Baltimore Blizzard 2009

 

Above: Evan built an igloo for us!

 

 

Above: The next day - that's a lot of snow!

 

Above: Our apartment's courtyard - Saturday night.

A Winter Weekend

So we've been hearing all week about this "blizzard" that was going to be hitting the East Coast this weekend. We really didn't know what to expect because we've heard that people out this way tend to freak out at even the slightest snow fall. Before we went to bed last night, we heard on the news that Baltimore expected to receive 20-30 inches of snow by Sunday morning...WHAT?!

We woke up this morning to a complete blizzard! The worst Baltimore has ever seen...and it's still coming down at 10:00 tonight! Today was great - we were lazy and watched TV and just enjoyed the day. We embraced the snow earlier tonight and headed out to our apartment's courtyard and had a little snowball fight with each other - so fun. Evan then had the idea to build an igloo...and he did! We both even fit in it! Don't worry - I took pictures, so be sure to look for those!

All of the airlines were closed today at BWI. We're hoping they can clean everything up by Monday night, as that is when we'll be flying out of here. We're very, VERY excited to get to Nebraska - and Evan will get to meet his nephew, finally!

I heard a rumor that Nebraska is expecting another snow storm...Tuesday and Wednesday? Goodness...it will definitely be a white Christmas! Stay warm!

December 10?

I cannot believe that today is already December 10! That means Luxon and I have been in Baltimore for almost 6 months (and married for 6 months!). Time is definitely flying by, and we are enjoying the holiday season in Baltimore. Last Thursday, we went to A Monumental Occassion - the official lighting of the Washington Monument, only 3 blocks from our apartment. There were roughly 4,000 people in attendance, and our mayor, Shelia Dixon (who was just found guilty by a jury last week for stealing gift cards that were supposed to be for the poor...) was the official lighter - woohoo! There was a fireworks display after the lighting - it was actually really fun to see. Later that night, we set up our first Christmas tree! It's only a 5-ft. tree, but it's perfect for our apartment! I'll be sure to post a picture of it soon!

We experienced the first snow out here in Baltimore last Saturday. It literally snowed ALL day...then was gone by Sunday morning! I hope everyone is keeping warm back in Nebraska - sounds like you've been experiencing a good ol' December blizzard.

Some of you may alread know, but I started a food blog: Ice Cream & Wine. The title represents two of my favorite things (as most of you know...). I plan on doing some MAJOR holiday baking this Saturday, so be on the look-out for those goodies!

We'll be coming home to Nebraska on December 21 and staying until January 4 - two whole weeks! We are very, VERY excited and hope to see as many friends and family as possible!

P.S. Christmas is only 2 weeks away! Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving...a day early!

We wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving. We hope it's filled with yummy food, relaxation and time with your loved ones. We are heading up to northern Pennsylvania this afternoon (t-minus 3 hours!) to spend the holiday with Evan's aunt, uncle and cousins. We are so excited to be with family that we don't get to see that often - it will be great. Of course, we hope our families back home enjoy the day - know that we will be missing you! Good news: 4 weeks from RIGHT NOW, Evan and I will be in Nebraska - you're excited, right? We are too!

Our weekend with Chad and Tanya was great. We headed down to D.C. for the Husker game on Saturday, and spent the night watching the game with other Husker fans at The Union Pub - a Husker bar! It was great - I felt at home there! We are so happy that they came to visit us. I'll make a selfish plug again: we welcome any and all visitors! :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

California & Nebraska

Hello, all! I can't believe my last post was on Halloween - my goodness, that was a long time ago. We've been enjoying life since then. Evan flew to San Francisco last week for a North American Spine Society conference - he went with his fellow team members in his program. Highlights include a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge and Napa Valley wine tasting. Needless to say, I was quite jealous. Not to be outdone, I had to plan a little trip for myself - I just couldn't stay in Baltimore for a week without Evan. So I blessed Nebraska with my presence, and it was amazing! I got to see my grandpa and Barb on Thursday, had coffee with Sarah and Liz Friday morning, stopped by Chi Omega to bring back old memories, met my nephew, had K-State ice cream with Ashley and Nathan, saw my grandparents in Milford and my in-laws in Omaha before I left on Sunday. Of course, I spent just about every moment with my parents! Jam-packed, but oh so fun!

We're back to grind here in Baltimore. We have friends, Chad & Tanya, coming to visit us this weekend. We're excited for their arrival (and hope they don't mind sleeping on couches!). :)

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, everyone! We hope you've all been enjoying your day - we sure have! We slept in, had waffles for breakfast, went out for ice cream, and had some trick-or-treaters stop by. The management for our apartment building sent a memo out this week, and it said to tape a piece of candy to your door if you wanted children in the building to knock and trick-or-treat at your apartment. Of course, we wanted to give out candy! We saw infant twins dressed as two peas in a pod, a little baby dressed as a lion, a one-year-old dressed as a flower and a toddler dressed as Snow White - everyone looked so cute, and their parents seemed to be having fun!

