Scone Update: Whipped up the recipe this morning...they came out of the oven a few minutes ago, but upon checking them just now, they looked kinda gooey in the center.  So I popped them back in the still warm oven.  This is exactly why I'm not real big on baking. 

Love me some baked goods, hate me the baking.

Don't get me wrong, I can rock some desserts like you wouldn't believe.  Brownies?  Rawk.  Blondies?  Uh-huh.  Quick breads?  You guessed it--bitchin' (although who hasn't had an experience where the QB didn't bake in the center?  I blame the pan).

Basically, if you have to do anything more than mix all the ingredients together and pour it in a pan I'm not your gal.  Cookies?  I'm too impatient.  Yeast breads?  Fuhgeddaboutit.

So all fingers and toes are crossed that I'm not totally obliterating these scones.  Afterall, I had to knead them 4-5 times and that's not one of the baking skills that I have honed over the years.

And for those readers thinking that PCZ's menu for the week sounds too sinful to pass your lips, you couldn't be more wrong.  Two out of three are from WW cookbooks and the third involves an alfredo substitute that I've come across online.

So...bon appetite!

Scone Alert!: I just ate one.  And I can't lie, my twice-baked scone tasted pretty damn good.

In order to feel like I'm pulling my weight around the house, I've resumed the mess hall duty that I had briefly taken over before we all went to Chicago.  So far my mom seems to be liking it. 

Today I made a menu for the next few days, took Mom's credit card and my shopping list to the grocery store(s). And even though I am going over to a friend's for dinner, my folks have theirs waiting in the fridge.  "What's on the menu this week?" you ask.

Personal Chef Zesty's Menu:

TUES: Chicken Shepherd's Pie
WED:  Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles and Peas
THUR: Chicken Sausage, Mushroom & Sundried Tomato Ravioli with PomoFredo sauce

PCZ also hopes to make (for family's morning enjoyment) a cranberry orange scone recipe she has had for awhile now.  It's from a spa, thus severely lightened version of scones.  Fingers crossed that they turn out to be yummy.

Scone Status: dry ingredients have been measured and combined.  No time to complete the process now, as PCZ is off to her friends' house.

MY KIND OF TOWN...

As I mentioned briefly last week, Chicago was awesome! 

Fella wasn't at all nervous at any point in the trip.  Not.One.Bit.  Flying?  No sweat.  Meeting Gramma?  Breezy.  Meeting aunts, uncles, and cousins?  Total charmer.  As expected, Fella was an absolute hit with absolutely everyone.

What's more, Fella loved the Windy City.  The native Californian even conceded that he could handle living there.  And in the end, he wished that we had a day or two more to spend there.  We were constantly on the go and still didn't come anywhere close to doing all the things we wanted to.  We told him so!

What We Did

Friday through Sunday was all about family.  Gramma's birthday party was Saturday and it was great.  It's been a couple of years since we've seen the family and it's been forever since the entire family has been all together.  Actually, not since my Grampa passed, nearly 11 years ago.

Sunday, we took a little break from family stuff and headed to Oak Park to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's home & studio and take a walking tour of the historic neighborhood that surrounds it.  Fella enjoed it and so did my dad and brother.  Well, and so did I for that matter.

Monday, we headed into Chicago.  The day was actually dedicated to heading back to the future, delving into my parents' childhoods.  So we started a little bit backwards, in my hometown (Evanston) and drove through our old neighborhood and past the apartments where my parents started our family. After that, we had breakfast at one of my childhood favorites: Walker Bros. Original Pancake House (in Willmette). 

Then we took a drive around northside neighborhoods, touring the places of my dad's youth, from the first apartment he lived after he was born, to the home that my grandmother was finally able to own 20-something years later.  Then it was over to the northwest side to see where my mom grew up, went to school, and the church where my parents (and other family members) got married.  After checking into our hotels, we met up with my dad's side of the family (my aunt and two cousins) for dinner.

Fella and I stayed in the historic Ambassador East Hotel.  I think the only disappointment came by way of our room.  Allegedly my reservation for a King, was not so; we actually got stuck with a Double/Double because that's all that was available upon check-in.  Makes me skeptical to ever use those travel websites to book again.  But the bed, albeit small, ended up being very comfortable and we didn't bother trying to change rooms the following day.  Afterall, we did have a (tiny) lake view which included a (tiny) lighthouse and we could easily see the John Hancock building at just the right angle.

We (Fella, Brother, and I) took the bus to the Museum Campus in Grant Park and hit the Field Museum.  Then we grabbed a cab and took the Outer (Lake Shore) Drive up to the bottom of Lincoln Park to visit the Chicago Historical Museum.  Then we parted ways with Brother (who was leaving the next day) and walked through the Gold Coast back to our hotel. 

