Twice As Nice! A Birthday Blog

Well there hasn't been a birthday blog in quite some time, but today we have a double bonus... twins! Happy Birthday Lindsey and Meredith Flessner. Their birthday is May 1st, May Day, so happy May Day to the rest of you.


Linds used to be one of my co-workers at Busey. She just recently finished up her degree in fashion merchandising, and moved back home from Chicago (where she attended school) to start the job hunt for job in fashion. Mer is a speech and language pathologist and is getting married in July to Chad... fondly referred to as Chadster.


I adore the Flessners... and just can't say enough wonderful things about them. First of all they just always look good... they are quite the fashion mavens. Whenever they compliment me on my outfit, shoes or hair, I feel extra pretty. It is because of them I have actually worn a skirt to a ball game!


Beyond the fashion though are some amazing friends. They are just so funny, thoughtful and entertaining. There is always a great story for them to tell... nothing is simple. They are also quite passionate, especially about the people and food they love. They can't get enough of the granitas from Kitchens at the mall. I will admit... they are quite tasty. They also love pecans. I told Linds she need to marry a pecan farmer.


My favorite Linds story is when Nik, Karen and I were trying to teach her to say "Move b****, get out the way!" Linds... well she isn't all that "street"... plus it just isn't in her nature to be unkind. My favorite Mer story is when she spoke to me at a basketball game not too long after I had met her for the first time. We had been talking for nearly a minute before I realized that it was Mer and not Linds.


Oh, and they are farm girls... they know how to drive a tractor. Gotta love that!


Anyway, Happy Birthday girls! The granitas and pecans are on me today.!

That's Entertainment

I went to see Eric in the QC this past weekend. His family came over on Saturday evening, so we did our first entertaining together. It was lots of fun... we work well together. On Saturday we cleaned up his apartment together. I was actually kind of fun, and we developed a good system. I did the dusting... Eric has allergies, he did the bathroom and we worked on the kitchen together. It didn't take long at all working together. Eric picked up Frank's pizza for dinner, a Noyd family favorite, his Mom brought a salad, Travis and Steph brought beer and bread, and I contributed cheese cake for dessert. It was all quite yummy.

We put in a Muppet Show DVD for Alec and Katie to enjoy, and introduced them to the wonderful world of muppets. Actually I think the adults enjoyed it even more than the kids. I haven't watched The Muppet Show in forever... it really is hysterical... so much of the humor was completely lost on me when I was 10... even funnier at age 37. My favorite is the Swedish Chef... I am still humming the theme song.

After the muppets we played Tripoly... I beat Travis in cards again. He officially hates me now! :) That is okay, one of the beers he brought was Lienenkugel's Big Butt, a doppel bock. Eric said I would like it (I like dark beer) so when Travis showed it to me and said he bought this beer especially for me I totally got him by saying "What! You think I have a big butt, huh?" I love messing with him... it is so much fun... I guess that is what is like to have a little brother. It makes sense... it is kind of the same teasing I do with my little sister, Nathan.

Name that Brew

So when Eric and I were at Jan and Larry's we got to see the bar they are building in their basement. Larry is installing a keg refrigerator for the beer he brews. They are incorporating an Illini/Chief theme. On Friday when Eric and I were enjoying dinner and a few beers at Blue Cat Brew Pub in Rock Island, we came with a name for their bar and brewery. We are thinking they need to name the bar "Orange & Brew Pub". Eric came up with the name... I think is is pretty good. As for the brewery we are leaning towards "The Drunken Pfeiff"... a play on their last name Pfeiffer and "drum & fife".

Later we got to talking about what we would name our brewery... still working on that... but Eric came up with an awesome beer name. He is an Eagle Scout, we enjoy stout, hence one of our beer selections will definitely be "Eagle Stout". I am a little jealous that I couldn't come up with a good beer name that somehow incorporates "Jano Fabulous".

So anybody out there have any good ideas for what I can call my beer... or what you would call your brewery/pub if you had one.