Although Evan and I don't have costumes for tonight, we're still going to head down to Harbor East. We have reservations at Talara (the place I have that gift card to) for 8:30, and we're excited for a free meal and drinks courtesy of Urbanite.

Have a fun and safe Halloween night!

PumpkinFest '09

Today was magnificent! Evan and I went to Butler's Orchard - about an hour west of Baltimore. The drive there was beautiful with all the leaves changing colors. It was PumpkinFest at the orchard, and there was so many people! A lot of the festival was catered to children, but we still had a blast - young at heart, right?! The weather was beautiful - we couldn't have picked a better autumn day - mid 60s, sunny and no wind! We went on a hay-rack ride and picked out a pumpkin for our apartment - our first pumpkin together! We had caramel apples, pumpkin pie, found our way through a cornfield maze and just enjoyed experiencing the fall season to the fullest.

We went grocery shopping afterward, as we always do on Sundays. I bought an apple spice bread mix from Trader Joe's, and it is baking as I type this. The aroma is wonderful - can't wait to finish off this fall day with freshly-baked bread! I'll be sure to post a picture when it's done.

Hope you have enjoyed your weekend!

Chicken Enchilada Soup - It's a Winner!

Ok, so the Urbanite staff is quite small - 16 or 17 employees. Our publisher feels strongly about building relationships with one another through quality bonding time. This is why we have Friday Happy Hours and birthday celebrations each month. Also, we have a program called "Random Acts of Fun." Through this, a staff member can plan and execute a fun event for our office and then be rewarded with a prize. Well, last week our production coordinator and marketing assistant planned a Soup-Off competition. Of course, I entered...and WON! :) I made a Chicken Enchilada Soup, and it was divine! I took it in a pretty hip, stainless-steel crock pot that we received as a wedding gift. Everyone was amazed at my crock pot - everyone else brought their soup in tupperware. Maybe crock pots aren't popular out here in the East. So either it was the crock pot or my soup that won it for me - either way, I won a $25 gift card to a bar/lounge in downtown Baltimore. Yay!

This past weekend, Evan and I house/dog-sat for a couple who lives in Elkridge (about 15 minutes from Baltimore). Sarah and David were heading down to Florida for the Gators' game, and asked us to house/dog-sit. It was so much fun to "play house" for the weekend! Their dog, Albert, is so cute. We really enjoyed seeing a glimpse of what the future may hold for us, once we can get past apartment living! I took some pictures of Albert, that I'll be sure to post soon!

Welcome to the world, Garrison Dale Mueller!

This post will be, by far, the most important post on this blog. WE HAVE A NEPHEW!!

Ok, not just a nephew - we have a healthy, adorable nephew, and his name is Garrison Dale Mueller. He was born on October 4 at 8:16 p.m., weighing 8 lbs. even and reaching 20 1/2 inches long!

We are so happy for Ashley and Nathan! They are going to make the absolute best parents! My parents are SO excited to be grandparents - they're already talking up a storm about the little guy. Our family is so blessed.

Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell, whose books include Blink, The Tipping Point and Outliers, was a speaker for a symposium series presented by Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday night. Evan is a huge fan and has read all of his books, and I have read part of Blink (for a class-haha), so we were both very excited to hear him. He is such an interesting person and has quite the quirky personality. He spoke about the financial crisis and how he believes it was a situation where too much information/knowledge/expertise back-fired on the people in charge. He explained that sometimes a person can know too much, and they become over-confident and aren't able to really look at a situation or a change. It is this over-confidence that can get people into trouble. He had a good line about incompetent people and over-confident people - imcompetent people are never in the position to royally screw up. It's the smart people that have that power. "Incompetent people irritate me; over-confident people scare me," was the line he used.

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards, will be the next speaker of the series on October 21. Also, Michael Steele, who is chairman of the Republican National Committee, will be speaking in November alongside Aaron Schock (a Congressman from Illinois, who is the youngest member of Congress. As most of you know, these two people having different political views than we do. That being said, we're open to hearing other people's opinions. Sometimes doing that just reinforces what you believe in. :)

Woohoo...it's the weekend! I'll be leaving the office soon (shh!-I took a quick break!) and am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Evan has a test next week that he'll be studying for, so please keep him in your thoughts as he prepares to take his first test in grad school!

Book Worms

What a book-filled weekend! This weekend marked the 14th Annual Baltimore Book Festival. They blocked off the streets around the Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon (only 3 blocks from our apartment!). Buzz Aldrin, Ralph Nader, Gwen Ifill, and Maureen McCormick from The Brady Bunch were there promoting their recent books. There were a ton of other vendors ranging from local vineyards to my very own employer, Urbanite. I had to work at Urbanite's booth on Saturday from 11-2, and it was a blast! The magazine is very well-received in Baltimore, so it was wonderful to have people come to our booth just to tell us that they love it! Evan came to the festival around 2:00, so when my shift was over, we had a chance to enjoy the city festival.

