Law Student No More

I just finished my last law school class yesterday. Surreal. I mean, I still have exams, but I don't have to sit in a lecture ever again!

Things they don't do in the suburbs

Friday night, Catherine and I went to the western suburbs to meet up with our good friends Nate and Kelley at this divey little Mexican place (my kind of restaurant). Then yesterday, we went to Oak Park to read at Borders for a while. Sometimes, it's so different to be in the 'burbs that it feels worlds away. I noticed a few differences. Things they don't do in the 'burbs:

- honk when coming out of an alley (tried this one - people stare).

- tow cars (we left ours in a parking lot for several hours while we left the restaurant. A big no-no in Chicago).

- open any stores past 9pm (save Starbucks, which was surprisingly open until 11).

- charge you to park (I know a lot of these are about cars, but seriously - that's a huge deal in the city).

- walk, apparently (everything was very far apart. We would drive for empty stretches then come upon a strip of stores, then empty street again).

So, these are a little dumb, but it's very different nonetheless. Sometimes it's nice to get away from the busy, tow-friendly, open-all-night city, though.

Since that time

We've taken a hiatus from blogging (apparently). For no good reason.

Maybe it's because nothing eventful has really happened since that time. Here's the highlight reel:

March 21: We were still in Tennessee, and it was Good Friday. My parents' church was having a Good Friday service, so we went to that and afterward met up with some good friends from high school at McDonald's (where else?). It was really nice to reconnect and get updates on life.

March 23: Easter. We went out to Rockford for church with the in-laws (and parents - C). It came complete with fog machine, strobe lights and white Jesus impersonator. Then, dinner with the family - good times shared with extended family and friends over lamb and mint jelly.

March 24: Back to school. End of story.

March 28: We had friends from church over for dinner, then headed out to the Mars Gallery late that night for a secret cigar and wine party.

March 29: Dinner at Gioco in the South Loop with Nate and Kelley, our good friends who now live in the 'burbs. It was great food and great company - then back to our place for coffee and conversation.

March 30: Shamrock Shuffle. 8k with Bill, Eric, and Ryan. Then a mad sprint to Mallory's apartment to shower and change and still make it to church by 11:20.

April 1: Community Group at Josh's apartment. Cool digs.

April 3: Cath out with Rachel for dinner; me bumming it on the couch in front of the Office reruns.

April 5: We drove to Louisville for a wedding of a friend of mine from college. It was good to reconnect with them and others from my friend group at Carson-Newman. The wedding was great, and the homemade ice cream afterwards just as nice.

April 6: Drive back to Chicago (5 hours). I always love taking long road trips with Catherine. We end up having good conversations and just "being" with each other - something we don't always get the time to do. Then, that night, Catherine's aunt and cousins came into town to stay with us, and I went fishing with Art, Noah, and father-in-law Bob.

April 7 - 8: still have guests. They had a baby, too, who loved Duchess. She crawled all over her!

So, that's pretty much it. And, okay, some of it is less "highlights" and more mundane, but at least you're caught up.

A Hike at Piney River...then Sonic!

A Day in the Park with Niece Chloe

And Starring in the Role of Idiot...Man!

There's a commercial on TV put out by Pizza Hut. The whole idea is that it's Dad's night to make dinner, and the kids and mom are all dreading it. Only, in the end, they're suprised and pleased to find that Dad didn't actually cook anything - he just ordered pizza. You see, he's too incompetent to cook anything - that's women's work.



What is it with men being portrayed as idiots on television these days? Or has it always been that way and for some reason, I'm just more attuned to it right now? But, let's see...there's the classic fat slobby guy with beautiful wife (According to Jim, King of Queens), the dumb father (Everybody loves Raymond), and the Neanderthal-esque grunting man who desperately needs woman for any rational thought (okay, I'm sure this one's still on TV, but I don't watch enough sitcoms to know their premise...but Home Improvement was a classic example). And...dare I say...The Simpsons. But, okay, Homer is animated and not really believable as a man. All of The Simpsons is exaggerated to make a point, so that one doesn't count.

Why is this okay, and where did this idea come from? Catherine and I were talking about this recently, and she's the one who actually pointed it out to me because she was so offended. Why wasn't I offended first?

It seems, though, that maybe this trend is passing. And maybe it's because of the writer's strike or the fact that there's really no good sitcoms on anymore (save NBC Thursday nights), but hopefully this ends soon. Men should be offended by this, don't you think?

Or do you think that maybe that's just what comedy is about? Something that every man can recognize in himself (certainly I see in myself Tim Taylor's need to fix and build everything myself or the laziness of those other guys) only taken to the extreme to be funny.

But, the point is, this doesn't happen with women as much, does it? Typically, the woman in these situations is competent, bright, and completely capable, whereas the man is utterly hopeless. I think that situation only serves to further stereotypes that men are emotionless, driven only by their appetites, and unthoughtful. That's gotta stop!

In Effort to Remember

We had friends over last night and we were looking at our honeymoon pics.
SO I'm putting up some pictures...8 months later :)
Portland and then Seattle and some great places along the way.

Maybe Argentina this summer?