Brides and babies...

Over the weekend Stef, Gina, and I drove up to Munster, IN to attend Holly's bridal shower! Saucy and Stacey came down from Chicago so the Kappas were representing well. The invitation stated that it was at the Mediterranean Room at a Greek Orthodox Church. So, being the avid church go-er that I am I automatically assumed that it was a restaurant attached to a church. Apparently this isn't a common thing or something anyone has actually ever known to exist but I swear I've seen one in Chicago and when I find it, you better bet there will be a picture on this blog.

Anyway, so apparently there was not a restaurant attached to the church but rather a banquet room with a kitchen attached. Regardless of those details the shower was wonderful. To start things off, there was a delicious and cute cookie at every spot. If I hadn't gobbled it up in 3 seconds, I would have taken a picture of it. And Holly, if you're wondering where the other 3 cookies at our table went, Colleen and I took those as parting gifts.

I also have to give props to Holly for being the most efficient gift opener I've ever seen. She breezed through those things while still acknowledging everything and everyone. One day when I have a bridal shower, I hope Holly can give me a little lesson on her secrets.

Also, I managed to take zero pictures during the shower even though my camera was sitting on the table the entire time. I'm quite bummed.

After the shower, Gina and I went down to Crown Point to extend our trip in the Region. In our search for Colleen's house, we managed to give ourselves an unscheduled tour of Crown Point...and by tour I mean we drove around the square about 17 times because we didn't know which road to take and neither one of us can read a map (which is strange because I love maps). The trip included seeing the newest member of the Drasga family, Baby Oscar the Wiener Dog, dinner at Fiesta Mexico, riding around in Colleen's convertible top down screaming out "money ain't a thang" (or Cheetah Girls), and just an all in all good time. CP, two thumbs up.

As though one shower wasn't enough, we also threw Kelly Poole Wallace a baby shower!! Baby Brooklyn is due in just a few weeks!! After some roommate brainstorming we chose to have the shower at Petite Chou in Carmel (at Clay Terrace). I thought it was appropriate since petite means small and babies are small. We also ordered cupcakes from the Flying Cupcake. Kamm and Farley introduced me to this place and thank goodness I don't ever have to drive by it because we all know my lack of will power when it comes to sweets--if not, refer to cookie story above.

Kelly is such a cute mommy to be who still looks fabulous and just has a cute little baby belly. We're all so happy for her and can't wait until Baby Brooklyn gets here so we can play with her! And we'll be happy to have back a Kelly who can go out! ;)
Another new place I discovered is Thai Papaya which is a restaurant at 96th and Michigan. I like to think that ordering the same thing at every Thai restaurant I go to helps me to compare them better since I'm really comparing apples to apples (or in this case Red Curry to Red Curry) but really, I order it all the time because I know I like it and why change it if you already know you like it? This place was decent but Thai Smile 2 still ranks as my favorite Thai place in Indy with Thai Cafe in 2nd place.

In other news, Mommy's birthday was Monday! We celebrated at my aunt's house complete with an ice cream cake! Here is a picture of Mommy enjoying her special day and her personal cake (that she so kindly shared with everyone!). The only thing that could have made the day better was if her gift had actually arrived on time but it should be here Thursday! I recently downloaded Pandora Radio to my iPhone which at first I was really excited about because I think I've already listened to all the music on my iPod about 100 times. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that Pandora Radio is just repeating the same songs over and over again. I don't know if this is because I don't ever give the songs a thumbs up or down or because it's more limited when it's an iPhone application. But it's background noise so I'm not too worried about it.

Upcoming exciting things: Midland this weekend!! I haven't been back to Midland since I moved it will be SO GOOD to see everyone again! After that, a mini-reunion in Wisconsin to visit Kylie and the weekend after that is Lynn's wedding at Purdue!! It's a busy month but full of really fun things!!

The World From Above

So, I was going through the pictures on my camera and I noticed that I have a lot of pictures that I took from the airplane. However, I don't really remember when took them so I can't really tell you what exactly you're looking at but I tried to put in some captions. But I find them enjoyable so I figured the blog would be the best place to post them. Enjoy!Somewhere between Amsterdam and Istanbul...I actually think this one is as I landed in Minneapolis. The city of 1,000 lakes!!
Ok, I know this one isn't from an airplane but this was the scene outside the window on our way to our summer house in Turkey. I mean, how could I not post it! It's like a postcard!
I can tell you the below picture is Istanbul from above.

If they lived here, they wouldn't have to visit!

So this weekend I went to the Dave Matthews Band concert with my friends Roski and Katie as well as Roski's cousin Kevin. It was so good to see Roski and Katie again! I have know Roski for years since we had all of our accounting classes together at Purdue. He might actually be the sole reason I enjoyed going to class. I met Katie (Roski's fiance and a fellow Boilermaker) through Roski and thank goodness because we were meant to be friends! They both live in Chicago and I don't get to see them often enough so now I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that they move to Indiana sooner then later!