Saturday night was spent at a fundraiser for the Baltimore County Public Library, which was held on the Goucher College campus. Urbanite was a media sponsor of this event, so our office received complimentary tickets. I took advantage of this opportunity, as the tickets were normally $50! So Evan and I enjoyed a night of catered food - amazing appetizers, a delicious main course and dessert, which was my favorite! An ice cream sundae bar and cupcakes - it does not get any better than that! We also enjoyed an open bar and played a variety of carnival games! By playing the carnival games, you could win raffle tickets for two great prizes. Unfortunately, we didn't win, but the people sitting next to us THOUGHT they did. They were a younger couple, probably in their early thirties. The announcer called the winning number a few times, and we the woman next to us start saying "We won!" She then proceeded to start screaming and saying "O...M...G...aaahhhhh!" as she ran to the stage (her husband stayed where he was, acting a little unsure). Turns out she didn't have the right number, and the announcer said she was a winner, just not of the basket. I about died. She came back to our area, and told her husband this: "Not only was I loud...I was wrong." Evan and I could not stop laughing. So all in all, the night was so worth it.

I should mention that we were able to spend time with Evan's high school counselor on Saturday morning. He was in town for a conference, and his wife joined him. We picked them up from their hotel and had breakfast at Chocoloatea, and then gave them a tour of Hopkins' campus. It was so nice to visit with people from Nebraska! They were wonderful!

Happy Birthday!

Today is a special day for Evan's grandpa, Kenny! It's his 80th birthday, and we wish him all the best and many more!

Unfortunately, the Huskers couldn't deliver a nice present to him, but we hope he still enjoyed his day!

Football is Here!

Although Evan was swamped with a paper that was due last Monday, we were still able to enjoy last weekend. My work had an office happy hour from 4-5 last Friday (at the office!). Beer, wine, cheese and truffles were served - my kind of work place! Our magazine's publisher was so happy with our September issue, "The Learning Issue," and just wanted to thank everyone for their hard work. Each employee got to pick a prize from a bag that she passed around. My prize: a gift certificate to a new restaurant that opened in April down in Harbor East - a hip neighborhood by the harbor. Check out the restaurant: Talara. I can hear the Peppermint Pattie Mojito calling my name...

On Saturday we went to Sarah and David's (she's a Chi Omega alum) for the USC/Ohio State game. They cooked dinner for us: grilled pork tenderloin, baked potatoes, orzo salad and rolls. We brought the dessert, Blackberry Jam Cake. Everything was delicious! We really enjoy hanging out with Sarah and David and are excited to have met them!

This past week has been so busy for the both of us. Evan had that huge paper that I mentioned due on Monday and then a presentation on Wednesday. He was up until 4:30 on one night working on everything! I had a work party on Tuesday night - we have a "roll out" party every month to celebrate the new issue. September's party was held at Teavolve, a bar that has all the drinks infused with tea - pretty cool! On Thursday night, I went to a Chi Omega alum meeting, trying to get the alum group more organized. Then on Friday I had to work at an event that Urbanite sponsors - Friday Night Concerts at Belvedere Square. Evan came to it, so it didn't seem like I was working, so that was nice. A crazy week, but we can't complain! Everything is going so well, PLUS the Huskers play VA Tech today, and it is on ABC! Woohoo - we get to watch this game!! Go HUSKERS!

Loving Our Weekends...

Sarah's visit over Labor Day weekend was so much fun! She arrived on Friday night, and after picking her up at the airport, I made my special turkey burgers. Evan was in Philadelphia for the day, so it was great to have girl-time during dinner. Afterward, I took her to the best ice cream place in Baltimore, and we enjoyed the heavenly creation! Saturday was spent with more girl-time as we shopped in all of the great neighborhoods. We even found these adorable owl rings, and she bought one for each of us! We just can't let go of Chi Omega...but hey, that's where our friendship started, so it's alright!

Saturday night was an adventure! As everyone in the state of Nebraska knows, last Saturday was the first Husker game of the season (I'm still coming to grips with the fact I wasn't there). We looked online and found that there was a bar in Columbia, MD where a group of Husker fans gather. We called ahead to make sure that they would have the game, and they said they would...YAY! However, we showed up and they didn't have it, and the regular group wasn't there. It was going to cost a lot of money to buy it on pay-per-view, so we couldn't watch it there. Repeat this scenario two more times, and you have our evening. Yes, we went to 2 other places (calling first) and were told that they were showing the game. Turns out, NO ONE was showing it! We made it back to our apartment around half time and were able to stream the audio from the Nebraska Athletics website. It just wasn't the same!

It was sad to see Sarah go on Monday, but it was so wonderful spending those couple of days with her. We appreciate her visit so much! We love visitors, so it was great. I'd like to take this time to personally invite each and every one of you out to visit us - we're great hosts, I promise! In all seriousness, though, we truly welcome all of our friends and family. We miss everyone and would love to see you and show you around Baltimore!!

Exciting news: Ashley is going to be having her baby soon! YAY!!

Sarah!

At this time tomorrow, I'll be hanging out with one of my dearest friends, Sarah Haskell! She flies in tomorrow and will be staying until Monday night - and I could not be any happier! I'll of course write about our weekend, so you'll be able to read about the fun things that we will do!

