Merry Merry

Hi All,

Wanted to wish you all a merry christmas. Hope you and yours have a safe and happy one.

We got Elfed!

Ah, the clever world of viral marketing.

Check us out, doing the elfin' boogie.

50 Ways to Beat the Reaper

Now that I'm married, I want my husband to last forever. I found this very cute article on msn.com called "50 Ways to Beat the Reaper". It's got both funny and serious ways to live a long and healthy life.

You can thank me later.

Newly-wed?

So, I'm supposed to be some happy little newlywed. And I haven't been home with my husband for more than a few hours since the wedding! Where have I been? WORK. I've spent more late nights this month than I have in the whole 2 years I've worked here. (tonight included... it's 10:45p and I'm still at my desk).

I don't know what it is about the holiday season. But without fail, I don't spend the time at home, or with friends. I spend it at work. At least, this year, there is a silver lining. This year, I still HAVE a job. Those who know me may have noticed the pattern of finding myself jobless by the end of December. A discouraging trend that I am happy to say I may have broken.

But still, Fiscal Year-end budgets need to be spent, and I'm happy that they are being spent with my company. But when thinking about the other things that happen at year end (i.e. holidays) I would have been happier to be able to have them spent with my husband.

'Tis the Season

So, after spending Saturday afternoon in the office (fun, I know!) we met up with a few of our friends, and went to the KrisKrindelmart (or something). It's basically a little German village with beer and hot cider, and Brats with Kraut. Good stuff. We've gone a few years in a row now, and it's always fun, but always WAY too cold out. We thought James (a recent transplant from South Africa) was going to die.

So we made our way over to Fado, a good standby for a beer. And the ENTIRE place was filled with Santas. There was one in roller skates. Another carrying around his own xmas tree. Another, the Santa Master, had a microphone and was controlling the crew in christmas songs. There were literally 50 - 70 Santas! After talking to a few of them, we come to find out that they are all doing this for charity, to support the Homestead foundation. They all looked like they were having a great time.

This guy did a mean Stevie Wonder!

After a while, they took off, headed for the next bar of the day, but they certainly left the place filled with smiles and good cheer! A night we won't soon forgot.

Anyone out there?

Does anyone look at this anymore?

It's been a bit chaotic in my world since the wedding, so I haven't been writing anything, but if anyone is still checking in, I'll keep it updated so can updated on the various things going on. I must admit, I do like writing it.

So, post a comment if you read this. Thanks.

The New Mrs. Z

View our Photos!

The pictures from the wedding have been posted! Check them out online. Enjoy!

username: LeahZeke
password: wh8480

Use the link below to go directly to the login page:

http://www.weddingherald.com/index.php?id=38

To view your pictures, please go to:
http://LeahZeke.weddingherald.com

WEIRD!

Don't get me wrong here, I love my husband, and I'm certainly happy that I married him. But how come this girl, WHO I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL WITH, and partied with on multiple occations (ok, granted, we hung out with her cute older brother more then her, and she kind of hated us for it). How 'come SHE gets to be engaged to Kevin Frickin' Youkilis. Granted, she did date Ben Affleck a few years ago too, right after he got dumped by J.Lo. (I was on an airplane cross country, reading my US weekly when I spotted her pic on page 7). I guess she was destined for fame and and fortune. If only we knew that when were were in high school. I would have tried harder to be her friend :) Although, to all of you who knew her too... you'd agree, she was crazy scary back then. She wanted to kick ALL of our butts.

Nonsense!

It's official. I am Leah S. Zalinski.

Changing my name SUCKED. I left the office to to Social Security to change my name during lunch. And, 4 hours later, I'm finally back to the office. That's absurd. A few questions for the general public:

1. Why are government offices only open during the hours that normal people work?
2. Why also do said government offices CLOSE FOR LUNCH when normal people are allowed to LEAVE work
3. Why must the people who sit in the chairs next to you at said government offices always smell like pee, and insist on talking to you about why they need to be seen faster than you
4. If I worked as slow as the government employees worked, I would be fired. That's not a question. that's a fact.

I know that it's important to have the same last name as my husband... but the gender inequalities on this one are a bit overwhelming. He's going to owe me BIG time for this. First, I had to sit in social security all day to change MY name, now I have to learn how to sign it.

Back to Normal

We said our vows. We exchanged rings. We partied our faces off. And now, we're hitched.

Our wedding was a blast. We had a wonderful time, and it exceeded all of our hopes and expectations. All of the planning was worth it!

Although our honeymoon ended up being about 36 hours long, we enjoyed the chance to get away and unwind. For a few minutes anyway. But now we're back. And life can start to get back to normal. Only, now I have a new last name.

Thank you to everyone who wished us well in the planning. And to everyone who was there to help us celebrate. The night truly glowed. And there was so much love in the room. It really was marvelous.

The Worlds Shortest Honeymoon

We did it!

We're married!

If anyone has photos, please send them along. We won't get our wedding photography for a while, and since I was staring dep into my husbands eyes for much of the ceremony, therefore missing the rest of the experience, I'd love to see it from some one else point of view.

HELL. YEAH.

We're going to the World Series baby!!!!

Next week is going to be AWESOME.

I don't feel so bad now

Last night was Z's bachelor party.

And by the time he came home, he was a drunk, puking, pathetic, lump of man. Now, I don't feel so bad for being the female equivalent a few months back. At least I didn't puke in the cab! Although I was informed that I puked on a shoe. (Sorry Susie).

I don't know what the big deal is about bachelor parties. Really? Must every one involved naked ladies and too many shots? At least I know I have a good boy. No cooties on my man so soon before the wedding!

