Bears didn't win the big game :(

Taking to the HARD ice at Millenium Park downtown Chicago....he skated 3 rinks in 3 days!

Back in Union Square, SF, for the annual SF Skate Club private rink time....followed by Swedish Pancakes with the adult figure skating crew.

Awesome new posters in the Powell Street Muni Station. Go 3-toed sloths (Phil was just teaching the trapeze move "sloth" earlier in the week).

The Cherry Blossoms are early this year due to our amazingly warm, sunny weather. And we finally made it to see King's Speech. What an amazing film!

A Sunday Stroll in Golden Gate Park. Stumbled upon the Shakespeare Garden.

Then we paid homage to our dear friends Don Quixote & Pancho Sanza

And finished off the journey with mini cupcakes and tea at Peet's Coffee.

I am a bit stressed and overwhelmed these days, but the little moments of respite and reflection are keeping me sane. Phil is busy cooking up a lovely Sunday Chicken Dinner (with brussel sprouts, parsnips and carrots) and I am enjoying blogging and glancing out the window at the sunset colors falling over our beloved city. The longest, darkest month of the year is coming to an end tomorrow and I will breathe a sign of relief as February offers us on the West Coast a sneak peek into spring.

#102

2010-12-18T19:42:00.003-06:00

The 100th Spin

2010-12-18T19:38:00.001-06:00

Ginger Lane

2010-12-18T19:12:00.003-06:00

Welcome to 521 Ginger Lane where there is no parking!

A perfect way to spend a rainy day at home with our good friends and their daughter.

I am about to embark on my New Year's Resolution endeavor to create a cookbook throughout the year. I spend so much of my creative energy planning meals, cooking, eating seasonally, thinking about the Eastern & Western elements of nutrition and generally I truly enjoy eating.
One of my clients is in culinary school and he suggested that I work on a cookbook after our many, many conversation about food while working out! Well, what else is all that working out for? Anyhow, I am going to use a blog format to keep myself organized and perhaps some of you can help be tasters for recipes! My good friend Chloe is a writer and she suggested that I try to include thoughts behind my meal plans and ideas. This will be an interesting challenge for me to try to make the process of deciding what to eat more interesting!

Here are a few shots from the last year of meals that I thought were delicious!

A recent British-style breakfast fry up with a perfect pot of strong Assam tea.

Butternut Squash Risotto baked in a Bell Pepper with Egg. Good anytime of day! (thank Rachel Ray!)

Jasmine Green Tea on the deck with Steel Cut Oats (with apples & cinnamon) for a woodsy outdoor pre-hike breakfast.

A Mid-Summer Lemon Curd Cake with Raspberries

Solar Cooking with Red Quinoa Pilaf and Sun-Baked Sweet Potatoes

I hope I can actually devote the time to document one of the favorite parts of my life... the nourishing, wholesome and continually exciting process of cooking, eating and sharing in the fun.

Weglarzs-On-Ice!

2010-12-05T12:22:00.002-06:00

Our first ice skating costumes!

The adult student ensemble

Junior-FW-blogger, Phil, here, with snapshots from last night's dress rehearsal for the Yerba Buena Ice Rink's winter recital.

We've spent 6-weeks cobbling together a 3-minute synchronized skating routine and will perform it next Friday & Saturday nights, for the delight of an audience composed mostly of relatives of the super-cute little boys and girls and the really talented youth and adult solos and pairs with whom we share the program. Most of the adult students have been shy about advertising the performances (including, Kate), so we only expect a few close family and friends to attend on our behalf.

Dear readers, please throw your virtual teddy bear or rose for Kate to pick up in her post-show victory lap! Hurray!!

Now off to the kiss-and-cry...

More California Fun

2010-11-06T10:39:00.004-05:00

We had an awesome Halloween getaway with our friends Chloe & Greg at his home on Lake Tahoe. Phil and I both just love it up there. It just feels like home to me as it reminds me so much of Colorado, except with this amazingly clear deep lake that reflects the sky in the most beautiful ways. The crisp fall air inspired us to a day of tea, hiking, cooking, watching the Giants game and relaxing. It was hard to come back to the city after such a quiet, tree and mountain filled weekend.

A mid-day snack at the summit of our lake-view hike.

Phil demanding my best mountain lion impression....

Showing off our moves after our Pilates on the Dock session on a sunny afternoon.

Ahhhh, testosterone. Chloe and I watched the boys launch themselves off the dock into the clear blue, COLD water...wishing we had the balls to do it too!

As our love affair with Tahoe continues, Phil and I are plotting ways to spend more time there. Our latest fantasy is to move our main residence up there and come down the Bay Area for 3 days/2 nights to work. Then try to find some work up there as well. We have lots of crazy moving ideas, but the scary thing is sometimes we actually do it! The adventure continues...

Enjoying Indian Summer...

2010-10-24T13:08:00.008-05:00

At our favorite SF spot...Baker Beach at Sunset

Phil is no longer working Sunday at the hospital....so we took our first Coastal Weekend Retreat to Mendocino and had a lovely drive down Highway 1 on the way back home.

We skipped out on figure skating class one hot Monday evening to practice some moves at Ocean Beach during the sunset. It was about 80 degrees at the beach!

After a long foggy summer, we had about 6 weeks of Indian Summer and now it's a cozy rainy weekend. We went on a fun city hike with Sean & Saci in the rain last weekend and yesterday we hiked up to the "bench" in the rain with Saci's parents, Eva & Donald, visiting from Scotland. Leave it to the Scots to get me out in the rain! Today a relaxing day at home making soup, cookies, and drinking hot apple cider.

In our foul-weather gear up at the "bench"

Discovered a magical little valley in the middle of San Francisco....ending up in Cole Valley at the bottom of the stairs (perfect place to catch the train back home!)

Sunny San Francisco

2010-09-05T21:33:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh....Summer has finally made it's way here. The incessant SF fog is fading and today I even went on a 4 mile beach walk in the 11am sunshine. Yippee! The sunrise and sunset from our home have become lovely again and we are excited to experience what fall has to offer. We had a lovely weekend up in Tahoe with John, Dori, Cindy, Mike, Laura and Benjamin and were ever so grateful to swim in majestic Lake Tahoe and stay at Cindy and Mike's beautiful home. It was nice to come home to the beach today and let the holiday weekend continue, although Phil has to work Sundays through September and somehow 6 clients want to come work out on Labor Day!

Speaking of work, we are getting excited about starting a studio together that would combine Expressive Arts, Kid and Adult Art Classes (Phil) and Fun Fitness classes (Kate).... yet another stage in building the Weglarz Wellness Empire. I don't know how the reality will play out, but the ideas and the excitement are ever-present in our time together. We may even go look at a commercial space this week that has already captured our imagination. The dream machine is picking up pace....

In more domestic news, I explored a new farmer's market today and made a delicious dinner of fried green tomatoes with lemon and then a roasted red pepper sauce with fusilli. YUMMM! Bring on the nightshades.

Here are few pictures from a 90 degree evening at Ocean Beach and some shots of the first-ever family Pilates competition at my studio, Finding Center. My dear friend and co-worker Jessica and I had a blast developing and preparing for the competition. We had 3 guest judges, a compulsory program, a short program, refreshments and awards to boot! The event was followed by a lovely dinner out with all involved. The mom won fair and square (through our elaborate scoring system), which made me happy for all 60+ Pilates clients out there! We are already thinking about next year's rematch and pondering writing an article about the whole event. I like breaking new ground with competitive Pilates! Fall is busy season at the studio and I am looking forward to the extra buzz of back-to-school clients and new fitness routines.

Summer at Last!

2010-08-15T21:58:00.007-05:00

Ahhhh....the warm wonderful humid air of the Midwest. We were lucky enough to take two weeks of vacation this year to catch up with friends and family in Wisconsin and Chicago. It was a fantastic summer adventure! Of course we also made our annual trip to Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty as well as many of our favorite Minocqua and Chicago eateries. I feel like a blob, but it sure was fun!

Color Coordinated!

WW's at the Shanty

Love those Donuts!

A bit of exercise for all=lots of blood for the mosquitoes!

Our new Minocqua discovery--we named it Secret Lake.

At the Min-Aqua Bats Waterski show.

Back in Chicago's Lincoln Square introducing the Littles to Saganaki---OPAAA!

A wonderful new reason to visit Chicago....my cousin Jason, his wife Caroline and daughters Rynn and Eleanor have moved to the big city!

Snuggling up on their new sofa!

Where is Summer?

2010-07-24T14:08:00.006-05:00

BRRRRRR...it's mid-July at the Golden Gate Bridge.

We can wear our ice dancing outfits outside and inside....how convenient!

The fog bank we have every morning and every evening.

Looking for it in the redwoods...

Still searching for summer in San Francisco...nowhere to be found.

Here we are in Sunny Sacramento eating crab on the river. Yummmy!

Crabby again back at foggy Fisherman's Wharf....

Had a wonderful visit from Caryn & Scott, as well as many other Braniff visitors this summer, including Jimmy & Shannon, Karina and Corwin, Peggy & Bob, Jim and Mary Alice, and Megan. They all wondered where summer had gone too!

Two April Weekends in Sonoma

2010-04-27T23:01:00.007-05:00

In our fancy duds at Jessica & Seth's Wedding in Sonoma, CA on 4/10/10.

Jess and her fabulous wedding party having some fun before the ceremony...

A beautiful ceremony....

Of course, Phil stole the show as the disco roller skating cupid ring bearer (a surprise to the audience and most of the wedding party)!

Cupid and a bridesmaid have a moment after the ceremony...

Dancing the night away in concentric circles!

We came home from the weekend to enjoy a beautiful rainbow from our apartment.

The next weekend we went back up to Sonoma to Erika & Daniel's Leading Ladies Movie World Premiere.

Looking like a movie star in my new favorite 'car driving into the sunset' BluBlockers. For those who wear glasses and drive like old ladies....

Havilah (singer/song-writer for the movie), Me, Erika (dear friend/Leading Ladies screen-writer/director/producer), Gretchen (Erika's cousin and caterer extraordinaire), and Ashley (Erika's sister and Jessica's Sonoma high school friend to tie the weekends together!).

It was a wonderful time in Sonoma!

April Fool!

2010-04-18T11:32:00.005-05:00

Rolling Eggs Down the "Hill" with Sean & Saci on Easter....

Adorable Phil & Uncle Sean Easter Sing-a-long.

Baker Beach Blanket Birthday Bash! Who do think Kibriya got this move from?

Surfing the big log...the waves were CRAZY huge this day!

Jeff, Andrea, Ladie, Robin, Kibriya, Grayson & Me at the Beach!

En route to the rink, crossing the bridge on a rainy day after shopping China town....

Love the sign....Makes me feel like I own the ice!
Working out some moves off ice... on on the ice....

Our birthday outing to the California Academy of Sciences (you get in for free on your birthday!)

My awesome "ICEKATE" brand shirt #37! Even have my skating level badges on the sleeve (thanks for the best birthday gift ever PHIL!)