Busch With My Baby

Sorry for the total lack of blogging lately... just haven't had a chance to sit down and chat.

Last Friday Eric came down, and then on Saturday we headed to STL for some baseball games. Saturday we stopped in Carlinville and picked up my sister, Jan, and nephew, Lane, and they joined us for the game. Jan and Lane are good baseball companions... they know there ball. You can tell Lane helps the high school baseball team because he yells/cheers for the Cards just like the Cavaliers. He once told one of the baserunners, "Legs!" when he wanted them to beat a throw. I picked up some sweet seats at work. Saturday we stayed at Jan and Larry's house, and then Sunday my parents came down and Eric and I took them to the game on Sunday. On Sunday we sat in the new Champions Club... I got half-price tickets as a result of a promotion they had at Cards Caravan. The Champions Club was pretty sweet as it included a nice buffet for the hour before and hour after first pitch, and full bar service beginning 90 minutes before the game and running the entire game. We were very glad that we got there early that way were were sure to score a table. We had reserved seats outside that were right up from third base. I really hope I can get half price tickets again because I don't think my Dad will go to the game any other way again. I knew he would enjoy the buffet, but he had one beer then quickly switched to margaritas... who knew he was such a tequila fan? The buffet had a few ballpark favorites but included other tasty treats as well... Caesar salad, pasta, green beans, roast pork and jambalaya and some fabulous cookies and brownies. Oh, and in case you weren't sure... Eric confirmed that cookies and beer do in fact go together.

All in all it was a great weekend. It was great to go to some games with Eric. We both really enjoy the game. He kept score on Saturday and I did on Sunday. It was also great to spend some time with my family, something I don't very often take the time to do. It was good to get plenty of time to just "visit".

Unfortunately the Cardinals lost both games :( Eric was even wearing his lucky floppy hat, so I am not sure what is up with that. You can probably tell that we lost from the picture... Eric just wasn't quite ready to smile when they were taken right after the game... ahh he takes his baseball seriously... yet another reason I love him! :)

Rollin' With My Homies

Last night Nik and I went Huff Hall for the Ultimate Basketball Challenge. The Fighting Illini men's and women's basketball teams took on the Illini men's and women's basketball teams in an exhibition game. The event raises funds for the wheelchair basketball teams, both of which recently won their national championship by the way, and for the "Coaches vs. Cancer" campaign... two very worthy causes.

It was a great time. I think everyone on the court was having a good time. It is amazing how fast the wheelchair athletes move... they leave the other basketball players in the dust. Typically the teams were a mix of men, women, able-bodied and wheelchair athletes, but you really got to see how fast the wheelchair athletes move when for a few minutes each it was only the able-bodied athletes on the court, and then right after that is was only the wheelchair athletes.


At half time they had a celebrity free-throw shooting contest (from a wheelchair of course) between Bruce Weber, Jolette Law, Ron Zook, Chancellor Herman and President White. The finals were Coach Law vs. President White,and Coach Law won. I think Ron Zook was kind of frustrated he didn't do better... so be it... I like that kind of competitive attitude in our football coach.


Alex Legion, who transferred from Kentucky (sorry Billy) at semester and will be eligible to play with the Illini beginning Spring 09 semester, totally stole the show. I think he was 0 for 10 at one point, but he certainly was having a good time. Hopefully he turns out to be a better basketball player when he can use his legs. He was just fun to watch... my new favorite for sure.

Brian Randle meets with the Illini press one last time.

You may be Michael Jordan's son, Jeff, but you still appear to be getting run over by your teammates.

What up with that hat, Chester?

Mike Tisdale's 7-foot frame doesn't really fit in a wheelchair.

Coach Zook, not only did you get beat, you got beat by a girl... you got beat by a girl wearing pink shoes!

Stressed?

So things have been going pretty good for me, but like everyone I have my "stressful" moments. This is my new favorite website... you can pop bubblewrap on your computer.

http://www.therightfoot.net/mystuff/whatever/swf/bubblewrap.swf

I am a particular fan of "Manic Mode"... and then when you click on "Fresh Sheet" it whispers "Must have more!" What is not to love? Kudos to whoever it was that sent me this link... I think it was April.