Roski is a huge Dave fan and got us some great seats! This was the first time I had been back under the pavilion since my high school graduation in 2002. I have to say there is HUGE difference from being in the lawn compared to being in pavilion seating. People in the lawn are there because they like the band but really just wanted to come and socialize with their friends in a different setting. And they can get away with more stuff b/c security isn't as stiff--though the security didn't stop the people a few rows in front of us...

People in the pavilion however paid more for their seats and actually came to see the band. Every person around me knew all the words to every song, they were all singing along and really enjoying themselves. One girl was even keeping track of all the songs by writing them down as they played! (Clearly she doesn't have your sweet application Roski!) No one was stumbling around or puking. I might have to swing for pavilion seating the next time I head to Deer Creek! It was also nice that Roski is such a fan because he could tell us whether the song was old or new and if we really liked it, what it was called. I have to say that I like the stuff on Dave's newest CD better then what was on his last two. I highly recommend obtaining a copy in one way or another. SO MANY people in the lawn!! The next concert I'm going to is Jason Mraz with G-love and Special Sauce in 2 weeks at White River State Park!

Other exciting things from the weekend, I bought my first long dress! I'm pretty excited about it. I didn't think I could wear one since I'm pretty short but I really like this one and I think I'm going to keep it. I've included a picture for your viewing pleasure.
I also got new tires on my car this weekend. I won't include a picture of those. They're not as exciting.

Brigid was also in town visiting this weekend from Dallas! It was so good to catch up! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on Friday night so I don't have any pictures. All the more reason for her to come back and visit again!!

In other unrelated news, my trainer is starting grad school in a few weeks so I now have to find a new one. I had a session with one of the other guys last night. While the workout was okay, I didn't love training with him. My current trainer makes fun of me on a personal level but is always very encouraging on a training level. This new trainer, while very nice, is not as encouraging. And he's not as funny. Nor is he as cute but it was a fluke accident that my current trainer is cute because I picked him purely based on his name. I think I'm going to have to try out someone else. Or start traveling to Bloomington twice a week! Part of this aversion to my new trainer might be that I don't really like change when I've found something I like. Kind of like me and Tempura Udon at Ocean World. I highly recommend it.

This weekend we're heading up to Munster for Holly's Bridal Shower! And afterwards, stopping in Crown Point for a delicious dinner at Fiesta Mexico (which I so lovingly call Little Mexico b/c I can never remember the real name). I'm sure there will be lots of pictures to come! I'll try to avoid putting up ones of just gift opening.

I Learned a New Word Today

Over the course of the last 2 days I have heard the word "swag" twice. I once heard on an episode of the office from Michael Scott that swag is an acronym for Stuff We All Get. Unfortunately that definition did not work in either case. I looked it up in the dictionary but unfortunately the top drapey part of curtains are also called swag...so that didn't really help my situation either. I found that this morning that it means "an estimate". Who knew!?

In other news, I have recently moved to a new cube at work. If we were allowed to have cameras on the premises, I would have taken a picture. I like to think this is an upgrade from my last cube b/c I can at least now see the sky through some windows near me. Maybe my next move will have a full window view...or what I really want...a skylight. I mean, not many companies even have skylights at the corporate offices so I figure I should try to take advantage of the fact that we do.

I've had some visitors to my new cube and they have told me that I need to bring in some things to make my office more festive. As of now, all I have is two severely old pictures of KKG from 2005 Bid Night and the plaque I received when I left auditing. I did have pictures in my old office in Midland but I also had shelves to put them on. Here I only have counter space. Pictures on counter space = clutter in my eyes. But I don't want people to think I'm some weirdo who has no photo documents of her life so I'll probably bring some in soon. And maybe I'll actually take one of the books I was given on the company out of it's shrink wrap so that it looks like I actually read it...or at least perused through it.

I have also been told that I was recently nominated Social Chair of the Finance group. It sounds impressive but I'm the chair of a committee of one. The good news is that all it requires me to do is send a meeting notice every once in a while for a social gathering of sorts after work. Those who work with me know that there is nothing I love more then meeting notices for social gatherings. :)

Upcoming excitement: Dave concert this weekend! And a potential Chicago weekend is in the works!

Turks Know How to Have Fun

I have recently returned from a glorious 2 week vacation in Turkey! I miss the days when I didn't have a job and used to be able to go to Turkey for 2 months at a time. Delicious food, amazing weather, almost all of my family, and MADO ice cream--what more could a girl ask for?
This year was extra special for multiple reasons. 1. My little cousin (who is actually only 1.5 years younger then me) got married!! 2. My brother-in-law came to Turkey to meet the entire family and 3. I was given permission to bring a friend so Stacey came with me!! Damla and I made sure to show our guests why we love coming to Turkey!