The after-effects of our new stairclimbing, biking, dancing, skating regime...

Finding enticement for Phil to stretch those hamstrings!

Well, that's the first couple of weeks of April...then the really fun part started. More to come!

Another Weekend Adventure:

2010-03-20T16:22:00.007-05:00

The theme continues, but this time I'm shooting for the under $100 weekend:

Another lovely Friday morning at home with the first mango of the spring season eaten at our home. We generally avoid buying fruits and veggies from far, far away lands, but a Mexican Mango found it's way into our fruit bowl. Delicious!

After some debate about whether or not it was acceptable to skip ice skating practice on the first 70 degree sunny day since our move to SF, we ultimately excused ourselves from the ice and started planning a fantastic city outing centered around the beach. We ventured out on the bus route (the 48) that takes us to the ocean, but this one dropped us off only half-way there at West Portal Station. We both have a great deal of affection for this neighborhood as it takes us back to our Stern Grove days. Phil was the volunteer coordinator for 4 summers at the Stern Grove Music Festival and we had many wonderful experiences in West Portal and at the Grove. We decided to get a sandwich for a picnic in the Grove and went to Toasties to sample the "Best Crab Melt in San Francisco". I have to admit for a $10 sandwich it was well worth the expense, but not as good as the even more pricey $17 crab melt at Somerset in Oakland. However, that's not in SF, so I'm cool with Toasties' claim to fame. We wandered down along West Portal Ave reminiscing and dreaming about opening Finding Center West (the city version of my Pilates studio) in this area.

As we headed down into the Grove my senses were overwhelmed by the intoxicating smell of eucalyptus, a scent that would penetrate our car and our clothes for days after an afternoon in the Grove. The staff of Stern Grove during those years is an amazing bunch of individuals, many of whom have become good friends, and my memories of hanging out back stage after the shows are some of my most treasured SF moments. We also had many family and friend picnics on those Sunday afternoons. The Grove has been remodeled and now it's more structured and even more beautiful. With ample choice of picnic spots, we sat down to enjoy our lunch and soak up the warm windless sun. Energy restored, we headed up out of the Grove and to the L-Taraval Muni line to whisk us out to Ocean Beach.

Had I not known better, I would have thought we were in SoCal with tons of Spring Break college students hanging out in their suits on the beach. With very cold water and a brisk ocean breeze, I don't know how they were staying warm, but it's always a treat to see so many folks enjoying the beach. We walked up the beach, feet freezing in the surf, towards Golden Gate Park until the need for a rest in the warm sand compelled us to find a little nook in the dunes. Phil took a nap while I called my dad. Feeling rather depleted from our sun-bathing, we decided on a chocolate chip cookie and ice tea from Java Beach, another great SF cafe.

Nicely refreshed, we hopped on the N-Judah line to head down towards the Haight. Walking along Haight Street is always a trip as people are still (somewhat desperately in my view) holding on to the glory days when this was the hub of the group living, pot smoking, free loving, anti-establishment scene. Now it's a strange mix of upscale salons and boutiques, kitchy thrift stores, piercing shops and restaurants...generally not my favorite neighborhood but fun to take a stroll through now and again. However, the legs started to tire again and dinner came to mind, so we caught the 43 Masonic bus and went to another favorite eatery, Hukilau. We shared a traditional Hawaiian meal of taro leaf and pulled pork steamed in banana leaves and served with white rice and macaroni salad. YUMMMM! Realizing we weren't too far from our movie theatre destination, we walked down Geary St. towards Japantown and ran into one of our favorite Stern Grove interns at a bus stop! We ended up early for the film, so we meandered around one of our very favorite gems, Japantown Mall, bought some mochi sweets to sneak into the theater and got great seats for The Ghost Writer.

Here's the run-down...
Crab Melt at Toasties (with a "free" soda) $10
Peet's Green Ice Tea $2
Cookie & Ice Tea at Java Beach Cafe $4
Shared Meal at Hukilau $22
Mochi Sweets from Nijiya Market $4
Kabuki Sundance Cinema (over 21 theatre) $28
Glass of Wine at Cinema Bar $9

Total Date Out (12pm-10pm): $79
(not including Muni Passes)

With the goal of staying well within the $100 Weekend of dining/excursions, we ate at home today and went down to the Noe Valley Farmer's Market to shop for the week. Phil went roller skating at the local middle school playground while I did a booty-shaking dance workout at home, and we had our friends Chloe & Jim over for tea time. Tonight we're being treated to dinner by Jessica & Seth (for a belated Phil's B-Day Gift)!

Life is good.

Enjoying the City Life...

2010-03-13T18:05:00.006-06:00

Believe it or not, we do more than just sit around our home and take photos of the view! We are starting to get back into our old groove of seeing friends, being active and enjoying the spoils of living in such an amazing city. Once upon a time I had the idea of writing a blog of 100 weekends in San Francisco for $100. Well, I still like the concept, but this time we blew our wad all in one day. But boy was it fun! We started out at home with a lovely meal of steel cut oats for breakfast, caught up on some housework and then headed out on the town for an adventure. We took the muni tram to Tartine, a uber-hip bakery/cafe in the Mission where we shared a delicious pecorino, almond, sage & lemon olive oil toasted sandwich. Then off to Yerba Buena Ice Center for an hour of ice time practicing our 3 turns and mohawks. We always meet new people out on the ice and we are enjoying being part of the adult ice skating community. It's a very age-diverse scene and it's inspiring to see people much older than us skating beautifully. Well, we burned enough calories to earn ourselves a cream puff from Beard Papa, where they custom fill your puff with the flavored cream of your choice....yummm!

In order to keep up with the San Francisco theme, we headed to the Gap flagship store to spend some of Phil's birthday $ and I finally found a much needed new pair of jeans that fit perfectly and got a 30% discount from handing over my old denim to be recycled into housing insulation!
Feeling much more sassy in my new jeans, we caught the historic street car up Market Street to the Castro to look for more threads, where Phil searched at Crossroads Recycled Clothing and found some real gems....especially the Adidas Star Wars line Darth Vader jacket!

(Phil posing as super-hip San Francisco 35 year old)

All the shopping had made us mildly hungry again, plus we had been walking around in the rain all day, so Phil suggested we go to Anchor Oyster Bar for a bowl of clam chowder. This is a tiny little old-school SF style Oyster Bar in the Castro we had never been to. After ordering a shellfish cocktail and some chowder we saw the specials they had for dinner, so we decided to splurge a bit and order the leek and chard handmade ravioli with a Meyer lemon cream sauce and Dungeness Crab... pretty much the most delicious meal I can imagine! Our waiter had been in the line in front of us at Crossroads and was most admiring of the Star Wars jacket, thus adding some decadent garlic bread to our already carb-filled meal. Two glasses of wine and a two full bellies later, we caught the bus home and sauntered up our 133 stairs where we relaxed and continued our Billy Crudup festival with the film Stage Beauty (we watched Almost Famous earlier in the week). All in all a most indulgent and lovely day.

Ice Skating (with Skating School Discount) $10
Tartine Sandwich $12
Beard Papa Creme Puffs $5 for 2
Anchor Oyster Bar Dinner $68
Travel on Muni $4 (not including Phil's monthly pass)
Total Day Out (not including breakfast at home, new clothing and Netflix!): $99

More unbelievable views...

2010-03-07T19:57:00.005-06:00

Each day I wake up in our rather dark and nearly windowless bedroom and I can hardly wait to get up and see what's awaiting me on the other side of the door. I step into the living room and there is almost always an amazing new sight. Here is the continuation of the views from our new place...

And Happy Birthday to Phil! I got him a guitar for his birthday and he is already serenading me nightly. What a treat!

Phil's bro Jim also visited for Phil's birthday (thanks Caryn & Scott!) We had fun exploring the Cliff House and Sutro Baths!

Our Bird's-eye Nest

2010-02-06T13:22:00.006-06:00

Our 1st Morning Sunrise... Day 2!

Mid-Morning View...
Dinner by Candlelight and Full Moon Rise...

Night 2!

The view from the bottom of the stairs...
Our deck at the top of the stairs...
Grilled cheese on the deck in January (oh, California, you are so kind!)

Trying out the fireplace...what a treat on a cool, rainy night!

I am truly beside myself with nesting joy!

From our perch it's incredible to watch the sky and the city change. The fog was so thick yesterday morning you couldn't even see the streetlight outside our window. Two hours later it burned off to reveal the most amazingly clear city below. I think I'm going to sit here all day long and stare out the window. How peaceful and quiet it is up here on the hill.

Weekend Visit to Chicago

2010-02-01T22:05:00.003-06:00

A typical family scene in Caryn & Scott's kitchen! We had a quick and wonderful weekend visit to Chicago a mere 10 days ago...how time flies! Here are some photos from our trip.

Caryn & Scott---too adorable!

Family Fun on the Ice!

Did you notice the "Smitten"? The perfect ice-skating date accessory to keep your hand-holding nice and toasty.

The Warden and I at Julius Meinl Cafe (our 2nd visit in 2 days!)

The lovely Weglarz sibs on our sibs night (no kids) outing to Lincoln Square.

Gathering on Grandma Weglarz's sofa after a perfectly Polish meal of potato pancakes, pierogies & pistachio cake all made with real Polish Grandmother LOVE!

What a great weekend. Too bad we can't have our cake and eat it too (in San Fran).

New Year, New City, New Blog!

2010-01-12T22:12:00.002-06:00

New Year's resolutions have never played a big part in my life, but one of my goals this year is to reinstate blogging as part of my routine. I do love to write and read blogs and I want to be part of the community! The past few months since my last post have been such a whirlwind. We have slept in way too many different spaces/places/states/beds; it's amazing I still wake up each morning knowing where I am! Somehow my spirit has kept up with the pace and all and all I'm amazed at how well we have both fared.

I mentioned before the 12 stages of moving and thanks goodness we are nearing the end of this moving marathon! We are signing a lease this week for an apartment in San Francisco, just around the corner from Kelly & Peter's (my cousins) new place! I was determined to find a home with tons of light and a view, and in this regard we have found the perfect place. Our new apartment is perched up on a hill overlooking San Francisco, on one of those streets where it's too steep for a road, so there are stairs leading down to the street below. I love the stairway hikes of the city and can't believe I get to live at the top of one of those hills! We only have one bedroom, but the living room sleeper sofa has a million dollar view for our visitors (hint:hint).

The first month of our re-entry into Bay Area life was utterly surreal, like we were asleep for two years and then woke up to find people and their children older, colleagues changed and spaces altered. Thankfully this initial disorientation has been wearing away a little each day and now we are both feeling more present. We have been doing a lot of socializing with friends and family which has helped to bring us up to current time and space! Last night I had the best night's sleep I'd had in ages.