This week has flown by. I think it has something to do with this whole "9-5 real job" thing. I seriously feel like it was just last weekend, and here we are again - tomorrow is Friday! The job is going well. I'm finally starting to work on my own stuff, which is great. It is such a fast-paced atmosphere, and there is always something to do, so the days go by quickly.

Evan started the fall semester at Hopkins on Wednesday. He had hospital rotations and a few classes this summer, but the official semester began this week. The classes seem to be going well, and he's definitely interested in what he's learning. He'll actually be heading to Philadelphia tomorrow to meet with a surgeon about a potential project, so that's very exciting! It's weird that he's going to Philly for the day. We're still adjusting to the fact that so many BIG cities are so close to each other out this way....oh, the East Coast...

And for super exciting news: Evan's cousin, Dottie, got engaged tonight! We are so excited for her and Brandon! Congrats!

The Haymarket in Baltimore!

So you all know about the trouble I've gone to trying to find that magical scoop of ice cream. And although we did find that one place a while back (the one that also sells donuts), I've felt there has been a void in my life due to the lack of Ivanna Cone in Baltimore. But good news - I've found Baltimore's version of Ivanna Cone! It's called Sylvan Beach, and my oh my! It's located in a village of Mt. Washington, inside a brick building. Get this: they even write their flavors on a chalk board just like Ivanna Cone! I had Honey Graham and Cake Batter, and Evan had Cake Batter and Peanut Butter Cup. It's locally owned, so that really made us like it even better.

This is the crazy part, and the reason I titled this post "The Haymarket in Baltimore." While we were eating our DELICIOUS ice cream, I was looking around at the different buildings around us...then I noticed it. The building next to Sylvan Beach housed "Amazing Glaze," a paint-your-own-pottery store...just like Paint Yourself Silly which is next to Ivanna Cone!! I could not believe it! After this discovery, I even mentioned to Evan that I couldn't wait to write about this on the blog! Yay - Baltimore has a Haymarket like the one in Lincoln! :)

Busy, busy!

Oh, goodness. I just realized that I haven't updated this blog in forever! To my many loyal followers: my apologies! So much has been going on these past few days. Highlights include a weekend visit from my parents, starting my new job and a Chi Omega alum get-together at Little Havana for$10 margarita pitchers!

It was AMAZING to see my parents last weekend. They flew in to D.C. last Thursday, and then we picked them up at the New Carrollton metro station on Friday afternoon. I surprised them with my culinary skills and whipped up an amazing dinner that night: parmesan tilapia, skillet-fried zucchini, rice pilaf and individual peach cobblers for dessert - delicious! Saturday was spent shopping and checking out Evan's office on Hopkins' campus and seeing my new workplace. They bought a lot of dress clothes for me, since I'm a working woman now, and I appreciate them doing so! We went out to eat at Mother's Federal Hill Grille. You may recall that Evan and I joined his fellow classmates there back in June, when he had the Heart Attack on a Plate burger - my dad tried it this time! I actually ended up getting a hamburger also, which is "blog-worthy" because I haven't had red meat since before the wedding. Yes, fish, turkey and chicken fill my plates these days! But I must admit, that BBQ burger with cheese and fried onions was amazing! The rest of Saturday night was spent playing Yahtzee and Smart Ass - a favorite game for both Evan's family and mine! We were sad to see them leave on Sunday, but we so enjoyed having them visit! We sure hope Evan's parents can make it out here now!

I will post more about my new job in the next few days. This week has been hectic! I hope everyone is enjoying their week!!

Pictures

Employment?...Ok!

Yesterday was the best day of my life...ok, right after the day Evan proposed, and of course, our wedding day, and finding out Ashley was pregnant...but still, it was great! This whole "job search" process has been long and daunting. We've been here for two months now (exactly!), and each day was spent updating my resume, researching businesses, writing cover letters and hearing NOTHING. The past couple of weeks picked up a little bit, though. I had that temporary position and actually had interviews with two different magazines that are published in Baltimore.

Corridor, Inc., is a business and political magazine that covers issues in Baltimore and Washington D.C. I had two interviews with them for an advertising sales/event planning position. They are a very small company, so I saw a lot of room for growth. I got the call from their editor yesterday, and she offered me the position, BUT I TURNED IT DOWN!

I am now a proud employee of Urbanite, a magazine for "Baltimore's curious." It is the most interesting magazine I have ever seen. It targets the trendy, hip, environmentally-conscious people who have a disposable income in Baltimore. The general manager, who I did most of my interviewing with, was very outgoing and very kind to me during this entire process. I had an initial interview that lasted almost 2 hours! She then invited Evan and I to their August "roll-out" party - the "roll-out" parties are held once a month, and it celebrates the publication of the new issue...fun venue, food and drinks = fun! I then tagged along on a sales pitch with a Senior Account Executive and then went out for dinner with the general manager. Basically, they really made an effort to show that they were interested in me. They offered me an advertising sales position yesterday, and I accepted!