What did I do all day, while he was out galavanting with his friends? I spent a lovely, luxurious day at the Elizabeth Arden Spa on Michigan Avenue with my wonderful cousin. Then, we went back to her apartment to watch the thrilling Game 6. I had a wonderful day. And I know that Z did too. Although, he is a bit banged up and bruised today.

T-Minus 10 Days.

10 Days. That's crazy, right? In some ways, it feels like we've been engaged for ages. In others, it feels like we're already married. And then there are moments when I am stunned realizing that our relationship only started a bit over 2 years ago. So much ground covered together!

With only a few weeks left until W-Day, a certain calm has come over me. The lists, for the most part, have been checked, and rechecked, and the to-do's have all be done. The day has shape. It has a flow. And I'm getting really excited to finally be able to enjoy our day, after all of these months planning it.

It's no secret, I didn't enjoy the planning process as much as I thought I would. It was hard to be here so far from most of my family and friends. And while I had plenty of people volunteering their services from time to time, for the most part, I did things alone. Which made some of the tasks seem more like errands than they did preparations for our special day.

Luckily, my wonderful almost-husband picked up the slack, especially towards the end, when I was pushed to the wall. He endured many nights when I was too stressed out about details to function properly. And he let me cry when I got overwhelmed. It's easy to see why I want to marry him. And if the past few months were any indication of how things will be, I'm going to be a happy wife.

Wow. I'm going to be a wife. In 10 days.

M.I.A.

So, now that the final count down is well underway, we find ourselves so busy DOING things for the wedding that there is no time to discuss what we PLAN to do!

At long last, all of the major decisions feel pretty buttoned up, and we are starting to get very excited about the big day. Which is only 2-1/2 weeks away. Yikes!

The highlights of our progress:

• We got our marriage license last weekend, which was an experience, to say the least.
  
• I had my trial updo and make up, and decided that I'm doing my own makeup (Shocker, right?)
• Day by day, we are paying our vendors thousands of dollars, but who's counting!
• The Red Sox are still in the race. The cubbies, sadly, are not. (Go Red Sox!!)
• My dress finally fits properly. And the whole ensemble is as lovely as I hoped it would be.
• We've both been SO busy at work! But are both still employed, which is a bonus.
• We've started going to the gym in the mornings before work. That has nothing to do with the wedding, but is an impressive feat to anyone who knows either of us.
• My eye ball issues seem to be solved, for the moment. Yay!

My mom is planning a few outings for the weekend, so if you'll be in town for a few days, be sure to ask someone what's going on. It's nothing formal or organized, but there are plenty of suggestions for those of you who have never been to Chicago before.

That's it for now. See you soon!

We're Winners

Red Sox win.
Cubs win.

Yankees lost.
Milwaukee lost.

We both clinched our division tonight. It's a good day in the Baker/Zalinski household.

?!?!?!

I don't understand why the places that we've registered with feel it's necessary to email me constantly, reminding me exactly how many days/weeks it is until the wedding.

Do they think I'm going to forget??? Wow, is it 5 weeks already, I've just been so busy watching tv and doing laundry that I'd lost track of time.

I don't think any Bride in the history of modern-day wedding planning has ever NOT realized when their wedding is a mere 5 weeks away. In fact, the 6 week mark was what put us into overdrive. We are taking care of business in a major way. Tux? check. Dress? check. Music? Check. Decorations? No check. But we're working on it... Jeesh! After all, we do have 5 weeks left. Right?

So pretty!

(Look at haley!)

RSVPs are in!

We're actually quite stunned. The RSVPs are in, and there are less than 15 people (out of over 150) who can't come to the wedding. That's pretty outstanding.

We are so lucky to have such an amazing group of family and friends. And we're going to make sure that everyone has a great time!

Hello Sailor!

Today, we went out after work and bought my man a tux. Correction, THE tux. He looks hot. And it fits him perfectly. Daniel Craig, eat your heart out!

Now, he'll look great for our wedding too.

We love Presents

So, our trip to Boston was very busy, but wonderful.

Here are a few shots from the Shower (and bachelorette party that followed it)






We love presents!!














Happy Mother of the Bride.













Z opening a gift from his mom. (This is from the Chicago shower, but too cute not to post)










Fun with Props:

Congrats!

So many major life changes going on these days!

We'd like to welcome the next generation into this world:

Lincoln Edward Fox
Avery Addison Schecter
Elizabeth Grace Theissen
Jack Daniel Andersen

Congrats to all the new parents!

Boston

My wonderful almost-husband and I will be coming home to Boston this weekend for a variety of reasons:

1) Rosh Hashana
2) Wedding Shower #2
3) Red Sox/Yankees series
4) Bachelorette Party #2

If you are going to be around, give us a call. We're actually going to be in town for more than 36 hours this time, so we can make plans in advance. We arrive Wednesday late PM, and are in town through Sunday.

See you then!!

9/11

Can we all believe how much time has gone by?

Moment of silence.

Phew!! That was close.

With the end of regular season play coming up, I had a scary realization. Our wedding is scheduled right at the end of the post season. And the Red Sox are leading the race to post-season contention!

But don't fear, I called Bud Selig, shared my concerns, and he was kind enough to insert a day between Games 2 and 3 in the world series so that we can hold our wedding, just in case the red sox are in it.


Seriously. That would have been bad. We would have had to bring in TVs!

Aren't we just darling?

Peguin Suits are funny

Last night, we went out to our local Men's Wearhouse to pick out the tuxes for the guys standing up. It was a hysterical experience. For me. Probably not so much for the guys I was laughing at.

While I was sitting there, paying partial attention to the book of styles the Hubby was flipping through, several groups of groomsmen passed through to pick up their suits for weekend weddings. Before they left with the suit, they were all required to try them on, to ensure the fit. Two sweet women were there to assist. One was helping us, the other was helping the guys as they came through.