We are both back at our old jobs and my work at the Pilates Studio is going really well. My colleagues are a wonderful mix and new and old friends and I couldn't feel more joyous as I go to work each day. I have some former clients back on my schedule as well as some delightful new folks....really a perfect combo. Once we get settled in our new place I think we'll feel even more grounded. I admit I'm actually starting to miss some of my "stuff" after months and months of looking at other peoples' stuff! The comfort of my duvet and the ease of chopping the with same old kitchen knife will be a welcome home treat. I can't wait to cozy up by our working fireplace with my favorite tea cup and look out over our favorite town. Almost there!

Has FB Killed the Blog?

2009-10-13T16:47:00.003-05:00

Seriously, I am terribly disappointed with myself and with some of my fellow (esp. sisterhood) bloggers. What has happened? Has FB taken over our lives? Or is life just so full of work, activities, family and friends that we don't have time to blog? I realize I will check FB a couple of times a day (often on my ipod touch) see what folks are up to, look at photos, make some comments and it never even occurs to me to write or read my blogs. FB's just so quick and easy, but like a microwave dinner. I have also recently become a text message user and I find I think in one sentence statements (often using poor spelling & grammar), not in full paragraphs and even less so in essay form. What good was all that graduate school for:)

Anyhow, sorry to rant, but I thought I would give a little blog update on the Flying Weglarzs. We are in about stage 4 of what I would anticipate is a 10-12 stage move. Phil and I realized over the weekend that we actually love this transitional time, For the first time we admitted to ourselves that perhaps the love of this liminal state of being is a driving force for all the moves we have done together. I could do without the packing and dealing with the objects of my life, but the rest of it is really quite fun. I love the research, the organization, the dreaming, but most of all the free flowing sentiments of love and and connection amongst our friends and family that is expressed because we are either saying goodbye or hello. It's a unique time and it really brings out the best in both Phil and I. It's also quite nice not to be responsible for a home, just living out of a suitcase and appreciating those who have generously opened their homes to us. Who would have thought that the gypsy spirit ran so strong in both our hearts? The lack of routine is annoying at times, but for the most part it allows us to be more creative about how we spend our days.

So this week I will start to slow down my work schedule a bit, as clients begin to transition to new trainers. There are lots of goodbyes and thank yous and hasn't it been wonderful to know yous. I love that part. In the midst of this, I'm starting to let myself get really excited about moving to California. I laugh when I think about my last visit there when I started crying to my sister saying, "I just love it here so much!". I can't wait to dip my toes in the ocean, take a long walk on the beach and hike up a hill for a vista. Saying goodbye to friends and family here will be sad, but there is joy in knowing we will be coming back here as often as we can. I am thankful that we heeded the call to move here and and I am thankful that we have the opportunity to move back. Life continues to be full of surprises.

At this stage, we are spending our last night at Lauri's house in Andersonville, then we go to Caryn & Scott's new home for the weekends and our friend Meredith's apartment in Lincoln Square during the week (making our commutes much easier). Are we blessed or what!

p.s. I would never write all this on FB. So there.

More Memories of August

2009-08-30T15:40:00.006-05:00

Scott, our valiant boat & fisherman

Dave looking cool

Jenna (w/ Cooper in her lap)

Isn't he just so handsome?

This gear finally got Adison in the "green water"

Cooper and a huge dragonfly

Dinner....YUMMM!

Beautiful Sunset on the Lake

After Brunch at the Cook Shanty

Brunch starts with Donuts...we also got some on our way out of town!

I've been so remiss in posting photos over the past few months....I just wanted to note that August has been jam-packed with fun. Here are just a few of the photos that capture the joy that has filled the summer, starting with our Wisconsin family vacation. More photos pending!

OK-It's Happening...

2009-08-29T07:59:00.008-05:00

The final meal in our Chicago dining room....Caryn's Birthday Celebrations!

OK- It's happening...We are moving back to California. I have to sing it from the top of The Ledge of the Willis Tower because there are no mountains here, but it just so happens I was up there last week with Dad & Dori! I have been hesitant about making it official, but yesterday we moved out of our apartment, put our stuff in storage pods, and then Phil spoke with his old boss in San Fran who wants to hire him back (definitely temporarily and maybe permanently). It's rather bewildering how things seem to be falling into place. It looks promising that I might buy back into Finding Center, the pilates studio I co-owned in Oakland. Now that we both have good work prospects and our stuff is ready to roll, I can finally believe that it's going to happen. We still have 2 more months here in Chicago to enjoy the city and the people and to save up some $ for another expensive move. I will be working more than usual and taking the semester off school to ease the pressure of the transition. Then we will likely be driving out west and then spending a little time with Dad & Dori in Maui before we settle into Bay Area life once again.

This morning I awake at our friend's flat where we are house-sitting for a week and I feel a huge sense of relief. The process of moving all the STUFF is just so arduous. After 3 weeks of packing, 4 super-strong guys spent 3 hours carrying all our possessions down 3 flights of stairs and then solved the challenging puzzle of how to fit it all in 2 Door-to-Door containers. It was the best money I've ever spent! We came here from SF with 2 containers and we are going back with same. Which meant we sold or gave away most of the furniture in the big Chicago apartment. I will certainly miss all that square footage, but I have great memories of all the meals and fun family times had in that apartment. I will especially miss hosting Wednesday Family Fun nights with Sophia, Jim, Caryn and occasional guest stars. We got to have a final dinner at our dining table to celebrate Caryn's B-Day followed by yet another rendition of the If I Ran a Circus performance. The next morning we sold the dining set to a nice couple from craigslist. We have sold our favorite purple velvet chaise lounge and given our entire sofa set to Jim & Sophia. Now I just have to get mentally prepared to head back to a smaller apartment!

This weekend we still have breakfast with Phil's Dad and Sophia's 7th B-day party at the beach with all the Weglarz-Wards to look forward to. Summer's not quite over, but the weather has been cloudy, rainy and cool this week- a lot like the Bay Area!

In the midst of moving, we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary this week. Today after the final bit of work was done, we went out to our favorite lunch cafe, Julius Mienl, and had a delicious meal to celebrate a fantastic 8 years and the survival of the past couple of weeks! We gifted ourselves some teacups and saucers from this favorite Chicago haunt. I look forward to drinking out of them every morning until I see my regular tea set again....exactly when and where are still a mystery! But that's half the fun of the adventure. We sure have moved a lot in our life together, but somehow it just feels right. Yep--it's happening!

California Dreaming

2009-08-03T20:18:00.002-05:00

As summer is finally in full swing here in Chicago (thank goodness for sunshine!) we are simultaneously enjoying all that being here has to offer and we are dreaming of a potential move back to California. Yes, back to California. It's hard to imagine the actual reality of moving our stuff and our lives once again, but Phil has started looking for job opportunities back in the Bay Area. I have also been dreaming of how my life may look on the west coast. Chicago has certainly been an adventure and I have had the true pleasure of starting on a new project, Chinese medical school. But, we both agree that our true home is in California and we are planning and plotting how to orchestrate a move. We have learned that we can't make both our families and all our friends happy by fixing our location in one place or another, we just have to follow our hearts and dreams and goals and appreciate all the adventures that life continues to lead us on. Ideally, we could come up with a scenario that allows us to spend time in multiple places...that would satisfy all our goals!

We are moving out of our apartment at the end of August and moving in with Caryn and Scott temporarily to truly enjoy some time with them and plan our next move without the commitment of a lease. It should be a lovely fall here in Chicago. But first we have our week long family vacation in Wisconsin to look forward to and then a visit from my folks and from Phil's Dad & Janet too! We will be busy, but what's new. Now I just have to get back to studying herbs so I can get a decent grade on my final!

The 2nd 14 Days of June

2009-06-28T11:59:00.003-05:00

It hasn't been as busy, but the fun and sun of summer's energy is here! I just adore this time around the summer solstice, the long days and the boundless energy. I wish every part of the year could be like this. We had more fun down in Champaign, being extras in Leading Ladies yet again. It was amazing to see Erika and Daniel in action, they are moving-making super-stars! Not to mention all the work Jenna and Dave contributed to make it all happen. It was fun being part of the Leading Ladies family at least for a few hours. Can't wait to see the real deal once it's edited.

I have started 2 new classes at school (a massage class and a Qi Gong/mediation class). I really like the teacher and summer is a great time for practical classes. One of the Qi Gong exercises is about smiling at and thanking all your sensory and internal organs. I am feeling grateful for my health. I've also been doing a fair amount of Pilates and am enjoying how strong I feel.

For the grand finale of these 14 days we are house-sitting for our friends who live in a very large, beautiful house right by the lake. They have a huge deck full of flowers and places to lounge, and if it gets too hot we come into the glorious air conditioning (which we do not have our apartment). We packed up our bags, closed up our apartment, and are living in the lap of luxury over here until July 4th. Saturday night we rode our bikes up the lakeshore path to the sing-a-long Mamma Mia playing in the park. We sat in the warm light rain enjoying the movie and had fun singing and dancing with an enthusiastic crowd. The 28th day of June we just relaxed on the deck and had a meditation, massage and hair cut (for Phil) spa! In the evening we went to the opening of the new play, UP, at Steppenwolf Theatre with Caryn and Scott. The play was funny, poetic and a bit sad (the same story inspired the movie UP) and was followed by a good time at the afterparty. I am curious what the next 14 days will hold!

The 14 Days of June

2009-06-14T18:16:00.004-05:00

June has been off to quite a rockin' start! Here's a brief synopsis (not necessarily by date):

1. Broke my tooth eating a pretzel (need a crown, my 1st one!)

2. Phil and I took a crazy fun Jazz class at Joel Hall Dance together and laughed our way through an insane amount of push-ups!

3. Had a wonderful celebration at Sai Cafe with Scott Klein and crew for his birthday.

4. Went to Champaign, IL to be an extra in Erika and Daniel Beahm's feature film, Leading Ladies. We got to be in a super-fun club scene and were lucky enough to get a private lunch with the directors!

5. Had a ball with the Weglarz-Ward kids in Champaign, Chicago, and Elmhurst. Jenna and Madeline spent the night and we went out to El Circo Cheapo at Aloft, which was fantastic.

6. Became a certified Drums Alive Power Beats instructor, thanks to my awesome booty shakin', drummin' sister-in-law.

7. Saw lots of Pilates clients and did some World Beat Workout with my boss, Cindy.

8. Had a somewhat chilly family night picnic in the park and watched Sophia conquer the swirling monkey bars.

9. Studied Chinese Herbs until my brain nearly melted (and will do so again this week for my midterm).

10. Went to an all-day experiential anatomy workshop with one of my favorite leaders in the field of movement science, Eric Franklin. Truly inspiring.

11. Had a Friday night date with Phil at our new and improved local farmer's market at Uncommon Ground (and a nice glass of wine to boot!)

12. Had a delicious meal with Uncle Dave and family downtown at Rosebud.

13. Went on a walk on the beach with my husband and enjoyed the Andersonville Midsommarfest.

14. Made my first batch of homemade ice cream to share with friends tonight!

And on the 14th day of June I finally figured out how to do links on my blog.