On the walk, we came across a house that was built by Adler & Sullivan, at the time when Frank Lloyd Wright was still a draftsman for them.  It's now the headquartes for the Society of Architectural Historans, and we went back there the next day for a free tour.

Tuesday evening, Fella and I went up to the John Hancock Observatory.  Fella, who's not a fan of heights, may have had his only pang of anxiety before boarding the elevator to go up 94 floors, but much to his relief the ride announced that it would take only 40 seconds.  It was hazy out, so visibility wasn't optimal, but it was the best it was going to get while we were there.  We wound up watching the sunset there, 1000 feet above the city.

We had dinner at an italian restaurant on Rush Street, where locals were celebrating a taste of spring on the warm-weather-hot-spot-patios.  The mercury had elevated somewhere around 70° on Monday and Tuesday, fueling spring fever in Chicagoans, many of whom had dusted off shorts for the occassion.

Wednesday, Fella and I had a leisurely breakfast before heading to the Charnley-Persky house for the free tour.  We had initially wanted to take the Metra to the University of Chicago campus to visit the famous Robie house (also designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, notice a theme yet?) but we decided we were simply out of time to travel so far South.  So instead, we hopped back on the bus down to just over into the southside to what is known as the Prairie Avenue Historic District.  It was once a prominent neighborhood in Chicago (which lost favor largely because of the exceptionally busy railroad that ran closely behind it) and is the locale of the Glessner house, a building that has been featured on the America's Castles television program.  It just so happened that the Glessner tour was also free on Wednesdays!

After the Glessner house, we hopped back on the bus to the Chicago Architecture Foundation in the Santa Fe building (and across from the Art Institute of Chicago, one of many things we didn't get to check off our To Do List).  From there, we walked in the rain across the Chicago River and to dinner at Harry Caray's. 

After refueling and a little wine to warm us up (the temp dipped severely on Wednesday), we walked up State Street in the direction of our hotel.  One last pit stop was required to fully cover the Zesty Family History, and that stop was at Butch McGuire's.  My parents met there and legend has it that Butch's is responsible for 4,749 (give or take) other marriages over the years.  It was dressed to the nines for St. Patty's Day, with papier mache leprechauns hanging and rotating from the ceiling above the bar (not unlike the lengths they take decorating at Christmastime, complete with a model train that travels on a shelf that lines the walls of the room overhead).

We had a little time before we left Thursday morning, when we took the opportunity to check out the Old Water Tower.  We also took a few moments to run into Water Tower Place and The 900 Shops just to be sure that we weren't  missing out on any shopping experiences (we were not).  I must admit though, it still stings a little that Marshall Field's is no more.

We got on the subway, transfered to an L-train with destination Midway Airport.  And there ends our vacation.  I cannot wait to do it again!  There has been some preliminary talk about going again in the fall.  We'll see.

Chicago was AWESOME!!!  More on that later.

Much like thinlizzy, I am going out of town, although not for anything involving any sort of asshat.  And we also have to leave tomorrow.  And we also leave at four a.m.  Similarly still, an unfortunate part in all of this is that packing is im-fucking-possible.

First, it's been in the high 60s to low 70s the last few days.  I've been wearing gauchos and flip flops.  We're heading into weather that's predicted to be in 30s to 40s.  I'm having trouble coordinating layers.  My last resort was to concede defeat and vow to throw on my jacket if I can't put enough clothes on to keep warm. 

Second, we have a dinner on Friday, a party on Saturday, and a whole bunch more days to spend afterwards.  Fella and I are traveling for a total of 7 days.  And the first portion of the Chicago program strongly emphasizes appearance(s).  You see, my almost-90-year-old-grandma is very much invested in appearances.  So I have to try to appear as svelte as Zestily possible (which is quite difficult seeing as how I am in fact quite zaftig).  And I have to appear as stylish as possible, not an easy feat when you are jobless, destitute, and insolvent.  Bottom line: I am stressing about it.  So much so, that I have lost the will to even go on this trip.

But that's only the half of it.  Here is...The Rest of the Story.

As I've mentioned previously, Fella is a nervous wreck.  To begin with, he isn't keen on air travel.  On top of that, he is overly concerned with making a good impression on my aunts, uncles, and some of my cousins.  In fact, I think he's more worried about the latter than he is about the former.  That is, at least, until we get on the plane in a few hours.  And sadly, his nerves are getting on my nerves.

Not it the sense that Fella's annoying me, rather that his nerves are rubbing off on me.  And I am a bundle of nervous energy.  It certainly doesn't help that I haven't slept well this week.  And that I've been quite morose, as well.  It must be postbartum depression, sparked by the realization that I am (as previously mentioned) jobless, destitute, and insolvent.

Perhaps the only consolation is that I'm taking only four pairs of shoes for a seven-day trip.  If only I weren't nervous that I haven't packed enough...of everything.