Check out the website: Urbanite Magazine

Evan and I are really excited about this opportunity. What I'm super happy about is that this job relates to my degree - I'll actually use the stuff I learned during college! Plus, I'm not just holding a random job to get by - this is the start of an actual career. I've learned to trust God a lot during this entire process and am excited about what He has in store me. We are truly blessed!

Greater Baltimore MD Alumnae Chapter

When I first found out that we were going to be moving to Baltimore, I checked on the National Chi Omega website to see if there was a Baltimore alum group. There is one, and I came into contact with some of the members. Evan and I went to a Chi Omega BBQ back in July (I believe I mentioned that in a previous post). Anyway, last night I went to an organizational meeting - the alum group out here is not an "official" alum chapter, so we're going through the process to become one. Although I enjoyed my time in Chi Omega during college, I always looked forward to graduating, so the numerous meetings and activities would stop. However, I've found that I just can't let go! I'm excited to use my knowledge of Chi Omega to help the Baltimore alumnae chapter get started. It's also a great way to meet people! I created a website for the group - the link is below. Obviously the website is only in the beginning steps, but I think it will turn into something great!

Greater Baltimore MD Alumnae Chapter

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch

Yesterday was the last day at my temporary position - thank goodness! I can't believe I survived 8 days there. I tried to keep a positive attitude - I kept telling myself that I should be thankful that I had a temp. position, and that many people would be ever-so-grateful for a chance to make money. And although I was very appreciative of the position, I must admit that I am SO happy it's over. First off, it was a construction/contracting company. I am in no way degrading this job sector - but the men at this office were very rude/crude. Honestly, I heard a nasty word about every 5 minutes - just not my idea of a professional atmosphere. Also, my boss was a piece of work, and I'm sure I could describe him for you, although I don't think the words would necessarily be appropriate for this fun blog! :)

So for my last day yesterday, my boss took me and another worker out for lunch. I REALLY didn't want to go, and I tried to come up with random excuses, but he wasn't taking "no" for an answer. So alas, I went along. And it was the MOST AWKWARD situation I have ever been in. In fact, there were times during the lunch that I just wanted to start laughing at the situation I was in - mainly because about 15 minutes went by with NOTHING being said. Yes, complete silence. I thought it was pretty funny! Anyway, they did pay for my lunch (yay), but I'm going to apply this "free lunch" to something I learned in economics classes (Mom & Dad - I'm probably making you proud - I did learn something in college!). So here's my theory: in economics, they say "there is no such thing as a free lunch." Mainly because you have to give something up (a cost) in order to receive a benefit. I gave up my relaxing lunch break eating a pb&j sandwich while surfing the web in order to attend the WORST lunch date I've ever experienced. So really, the lunch wasn't "free." :)

As for a good lunch situation, Evan and I are meeting a couple for lunch at the Blue Agave (Mexican restaurant) in the Federal Hill district today. Sarah was a Chi Omega and we met her and her husband when they hosted the Chi Omega Alum BBQ here in Baltimore a few weeks ago. We're excited to get to know them better!

Broken Glass & Waking Up Late

So here's two great stories that showcase high moments for both of us. After enjoying a wonderul late dinner on Sunday night, I went to the kitchen to start rinsing off the dishes. All of a sudden...CRASH. I look over at Evan who is standing still looking at the shattered glass surrounding him, while hold a broken drinking glass. He can't remember exactly what happened - just that he thinks it started to slip and he tried to catch it and hit the table. So anyway, I notice blood on his hand and he covers it up and won't show me! That's when I knew that it was pretty bad because he kept telling me to stop trying to look. After much convincing, I was able to see the cut on his finger and it definitely called for stitches (well, probably one stitch) - it was very deep! He refused to go to the hospital, and the next morning he found some super glue and glued his finger together. I think it actually worked!

Story 2: I had the LONGEST day of my life yesterday. I was up at 4:30 working on stuff for an interview that I had on Tuesday at 5:00 (which I went straight to after leaving my temp. position). Anyway, I was tired last night. I went to bed at 9:30 and passed out! So of course, when my alarm went off at 6:00 this morning, I just wasn't feeling it. Next thing I know it's 7:01 and I leave for work at 7:15. Do the math - crazy morning, huh?!? But I'm here now (and obviously working so hard, since I'm updating the blog!). I actually arrived at 8:03, so only 3 minutes late. Not bad!

Sailing

Saturday was an adventure! We rented a sailboat with Chris and Lauren down by Alexandria, Virginia (basically, Washington D.C.). We sailed in the Potomac River, and it was so cool! Evan and I had never been sailing, and Chris and Lauren are pretty experienced, so we appreciated having them teach us everything. We caught on quite well! There was hardly any wind when we first started, but it definitely picked up. There were some scary moments, although I think I was the only one on the boat who was scared! When you hit a strong wind line and start to turn (an "attack" or "come about" - I can't remember all the terms!), the boat starts to tip...a lot. It makes me nervous just thinking about it! Evan loves water, so of course he was as excited as could be! All in all, it was a lot of fun!