We started our trip in Istanbul. We arrived Thursday afternoon and just unwound with a nice family dinner. Friday--the sightseeing began!! We took a ferry boat over to Eminonu and went to the New Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the Basilica Cistern, and the Spice Market! WHEW!! As you can imagine this pretty much took up our entire day! But it was well worth it because we saw a lot of sights!! That night we went out to dinner with my cousins and their husbands at the Moda Yacht Club. If you ever make it there, their sea bass is delish! Afterwards, my cousin Hakan (the groom to be)

Saturday we went to Bagdat Street which is pretty much the Michigan Avenue of Istanbul. We met up with my cousin Hakan and his friend Sanli. There we just walked around and then stopped for coffee. Damla was given her second failed attempt at iced coffee since we arrived in Turkey. I don't know why she just doesn't go to Starbucks! They have them here!!

We headed back in the early afternoon because we had all made appointments to get our hair done. The hairdressers in Turkey are great at what they do though I can't say this was our most successful trip. But Stacey got to experience a Turkish blow out so I won't say it was a complete loss!

Afterwards it was time to put on our dresses, do our make up and head off to the wedding! The wedding was at Portax which is right along the Bosphorus. It was outdoors and the weather was amazing as always. Turkish weddings are slightly different from American weddings in that they begin with cocktails and then take a break in the middle for the quick ceremony and then the party continues on until the wee hours of the night!! Canan (the bride) looked absolutely amazing in her long lace dress! The cake was beautiful and the music made it hard to force yourself to sit down and eat! We all had a great time and it was so nice to see so much family there! The groom's side of the family did an especially good job of keeping the party going past 2 am!!

Sunday started with more sight seeing. Unfortunately we got a late start and they weren't letting any more people into the Dolmabahce palace but we did get some lovely pictures at the gate and in the garden. And it worked out because our quick improvisation skills took us to Taksim to go see the Galata tower. Also in Taksim we walked down Istiklal Street which is a famous street with lots of stores and restaurants including MADO! From the Galata Tower we got some amazing views of Istanbul. It was lovely and I'm glad we got to go there because the pictures I took in January didn't do justice to the view.


After that it was back to my aunt's house to get our suitcases ready and board the buses. Stacey was on her way to our beach house and I was on my way to go visit my grandpa in Eregli. Eregli is near the middle of Turkey and isn't really full of exciting things to see so we decided to let Stacey skip that trip. My cousin has a farm in Eregli so the food we eat is always so fresh and delicious there. I can only imagine if I lived there with not a lot to do and tons of delicious food around!!

That night it was back on the bus AGAIN but this time to the beach house! We made it back to the west side of Turkey by morning and I was swimming in the Aegean sea by 11 am. This is definitely my favorite part of Turkey. I don't love swimming in pools but I LOVE SEAS AND OCEANS! Plus the water in Turkey is amazingly clear and beautiful. My brother in law said it was weird that he could see his feet in the water!

We spent the next 5 days at the beach laying out, reading, playing Euchre and Okey, drinking Fruko, teaching JB and Stacey Turkish, hanging out with old friends, laughing, talking, enjoying delicious food, spending time with family...but not very much time sleeping!!

On Saturday my aunt and uncle came to our house and we took their boat out. Some of you might have heard about the adventures we had on the boat last summer. Well, this year we figured we were in good shape because JB is quite the boat captain. But, as it turns out, there is only so much a captain can do when your gas guage is broken and you run out of gas in the middle of the Aegean Sea! Whoops! Thankfully we didn't stray too far from home and the marina was able to send out a tugboat to pull us home! And really, it wasn't that bad b/c the sun was out and we weren't in danger of hitting anything so we just continued to enjoy the day!

Saturday night we ventured to Altinkum which is the name of the downtown area close to our summer house. We went to a club there called Medusa just to give the Americans an experience at the Turkish clubs. Though I don't love Techno music, you can't help but love a club that only has walls on 3 sides and one side that opens up to the Aegean Sea. Plus it doesn't have a roof because they know it's never going to rain!

Sunday we enjoyed our last day on the beach and then that night boarded the bus yet again back to Istanbul. Our trip was almost over! We arrived in Istanbul early Monday morning and though we were exhausted we set out for our last day of fun in Turkey. First we went back to the Grand Bazaar to get any last minute souvenirs. We also stopped to have lunch. Then we headed back to the docks and took a Bosphorus Tour. Basically a boat just drives you from one end of the Bosphorus to the other on both sides so that you can see the buildings and houses. I love the way Istanbul is set up because its a great mix of beautiful historic castles and modern houses and buildings.

I have tried to include as many pictures as possible and sorry that this entry was so long. I could have updated it occasionally while I was in Turkey but I really didn't want to waste too much time indoors in front of a computer!

Up and coming things in my life include more and more weddings (of course!), maybe a trip to Wisconsin, a trip to Spain in October is in the works...and I think that's it!