It was amazing. Each guy came out with their pants around their hips, and the poor sales girl kept having to hike them up to bellybutton level in order to ensure they fit. Guy after guy, stood there blushing, their arms a kimbo, waiting for this tiny blond thing to finish buckling their pants. Two guys couldn't tie their own tie, and had to ask for help. Priceless. Another guy got into a fight with the girl because he wouldn't put on the peds provided while he was trying on his shoes. He insisted that the shoes were too small, and she insisted that it was because he was wearing athletic socks instead of dress socks. Men in Peds. What's funnier than that?

I was truly laughing out loud. At them. There was a pregnant spouse of one of the men who was sitting in one of the chairs next to me. I turned to her after a particularly amusing interaction and said "Are you enjoying this as much as I am?". She laughed, looked at Zeke, who was being measured at the time-- arms also akimbo--and nodded.

After all of those guys left, we were able to select a Tux style that we think will fit all of our guys. FYI: 3-button suits, we've been told, are not good for athletic body types.

Our pick. 2-Button, Calvin Klein. Black Satin Vest. Ivory shirt (match the dress people!). Cranberry long Tie. Shiny shoes. Done and Done. Z is going to buy a tux. The fact that rented suits can't be altered made him angry.

New Loves

Sorry Z, there's a new love in my life. (Although, I'm sure I'm being replaced by the same product...) Maybe we can work something out :)

Click on the image and take the guided tour if you want to fall in love too.

Defiled!

Nothing starts the morning like being rear-ended.









I'm fine. Z's fine. My car, not fine. But at least she still runs, (and thank GAWD, the bitch who hit me had insurance).

More later.

It's Official!!!

I am finally allowed to make my big announcement.

One of my favorite relatives is moving to Chicago for the next two months.



Meet Nicole. Nicole is one of my most favorite people.






Nicole just found out that she will be working in Chicago for the next few months, doing show-business stuff. Nicole is from LA. Which automatically makes her cool. Nicole is also fun. And sweet. And a wonderful person. And knows lots of hollywood gossip.

I am SO excited to have someone from my family here for a while. Yes, it will be nice to have someone here to help with the wedding biznas. But it will also be amazing to be able to have a few months to actually get to know her as a person, and not just a relative. I am 100% thrilled.

Licking, Stuffing, Labeling, Part 2

Wow. It takes a long ass time to write out 25 thank you notes.

Now I am a product of the Selwyn Tribe, and I was raised with a certain set of expectations. Enforced under threat of being cut from a will, or generally disowned. The terms: Standard turn-around time of 3-5 Business days between receipt of gift and postmark. Content: thoughtful, hand-written, completely original, and sincere. Stationary, appropriate and tasteful. I even have guilt if two people who attended the same function receive the same TYPE of card. Now, that is Thank You Note etiquette paranoia.

Now, granted, we are short on cash, so I had a slightly more limited selection of card style available, and I'm imagine that the standards can slip a little when A) not every family has the same stringent regulatory standards as mine, and B) when it's for a wedding event... I mean seriously, if guests have a year to get the gift, we should have at least a few WEEKS to thank you for it.

But no, I held my ground. And here it is, Day 4 post-shower, and I have a hefty stack of neatly addressed and stamped cards, ready for the mailbox. It's a tad bit harder when you have a full wedding shower guest list to thank. But I did it. I, not we, I wrote them all in one sitting. (Zeke pouted to just have to put the dumb stamps on.) Each one was genuine, sincere and personal. No two are even marginally similar. I'm quite proud of myself.

Plus, it feels wonderful to be able to thank everyone for their gifts. I felt so warm and loved at the Zalinski/Lesniak shower. It's a great family, and I'm lucky to be marrying into it.

You'll all receive your notes in due time... we can't say that the US Postal Service is as prompt as I am. But, to those who attended, and who gave such thoughtful and generous gifts, THANK YOU!

Now, the next question that I raise... where are we going to PUT all of this wonderful new stuff.

I couldn't say it better myself.

Fucking Yankees, Reports Nation

BOSTON—Moments after the New York Yankees continued a month-long stretch that has seen them climb from the bottom of the AL East to pull within a once unfathomable four games of the first-place Red Sox by defeating the Baltimore Orioles...

It's only two games. But I'm pissed. I liked it better when they were down by double digits.

Almost-News

I'm on the cusp of some very exciting news. I am trying to keep myself calm until it is confirmed, but I just can't contain myself. If it happens, I'll be the happiest girl in the whole wide world!

I'll provide an update once it's official.

(and no, I'm not pregnant!)

Good-bye, Harry

I just finished the final Harry Potter book. And I'm not going to lie. I'm sorry that the series is finished. I've always been a fan of a series. I like the idea of picking up a book already having met the characters, and continuing from where we left off. My summers growing up, during our annual vacations to the Cape, my mom would take me to the book store, and I would buy an entire series-worth of books to read over the few weeks we vacationed. I would finish one, and crack open the next one immediately. My granny encouraged this binge-reading behavior by cleaning out the Library where she worked, sending me crates of books (Hello, Sweet Valley High!).

In High School and College, it was a bit different. There were so many books that I HAD to read, that I didn't get around to do much reading that I WANTED to do. It took me awhile post-grad, but I'm back into the book binge. I'm in a book club that meets monthly, and I'm still reading another few books a month beyond that. But Harry was bad. I couldn't put it down. I would stay up late. Read while I was walking down the street ('cause that's safe in Chicago). I even accidentally stayed out for a two hour lunch break, because I got so caught up in it that I completely lost track of time. I would get panicky if too many days went by before I was able to read again. Addicted? I guess there are worse things to be hooked on.