After sailing, we decided to get some ice cream and found a great spot in the cutest little neighborhood in Alexandria. It was called Dairy Godmother's, and they served frozen custard and sorbet. I had warm peach cobbler with raspberry sorbet, and Evan had chocolate-chocolate chip frozen custard. To die for!

Once we got home, we were pooped. We had a late night on Friday, as we went out with some people in Evan's program. Plus, we were just tired from the week's activities. Our intention was to take a 30 minute nap...add on 3 more hours, and that's what we got! Yes, we took a nap from 6:30-10:00 on Saturday night. I'm not even sad to admit that...ok, maybe a little. But it did feel great!

The Symphony & Canoeing

Last weekend was wonderful! On Friday night, Lauren and Chris brought over some delicious cheese that we enjoyed with a little red wine before heading to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was being performed and it was absolutely amazing - I even got goosebumps when the chorus joined the orchestra! Afterward, we went to Red Maple - a bar/lounge serving tapas (4-5 serving appetizers). We were able to enjoy a great variety, and they were all yummy - thanks to Chris and Lauren for picking up the tab! :)

On Saturday, we met up with them again to go canoeing at Loch Raven Reservoir. A canoe rental is $14 for the whole day - so a pretty great deal! We had fun exploring the Reservoir and its great landscape. We packed picnic lunches and enjoyed a few beers while spending time on the water and soaking up the sun - Evan's ideal situation! Evan and I enjoyed canoeing so much that we even went back out there yesterday afternoon, and it was just as fun the second time around!

As for employment news - I picked up a temporary position filling in as an administrative assistant for a construction company. It's just for 8 days, but at least I'm getting out of the apartment and making a little extra cash. The job search is going well, and I'm definitely making progress. Hopefully I'll be able to share some exciting news soon - I'm just so ready to work full-time - I'm sure my parents can't even believe I just said that! :)

Loch Raven, Chi Omega & Bird Poop

Last Saturday, Chris and Lauren invited us to go for a run at Loch Raven Reservoir. This huge reservoir is north of Baltimore in Baltimore County, and it is beautiful up there! We enjoyed running on the trails and enjoying time outside of the city. They packed a picnic lunch for all of us, and it was great to spend more time with them. Although, my legs were pretty sore for the next couple of days!

Last Sunday, we attended a Chi Omega BBQ for Baltimore-area alums. It was so nice to meet new people, and even better that they were fellow Chi Omegas! The couple who hosted the BBQ actually invited us to a Jason Mraz concert, but we already had plans. We are going to have brunch with them in a couple weeks, and we're excited to get to know them better!

Now for a change of pace...our apartment complex has a 24-hour fitness center, and it's great to be able to work out when we want. We have to cross the courtyard to enter the fitness center, and Evan and I had been noticing a lot of bird poop on the sidewalk. Not even 2 days after talking about it, the incident happened. After leaving the fitness center on Wednesday night, bird poop struck my arm and leg! Of course I started screaming because I thought some wild insect had attacked me. But, no...just bird poop! Evan rushed me back into the fitness to clean me off, while I was hysterical. I just couldn't believe that it actually happened! I mean, it's one of those things that you hear about but don't experience. Oh, well...makes for a good story! :)

Haircut!

Thursday was the day - I chopped off my hair. I had been growing it out for the wedding, so the time had come! I wanted to do it right when we got here, but searching for a salon in a new city is definitely harder than it sounds. In Baltimore (and greater Baltimore), there are so many different neighborhoods, and we've learned quickly that each neighborhood is quite different from the next. I wanted to make sure that I found a salon in a good area. So after speaking with some people and Google-ing a LOT of different salons, I found one that looked like it might work. Studio 1612 is located in the Mt. Washington village district, and it was absolutely perfect! The village is a secluded neighborhood that is filled with some great little shops, so I had fun walking around there before my appointment.

Funny story about when I called to schedule a time: the owner actually answered and wanted to know where the 402 area code was from, so I said "Nebraska." She was so excited that I picked her salon, so when I was paying for the haircut, I heard this lady start yelling across the salon, wondering where the "Nebraska girl" was because she wanted to meet me! She was very kind and happy that I enjoyed my time there - I'll definitely be going back! I haven't taken any pictures of the new 'do yet, but I'll be sure to soon! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Ice Cream...Finally!

Last Saturday was spent sleeping in...always a plus! That afternoon we went up to Towson - they have a really great (and huge!) mall, mainly filled with stores that we can't afford! It was still a lot of fun and very relaxing just to walk around and look. Evan actually found a really nice watch, and although it was on sale, it was still somewhat pricey (and we're trying really hard to save money!). So we put it on hold to let him think about it. We ended going back home and taking nap, and when we woke up, he decided he wanted it! So we were off again to Towson around 8:30 that night. He got the watch, and then I decided I needed something, so of course I chose ice cream! We looked...and looked, and still NO ice cream. Evan was talking to his mom after another defeated try and happened to mention our troubles. After he hung up, we looked to the right of the street and found an OPEN ice cream shop! YAY! I couldn't stop telling the workers how excited I was to find their place - and they gave us HUGE servings. Absolutely divine. It wasn't just a store for ice cream, though. They also sold donuts - gourmet donuts! You can even get a "hole-in-one," which consists of a donut with ice cream on it. We're definitely going back, so we can try the donuts next time!

