my NATO perspective

we called it "natopocolypse." we didn't know what to expect. I feared traffic. that's all. and it wasn't bad at all! companies urged their employees to work from home friday 5/18 and monday 5/21 so traffic in the city was VERY light. I took the train on friday. no street traffic. saturday I rode my bike. still no street traffic. hmmm. they said over 100 MOTORCADES! I never saw one. (and I DO know what ONE motorcade can cause...) besides the constant buzz of helicopters galore and the distant wane of sirens, you'd NEVER know 50 dignitaries were in town! and if you watched the news, you'd know by the protesters. only one impromptu protest passed our house. they were protesting the arrest of 3 for molotov cocktails that were targeted to mayor rahm emanuel's house, police headquarters, and obama's campaign office. and to just protest. hippies. I did talk to one protester, Amy. (she stopped to pet rufus and LOVED that he's a rescue.) she has a master degree and is a professor at a university in California. I asked her WHERE she taught and her response was: I'M FULL TIME OCCUPY RIGHT NOW. oh. and I'll just stick to voting. thanks. 

amy in the halter top with her friend justin, who wore a bandana over his face

rolling road block

dan ryan/kennedy CLOSED

I ♥ this man

because he is a real human being (OK and chicagoan). yes, I voted for him but I love his speeches- they are always so eloquent. I understand why obama chose to host the summit in chicago (the first time in the US outside of DC)- to show off his city.  ❤❤❤ 

obama's NATO news confertence

this is a 34 minute and 30 second video that sums up the summit. (I watched the whole thing.) all I want to highlight is the city of chicago so here's the cliff notes: WATCH THE FIRST 2 MINUTES and then FF TO THE 31 MINUTE MARK where he accepts a question, against his advisor's will, from jay levine, a chicago anchor.

pillow pet

5 reasons

tennis pro

we bought tennis rackets, on sale, this weekend for the whole family, emmit has been asking to play tennis for 3 days now. (it has been raining.) finally, today, we were able to take the rackets for a test drive. emmit declared: THIS IS THE MOST FUN I NEVER HAD

happy birthday, julia!

emmit and I got to skype julia and katie for julia's birthday. micah had to work late, as well as ryan, so it was just the 4 of us! so much fun to watch J open her gift from us... we got her a dog, coconut, and carrier for her american girl.

trouble

last couple of pictures of ed :(  but I'm spotlighting the fact that we are now left with a trouble maker...

train derailment

hives

 I have NO idea how this happened. just woke up and there they were. went away w/in 24 hrs. mystery unsolved until next time...

then and now

keith's birthday 
2010
2011
2012

my sweet edgar

today we lost a very important member of our family. his breathing last night fell to laboring accounts with wheezing moments thrown in. it was REALLY hard to deal with because he had such a STRONG will! even sedated he wanted to get up and walk out the door.


rescued  3/21/05
laid to rest  5/1/12
14 years old


edgar, you will be in our hearts forever (even though my heart hurts now)