Oh no Number Ten!

While in NYC, RJB and I were very excited to visit the MOMA. So excited we (I) even studied the website before the trip. The MOMA boasts several famous works, including the well-known Starry Night. However, we were excited for the nice collection of Rothkos and Pollocks. When we descended upon the MOMA gift shop at the end of our visit, we dug around the print section. We got a nice copy of Starry Night for the bedroom (colors work well the our bedding and lets face it, what a better room for Starry Night?), and a fancy French-printed Rothko No. 10.

The prints sat for a few weeks. Based upon the measurements given on the wrappers, finding premade frames proved to be fruitless. So we finally took them to Michaels for professional framing. This presented to us shocking moments number 1 and number 2. We unrolled the prints from the fancy MOMA tube. And the Rothko took the ENTIRE tabletop in the framing section. Frame-guy looked slightly taken aback. We looked slightly embarrassed, not having realized the magnitude of this size (well, good thing we have super high loft ceilings, right? Good thing we really like the colors in the No. 10. See, aren't you glad we didn't get the Pollock that we thought was really big?).

Due to the sheer size of No. 10, a glass front was not an option because it would be much too heavy and too expensive. Additionally, we had to get a simplified frame in order to fray costs. And there comes shock number 2. The cost. Poster - $50. Frame - well, about what I paid for 1 month of rent as a new associate (at this point, RJB looked like he was about vomit, while I was saying, well, what else are we going to do? remember those high ceilings? And look, we are getting 50% off, right?). We decided to move forward with the frame and vowed to be more respectful to print size before making a future print purchase.

Fastforward two weeks. Ring Ring! Your frames are ready sir! Yay! We happily go first to the hardware store to get more picture hangers (you don't really think this thing will weigh 100lbs? well, maybe? Ok, let's go with the 50lb picture hanging kit, but that is still a bit much). Then off to Michaels.

Starry Night comes out. Beautiful! Wow, it is slightly larger than I remembered it! It looks great in this frame! Yay Starry Night!

The beast comes out. Holy crap. Frame-guy looks at us. Not offering any help or comment. We look blankly at No. 10. Then at each other, laughing nervously. Well, guess we will take it out to the car.

Shock number 3. No. 10 appears to be larger than the Accountant's Special, our Accord sedan. Hmm. We hem and haw. And haw and hem. This is one of the few high stress, emotions running high situations RJB and I have faced together that revolved around a mere object rather than a situation. We team. There are events that occur between the parking garage and our home that we have mutually decided to never speak of outside our marriage. RJB had a case of post-traumatic stress syndrome for about 24 hours (just don't think about it! put it out of your mind!). We both had sore limbs the following day. (dead serious - no creative license here)

No. 10 now adorns our wall. For the first two or three days, one of us would stop and study it in silence. Reliving the experience? Admiring the sheer size? Sylvester checked it out the first day and now, in his own cat way, ignores its existence.

Starry Night

somehow, when you take picture of a wall in a bedroom,

it always looks like there is nothing around...when in

reality, this is a small room.

Shock number 3

This thing is as tall as I am. And we are still pondering if

the waves are due to our transport or just the sheer size

and weight of the print in the frame.

Gotta put the diamonds on that brownie

This is a completely random post that will add absolutely no value to your life....you have been warned.

Ode to the brownie

Oh! Luscious brownie!

You taunt me with your gooey goodness!

I try to diet and I run to melt away those fatty pounds.

Yet you sit on the counter, so innocent, longing to be eaten.

Yay! I am a slave to the sugary goodness you promise.

And you are eaten.

Ok, back to planet Earth...

I am generally not a sweets person (not sure how this came about since I am the offspring of chocola-holics), rather I love the salt and crunch. Give me the chips, pretzels, nuts - I can go to town. In fact my body embraces the salty crunch so much that my mouth is apparently a crunch amplifier, per my husband ("...there she goes crunching again...."). However. Yes, however, I am a brownie fiend. I made brownies yesterday and I, for the first time, am giving RJB a run for his money in the sweets race. I can't control myself. The brownies are sweet, soft, and gooey.

Like I said, a no value-add post. But if you see me soon and I look like I have a few more lbs of sass, you know why.

Also, as an FYI, it is finally getting into the 90s the weekend. Big news in the Windy City. Turns out we haven't hit the 90s in over a month. Global warming? Does this indicate another subzero winter? What does it mean?!

Well, it's almost 10:30, which means brownie time.

Our boy Sylvester

Sylvester stalking under the bed

Who's there?

Sylvester hiding out

Two of my parent's dogs - Emma and Nicky (in the foreground)

Back in the saddle

Oh dear readers, I have left you hanging for the better part of a month with the promise of a proper soapbox ranting. Time has quickly marched by as I sat contemplating the soapbox and frankly the few times I thought of stepping up, some hot air blew me off....yes, I have continued to bear witness to people blowing hard. I wonder, if I survive this hurricane of blow hardiness, can I tout a tacky shirt that reads "I survived the blow hard of 2009 and all I got was this lousy shirt". Ok, total throw back to the 1990s and I am sure the vast majority of you have no idea what all this means. Let's just say the Windy City not only translates to the sketchy politics, but also to people who think they know all and like to share it with you.

A part of me hopes I have distracted you from the soapbox-ery, but I know my readers are sharper than that! So until I am type-ready to rant, I'll share with you the splendors of visiting God's Country (aka Wisconsin for those of who who are not familiar with The Great White North). This is the birthday weekend for my dad, so the hubs and I ventured north for the weekend. I'll tell you, visiting WI is a lot more fun when it is not frigid and covered in snow. RJB and I were able to take in a half round of golf and sit outside quite a bit. Of course we also got to see my parents and their new puppy, Belle, who is a little lover! Apart from the fact that both IL and WI are trying to keep residents from going across the state line with the elaborate construction on 94, it was good times.

A few random updates for those wanting to be in the know:

• RJB and I are 2.5 months in to marriage. Feels much longer than that (in a good way), and things are going well.
• RJB's marathon training is going well. He is running Chicago on October 11. He is keeping up with his training schedule and is faithfully going to his 6am Saturday group runs.
• My running group is going well. I think it is helping me learn to pace properly and stay consistent. While I have not met a gaggle of women to chill with, it is getting me out of the house at night independently.
• Work is going well. Partners are pleased to have me as part of their team and I think people like working with me. No tears yet (from my team, not me... my rule is that there is no crying in public accounting) but a frantic and daunting busy season is approaching. 9/15 will not be pleasant.
• Lots of travel is in our future - October = Tallahassee for a wedding, November = Beantown, December = Beaumont for a wedding. Good times.
• Sylvester is doing well. Hides under the bed a bit more than he did in Dallas. He hides and pounces on our feet when we walk by. I guess not having mockingbirds to stalk through windows, he has to do something!
• Name change update - I WILL change my name professionally, socially, and legally. However, with said busy season coming and the aforementioned trips, I will not be able to do so until after the December wedding (FYI, not only do I need to do the name change, but I have to apply for IL plates and driver's license so the change will involve at least a day of red tape. Plus I got the Beantown ticket under P instead of B so I am stuck. Boo.)

Peace