Inpsiration

2009-05-31T17:04:00.007-05:00

Well, the last day of May has come and I am reminded of the wonderful ritual of welcoming May up at Inspiration Point in the Berkeley, CA hills. As the month comes to a close I am pleased to report that inspiration has come into our lives in many ways. Phil and I have both started taking weekly dance classes (Phil: Hula, Me: Ballet & Cardio Rhythms). Bringing to joy of dance back into our lives has definitely changed the mood around the home. We also have done a TON of spring cleaning and have separated my office/study from Phil's new Art Studio, which has made us both happy. We also cleaned out every closet, drawer, plastic bin, cupboard, etc. and have decided we are likely to stay put in our current apartment for another round of seasons. I have visions of home painting projects looming in my future!

Inspiration has also come from our niece Sophia's 1st ice skating show. The show and Sophia were wonderful and on our bike ride home Phil and I came up with an idea for an ice dance duet....but of course we have to take some lessons first! So we have created a summer training regime that includes biking and dancing. I've even convinced Phil to come to Beg. Ballet with me this week. Spins and jumps, elegance, coordination and super-strong legs....here we come! It's all part of the "How to get through another Chicago winter" plan. Oh yes, we are thinking in advance this time around.

May has been a busy month. My new school term is in session, I'm working at 2 Pilates studios now, and we are trying to boost up our social schedule. The trees are lush and the air is getting warmer everyday....we are now ready for the joy and fire of summer!

Return from San Fran

2009-05-05T16:25:00.007-05:00

Happy Phil at Dolores Park

At the Farmer's Market with Sean & Saci

Celebrating Ladie's B-Day with Mustapha, Maryam & fruit parfaits

Another favorite spot, Baker Beach

A lovely evening with Susan & Alisa

Celebrating May Day Sunrise at Inspiration Point (with Morris Dancers!)

Merry May!

A Walking Stick Bug on our walk with Jen

After the show at Studio 12

Smiles Galore with Ladie, Robin & Kibryia

Kate feeling crappy and Phil looking crabby at the airport

It's official: I am declaring an end to the great winter funk of 2009. Sadly, this new phase is not off to a perfect start. I am home today fighting a nasty strep throat infection that I acquired in San Francisco, but never the less I am trying to have a good attitude about May. After a feverish late night flight home from SF on Sunday and a second night of no sleep I was feeling just awful. But the nearly 20 hours of sleep I had yesterday has greatly helped me restore my spirits and my health. We had such a wonderful trip to California visiting with friends and family, I think I just wore out my throat from all the talking. It was a social marathon, but you have to drink up the love when it's there for the drinking. We have so many great friends and family members in California and we got to see most everyone (sadly, not Dad & Dori and no photos from my lovely visit with the Swanson's). From Santa Barbara to San Francisco, San Rafael, Berkeley & Oakland we really had an awesome time. It's a bit hard to be back, but our spirits are renewed and we are excited about summer in Chicago. Merry May!

Tax Day

2009-04-15T09:29:00.003-05:00

So the word on the street here is that it rarely, if ever, snows after tax day. Whooo-Hoooo, we made it! Phil and I were discussing this morning the reality of living here. You really do have to have 2 separate lifestyles, one for winter (which we decided is Oct. 15-April 15) and one for the other, dare I say enjoyable, half of the year. We are still struggling with this after years and years of living the easy California lifestyle. If we can develop these split personalities, I think we can enjoy ourselves a bit more here. I know this probably sounds ridiculous to a native midwesterner, but we have really struggled with winter this year (the novelty has definitely worn off). So as we exit this season quite crabby and feeling somewhat defeated, we are working on our game-plan for next winter: ice-skating lessons, cross-country skiing, trips to Wisconsin & Michigan for more nature, music lessons, dance classes, trips to the theatre, more time spent with family and friends, and acceptance that we use the car a lot more than we like to. We've also decided that March is the most brutal part of the year and that is the PERFECT time to visit California...we would like to make that a yearly ritual. Thankfully, it is supposed to warm up in the next couple of days and then we are off to Champaign for the weekend to celebrate Jenna's birthday....and start enjoying the better half of the year.

'Hosannah'...We're almost there!

2009-04-05T14:57:00.003-05:00

Flying Weglarz's junior blogger, Phil is writing today while Kate prepares for final exams (Good Luck, Kate!). Kate's April entry should appear later this month, so stay tuned.

Phil didn't want today to go unnoticed. It is afterall Palm Sunday, the final Lenten mile-marker, one slow, deep breath away from Easter - the celebration of Renewal, Hope and Life. We attended the corner Catholic church's service this morning in order to pause a moment to reflect and prepare with the people in our neighborhood, including a lively sun-kissed procession up and down the block to the beat of drums: Hosannah!

The growing momentum of the holiday makes me want to shout, "We have survived! Despite the dark, bitter winter; despite the financial crisis and the incessant waves of woeful news and anxious conversations; despite failures to achieve goals which seemed at first so simple; despite feeling lost and confused in the midst of it all, we emerge to join in the celebration of Spring, of Light and the Future!"

The conflicts of this week's Passion seem to be mirrored in our still developing life in Chicago. The Church celebrates the miraculous life of Jesus Christ while it simultaneously prepares for the crucifixion. Then, the brutality and injustice of His death is soon cancelled by His Resurrection. This week, tears and song will mingle in churches worldwide, and snow will fall on daffodils in front of our apartment building. It is as if this one week captures the drama of the whole year's journey from light to dark and back again. It should not surprise us to be see-sawing with thoughts and feelings that weave together past experience with visions of the future, or to find ourselves clinging to our little magic carpet through all its wild twists and turns.

My Kind of March Madness

2009-03-08T13:28:00.005-05:00

Ok...I'll admit I don't know the first thing about the real March Madness (something to do with basketball?), but I can express my interpretation of the term. Two weeks ago today we were out in the sun ice skating for Phil's Birthday, last Sunday it was snowing and blowing so hard I could barely walk a block without going backwards, today it's absolutely POURING rain with thunder and lightning. Not to mention 2 days ago I was out walking around in the beautiful sweet sun with only a light sweatshirt on. Then the rain came and killed our car, which won't start if it gets too wet. Now that is maddening! March is such a tease, a cruel tease. I have worn each and everyone of my various jackets in the last week. It's just plain confusing. I remember someone warning me last year that March is actually the hardest month of winter, everyone is so crabby and ready for it just to be OVER.

This time of Lent can certainly be trying of our faith, patience and perseverance. It's a good reminder that we are not in charge and that we just have to trust that Spring will come and renew our spirits. Every year for Lent I give up something, and this year I decided to work on giving up anxiety. It's a challenging one, but so far I'm doing better than expected. For me, anxiety is mostly a fear-based emotion driven on a false idea that I can control things. The crazy whims of Chicago weather remind me to be flexible and accept that I cannot really control anything except my reaction to what is happening in the moment. I certainly have times of being rather disappointed in myself, but there are successes as well. Hopefully, I will emerge from March stronger and more prepared for whatever lies ahead, and not just mad!

Where has time gone?

2009-02-18T13:15:00.004-06:00

To those who actually follow my blog....sorry for the long hiatus in posting. I guess the mild depression of winter has thoroughly set in and I haven't had much to say in this forum. Of course, I also just like my paradise entry to come up on my homepage everyday to remind me of warmer, more relaxing times. Winter actually hasn't been that bad, we've had lots of sunny days and great times with family and friends. For Valentine's Day Phil and I got out of the city in search of some winter nature energy and were happy that Wisconsin could provide just what we needed. We had a sunny and very mellow weekend in Elkhart Lake at the Osthoff Resort. The main activity was supposed to be outdoor ice-skating, but the early February thaw thwarted our plans. Instead we had an invigorating hike on the snow mobile trails and a great dinner at a local supper club. All in all a perfect get-away. And we came home a little early to get some skating in at our local rink (by the way, Phil has mastered his first jump!). This week we're gearing up for some fun birthday celebrations for my wonderful husband. I always feel once we make it to Phil's birthday, Spring is just around the corner!

Paradise

2009-01-02T10:59:00.007-06:00

Nizi's Birthday Pina Colada

Sister's Wii Tennis Match (Amy won...)

Happy at the beach in my pink shades (thanks WW's!)

Lounging Sand Men (Ciza, Phil, Unidentified Buff Man, and Abel)

A Great Boat Snorkel Trip

Dad, Sis Amy & Niece Nizi

Sunset from the Lanai

We've flown about 4,300 miles south of Chicago and are thoroughly enjoying a week in paradise with my family celebrating Christmas, Nizi's 21st birthday and New Years. It's so lush and beautiful on Maui. I love waking up early to the birds excited by the prospect of the sunrise. After the end of lovely day at the beach or an outing with the family there is the even sweeter moment of sunset, which we can see perfectly from the condo. The last 2 days have been absolutely divine beach days; good waves to play in, warm waters and lots of sun. We have mostly spent time together as a family, at the beach, on a snorkeling trip, a couple of sight-seeing outings and sharing meals together in the evening. There have been a couple of minor Wii injuries from boxing and bowling (Phil took me down in a boxing rematch, my arms were so tired!). Not to mention the delight of going to bed early after a long day in the sun.

It's our last morning on Maui. Today we take the ferry over to Honolulu for 2 nights on our own before we catch our overnight flight back to the frozen tundra! It was hard to imagine being here while we were in Chicago and now it's hard to imagine going back. I saw my hat and gloves in my suitcase and was very thankful that I've been barefoot in my bikini most of the past week. We've also been keeping the eating local tradition going by taking in lots of macadamia nuts, papayas, avocados, ice cream and tons of sugar. Yummmm. What a treat it is to be in paradise with the people I love. Happy New Year!

Solstice

2008-12-21T08:57:00.005-06:00

We went ice-skating in the snow last night while the Christmas music was playing, just wonderful! Then home to enjoy the tree and eat Chicago style pizza and watch the last in our hockey-themed movie series, Miracle. A perfect winter date.

From today's Chicago Tribune:
Winter Solstice occurs at 6:04 a.m. making this Chicago's shortest day of the year, 9 hours and 8 minutes. Temperatures start off around 5 degrees below zero and stay almost steady throughout the day. Strong westerly winds at speeds of 30 m.p.h with gusts over 40 m.p.h. combined with the 5-degree or lower temperatures will drive wind chills to dangerous 20 to 25 degrees below zero levels. Overnight winds diminish, but falling temps keep wind chills 20 degrees below zero.

Our windows are completely frozen over. I'm a little scared to go outside. But the good news is the days will start getting longer starting tomorrow. Yippee! Happy Solstice!