Here Comes the Bride... and you can all her "Al"

Today Nik and I headed over to Normal, Illinois to go to a bridal shower for our friend, Allison Hocker. We worked with Allison at the Assembly Hall, and Nik even played softball with her in high school, and they were in the same major at the U of I. Al is going to marry Bill on May 24th. I was great to see Al. We had not seen her for nearly eight months, when she and Bill came down for an Illini football game last fall.

Thursday Nik and I went shopping for a shower gift. We found an 11 x 14 photo frame, and an 21-picture photo collage frame on the registry that we liked, and then... we got a little twinkle in our eyes and decided to have little fun with the gift. I am not sure if there is such a thing, but I guess you would say was gave a "prank" bridal shower gift. We filled the photo collage frame up with all sorts of pictures of Al with the two of us. Many of them were from various St. Louis Cardinal games/outings etc. Al is a big Cub fan, but she had/has the biggest crush on Rick Ankiel so she occasionally leans toward the red side... which Nik and I love... her fiance, Bill, another big Cub fan... not so much. For the cherry on top we printed an 8 x 10 of the three of us and put it in the big frame... I am certain that is why Bill and Allison registered for that frame to display the biggest picture ever of Nik, Al and I... not for their wedding picture of anything. The gift/prank was a big hit... I love that the shower was attended by lots of folks with really good senses of humor.

Here are few pictures from the shower. Allison had a few little helpers to assist with opening the gifts. She was also quite amused with a Chicago Cubs garter. Also, I have included a few pictures among those that we included in the frames. One of my favorites is from "You Can Call Me Al" Day at Busch Stadium, the last season of the previous Busch Stadium. No, it wasn't an official promotion of the ball club, but instead what Nik and I decided to call it since we took Allison Hocker and Allison (McLaughlin) Sit as our guests... and we made a point to go to AL Hrabosky's for lunch :) Ahh... fun times remembered.

I've Got Sunshine...

So this past weekend nice spring weather finally decided to descend upon Illinois. I headed to the QC to see Eric on Friday after work... yippee! We have seen each other three weekends in a row, it is like we are totally boyfriend/girlfriend! :)

Friday we stayed in and watched the Cardinal game on TV. We tried to spot Nikki and her Dad, who were there, but no such luck. Saturday was a beautiful day, so Eric and took about a 3 mile walk along the river. After resting up we went to Prospect Park to see the Music Guild production of the musical "Once Upon a Mattress". Two of Eric's cast mates from the play he did a couple of months ago were performing. The show was great, I had never seen that musical before and it just cute and fun. This production was really well done too.

The nice weather held out for Sunday too, so after church and Sunday School, Eric and I headed to the ballpark. We went to see the Quad Cities River Bandits, the STL Cardinals single A minor league affiliate, take on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The River Bandits won... yay!, and I managed to pick out my new favorite future Cardinal, center fielder, Justin Roberson. He is a good hitter, stole a base, and had another heads up base-running play. His "at bat" song was a somewhat unconventional choice, but I rather liked it... "I've Got Sunshine/My Girl". It was just a fun song... and it kind of summed up the day. We had a great time at the game, it was nice to enjoy the fabulous weather and the game together... Eric and I both really love baseball. Later I told him, you know if you are going to go date someone who lives nearly 3 hours away, it is nice that he is conveniently located just a few minutes from where your favorite baseball team's single A minor league affiliate plays. Modern Woodman Park/John O'Donnell Stadium is a nice little ballpark. It is right on the river, kind of like a PNC Park (my favorite ballpark to date) wannabe. I am thinking Eric and I will try to take in as many River Bandit games as possible this season.

On the way home Sunday I stopped at Arby's in Morton. The older gentleman who waited on my took note of my Cardinals gear. He said he got Stan Musial's autograph at Sportsman's Park back in the day. I told him to hang on to that memory, it was special... I think he gave me extra curly fries for that.