Big city haul

Every year, I amass a list of things that I can't buy in Normal. I count on our trips east to complete this list, and this year was especially bountiful. I scored several decorative window menorahs on sale ($5 each at Staten Island Pathmark!) as well as Light Coconut Milk from Trader Joe's and fancy pearlized brown rice (Pikesville SunSplash Health Foods). Danny and I also acquired several unusual family heirlooms: a set of rooster cocktail glasses (they each have one owlish eye that follows you wherever you go...) from Danny's mother and a small glass barrel with Polish on in from my grandmother ("You could put toothpicks in it!")
I also scored @90 new containers in which to individually house crickets for the lab (Staten Island Dollar Depot: 3/$1). Believe me--we have been looking all over the Bloomington-Normal area for containers that meet our exacting specifications with no luck. I have spent the better part of the weekend modifying the lids and inserting screens for proper cricket ventilation.

Triple-score!

Yesterday was a lucky day indeed. After two years of searching, I finally found a 15-35 degrees C winter coat that meets my stringent criteria: waterproof, hood, windproof, fit well, non-ugly color, not too expensive. I found a girl's Astoria North Face coat at Dick's on sale. Score!

I also stopped by Target and bought my dream boots! Ever since I found out that I was moving to the midwest, I had an idealized pair of winter boots in mind: wedges, waterproof, grippy treads, lined for cold weather, black, close-fitting but roomy enough to tuck your pants into. And here they are!! Score 2!

As an aside, lately I feel guilty when I go out shopping. So far, Danny and I have felt zero negative effects from the recession. We don't own a house, our investments are diversified, our jobs are so far unaffected and we have no debt. And when I go shopping I get to buy cheap gas and take advantage of all of the economy-stimulating sales. I feel kind of like the Bubba Gump shrimp boat, but maybe with a little economic survivor guilt added in.

When I got home from shopping, I got the best news! All week I have been freaking out about the F.D.A. panel evaluating asthma drugs. I have always had exercise-induced asthma. Until I was put on Advair 5 years ago I had never been able to participate in any aerobic activity. Numerous gym teachers forced me to run until my lungs got hot and raspy and I couldn't breathe. The first time in my entire life that I successfully ran a mile was as an adult grad student.

I have been really enjoying the past five years. I run daily and try whatever sports and sporty-like activities present themselves. However, in the back of my mind I worry that it will all go away: one day I will lose my health insurance or Advair will be pulled from the market and I will gradually slide back into a permanent sedentary state. However, today is not that day. Advair was given a positive recommendation by the F.D.A. panel. (Score 3!)

20 outfits

When I was an undergrad at Johns Hopkins, I had this great Linguistics teacher. She was a young Iranian woman who was probably on her first teaching job. She was a fantastic lecturer and she was very committed to teaching us. However, I always found it vaguely depressing that she seemed to have only two skirts and three tops. Although she was always very smartly attired, the three skirts and two tops always made me think of how she probably came here with a couple of suitcases and maybe some boxes of books. Perhaps she was living in a sparse apartment filled with rented furniture. Perhaps the (1990's) unfavorably exchange rate made it hard for her to buy things here, or maybe she needed to send money home?
Anyhow, when I lecture, I always have the vague feeling that I am wearing the same outfit over and over again. So this time, I took a photo of what I wore for personal reference. I finished teaching this week. Here's a half-semester's worth of teaching outfits!

Almost fun weekend

Last weekend was pretty lame. We kept almost doing fun things, but not quite. We accidentally went to the Harvest Festival (lame) instead of the Autumnal Festival (fun). However, we did have some fun at the Harvest Festival. There was a pumpkin teacup ride. Joseph insisted that we not spin, which made the ride equivalent to taking a slow bus around a traffic circle.

There was a portable climbing wall from Upper Limits, this fantastic indoor climbing place in Bloomington. Upper Limits occupies Cargill's old soybean processing plant and you can climb the insides of the scary-high grain silos. It is pretty pricey, though, and I haven't yet been there. So I challenged Danny to a climb-off. I think that I won.


We had planned to visit our favorite local cheesemaker for an open house and pumpkin patch. However, our GPS failed us: we kept driving in circles without finding the place. We stopped at a gas station and bought a map, but the map didn't include the street either. So no pumpkins and cheese.
Saturday night we went to the ISU Biology picnic. Attendance was not great, and there were few other kids there. The weather was a little cold, but we all had a good time.


Sunday was the Champaign Surplus Store's fall clearance event. I had been waiting all year to find a reasonably priced winter coat. I have clearly demonstrated that L.L. Bean and Land's End do not make a coat in my size. Also, Columbia does not make a coat in my size (XS is extra short but extra wide). Only North Face makes (super expensive) coats that fit me. We drove 60 minutes to Champaign, but they had no North Face in my size. I did buy a pair of Frye boots marked down from $128 to $9.99.


Hopefully next weekend will be better?