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-19T08:54:00.004-06:00

Yep...it's cold, very cold. Thankfully I'm on my break from school and thus I have even fewer reasons to leave the house. Yesterday I never did, except to go out on the balcony bundled up to get a bit of vitamin D (the sun was shining!). Basically, I've just been keeping the Christmas tree company. They fixed our heat so it's like a sauna in our house and I can just pretend I'm in Hawaii a week before we leave! The darkness and the cold certainly make doing anything slightly more arduous. This is the time of year when I used to walk on the beach in San Francisco, enjoying the lovely winter weather. We forge ahead and walk on the beach in Chicago year round, it's really very beautiful (see photos). Today I will actually have to go outside. I'm headed downtown to finish my Christmas shopping; it should be a snowy adventure!

Whirlwind...

2008-12-06T16:30:00.003-06:00

First some Thanksgiving photos....lots of fun in Champaign with the sibs-only day. We successfully re-created our stick throwing ritual and have great documentation! That was the last day I had to catch my breath as I went straight into final weeks for this semster....so much studying! Once again, I feel the neurons in my brain actually hurting from overuse. My memory bank is ever-expanding, but just like my stomach, I can only take in so much at any given time. I have two more finals to go on Monday, then I'm FREE from school for four sweet, much-anticipated weeks (2 of which will be in Maui!). Our poor Christmas tree is still undecorated, but at least we got it up the 3 flights and into our apartment! The snow is lovely and winter is certainly here in full force. Happy Holiday Season!

Winter Already?

2008-11-18T17:53:00.006-06:00

First Night at the Millennium Park rink

At the Blackhawks Game

Starting the new Roller Pole-Dancing Trend

Phil Chillin' at the Beach

Wow....things change fast. One day I'm roller blading on the Lakeshore path in a t-shirt, two weeks later I'm bundled up in the snow going to a hockey game (if you didn't catch on, the theme is skating). The good news is that the outdoor skating rinks open the Friday after Thanksgiving...and we will be there! That's the one thing about winter I was sad to say goodbye to when the Spring thaw set in. Phil's been working on his roller dancing moves in the parking lot near our house, so now we'll see how his new skills translate on ice. I think I'm over my short-lived "woe is me, summer's gone" grieving period and am ready to get into "arctic explorer" mode once again. I get made fun of for bundling up the way I do (mostly by my colleagues at work), but it sure does keep me warm and toasty. I've disappointed myself by not becoming the cold-weather biking bad-ass I so hoped I could be; I'm just not that tough. I'd rather be nice and warm on the train or bus listening to my ipod than be battling the cold winds out by the lake. Commuting in winter is hard enough as it is. But I think I'm ready!

Obama!

2008-11-08T17:28:00.003-06:00

I don't normally get political on my blog, but I have to say that this has been an incredibly exciting week here in Chicago. I still feel totally giddy and in awe of the fact that this country has elected Obama as our next president...I was hopeful, but the reality is awesome! There was so much energy here in the city on Tuesday night; parties everywhere, firecrackers, people whooping in the streets. We went up to our favorite local eatery, Heartland Cafe, to watch the elections results come in. I am especially happy about Colorado (go Teahm Beahm!)! Anyhow, I am inspired that Americans believe that this country can evolve and become a much better place for us all. I feel the winds of change.

Day of the Dead

2008-11-02T16:59:00.011-06:00

A Beautiful Fall Afternoon at Oz Park with Caryn & Sophia

Happy Galloping on one of the few "hills" in Chicago.

Picking out scents at the Aroma Workshop (owned by our friend Ted)
Sophia invented the new bubble bath flavor Fignilla.

At the Opera, before the 4 long hours!

Not so much a dress-up, costume party kind of weekend. Instead a fun date out at the opera Manon on Friday night and on Saturday a perfect at home British double feature starring Simon Pegg: 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Run, Fat Boy, Run'....hilarious and a great example of the beauty of Netflix queue orchestration (and husband/wife cooperation)! Last, but not least, a happy Aunt & Uncle day with our niece Sophia out on the town. We didn't make it to the Day of the Dead exhibit we had planned to go to, but we certainly celebrated life!

October Photos

2008-10-27T10:52:00.003-05:00

Fire at the Beahm Blossom Cabin

E & Phil on the Porch

A Lovely Outing with Sean & Saci

Fall is Full

2008-10-23T09:10:00.003-05:00

It seems that I write a lot about all the fun I'm having in Chicago. And I just can't stop. The party does just keep rolling. It's really quite extraordinary. At times I get a little fatigued, maybe feel overly full, or long for a 'nothing' day off. But then a new round of fun things to do comes my way and I just have to say YES! What amazes me is how work and school just fit their way around all the social activity. It somehow works out and it can feel a bit magical. When I get my paycheck or another decent grade on a test, I always feel a bit bewildered...how did that happen? I thought life in Chicago might seem somewhat mundane, but it's turned out to be quite the opposite. The seasons definitely have something to do with it, because the rhythm of life changes a lot every 3 months. I haven't ridden my bike is over 2 weeks now and somehow Phil has been taking me to school and picking me up from work quite regularly. A whole new routine. I love all the dynamism of the city and of the weather, it certainly keeps things fresh. For now I will just keep enjoying the magic and appreciating the joy that surrounds me. And maybe one day when I'm especially crabby I'll write about things I don't like.....

Indian Summer

2008-10-12T07:36:00.003-05:00

This is that (potentially) last gorgeous weekend where every moment outdoors feels like a gift. Yesterday our busy afternoon/evening plans changed at the last minute, so Phil and I took some time to ride our bikes slowly through Lincoln Park and along the Lakeshore path to marvel in the beauty of a perfect Chicago day. The beach was the best part of all, so peaceful.

It has been a marathon week with work, midterms, and a busy social agenda. So an afternoon and evening to relax was such a delight. I awoke this morning at the crack of dawn wide awake and excited about the day ahead (which has not been my experience of any other morning this week!). We have been good about getting up early and getting out on our bikes to commute and we were at the farmer's market at 7am on Wednesday morning. Thankfully, today is a morning at home to have breakfast on the balcony and appreciate the 70-80 degree weather. We are attending Jimmy & Shannon's wedding this afternoon, which landed on this beautiful day and happens to be outside. I think we'll make a stop at the Botanic Gardens en route to see what fall has cooked up there. All in all, this promises to be a perfect Indian Summer day.

On the Brink between Birthday Season & Halloween

2008-10-06T08:03:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was another wonderful day in Champaign, down at the Weglarz-Ward's lovely home to celebrate their 3 kids and the fact that their birthdays are all clustered around this time of year. The kids were happy and seemed to have a great time, and so did all the grown-ups in our super hero themed outfits! We had a nice trip in the car with Jim and Sophia, lots of 20 questions and several mad libs later we were all home safe and sound.

(Some of the shots were taken by Adison (5); he's quite the photographer! I love to give him my camera and see what he comes up with.)

Facebook?

2008-09-27T07:22:00.003-05:00

I recently joined Facebook and I'm really not sure what I think about it. It's really cool to be able to look at all the people from high school and reconnect with friends from the past. But I'm not sure how to use it yet. As many of my family members, and fellow bloggers, are on Facebook too, I would love to hear how you use it. I have heard from one very long-lost friend from London who lives in Finland...that made my day! I would greatly appreciate your comments...

Back in School

2008-09-20T06:51:00.003-05:00

This weekend I must face the music that I am back in school. The first couple weeks of school are so nice because you don't have any real work yet. Then all of a sudden in week 3 of the term, there is a moment of reckoning. I have to study? Yes. And a lot! I like studying, but it takes a little while to warm up and get in the mode. I have nice mix of practical skills classes, theory classes, and anatomy & physiology, but it all adds up to a lot of work. On the train, on the bus, between clients, early in the morning, I start to squeeze it in wherever and whenever I can. It just takes a fair amount of discipline. I have enjoyed not being very disciplined during the past couple of months. Summer is truly over.

But Fall is the perfect time to start to look inward. The cooler mornings and nights have arrived and are harbingers of what's to come....a lot of time inside. And studying is the perfect activity for a cold, dreary day at home. It's amazing to already be experiencing our second round of seasons here in Chicago. Last fall was a bit of a blur, so I'm looking forward to being more present with it all this year.

Today I'm headed down to Champaign for one last summer adventure and to celebrate Erika and Adison's B-days at this turning point of the year. Should be a wonderful time....and really I'm not going to even think about studying until Monday!

A Week in the Life

2008-09-15T18:33:00.009-05:00

I thought I would share some of my successes, stories and influences from the week. Firstly, to follow up on my last entry, I did make awesome homemade pizza (with homemade pesto) for dinner on Friday night....yummmm. I was also successful in my first attempt to make homemade bread without the assistance of a bread maker. It turned out great despite the fact that I had to refrigerate the dough at one point due to time constraints. I've never been much of a baker, so this is a significant turning point in my kitchen career! This week I seek to conquer flan, which is on the top of my favorite dessert list.

In non-food news, I am in the process of choosing a new song for my singing lessons (and for the recital in November) and have had a lot of fun listening and singing this week. The current pick is Lost and Found from the musical, City of Angels (you can check it out on iTunes). Phil and I had a spectacular song and dance festival on Saturday night here at home. We are both obsessed with a couple of songs from Rent and are enjoying the new Spearhead album as well. I think it was the 2 days of constant rain that drove us to stay in (despite our best intentions to go out to the theater) and gave us the inspiration to party down chez nous. I love that Karaoke night with my husband is one of my VERY favorite ways to spend an evening. He's the best audience ever for my singing and dancing escapades (and my cooking)!

Sunday we braved the rain to explore our local Indian haunt down on Devon Ave. We found a lovely scarf for our friend Jessica's birthday and had some amazing vegetarian Indian food. It seems like Phil and I are having 10x as much time together as we have over the past few months. I think it's mostly due to Phil's job finally shifting into his new position as a clinician instead of a manager. I feel like we are finally finding our groove here in Chicago. It's wonderful and makes us feel really excited about exploring and enjoying our second year here even more.

Change

2008-09-08T09:01:00.005-05:00

Birthdays, new jobs, new classes, new ideas about life....it's been a full week of life since I last signed on. First let me start by saying that every year around this time I get a bee in my bonnet to approach the new year (I am perpetually on the academic calendar) with some goal in mind. This year I found my inspiration in an unexpected way; reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. I just couldn't put it down.

A little background first....Phil and I have an imaginary financial committee composed of a variety of characters that have been elected over the years including the bon vivant, the very productive CEO, the monk, the suburban housewife, the hippy mom, and don't forget about Polish grandma. These are the voices that we find come into our conversations, especially when we are making decisions about money. So we have financial committee meetings where all can be heard. It's been a very helpful tool to navigate any money stress in our lives. And it makes us feel that Phil's degree in Expressive Arts Therapy was an excellent investment!

The point of all this is that the 'Hippy Mom' has stepped forth as our valiant leader to take us into the fall season. Kingsolver's book (she is the ulimate hippy mom) has inspired us to make some changes in our household. We are going to try our best to eat with less gas in our food and we have a list of new cooking skills we want to learn. And we are going to put more focus on being locavores, trying to buy our food from sources closer to home (e.g. farmer's markets, community supported agriculture, wisconsin dairy, local free-range animal products). It's good for our health, our budget, the community, and the environment. Similar to our goal to bike when possible, it's a win-win situation all around. Anyhow, it means more time spent in the kitchen with my husband and with friends and family, which is always a good thing.