Now that it's over, I feel a little bit depressed. Withdrawal, perhaps? How will I fill my spare days, now that Harry is gone? Who will entertain me?

I guess I"ll have to move along. And pick up another series.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'll read anything but Chic Lit. Hate Chic Lit.

It's not all stress

This past weekend was my first wedding shower, hosted by my almost-sister-in-law Carol Ann, and an almost-aunt Mary Ellen.

It was a really special day. We are so lucky to have people who love us, and support us.

Thank you to everyone who attended. We are so glad to have you share this with us.

Still Wet, but Happy

It has been raining for who knows how long. And they haven't been drizzles either. We're talking trees down, basement flooding, no electricity DOWNPOUR. But I love extreme weather. Bring it on, I say! Especially with the thunder and the lightning and the drenching rain.

Today, I have our company outing at Arlington Park. We are slated to have more severe thunderstorms all afternoon. I'm sure none of the clients will end up showing, as half of the schools in the 'burbs were canceled, and all of our clients have kids. But we're still going. Horse races, or not, we will be there.

Last night, Z and I went to our annual Red Sox vs. White Sox game at Comisky. We were invited to go with Groomsman Chad, and his wife Stacy, but she's prego and about to pop! So they gave us their tickets. We invited Cousin Kelly and Husband Tim, who are also Red Sox fans to join us in their place.

We got to the game early enough to see some of the Red Sox warm-up. At Comisky, you can get right up next to the warning track, at the level of the field, so players are RIGHT next to you. I kept on spotting people, and pointing them out (Gagne, who is shorter and chubbier in person. Shilling, who is bigger and older in person. Papelbon, who is cuter and more thuggish in person. Varitek, who's butt is even more outstanding in person... etc).

We noticed that people were gathering around a few feet down from us. I saw a tidbit of the players face and I knew it was Papelbon. Zeke grabbed my hat, which he already got signed by my fav V-Tek last year, and headed over. As he set off, my theme song, Donnie Iris' "Ah! Leah!" started playing over the stadium loud speakers... I knew it was fate. In a few moments, Z disappeared into the frantic fans, clamoring for an autograph.

After signing a few, Pap walked away, issuing apologies about running late. As he walked past, I looked over at Z, who was wearing a triumphant smile. He got it. Right next to Tek's. The man is 2 for 2! And no bench players either... REAL LIFE RED SOX! And you wonder why I'm marrying the man...

See below for photographic evidence.

Now, once the excitement settled, we realized that an auspicious green/grey cloud mass was working it's way towards the field. We knew the weather was going to be rough, but we had Stadium Club (aka Pimp-daddy, VIP) tickets, which allowed us into the enclosed, air-conditioned, private, fine-dining/bar/viewing area, so we weren't worried. We headed up, grabbed a table, and enjoyed eachother's company until the game got called. We had a great view of the field through the floor to ceiling windows, and it was quite fun watching the storm roll through.

All and all, a fun night.

Unfortunately, our basement flooded and Kelly/Tim's condo building got an uninvited visit from an uprooted tree, but everyone is safe, and the property damage is minimal.

Gotta Love Mother Nature. Hope everyone is safe and sound. It's hurricane season. Oh wait, I'm in the midwest, it's Tornado season.

Wet

It has been raining. all. weekend. long. And the end is not yet in sight. I hope our basement doesn't flood...

BIG news

I have a major announcement.

We are now registered at Home Depot. And please, someone needs to get us the circular saw. It will be worth the price of admission just to see Zeke covered in sawdust.

I love him dearly. With all of my heart. But my wonderful man is not the handiest man in the world. But when I asked him what on earth we needed a circular saw for, he replied that he'd like to be able "To put up a fence".

We've been together for over 2 years. And in that time I have never seen him yield a tool.

Granted, as a contractors kid, I was raised amidst table saws and grout, so my opinion on the standard of handiness may be biased. And I must admire the fact that he is so dedicated to providing for our Z-family-to-be, that he wants to be able to put up a fence, should we ever need one immediately. And in that case, he deserves to have the tools at his disposal.

But don't we need a yard before we have to worry about a fence. We have a patch of grass, and it belongs to the City of Chicago.

So let's start small. Fix a drippy faucet, or replace a light fixture. Then we can move on to fences, and then maybe decks! (I'd love to have a deck. On which we could enjoy fresh margaritas from our newly acquired glass pitcher.)

That all being said, he does deserve to receive a few new things in the house that don't go in the kitchen.

War Zone?

The Chicago Air & Water show is in town this weekend... And all morning, the fighter jets have been zooming around the downtown airspace practicing for the events this weekend. It's one-half exciting and one-half annoying. It's a bit hard to conduct business via phone when it sounds like we are moments away from a bomb siren.

While I do generally enjoy the show, I can't help but wonder how much it's costing our lovely government to do a fly-by with the Stealth bomber. Seriously, is it really all that stealth anyway? It's gone to more baseball games this year than I have! And 5 fighter jets? Just give me a few of those cute little acrobat bi-planes, and I'll be happy.

Anywho, I will now step off my soap box. And return to work.

No more Licker Terrace

Good Bye Ricker Terrace

Today marks the end of my childhood. Well, the end of my childhood home at least.

Mom moves out of 21 Ricker Terrace today. And moves in to a wonderful new loftspace in Watertown. I am so happy for her, and so excited to see how the new place looks once she's had some time to put her design touches into it. It's in a great location, right on the Charles, (and mere blocks away from Haley, once her condo is ready).