Here is the menu for the donuts: the store is called Fractured Prune.

Little Havana, a Film Festival & Wine

Evan has been fortunate enough to have time during the weekends to just relax and not worry about class work or hospital rotations...so we always look forward to Fridays! Last Friday was no exception, and we had a great night enjoying time with friends. We had a few people over for drinks before heading to dinner at Little Havana, a bar/restaurant. Seafood was definitely the restaurant's forte, but of course I went with meat - still not so sure about things from the ocean! Evan's trying really hard to get me to like fish, and I did try his dinner, so that's progress! After Little Havana with the group, we went with Chris and Lauren to a film festival inside an art gallery. And...it was an experience! Maybe I just don't "get" art, but the short films were odd and interesting. One included a middle-aged, half-naked man acting as a cow in his basement. Not sure why that's classified as art! We then found this great wine shop, bought a bottle and went back to our apartment. It was very relaxing and a great chance for us to get to know Chris and Lauren a little bit better!

That was just the beginning of our great weekend, though! More to come, including...drum roll...ICE CREAM. Yes, we found an ice cream place, so you can all stop worrying about me! :)

Yahtzee!

Who would have thought that 2 people playing Yahtzee could be so fun!? I haven't laughed that hard in a while. Last night after a failed attempt of trying to find an ice cream place around us (there are supposed to be quite a few, but parking on a Thursday night in downtown Baltimore is quite the task), we came back to the apartment empty-handed. Luckily, we had enough store-bought ice cream for one person (me! - Evan so graciously insisted!), so I was able to satisfy my need. We then decided to bust out one of the board games that we received for the wedding and challenge each other to an intense game of Yahtzee. I blame my two losses on Evan - when he sees all of the dice after being rolled, whether it's his turn or mine, he immediately starts explaining what combination should be sought. So here I am trying to analyze my scorecard and the dice that I rolled, and I have Evan blurting out what he thinks would be the easiest points to get - based on odds. It was too much; I just couldn't concentrate, and he was making me nervous. So I lost...both games...149-229 and 210-238. I called it quits after that, but I definitely want to play him again soon, it was just too darn funny watching how excited he became after each roll! Tonight we're heading to an art exhibition at Maryland Art Place, and then to the Gallery Imperato Film Festival afterward. It should be fun!

Fourth of July in D.C.

Happy Holiday Weekend

Evan and I had a great holiday weekend!! On Wednesday night, we were able to video chat with Evan's mom and sister, Kira. It was so great to see them, even if it was only on a computer! Then on Thursday, we were able to video chat with my parents, Ashley, Nathan and Tomaz (their cat!). They were in Eagle for the weekend, so it worked out great that we could see them via computer! Friday was spent sleeping in - Evan deserved it so much after the hours that he's been putting in these past few weeks. That afternoon we had a barbecue with his program on Johns' Hopkins' main campus. The weather was beautiful - we even got to play some more Bocce Ball. AND...we made a blueberry-peach cobbler, and it was a hit!

Saturday, the 4th, we headed to D.C. It was so much fun! We drove part of the way, and then parked at a metro station and rode the metro the rest of the way. It worked out well - we didn't have to fight traffic in downtown D.C. We did a lot of sightseeing and took a lot of pictures. We met up with Kristin (who lives there) in the afternoon. She was a great hostess and treated us to the Red Velvet Cupcakery, which is only a few blocks from where she lives. DELICIOUS. Michaela also joined us later in the day. So fun to be able to spend more time with them! We were able to watch the fireworks from Kristin's apartment's rooftop. We had a great view of the Capitol and the Washington Monument. We were so honored to be invited! A few other people from Nebraska were there - Laine Norton, Claire Althouse, Matt Schaefer and Camilo Ramirez. It was so great to see more familiar faces! We hope everyone had a lovely and safe holiday weekend!

A Fun Weekend!

We had such a great weekend. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we met up with the people in Evan's program on Friday night. We ate at Mother's Federal Hill Grille - and it was delicious! In fact, Evan's dinner of choice had been featured on The Food Network as "The Hamburger" to try if you're in Maryland...it's called, "Heart Attack on a Plate." The hamburger is deep fried - the name makes sense now, doesn't it?! After dinner, we hit a few bars, danced it up and just enjoyed Baltimore's night life. On Saturday, Melissa stopped by our apartment for a quick tour - it was so wonderful to see her - she's been such a great friend to both of us. Dinner that night was spent with Michaela and Kristin at Bonefish Grill. It was just so weird to be able to meet two dear friends in Maryland for dinner - who would have thought that we'd all end up in this area?!