This coincides with my start of the school year when I finally commit to the study of Chinese Herbology, which is no easy task. It seems the natural world is finding its way into my life in fun new ways.

Lovers Leap

2008-08-30T07:09:00.008-05:00

Phil & I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary last weekend. It is also the 14th anniversary of meeting one another in our dance class at the University of Colorado. A lot to celebrate! We went down to Starved Rock State Park to enjoy some nature and hiking (yes, hiking in Illinois!) and spent the night at the lodge there. Overall, it was a really nice get-away and offered us some time to reflect and reminisce on our love and life experiences.

In our 14 years of togetherness, we've had a vast array of adventures and have created a life in several different homes. There is a bit of gypsy spirit in us that keeps us on the move and allows us to really enjoy each new environment we encounter. Its amazing to think about the people we've known over the years and those who have touched our lives. Somehow all this moving around has only helped our love for one another grow stronger. We also looked through a box of well-wishes we received on our wedding day and felt incredibly blessed once again. Thanks to the wonderful people in our lives that have supported Phil and I in our journey. And, as Phil promised me on our wedding day...the best is yet to come!

Falling in Love with Chicago

2008-08-22T18:03:00.004-05:00

Just a taste of the Air & Water show.

At the Bonsai exhibits (note the Bonsai Forest)

Looking North from the Hancock Building.

The Famous 'Bean'

A view from Millennium Park

Dad & Dori were here last weekend for perfect weather and a fantastic visit. We had so much fun being tourists and it made me love this place even more. It was Dori's first visit to Chicago and we especially wanted to impress her. We couldn't have dreamed that the 50th annual Air & Water Show that was going all weekend would really knock her socks off! Between watching all varieties of old and new planes and stealth bombers zoom all over the Chicago skyline and then the historical architecture tour from the Chicago river, we spent a lot of the weekend looking up at the marvels of modern technology. Which is certainly one of Chicago's claims to fame as it came of age during the industrial revolution. We ventured to the top of the John Hancock Building to look DOWN upon the city and once again marvel at the coastline and architechture and the clear blue waters of Lake Michigan full of sailboats.

In order to ground ourselves a bit, we balanced that out with a spectacularly beautiful day out at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. On the very north side of the county, it is a truly delightful place, as we turned each corner our senses were overwhelmed by all the beauty and variety. I can't wait to go back in the fall to watch the gardens change. Along that theme we also took a quick trip en route out to Oak Park, to the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright. We didn't take the official tour, but it was fun to walk around the neighborhood and admire his work.

The family also gave Dad and Dori a nice welcome as we had a delicious meal out in Elmhurst with Caryn & Scott, Bob & Peggy, Eileen & Phil, Jim and Sophia. We ate the last of Scott's catch of the summer. The next day we were all a bit spent (gee I wonder why?), so we made a short visit to Milliennum Park and stopped by Caryn's shop to see what all those hard workers are up to. Next time perhaps they'll visit in winter....I already have lots of ideas for the winter tourist agenda! And we never did eat that Chicago style pizza.

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-22T17:49:00.004-05:00

The busy family birthday season has begun. Starting with Caryn & Sean's birthday, we celebrated at our place with a picnic dinner in the dining room due to rain and had a lovely time (wishing Sean was here). This past week we celebrated Sophia's 6th birthday (a bit early) in the park complete with ribs and ice cream cone cupcakes. Next thing you know it will be Cooper's big day!

iLOVE Vacation

2008-08-11T17:28:00.012-05:00

Generally, there were a lot of people in the water and on the dock. Always a good spot for a conversation!

Reuniting with the much-missed Sean & Saci!

Getting a little silly after the big group photo....our little clan.

Lounging in the Hammock....a moment of peace & quiet.

Scott delighted many children with his excellent fishing skills.

We are back in the big city after a very refreshing and action-packed week of family fun and water sports in Minocqua, Wisconsin. It is gorgeous up in the north woods and we had nearly perfect weather. The weekend started off with the giant Braniff clan gathering at Peggy & Bob McCall's for the family reunion. I got to catch up with quite a few folks (it is nearly impossible to have a conversation with all the family members and in-laws). In close competition with the talent show, my favorite part of the reunion was the swimming outings to 'thumb's up' bay, jumping in the warm lovely water with a giant school of Braniff fish. I also had fun on the rope swing, which was a perfect follow-up to my flying trapeze experience the previous weekend!

As the crowds thinned out and only a couple families stayed around for the post-reunion week, the Weglarz-Klein group got some quality time at our awesome log cabin by the lake (thanks to Caryn & Scott!). We had yummy meals, the requisite trip to stuff ourselves at Paul Bunyan's famous Cook Shanty (or as Sophia says, PaulA Bunyan), lots of games, karaoke, general silliness, the famous snipe hunt, fishing successes, smores and bonfires, boat rides, kayaking, water skiing, and paddle-boating to Beer Can Island. We also had a lovely meal at a classy Supper Club, and, of course, lots of fudge. I still have nearly a 1/2 pound in the fridge!

It's a bit sad to be home, but the party just keeps on rolling with a series of visitors, birthdays and anniversaries upon us. Dad & Dori are coming on Thursday and I have many Chicago adventures planned for the weekend. I am so happy to be on my school summer break and have time for even more fun!

Snipe Hunting (in our W superhero capes, of course) Playing Games (in our armpit hats)

Phil lookin' good! Dave singing on the dock while Kate sunbathes.

Finals...almost over!

2008-07-31T16:20:00.003-05:00

Nothing takes me back to the ripe age of 21 like finals week when your 35. The only problem is that then I had a very simple life, didn't work, wasn't married, didn't have bills and all the various responsibilities I have now. It's a lot harder and more draining to get through finals week now than I ever remember it being in my so-called "youth". Right now I'm inbetween clients at work, powering out my last paper, after a practical exam, written exam and presentation I did yesterday. But, the reality is, I love using my mind and my skills in this way. It feels great. I always loved being a student, and it's even sweeter now. Let's just hope this dang eye twitch I get every semester for the 2 weeks around finals goes away while I'm on vacation in Minocqua next week....it's driving me crazy. My acupuncturist said he had an eye twitch for 3 months when he was studying for his National Board Exams. Don't even get me thinking about that. Only one more to go next Friday then it's Summer BREAK!

Flying at Last

2008-07-28T07:59:00.007-05:00

The adventure continues....Last night Phil and I drove up north the Banner Day Camp in Lake County to do some flying trapeze at an amazing outdoor rig. It was my very first time and for Phil a lovely return to a pleasure he hasn't had since we moved (he was taking weekly classes in San Fran). After a short initial panic after my first swing (it's a bit terrifying to jump off the platform), I successfully practiced my move and got to be caught TWICE by the catcher.....IT WAS AWESOME! I wish we could go back tonight for more, but I think we'll have to save up some more $$$ for next summer's return. I finally lost my flying trapeze virginity; it was exciting, scary, totally overwhelming, makes you sore, and then you want to do it again! I am officially a Flying Weglarz now!

Fun-Filled Weekend

2008-07-21T10:04:00.003-05:00

We had quite the weekend. It started out with a dinner out for my colleague Jeremy's birthday at a fabulous new fancy Chicago restaurant, Perennial. It was quite a treat to eat at a high-end restaurant and a bit of a splurge. We got home at 1am! Then the next morning I headed off to work bright and early to kick some Pilates booty for a few hours. Phil picked me up from work, then off to Champaign we drove to visit the Weglarz-Wards. Jenna made homemade pizza and delicious mango cream pie for our arrival. We got to go see Madeline's tech rehearsal for the summer musical she is in, Seussical the Musical. We can't make the real deal next weekend so it was great to see her up on the stage doing her thing!

As usual, we got to sleep with Adison and Cooper in their cute room and woke to hanging out, more eating, and then off to the pool/water park for some sun and swimming. We rode the slides, floated around the lazy river and had a some fun races in the lap lanes. All in all a great day. Then a quick lunch and shower and off to Bloomington/Normal to visit with my friend Lily. She was in a bad bike accident 6 weeks ago and broke 2 vertebrae in her back, so I've been wanting to come down to see her for a few weeks. She's healing well in her brace and it was great to see their house and get to know her boyfriend Daniel a bit better. They are moving back to the Bay Area in just a few weeks once she gets the go-ahead. I'll miss her a lot. Then Phil and I got back in our trusty VW golf and headed for home. We had the typical Phil & Kate road trip conversations, reflecting on our lifestyle and life goals, always inspiring. Today I feel a bit wiped out! But now it's time to buckle down for finals and get ready for next weekend, as surely there is more adventure around the corner.....

Singing is Scary

2008-07-14T15:34:00.004-05:00

For those of you who may not know this, I am working on my singing voice. It's something I've always wanted to focus on and it is such a good antidote to all the studying and time I spend alone in my head these days. Also, Chloe Veltman, Dan Beahm and Dave Ward have all had something to do with this inspiration. I decided it was time to take my karaoke skills up a notch!

Phil and I took a vocal techniques class together in the spring and today I had my 4th private singing lesson. It continues to be both an exciting and very humbling experience. Sometimes I have total control over what comes out of my mouth and at other times it's as if I've been possessed by aliens. That part is scary and weird and happens at the top and bottom of my range. I absolutely stink at singing the vowel AHHHH at the lower range. It's clear from my teacher's expression that I'm still not getting the sound she wants, oh well. I'll be going around the house practicing MMMMM-AHHHH-OOOOO-AHHHH for the rest of the week, trying to figure out what I'm doing to clamp down on the sound. It's so cool because I've always been a bit shy about singing and it feels good to be getting over this fear and just allow these crazy sounds to come out of my mouth. It's like learning any instrument, there is technique, but you also just have to accept that sometimes when trying something new it just sounds BAD.

I plan to continue in the fall with my lessons and hopefully one day do some performing of some sort (recital, chorus, cabaret?) I always wish I'd been a musical theater superstar, who knows, maybe it's not too late! But first the AHHHH......

Summer School/Summer Cold

2008-07-12T22:04:00.005-05:00

Sadly I caught a cold this week and had to spend the whole week studying the anatomy and physiology of the nervous system through my phlegm-fogged head. I'm finally feeling better, think I did well on my exam, and am getting back into summer mode and off the couch. It's funny how when you are sick it's as if you lose a week of your life because everything is a bit of a blur, just going through the motions. I'm so glad to be feeling like my more enthusiastic self again.

Decisions, Decisions...