True, I will miss the house I grew up in. The garden in front. The big deck in back. Memories of all of those summer-time keg parties... but since I haven't lived there for a decade (literally), I guess it hasn't been my home for a while already. I'm just having a hard time with the realization that the phone number my fingers have in their muscle memory will no longer Phone Home.

Take a look at some of the promo shots from the building. These aren't from Mom's apartment, but I'm sure they aren't too far off. Pretty amazing, right?

His & Hers Coifs

Today, I won a small victory.

My almost-husband got his hair cut at a real salon. And not just any salon... at MY salon! And I got to watch.

Well, what else was I going to do while my highlights were processing?

It was wonderful. I adore my stylist, and I've been campaigning for him to join me. It's been KILLING me to allow my very handsome man get $15 Supercuts 'dos, where I can never anticipate the results. But now, since we're so close to the wedding, I was able to convince him to start working on his 'wedding hair'. No unpredictable haircuts for us leading up to the big day! And granted, he doesn't get that haircuts must be planned, but he grasped that this was important (to me), and allowed me to book him the appointment.

I guess this is the concession for him... since he keeps threatening to shave it all off the minute the wedding is over. I guess that a few $50 haircuts aren't so bad, when they are the last cuts you'll ever have to pay for again. (Meanwhile, he has no idea I spend $150 every 6 weeks...shhhhh) Good thing for separate bank accounts.

RSVPs are fun

We received our first RSVP in the mail on Saturday. And it was a 'Yes'!

Current Official Guest Count: 2

This is very exciting news people. For the record: it was from Z's side.

BP#1: The aftermath

So, I lived through the first of two bachelorette parties (aka BP#1). Barely.

It took a pepperoni pizza, 16 gallons of water, a full day on the couch, and one very impressive back-to-back-to-back 80's movie marathon before I was able to be upright for more than a few minutes.

There are a few people I would like to thank:
1) Emily D, for a few too many bottles of champagne
2) Susie & Maria who planned it, and of course, the girls who attended
3) Especially Murrae-Anne, who made sure I got home
4) My wonderful fiance, who still thought I looked pretty at the end of the night when I showed up bombed to Cousin Jim's pig roast
5) Papa Romeo's Pizza (2 medium pizzas for $15. Are you kidding?)
6) The fine people at HBO On Demand

Now, BP#2 is in exactly one month. Hopefully, I'll feel better by then. Because it's been 2 days already, and I still am not quite right.

A few of my favorite things

So, I have a new favorite food. I know, big shocker.

A new restaurant opened up around the corner about one month ago, and we've already eaten there 4 times. It's a little hole in the wall between Pulaski and Elston, right down the street. Everything on the menu is super inexpensive, and SUPER yummy. It's family owned and family run, and they are so sweet and grateful to share their cuisine.

My favorite dish is an appetizer. Steamed vegetable dumpling finished with homemade meat sauce and dill/garlic yogurt. It's called Aushak. And it's the stuff dreams are made of. Throw a little of their homemade hot sauce on it, and a dribble of yogurt sauce, and you have yourself a dream on your fork.


If you live in the hood, please visit.

Afghan Kebob
4040 W. Montrose
773-427-5041

Bachelorette Parties and Swine

This is going to be an exciting weekend.

The girls are throwing me a bachelorette party, and on the same night, Cousin Jim is hosting his third-annual Pig Roast. Decisions, Decisions.

The Pig Roast is fun. It always ends up being a crazy night, but it's always a blast. I went last year. Ironically, it was at this event that I met my friend Brittany (who is also jewish, and a vegetarian to boot). While I do love the pork products (really, what's NOT better with a little bacon), having a whole big pig spinning on the spit is a bit much for me. So I'll be packing zeke up with some handi-wipes and cab money, and send him on his way. He'll have a great time, and by the time I head out, he'll be having fun and won't have to sit home worrying about me.

Besides, it's Ladies night!! No swine on ladies night.

I have absolutely no idea what is in store, but it starts with my favorite Sushi restaurant (Matsu Yama, on Belmont - Dee-lish!). And to make the night special, my wonderful maid of honor has shipped in some champagne, since she can't be there in person. Such a sweet gesture. It's a great group of girls, and I'm looking forward to having a great night out on the town. Plus, I always have fun with Susie and Maria. Thanks for planning girls! I'm make sure to carbo-load to prep for the marathon.

Stamps and Labels

It's official... we're having a wedding.

After three nights of stuffing, labeling, stamping, licking and sticking, they are done. The invites are officially on their way into your mailboxes. The invites were designed by our lovely groom and printed by Mission Press, who rock.

If you already know that you can't come, please let us know, but of course, we hope you can all make it!! The official RSVP date is Sept 15.

Official Countdown: 79 days.

Important facts

Why is this relevant?
Oh, you will soon see.

And trust me, it was obscenely fun (and mildly nauseating) learning all about it.

Now it makes sense

Suddenly I realized why so many women keep their maiden name!!

And it doesn't have anything to do with feminism, or reinforcing the matriarchal lineage. It's so you don't have to re-learn how to do your signature.

Now, my mom has the most precise signature I've ever seen. And I've always wanted to emulate how the shapes of her letters never alter. And as I grew up, I always practiced how to make my letters certain ways. I went through an ALL CAP phase. Changed the shape of my e, a, f time and time again until I got it just right. Now, my handwriting has been consistent for years. It's just the way I want it. Until now.

Let me explain. My signature has become more and more refined over the past few years. It started with the whole leah selwyn-baker. Then got shortened to just leah baker. Then got to just lsbaker. A few connected figure-8's with a big loopy R at the end. And that signature has marked thousands and thousands of dollars worth of checks. It's priceless!