We went to church on Sunday, and it was only a few blocks from us, so we walked. The church is beautiful - very old, tons of stained glass windows and just has a lot of character. We then met up again with some people for lunch. Two guys in Evan's program are also married (one got married the week before us, Chris and Lauren!). We met up with the other married couples and one other guy and his serious girlfriend for a late lunch on Sunday. It was so much fun - we get along great with the other couples! This afternoon we met up with Chris and Lauren for a quick game of Bocce Ball on Johns Hopkins' main campus. The guys had a break between workshops, so Lauren and I met them there. We received a Bocce Ball set for our wedding, so it was great to use it for the first time!

The Apartment!

The Weekend is Here!

Yay - it's Friday! Evan will be finishing up at the hospital any time now, and then we'll be celebrating the weekend. We're going to be social (woohoo for friends!) over the next few days, and we're really looking forward to it. Tonight, the people in Evan's program and their significant others are going out to eat and then to some bars by the Inner Harbor. I'm very excited to meet the people that Evan spends each day with! On Saturday night, Evan and I will be driving up to Bel Air to meet Michaela McBride and Kristin Allan. Michaela is living up there for the summer while working, and Kristin works in D.C., but she's making a weekend trip up to visit Michaela. We're going to join the two for dinner, and we're so looking forward to it! Also, our dear friend Melissa Hobbs is in Baltimore/D.C. until Monday, and we're hoping to meet up with her some time on Sunday! As much as we love our apartment and spending time in it, it's going to be great to see friends and enjoy the sights of Baltimore!!

And...I found my camera cord! My promise to you: pictures of the apartment will be posted by Sunday night!

The Baltimore Cupcake Company

Ok, so while I've been searching online for various Baltimore companies and businesses in hopes of finding job opportunities, I came across a gold mine: The Baltimore Cupcake Company. No, I didn't apply for a position - but how fun would that be?! If there are any Food Network watchers out there, you know that the show, Ace of Cakes, is located here in Baltimore (I think their bakery, Charm City Cakes, isn't too far away from our place). Well, as you can see, bakeries are very popular here, so I just had to check out this one for myself.

Yesterday after officially changing my name at the Social Security office (yay - I'm a Luxon!), I was on a mission to make it to The Baltimore Cupcake Company. And when I walked in, I felt like a little girl walking into a magical land, I kid you not (and that's the exact way I explained it to Evan). It was the cutest bakery I have ever seen. Unfortunately, I was so overwhelmed and excited that I never took pictures there, but as you can probably already imagine, I plan on becoming a frequent visitor. They serve a variety of flavors each day, and the menu can be found on their website. I stopped in around 2:45, and the only flavor left was plain vanilla with chocolate icing and some with vanilla frosting. I was kind of bummed that I couldn't try a fun flavor, but the ones we got were amazing. The lady working said I needed to stop in earlier in the day if I wanted a chance to have a choice - so that's good to know for future reference! I did take a picture of my half-demolished cupcake, so you can enjoy that! :)

Oh, and you can check out their site: The Baltimore Cupcake Company

Our Apartment Feels Like Home!

We are all moved in! Well, almost...just a few more boxes to unpack in the bedroom and we're done! Surprisingly, the move went really well. We rented part of a semi from ABF and loaded it up in Omaha. It was shipped here to Baltimore and arrived on Thursday. We rented a Penske truck and transferred our belongings on Friday night at the ABF location. Unfortunately, we couldn't park the truck in our apartment's parking lot that night - they have pretty strict rules (plus, it wouldn't have fit through the gate!). So we parked it on the street across from us and crossed our fingers that it would be safe at night! And it was (Evan only checked on it once at 2:00 a.m.)! We unloaded everything on Saturday, and missed the rain...for the most part. That's right, as we were beginning to move the loveseat and couch, the down pour began. We got soaked, but we managed to fit them through the door and safely into our apartment. Unpacking the boxes kind of felt like Christmas as we hardly labeled them!

Today was mostly spent organizing the place. Our apartment looks great, and I'm excited to post pictures...now, I just need to find my camera cord...I'm guessing (or at least hoping) that it is in one of those last few boxes upstairs that has yet to be unpacked! Once I get that figured out, you can expect to see some pictures. We also used our oven for the first time tonight - Sam Adams Light Beer Bread. We just took it out of the oven, and it smells delicious - don't worry, I also took a picture of that! :)

A Few Wedding Pictures

Getting Here...

Well, we made it! As I sit here on the floor of our empty apartment with a cardboard box doubling as a table next to me, I can't stop thinking about how blessed we are. We had a wonderful time with family and friends at our wedding last weekend. The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather for the first day of our life together. Although Sunday was mostly spent packing, we were able to spend time with Evan's family before we hit the open road. We made it to Kent, Ohio on Monday night - we ended up driving fairly late, but Evan grabbed a Starbuck's and we kept on trucking! We slept in (8:30 felt like sleeping in to us) and stopped at a Waffle House on Tuesday morning - I'm not even going to lie - it was amazing. We only had 5 1/2 hours to drive on Tuesday, so that flew by. We arrived at our new apartment late afternoon and went to Target to get some groceries, trash cans, cleaning supplies, etc. (so thanks to all who gave us gift cards!). We'll be posting more as our adventure continues. Thank you to all our family and friends for the support and love you have given us!