2008-07-04T08:30:00.002-05:00

In the midst of trying to stay motivated through this last 4 weeks of my summer school term, I found myself distracted and a bit stressed by a big decision....should we move? We had ourselves all psyched up to move further south in the city in order to reduce our transit time (by car, bus and train) and started to look at a couple of potential apartments. However, after we came home from viewing one good option, nice landlord and all, we just looked at each other and both thought "maybe we should just stay here."
There are some minor problems with our current apartment, but overall it is spacious, lovely, and it really feels like home. And we love, really love, the big tree that we look out onto from our 3rd floor vantage point. It is a little far north and it takes an extra 15 minutes to get to school, work, restaurants, Trader Joe's, etc..., but we realized that we are not willing to give up the home we have now to gain that time back. Because when we do arrive home, it is wonderful. I spend more time at home that I have in past years, and as I walk around my big apartment every morning, I feel really happy. It has good vibes. So after much stress (as we were forced to make this decision 1 month earlier than expected by our property management company), and discussion of many housing options, we feel happy to just stay put. And it inspires to me to settle in a little deeper and even put up some curtains! Maybe we'll even get a nice big houseplant and our very own internet service (we were 'borrowing' from our neighbors, but all our free internet has dried up!).
So, we will continue to have lots of space for anyone and everyone to come and visit!

More Midwestern Magic

2008-06-26T09:05:00.002-05:00

Last night on my way home from school, at the magical time of twilight, I saw my first fireflies of the summer season. As a native of Colorado, I have rarely been witness to the firefly. They are incredible! It's as if there are magic light fairies dancing all through the air. How fantastic! I thought Spring was quite miraculous here, but the lush, humid days of summer are even better. Phil and I were reflecting last night on how much we are enjoying the experience of the the four seasons. They certainly are dramatic. I love the soft air of summer and the humidity that threatens thunderstorms. We don't have air conditioning and I am dreaming with the dull hum of the ceiling fan keeping me just cool enough at night. And my hair is fabulously curly which I also appreciate!

On the down side, we had a opossum in our back storage area the other night and I saw my first creepy crawly, centipede-looking bug in the living room last night, but I can cope with a little nature in the city!

Finally a day off...

2008-06-22T09:53:00.003-05:00

Phil and I have had a marathon couple of weeks. It's been a work/school/social/family whirlwind of activity. Last night we met downtown for a date and it was as if I hadn't seen my husband in some time. It was lovely. Today Phil is in his last day of a weekend class at Columbia College and I have a blissful day ahead of me of alone time. I plan to clean up after the whirlwind....things are a bit of a mess!

It is officially summer and I've almost been too busy to notice. But that officially ends today. Summer in Chicago is wonderful and I want to really enjoy it. In Chinese Medicine the emotion of the summer is JOY and that is going to be my goal of summer. To be joyful, to spread joy, to laugh and play and feel the sun on my skin. And for the rest of the summer I have 2 days off in a row (Sunday and Monday), which is a first since we've moved here and I began the 6 day a week school/work schedule. More time to bring joy to the world!

Why isn't everyone as organized as me?

2008-06-15T10:45:00.003-05:00

I do believe that this has been my all time most frustrating week at work. I don't usually have any complaints about work. I show up at the given time, teach great people how to use their bodies better, go home and make decent money doing something that is energizing and fun. But this week I felt like I could strangle someone. I spent countless hours at the studio WAITING for clients who either didn't show up at all (no courtesy call) or were running late or couldn't make it at the last minute. It was just one scheduling mishap after the other.

Now those of you interested in astrology might know that Mercury is Retrograde and this can certainly be a force in causing lots of communication problems, but my goodness, I can't believe how rude and disorganized people can be. I feel a total lack of respect of my time and effort and I wasted so much time that I really don't have to waste with a heafty midterm school schedule. Here I am again at the studio, substituting for someone on a Sunday morning, and yet again no one showed up for the class I was supposed to teach. WHAT is going on? I feel on top of my game pilates wise, and I am not bitter to be here on a Sunday. All I want to do is my job. And please note, I do not get paid for this class if no one is here. Oh well. I will just take another deep breath, wile away another hour sitting around waiting and hope and pray that next week won't test me quite so much. That is, if I decide to come back here next week.....

Hot, hot, hot!

2008-06-05T15:21:00.002-05:00

I am just writing to say that I am so happy that it is finally HOT I could cry. I really felt as if these warm, hot humid days and nights I have longed for for the past many, many years of my life would never come, but they are here! Yipeee! I went on a lake path walk this morning and it was so hot I had to stop in a cafe to cool off with the a/c and a nice iced tea. It feels like I live in Hawaii, the city version of course. I love it!
Yippee for summer in Chicago! This is another fabulous reason why I wanted to move here and the weather finally cooperated.

The Joys of Biking

2008-06-01T16:56:00.007-05:00

I am having a renewed love affair with biking. The breeze in my helmet, the sun on my arms, my heart beating a bit faster and my legs getting stronger everyday. I have the most awesome bike rack and paniers which allow me to carry groceries, my school books, and virtually anything else I might want to pick up on an outing. Better yet, biking gifts me the freedom to stop anywhere, go anywhere on my journey and park right in front of my destination. Phil and I can get pretty psyched up about the "biking lifestyle". It's an entire world unto itself, and I can see how biking makes you feel good, look good, and best of all makes you feel like you're doing good for the environment at the same time. Perhaps better than that new Prius we see in our future, is the custom-made, most user-friendly bike we can fine (and still thousands cheaper than any car!). We were looking through some biker magazines today and saw some awesome city transport bikes. I am starting to imagine that I could bike in the winter, with the right tires and the right clothing it could be really fun. Better than waiting for the bus in the cold, that's for sure!

We had a lovely bike outing today all around our potential new neighborhoods. We are still trying to hone in on the right balance of convenience, community vibe, services, and price for our likely move in late August. The perspective from my nicely padded seat was perfect.

A day on the bike makes me feel invincible and so free. Really one of the greatest inventions EVER!

Yet Another Family Festival!

2008-05-25T19:21:00.004-05:00

Let the good times roll! My goodness, this family is a party machine. Last night was another great family meal, complete with the fish Scott caught on his recent fishing trip, and King Crab legs dripping in butter, which was the ultimate decadent treat. All the nieces and nephews were at Grandma and Grandpa's for an overnight so Phil and I went out to idyllic Elmhurst for a perfect suburban evening. We played in the yard outside before dinner, I ran at least 12 laps around the yard with the Weglarz-Ward kids and generally am in Aunt Kate heaven this week. I even got to sit next the the 4 yr. old at dinner and watch the 5 yr. old READ a bedtime story to everyone, helped by the best big cousin/sister 11yr. old in the world. The 2yr. old is just so chill watching all the action, it's hilarious.

Well, today was a rest from the family festivals. A quieter day spent studying anatomy and physiology, a wonderful warm walk on the beach, and taking in the new Indian Jones movie, which both Phil and I found very satisfying. But it's not over yet. Tomorrow we are off to Uncle Phil and Aunt Eileen's for some more food, festivities and fun. I am sure to leave full of good food and the bountiful sense of family yet again.

On a side note, it's amazing I'm not getting fat. Good thing I have to walk or bike everywhere I go (keep it up, sis!). On another side-note, all this time with Phil's family does make me miss my other niece and nephews. I hope we will find a way to see them before next Christmas.

Dan Beahm Rocks

2008-05-22T10:42:00.003-05:00

Last night I decided to play hookey and take the train to Champaign to hear Dan Beahm play his heart out. It was freakin' awesome! He is such a talented song-writer, musician and singer...it really blows my mind. I love his music and it always cheers me up to listen to him on my Ipod. If any of you haven't heard him, check him out (link to Teahm Beahm on my links list) and you will see has quite a web presence and his music is available for download on-line.

I also had the pleasure of hanging' with the Weglarz-Wards, seeing the lovely Erika Randall Beahm, and meeting some other cool Champaign folks. My 4 yr. old nephew was more fun and attentive than ever before and we had really good play time (I also got to have the honor of being an overnight guest in the boy's room). I got to see some of my niece's science project as well. I'm just so blessed to be part of this family and have the freedom to embark on a mid-week solo adventure. Admittedly, I'm pretty exhausted today after coming straight back to 6 hours of teaching, but it was totally worth it!

What a day!

2008-05-19T08:30:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was one of those epic days that is actually the impetus for me to start blogging. When we lived in San Francisco we used to have these fantastic adventure-filled days that we took notes about thinking that we would start a blog. Well, that never happened. And it's taken us a while to have a similar lifestyle here in Chicago. Yesterday took the cake for fun-filled days.

We had a leisurely morning at home with Erika visiting, made waffles for breakfast and sat at our breakfast nook chatting away. Then we rushed off to Evanston (and make it in the nick of time) to see Sophia's dance recital, she was hilarious and so cute in her 50's outfit. I got my best ever genuine hug from her after the show, so sweet. Then Caryn, Laurie, Jim, Erika, Phil and I decided on Kopi Cafe in Andersonville for lunch where we ate some delicious vegetarian food and caught up on one another's lives. Home for a quick cup of tea and some carrot cake, then to O'hare Aiport to send Erika off. Continuing our tour of the city, we went down to Humboldt Park for a much-needed outdoor walk and nature-filled jaunt. We also took a driving tour of the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, decided on Chinese for dinner and then took in the Aloft Aerial Circus show at the Aloft Loft near Humboldt Park. The show was fabulous and inspiring, with some real dare devil moves that amazed me. Finally, home for a long soak in the bath and an excellent night's sleep. What a day!

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T17:37:00.004-05:00

An exiting Chicago outing was had by all today as we celebrated Phil's mother and my mother in-law, Caryn Weglarz Klein. I had been wanting to take her to our favorite cafe, Julius Meinl on Southport & Addison. It's a wonderful Viennese coffee house that serves great tea, coffee, pastry and had a hearty and delicious menu to boot. We got a great table and had another familial feast. Then off to the movies (another mom ritual) to see the new David Mamet film, Red Belt. It has the usual complex spider web plot of Mamet when you're not sure how and what and who is in the on the scheme. And some pretty crazy fighting stunts to pump up the testosterone factor. We all agreed it was an excellent movie experience. Then we sauntered across the street to the Scottish Pub, The Duke of Perth, for a round of drinks, discussion of the movie plot, and lots of stories about mom. A perfect rainy, Chicago Mother's day! (And it was noted that this is the first one Phil has spent with his mom since high school.)

It's lovely to hear all the stories of Jim and Phil and Jenna's youth through their adult and still child-like perspectives. The day got me thinking about how intensely I engage myself in my present life and circumstances and typically don't spend much time reminiscing. We don't have the matriarch figure in our family to keep the stories alive. I wonder what the famously re-told family stories would be if my mom was still alive. Our family has somewhat put the past behind a misty screen, it's presence certainly exists, but it's rarely in the foreground of our time together. We forge ahead making great new memories to add the the old. A new chapter. But now I'm in the homeland again, revisiting Phil's childhood through his eyes and family, and it gives me a welcomed opportunity to reminisce a bit about my own. Which, admittedly, can make me a bit sad and really make me miss my mom.