All of that changes in a few more months. I go from a nice B, to a challenging Z. and forget about the 'linsk' combo right in the middle. Of course, Zeke doesn't understand what the challenge is... but he's been 'linsk'-ing for his whole life. Not a fair comparison. We've written across many paper table clothes trying to resolve it. I haven't figured it out yet. I just can't get from the i to the n to the s.

But I'm going to have to figure out something before we get to signing all of those legal documents!!! I'm going to have to start practicing.

99 Days

Oy vey.

99 days until the big event.

Are you nervous? I am. I hope you all are getting your hotel and airfare finalized. Once you are booked into your hotel and flight, please let my wonderful friend Haley know. She will be building a list of who is where, so I can keep track of you wonderful people. Ask me or my mom if you need Haley's info.

Movin' right along

Mom came into town this past weekend, because she felt that she was missing out on the whole "Mother of the Bride" experience. And what an experience it was.

In a matter of hours, we had schlepted half way across Illinois and back doing all-things-wedding. Preview of the event space, Florist visits, Veil Purchases (complete with fashion show of my dress, shoes, etc), and a loooong trip to IKEA to check out some cheap decorating options. Then, off for some QT with the almost-in-laws. All in all, a good, LONG weekend.

It was wonderful to see mom and to have her here to share the stress and pressure of planning such a big event. She has great ideas and all of you out-of-towners should expect quite a treat!

Zeke really got a kick out of some of the planning too. He's become dedicated to working on floor plans and table arrangement and what not, and it's been really kind of fun.

I can't believe how fast time is ticking by.

On Nicer News

My Granny is famous, again!! She's the one all the way to the left, if you haven't met the infamous Lil yet.

FYI, I've been informed that this is the THIRD time she's been featured for one of her forward thinking contributions to society. What a lady!

If you'd like to read the article in the NY Times, click here

Buster Brown 6/11/95 - 6/19/07

Sixteen months ago, during a trip to San Francisco, we found out that Buster was in the first stages of kidney failure. This past weekend, he went through the final stages. This morning, we had put him down.

Lately, he had become unresponsive to his aggressive drug therapy, and was becoming more and more selective about what he would eat. About two weeks ago, he stopped eating entirely. Then he stopped drinking. On Saturday morning, we started him on IV fluids (500 mL under the skin, four times a day) to continue to filter his system. The docs told us that either he would show a remarkable turnaround immediately, showing that he was simply extremely dehydrated and just needed fluids, and would start eating and have more energy... or he wouldn't show any change, which implied that his system was up to something more serious.

Our vets told us, after these last 4 days of his hunger strike and IV fluids, there was nothing else to do.

We greatly appreciate your condolences, but we are not ready to talk about it, since even thinking about it breaks us apart, so please don't call or email quite yet. We know that many of you know Buster, and thought you would want to know.

We are going to miss him. A lot.

New Favorites

This man is my new favorite person.

He sang Nessun Dorma yesterday, and it literally made me cry. I'm such a sap.

No New News

Dear Diary,

It's been a while, hasn't it. Have you missed me? LOL. I've certainly missed you. I'm sorry that I've been ignoring you, it's just that things have been so busy lately, that I just haven't had the time.

Work's been good. Keeping me busy. Very busy. Too busy. But at least I still like what I do. And who I do it with.

And the weather's been getting better. It's nice that the summer if finally coming. I like all of the hot weather and rainy nights, but I'm afraid Z might melt. He has already installed the Air Conditioning and complains that my side of the bed is cooler than his side. If I was a good fiance, I'd probably switch out the winter weight goose-down comforter... maybe I'll do that this weekend.

I can't! I'm going to be out of town (again!) These three day weekend getaways are no fun. It's great to be able to do whatever I flew cross country to do in person, but spending a brief 36 hours in one place, and two very long stays in the airport can be absolutely exhausting! Plus, I don't have enough time when I get home to catch up on my GH before the work week starts up again. Boo hoo for me, I know. At least now we have 2 DVRs, so I'm not in as much of a rush to delete my episodes.

There is nothing really happening on the wedding front. When we were in Boston, I picked out wedding bands for us. I think Z will really like the one I selected. It's cool. And will look wonderful on his hand. [sigh!] We have to wait until September for him to check it out. For my ring, Leo had a great suggestion to match my engagement ring. It's going to be beautiful. And sparkly. We like sparkly.

We've started to work with a few caterers, but they've been a bit slow to respond. And we think we've gotten a DJ who we like. The next big exciting things will be doing the tastings with the caterer, and figuring out my bouquet. But those decisions won't be happening yet. Do you know what flowers are in season in October? So far, I have: Mums. Hydrangea. Roses.

I can't believe tomorrow is June. June is officially Summertime. Very exciting. Unlike this post.

Have a great weekend.

xoxo L

The new season of my favorite trashy british show, footballers wive$, starts a new season on 6/6. I'm thrilled. It's like Desperate Housewives, but with swearing and excessive drug use.

Since the last season, they've been keeping me entertained with a brilliantly similar spin off, with different characters who are only very loosely tied to any actual Footballers. It's been very interesting, but it's just not the same.

And Zeke is thrilled because tomorrow, a second DVR arrives. So he won't be forced to overhear every wonderous details.

Big Miz Graduates

We're so proud.

The Week of the Registry

Our first registry gift arrived today!!!

I got a wonderfully unexpected package delivered to my desk at work.

But Zeke won't let me open it until we're together.

How mean is that!

While I understand the concept of togetherness... and I understand that these gifts aren't just for me... it's going to be cruel and unusual punishment if I have to endure 6 months of unopened boxes speaking to me from under my desk.

It's times like these I wish we had a protected vestibule. Or x-ray vision. Because this whole unopened box thing is tough.