Because I haven't completely rebounded from test week, all I am able to produce right now is my WIP report.

Friday we leave for Chicago!  If you haven't already heard, it's my grandma's 90th birthday next week.  So what better reason to get the family back together?!  As a result, this week will consist of getting ready for said trip.  Not that it really takes an entire four days to pack, but there have been some things simmering on the back burner for some time that must be addressed this week or risk messy scorching.

1. Find replacement boots.  My knee-ish high black boots have been in a pretty sorry state for some time now.  The problem: I have well endowed calves and most models are designed to fit stick figure legs.  I was looking for those when Fella and I went shopping in the city Saturday, but only found one pair that would work.  And they were about $100 out of my price range.

2. Stock up on some necessities.  Although I'm fairly certain that I'm already stocked up, I can't be sure that I've missed some necessity along the way.  I'm also trying to add pieces to update my closet.  I've watched way too many episodes of What Not to Wear over the last few months and I like to feel good about how I look around some of the relatives, so...there.  I found a couple of cute tops and an adorable jacket at Macy's on Saturday, so that was a good start.

3. Stock up on some non-necessities.  I'm taking my iPod on the trip, but not my laptop, which means I need a separate charger for it.  And Fella (who isn't the best flyer) has requested some classical tunes for the flight, so I know the 'Pod will be used at least twice.  And there's a downloadable self-guided tour of Millenium Park in Chicago, so there's another possible use.  I was also instructed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) alert that I should not listen to my 'Pod with the earbuds that came with it.  Apparently, that makes me a target for 'Pod theft while riding the BART train.

4. Completely unrelated to the trip, I'd like to give my things some semblance of order before we leave.  I have review books and outlines and flashcards scattered all over the place.  Getting them straightened up a bit would be nice.

5. Take care of dinner this week.  Only because I am the only one not working this week, I thought it would be nice to be the one who gets dinner together for the fam.

6. Get lots of last-minute working out in.  I wasn't able to fit in the workouts in the week before and week of the test, so I dropped behind just a little bit.  However, I totally noticed results from doing that Slim in 6 workout and I also actually dropped about 5-7lbs over the last 6 weeks.  Yay!

7. Organize our itinerary.  I'm trying to get organized all of our sightseeing plans.  It's Fella's first trip to Chicago, so we want to soak in as much as possible.  Besides, although I'm "from" there, I haven't spent a lot of time there as an adult, so some ot it is pretty new to me, too.

8. Try to tame my excitement for the trip.  Or at least transfer some of it to Fella, in hopes that we can refocus his nervous energy.  Yesterday I told him to focus on the good parts of the trip (i.e., seeing the sights, especially the Frank Lloyd Wright sights) rather than the bad (i.e., the flight and meeting the relatives).  Hopefully that'll be successful.

We had an earthquake last night. 

It was like I uploaded my SofTest answers and the earth shuddered at how abysmal they were!

It was rather small, 4.2 on the richter scale.  But the epicenter was just about 10-12 miles from my house and it was quite a little jolt.  In fact, it sloshed the near-full glass of water I have next to my bed all over.  It also knocked my facial cleanser off the ledge in my shower.

So I'm here, I'm almost recuperated from my cold, and I've almost completed the mental block of the last three days of my life.  It was that bad.  But I've come to realize that I have some psychological barriers that I have to conquer.  And I will.

The Weekend in Preview includes some shopping (although I don't have too much dough left in the reserves) for essentials that I'd like to have for our trip to Chicago in a week!  It also includes some drinks and overall chill time.

There was SO much snow on the little mountain in our backyard this morning.  I didn't get the chance to take any pictures.  Nor did I have any film for my camera.  And I've used my ice scraper two mornings in a row now.  Not that it was terribly necessary, but I was in a hurry and had plenty of nervous energy to spare.  And there was ice on my windows.

I struggled with whether I should be go to dance tonight, all the way up until I walked in the door and found out that meatloaf was on tonight's menu!

It's so weird having this guy from high school sitting behind me.  When I hear him talk it's such a blast from the past.  His voice and laugh have not changed a bit since the last time I talked to him 12-ish years ago.  It's just... kinda creepy!  But in a good way.

Anyway, my butt hurts and my back is all knotty.  But at least I finally got a full night's sleep last night.  And I plan on a repeat performance tonight.

I question a little whether I should be going back for the remaining 2 days.  But of course I will.  Desensitation and all.

P.S. The weather is complely crazy.  Lots of rain.  Some hail.  And tonight--lightning!  Allegedly there's lots of snow on the mountains, but all we see is clouds so far.

Just winding down a bit before trying to sleep tonight (sleeping has not been going so good lately).  Thanks for the text messages, emails, and whatnots over the past several days (and in some cases hours).  I'm still sick and so far it doesn't appear to be getting better.  But I have to put my head down and take a stab at it anyway.  And who knows?!