Here's to all the moms, step-moms, mother-in-laws, and mother figures in our lives who have helped to remind us of what's important and given us a bounty of love and insight along our way.

Food, Songs & Stories

2008-05-06T21:24:00.004-05:00

Once a week the Weglarz-Klein's gather for the mid-week food tour around the world. This tradition was started by Caryn, Jim & Sophia a couple of years ago and now Phil and I get to be in on the fun. Each week Caryn picks up take-out from a different Chicago ethnic restaurant and we feast, have some sort of artistic experience as dictated by Sophia, and usually conclude with a book or story-telling. It's delightful and one of the very best parts of my week.

Occasionally we have a guest appearance as we did tonight with Erika and Anna joining us (they also provided dessert....an essential part of the ritual). I always, always leave feeling stuffed and satiated in every way. Sophia had requested Irish food, thus tonight we had fish and chips, bangers and mash, corned beef and cabbage, salad, ice cream and chocolate chip cookies bars drizzled with Bailey's Irish Cream. After dessert we had a sing along of train-themed songs led by Sophia, a group story about a mermaid/butterfly in Ireland dealing with a fear of rainbows, and a true story about the family trip to Ireland in 1996.

So far in 2008 we have had Jamacian, Thai, Moroccan, Columbian (with guests Kevin & Eduardo), Greek, Mexican, Cuban, Vietnamese, Korean (with guests Sanjay & Astrid), Hawaiian, French, and Irish. We have had art shows, coloring contests, songs and stories. It's very old world around the world.

First Day of Clinic

2008-05-02T18:08:00.002-05:00

Wow! Today was my first day as an observer at the clinic at my school, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. It was great. The two patients I got to see with my intern were really interesting and it was so cool to go through the whole process of intake, diagnosis, and treatment. I've only ever been on the patient side of the clinic and things look really different from the practitioner side. It was humbling and exciting. The needling looks hard to do, I hope I have a steady hand (I don't start needling until 2 more semesters). I like my intern a lot and she seems really keen to share her knowledge. I even look pretty cute in my white lab coat! All in all a great day at school. What a joy it is to be a student.

China and the Oboe

2008-05-01T08:05:00.004-05:00

As most of you surely know, I am in school for Traditional Chinese Medicine. It never ceases to amaze me that I can actually get a MS in this field of study. My school term starts up again this week and I am taking some great classes. I will complete my study of the location of the 361 acupuncture points and partake in an overview of the history and philosophy of China. All very well. But there is always this lingering thought in my mind....Am I crazy to spend so much time and energy studying something so far outside the norm? Granted, Chinese Medicine is becoming more mainstream all the time, and for good reason, it works!

I am faced again with what Phil and I call the "Oboe Player Syndrome". What kid chooses to play the oboe? The non-conformist, that's who. All those flute and clarinet players probably have more mainstream jobs (nurses, marketing, teachers). It seems no matter what I choose, it never starts out in the mainstream (Labanotation, Pilates, Chinese Medicine). I struggle with this, but trust it's just part of my journey. And now my wonderfully quirky nephew Abel has taken up the oboe too. Perfect.

Some Spring Break

2008-04-23T08:27:00.003-05:00

Visions of relaxation, reading, respite....I had big dreams for this Spring Break. Phil and I have somehow managed to keep the collegiate tradition of SB going for many, many years between all our graduate school years and the rhythms of our nieces and nephews. So, I was really excited about my actual break. Well, life decided not to give me much of a break. It's been one unexpected thing after another. Feels more like Spring Training....for dealing with all that life can throw at you. I'm trying not to be crabby, but I could really use a day at the beach (at least the weather has turned to actual spring!).

The good news is I got to see my family at Grandad's memorial, spend some great time alone with my sister, and we had a really fun whirlwind trip to Champagne to celebrate Jenna's 30th with the Weglarz-Wards. Other than that it's been flat tires, too many dr.'s appointments, taxes, CPR classes, re-booking clients over and over, canceling the fun trips we had planned, and an array of other mis-adventures. And I spent way too much time watching the very disappointing 3rd season of Battlestar Galatica. Oh well. Today it's back to the grind. Which just might be the break I've been needing all along.

Grandad Thorngren

2008-04-13T14:44:00.008-05:00

As many of you know, my grandfather Gene Thorngren died last Friday night. I am greatly saddened by his passage, but when I think about him I smile and have a wonderful feeling of his spirit. Even at 95 he still had his clever sense humor and that darn sparkle in his beautiful blue eyes. My Grandad was an incredibly strong and notoriously stubborn man, who had many adventures in his lifetime. From Mexican Border patrol to a relaxing early retirement, he spent most of his working life as a postal worker on the Santa Fe Railroad and worked as a carpenter on his days off (he built the house my father and aunt grew up in in Kansas City). He had the most amazingly strong, large hands, a loud and somewhat stern voice, and a bold, independent spirit to match.

I remember accompanying him to the community garden near their mobile home in Lake Okoboji, Iowa and picking fresh tomatoes, corn and green beans for Nana to prepare for dinner. Grandad liked his fresh summer tomato slices sprinkled with sugar. I never tried it, it sounded gross to me. I was fascinated watching him clean the fish from our day's catch to add to the dinner menu. He used to take out the tiny heart and show me how it still beat outside of the little fish's recently deceased body. I can see him as captain of the water-skiing boat and still wanting to water ski at the tender age of 80. Those summer vacations at Lake Okoboji were precious and a great time with the Thorngren Clan.

Nana and Grandad would visit us twice a year in Colorado on their way between Iowa and Arizona. I could hardly wait for their arrival, because it meant being showered with their love and eating as many of Nana's delicious chocolate chip cookies as I wanted. On the way from Arizona to Iowa they would also bestow us with a huge box of succulent grapefruits, which Grandad liked with sugar as well. He certainly had a sweet tooth and although he didn't have many teeth left at 95, he still loved to eat ice cream after lunch. One of my more recent memories is our last visit to their cottage in Quincy when we "scrounged" for dinner and Grandad suggested peanut butter and cheese sandwiches, a disgusting-sounding combination that was at top of their menu. As I gracefully declined the sandwich, I can't remember what I actually ate that night, but I do recall that dinner was followed by some ice cream, a wonderful tradition.

Obviously I did not inherit all of his taste buds, but Phil can certainly attest to some of the traits I have inherited from him; my fierce sense of independence, certainly my tenacity (which he calls stubbornness), and my desire to live a very long life. Nana and Grandad had an epic life together (she died 4 years ago at the age of 93). If only we could all be so blessed. He was a great, great grandfather and on his 95th birthday last November he kept saying "Can you believe it? 95 and still alive!". With the strength of his spirit and all he saw and accomplished in his life, I certainly can.

The Sum of Our Days

2008-04-10T08:28:00.003-05:00

Last night I had the delight to accompany my fabulous mother-in-law to see Isabelle Allende speak at the Swedish American Museum in Andersonville. She gave me her latest memoir, The Sum of Our Days, and tickets to see her speak for my birthday. The perfect gift.

We had an amazing time. Isabelle was beautiful, smart, very funny, and incredibly inspiring. She is one of my favorite authors and it was such a treat to see her in person. Her vitality, openness, and creative energy filled the room and my imagination, and now I own a signed copy of her memoir to enjoy over my Spring Break.

Committing

2008-04-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Ok folks...it's spring break (for me) and I have to decide whether or not to really commit to this blogging business. I so enjoy checking everyone else's blogs that I feel the urge to be part of the online, anytime, voyeurism that I engage in! I guess I feel a little guilty about all these one-sided conversations I've been having.
So, here it is, my blog. Still don't know what I'll be sharing, but that will be part of the fun. I can't promise to be as prolific as those who post regularly, but I will try my best.

Love to all!

Kate

When is Spring?

2008-03-17T10:57:00.001-05:00

As I look at out our big bay window at the beautiful bare tree that reaches way beyond our 3rd floor window, I wonder when Spring will ever come to Chicago. I believe it is on its way, there are the bird songs that remind me, the neighbor's tulips that are starting to pop up through the hard, cold ground. But, boy, am I tired of wearing my wool scarf, long socks, and winter coats! Everyone told me not to get my hopes up until April, I thought they were crazy. How could March still be winter? But they were right, March IS the most challenging of all the winter months. Today they are predicting sleet and snow turning into rain, oh joy.

On a more upbeat note, I see why Chicago goes crazy over St. Patricks Day. We took a special trip downtown to see the Chicago River died bright green welcoming Spring! People were boozing it up all over town and generally emerging from the long hibernation of winter and having a great time out and about. The party continues well into tonight. We celebrated by getting together with Caryn, Scott, Sarah and Scott TBF at the Elephant and Castle Pub downtown on Friday (the Guiness and Corned Beef was great!) We also had a wonderful family dinner with the Klein Klan and Jim and Jan and Phil and Eileen in Elmhurst last night.

Happy St. Patricks Day.....can't wait until everything is GREEN!

Phil's Birthday!

2008-02-26T08:53:00.000-06:00

Phil has finally made another trip around the sun and for a short month we are only 1 year apart in age.....that makes me feel a bit younger! We had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. We saw a great circus show by Looking Glass Theatre, went out to eat at several great restaurants around town, saw another dance performance at Link's Hall, and then topped it all off with a fabulous party on the actual day. Phil got to bike, ice skate outside, eat cinnamon rolls at Ann Sather's, drink lots of black tea from our new samovar, and eat more cake, cookies, scones, ice cream cone cup cakes, finger sandwiches and then top it all off with a viewing of the Oscar's with champagne for our guests, a yummy Italian dinner and then a family sleepover! No wonder we felt a little let down yesterday.

Here are a few photos that captured the moments. Thanks especially to Jenna who came up on her own to help us celebrate Phil!

2008-02-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

A beautiful, cold, sunny morning in Chicago certainly cheers me up. Our first winter in Chicago has been a long, snowy one. Each day I feel our resolve to move is here is being tested. Amazingly, I feel adjusted to the winter, a little lethargic, a bit cranky at times, but overall I don't mind bundling up each day as I don my "arctic explorer" identity and march on out into the cold. Not having much access to our car, I have found a new pleasure in the variety of ice, black ice, thick ice with a snow cover, white slush, grey slush, black slush and puddles of water that I navigate on my journey around town. Yesterday I took a long walk around Lincoln Park and was amazed at how lovely winter's white can be. Lake Michigan is amazing, lots of ice, covered in snow, floating out on the lake as far as the eye can see. It's certainly no San Francisco beach, but I love the lake in the winter. Last night we went ice skating outside for about 20 minutes before our faces got too cold, and it was the coldest, hardest ice I have ever skated on. Tomorrow comes another round of storms, rain, freezing rain, more slush and more tests of my desire to be here. I am here!

Joining the Club

2007-12-28T08:40:00.000-06:00

Hello fellow bloggers and those who love to read up on what everyone is doing and thinking and feeling! I hope to keep you informed on the adventures of Phil and Kate. More news and exciting photography coming soon!