I've crossed the edge of domesticity

Who would imagine that slow-cooking could get even easier?
Our exclusive All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker comes with a
removable cast-aluminum insert for stovetop browning
before slow-cooking.


Did anyone else receive the email from Williams-Sonoma today announcing this brilliant new product?

You can BROWN on the STOVE using the crockpot INSERT. Wow.

It was added to the registry immediately!

How many is too many?

So, we may have gone a bit registry crazy. We now have 4 active registries.

The problem is that no one store has everything, so we end up looking at different places. And since we can't exactly register for only ONE thing, we end up adding more and more to the list. I don't even know what it all is anymore.

It's almost like we've registered at a different place for each ROOM. Luckily, we only have three rooms in our place.

While we love our doublestuffed condo, we are really hoping to get a new place within the next year or so (pending the fact that someone out there wants to buy our place). Since I've moved in, there is not a single crack or crevice that can hold another item. So it's a bit of a stretch to imagine or plan where all of these new items will go.

But see, that's the most fun part about the whole registering thing! Not only are we registering for imagined social events to be held in the distant future, but we are also selecting items that will adorn a home that we don't yet live in. It's almost completely make-pretend. So when we find something that we like, it's not like we can say "Oh, that will look wonderful in the guest bedroom" or "Won't these linens will look wonderful in the kitchen?" (since we don't have those rooms yet!) Instead, we say "We can find a dining room that has someplace wonderful to put this delightful [insert registry item here]."

So just think: any gift we receive will dramatically effect what type of new house we go out in search of. Are we mod? or are we country? Will we have dark woodwork, or more of a clean, white motif. What type of kitchen will we look for that can embrace our red La Creuset dutch oven AND my stainless steel Cuisinart? Decisions, decisions.

But big, life altering decisions aside. You know how much we both love new toys :)

While I love the electronic registry, here is one thing that I don't get. There have been a few things that we've either found in the store, or found online, and when we try to add it, the option to add to our registry is invalid. Shouldn't there be MORE available online than in the store. For once, the internet has baffled me. Why should I have to leave the comfort of my couch to go shopping?

A note to all of my newlywed friends and family: What is the one thing you registered for that you would recommend? And is there anything that is still in the box, months, or years later?

Veils.com

Has anyone ever tried to research/buy a wedding veil online? I tried last night and I was shocked by the results of my search.

Are there really people who wear such monstrosities? I hate to pay $100 for something I'll wear for 45minutes, but still, I can't say I trust the online establishments I've found so far.

And are these models supposed to be selling me the veil? I can't even SEE the thing.


.

And this one, the model looks like she is going to a funeral marking the end of her single life.

I think I'm better off just going to a store and spending the extra few bucks!

Lunch with Hillary Clinton

Yesterday, some co-workers and I attended a function for the Mercy Home for Girls and Boys (a non-profit for at risk kids) and Hillary R-C was the keynote speaker.

She was incredibly articulate and spoke freely and naturally. It was a very cool experience. Plus, we were sitting in the front row, which makes everything just a bit more interesting.

What was not so cool were the throngs of anti-abortion picketers who were harassing people as they walked into the hotel. Why can't those people just mind there own business. Jeesh!

Oh yeah, and a dead body washed up on the banks of the Chicago River last week, just steps away from my office building. I was actually in the car, driving out to a client meeting and I saw the emergency response teams on the bridge. But I had no idea...

It's been a crazy week to be in the city! Aren't you excited to visit!

Thursday Hotels Situation

To all who plan to come on Thursday!

The Hyatt is booked 100% on Thursday 10/25.

If you are planning on coming on Thursday, please visit www.hotels.com and search for hotels in Chicago. Since I'm not sure exactly how many of you wonderful people are coming in earlier than Friday, I can't reserve any blocks. There are still plenty of hotels that have availability, but they are filling up fast. And I can't reserve anything for you.

So please give me a call if you have any questions. Thank you for your understanding. And once again, we are incredibly gracious that you are coming into town for our nuptials.

Book Your Hotel!

At long last, the hotel reservation information has come through.

If you already know you are making the trip out to Chicago, please book your hotel as soon as possible.

If you are going to be doing a straightforward Friday night through Sunday checkout reservation, you can access the link below:

https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=50627

If you would like to stay only one night, or come earlier than Friday, or would simply rather talk to a person, please call 1.888.421.1442 and mention the Baker & Zalinski Wedding to get the special rate.

Again, if you would prefer to book your hotel elsewhere, that's cool, but please do it SOON. I don't want any of you having to stay out at O'Hare, or paying $500 downtown. Like I said, there is a MONDO convention going on in Chicago that weekend, and the hotels will be filling up very soon.

Book Your hotels ASAP!

I have finally nailed down the hotel that we are going to be reserving a hotel block in. The rate will be $205 + tax per night. (it's about $235 total/night). Once I get the contract signed and back to them, I will be given a special reservations phone number to you to call to book your rooms. That will probably be available tomorrow.

The hotel block is at:
Hyatt Regency Chicago
151 East Wacker Drive,
Chicago, Illinois, 60601
(click to check it out)

It's less about 50 steps from Millenium Park, Michigan Ave (aka Magnificent Mile), Chicago River, (and my office, not that that's relevant). It's a great location and right in the desirable part of downtown. And it's about 1 mile from the reception site. Cabs are everywhere, so there is no need to rent a car.

If you are NOT planning on staying in the hotel block, or if you would prefer to do a expedia-type reservation, that's cool too. If you are booking online: buyer beware! There are many locations that can claim to be minutes from the loop, or where ever. That doesn't mean it is in a good part of Chicago.

Here are a few guidelines when you are booking your stay.

A) Airfare from Boston/NYC to Chicago on a non-holiday will always be less than $200. No need to book a plane ticket right this second. Just keep your eyes open for a good deal and as soon as you see something below $150, book it. Midway and O'Hare are both the same distance from the Loop. Either is about $25 - $40 in a cab.

B) Book your hotel ASAP. There is a very large convention being held in Chicago on my wedding weekend (the NERVE of some people). Many hotels are already booked, and the prices will only go up. That being said, if you start looking now, there are a ton of hotels downtown. So even if you aren't staying at the Hyatt, there are plenty of other options.

C) In Chicago, there is a really logical coordinate system with addresses. the 0 N/S & 0 E/W intersection is at Madison and State downtown (look at the map above). Consider that the center of the grid. That's right in the middle of the loop. As you get farther away from that intersection, the number part of the address gets higher, either going north or south, or east or west. Unlike places like Boston... 200 N. Whatever street will be about the same amount north as 200 N. Someother Street. So you if you can get the cross road, you can figure out where the place is you are looking at. For example: The reception is just West of the Loop. (1300 West Randolph). The hotel is just East and a little north from the loop (151 E. Wacker). As you go further from that intersection the address will reflect either a XXX N. or XXX S. address. (or a XXX E. or XXX W.)

As a rule, If you want to be in a good part of downtown: do NOT pick an address with an address:
* further south than 500 South [Street Name].
* further west than 400 West [Street Name].
* further north than 900 North [Street Name].
* All East addresses are ok (as long as they aren't too far north or south).

To get a good indication, you can ask the hotel or look at the address of the cross street. Or, just mapquest how far it is from 1 N. State St. Anything withing a half mile from there is good. If you are going to go further out, go North.

Good key words:
Magnificant Mile
River North
Theater District
Millenium Park
Lakefront

Or, you can just call me and I'll tell you if someplace is in a good 'hood.

Then again, if you are booking a room in the hotel block, I'll have a weblink or a phone number tomorrow. Happy travels!

Let the fun begin!

After all of the stress and effort to pull details together, we had a very refreshing and FUN day today...

We started our first Wedding Registry! We spent HOURS at Williams-Sonoma today with the help of two store managers (thank you Jonas and Luna). They knew so much about everything in the store, and they made it really easy to find the right things that we never knew we always wanted! It's crazy to think about cooking with something not purchased at Target. We had so much fun. It was also nice to agree on almost everything.

We are still planning on registering at a few more places, but that will have to wait until next weekend.

Note: to check out the registry, go to www.williams-sonoma.com and enter in one of our first and last names, select Illinois and October 2007 as event date.

No fun.

There has been radio silence for the past few days. Work has me so busy that I can't see straight by the end of the day.

Tonight I had my Wednesday night Mosaic class, which I adore. I'm three quarters of the way through a square vase. I'm doing the four seasons... one season on each face. Original, I know, but I'm really really happy with the progress I've made so far. It's wonderful to finally find a hobby that doesn't require me to be a "good" artist.

Anywho. No new news with the wedding plans. We have a few feelers out for hotels. And a few more for caterers. But nothing concrete yet.

On an unrelated note: we have our wedding color... cranberry. Is it required to have two colors? I'll have to get crafty and think of something on the fly.

I found My Dress!

Emily and I spend the day today driving around the 'burbs with a mission. A mission to find The Dress.

It was very entertaining. There were MANY too many dresses with sparkley sequins, which I decided are not me AT ALL. And there were many ugly dresses, which were also not me. But there were a few beatiful ones too. And more importantly, I found THE dress. It's really pretty, and fits me perfectly, and I adore it.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. The weather was gorgous and it was so fun to have Emily here to help me shop. And now that the pressure of finding the dress is off, Em and I can spend the rest of the weekend having fun. Maybe tomorrow, we'll go and start looking at bridesmaid dresses.

Z has requested that I don't put any pictures of me in any white dresses. So you aren't allowed to see me in any of the fun dresses I tried on. But trust me, some of them were SO funny!

Please Reply: Hotel Count

Please let me know if you plan on joining the blocked hotel room arrangement.

There are plenty of hotels in the Chicago Loop area, but I will be reserving a block of rooms someplace (I have to make calls this weekend to figure out exactly where). Once I have the block, I will post info about the hotel so you can call and make your reservation.

If you know that you would like to stay where the majority of the wedding people are, please let me know. I need to get an idea on room counts ASAP so I can reserve the appropriate amount of rooms.

Even if you think I already know, please comment (or email me at leahsbaker@gmail.com) and let me know.

FYI: If you want to book a hotel on expedia or whatever, there are tons of great hotels downtown. I'll be posting details for reference so you don't end up at a convention center out by the airport...

Please let me know by Monday 4/23 if you want to be counted in the block.

Mama I'm coming home!!!

Did you sing Ozzy? Because I was.

Anywho... for all of you east coasters: I have a few visits to the boston area that you might want to put into your calendars.

5/18 to 5/20: I will be in Boston (Just me, not Z) for my brother's graduation from URI. We are very happy for him, although we all know that the weekend will still be all about me :)

6/1 to 6/3: I'll be in Rhinebeck, NY celebrating Michaela's graduation from Cornell Vet School (golf clap). I'll be arriving in NYC on Friday afternoon and will be back in NYC on Sunday. It's kind of a fly-by visit, but let me know if you'll be around.

9/13 to 9/16: Both of us will be there. The main purpose of the visit is Rosh Hashana, but we might be scheduling in a few wedding related events also. Details to come at a MUCH later date.

Congrats Em

One of my bridesmaids, Emily C, ran the Boston Marathon today.

I wish I could have been there. I'm so proud of you!












And like the wonderful friend that she is, Haley was there to root her on!