Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

I am here at...Rocheport Missouri...rhyming is overrated anyway. We arrived in Missouri Wednesday night after stopping off in Kansas City for dinner. We met Kyle and Chris (Scarlett's friend who is having her do website work) at Winstead's. If you've never been to one, go. It's cute. Very 50's diner-esque and tasty cheap burgers. Also the best onion rings I've had in a long time. Possibly ever. Bold statement, I know. But anyway...

We're staying with Scarlett's aunt and uncle in the tiny berg of Rocheport (population 208) which is comprised primarily of cute homes, b&b's, and antique shops. It's right on the Katy trail (the purpose of our trip) so it'd be an adorable place to stay if you were doing the Katy trail thing. Also it's close to Columbia and Booneville if you need to go shopping or anything of that nature.

Our trusty steeds courtesy of Chuck's Bikes in Booneville.

An OLD grain bin on the trail. A perfect chance to take a break. Hi, Scarlett!

A shot of the trail... super straight for a long time. But nice just the same... :)

Yesterday (Thursday) we biked from Booneville on rented bikes (thanks Chuck's Bikes!) back to the bridge just outside of Rocheport. We would have gone all the way "home" but the trail bridge is under construction. The trail is long and flat and for most of the portion we rode it was also straight. It's a nice easy ride and if the weather were nicer I could have rode longer than our two hours.

Scarlett looking up the mileage of our ride. Should've been about 13.5 miles but with the bridge out it may have been more like 10.

Stopped at Snoddy's after our ride to pick up a few things for breakfast. This is quite the convenience store. All kinds of goodies including decent wine!

Unfortunately the weather isn't cooperating so we are seeking other things to occupy our time. Today we walked down to the main drag and looky-loo'd through the antique shops and general store. I feel in love with some tiny little glass globes you put votive candles in and hang from the ceiling. I don't know where I'd put them so I didn't buy them... yet.

Now we're over in Columbia getting some Dunn Brother's coffee and mooching some free wireless. We are children of the computer era...we can't be disconnected for too long or we start to have meltdowns.

On the agenda for tonight: all we can eat fish dinner! Lent is not without it's perks. Unfortunately I'll probably go meat free again tomorrow because I forgot and had scramble this morning with sausage and bacon. Woops. Throw in a Hail Mary for me today, Mom.

We'll be heading back to Manhattan tomorrow "morning." On this trip morning has been whenever we roll out which tends to be near lunch. We'll see what that means tomorrow.

Windy City Love Song

So when I last left you, dear reader (Mom), we were on our way to Gino's East. It was amazing. After Gino's, Taberie, myself, and the boys went to go find Coyote Ugly. Bad news is, it's been closed for at least a year. Good news is, it was located right next to a couple other clubs. People, my lady bits were far too covered for me to have been there (in my Sperry's and Cardigan to boot!) and paying $9 for a drink just made it all the more... uh... special. Let's go with that.

Friday we spent most of our day at the trade show. Good times. It was a lot of walking and my normally comfy dress shoes wore a blister in my heel. Irritating. Saw lots of neat stuff (mostly reruns from last time but still worth looking at) and had fun running around with the other K-Staters. After we finished up there we headed down to the US Cellular Stadium for a Sox game. We didn't get to see a win but it was lots of fun and we got a free hat for 1/2 way to St. Patty's day (I love that Chicago celebrates 1/2 St. Patty's day). After the game we grabbed some beverages from the 7 Eleven across from the hotel and just enjoyed our own cheap company for the evening.

This morning we got up and headed up north to Murphy's Bleachers to watch the ISU game with the other K-Staters living in Chicago. It was a great time and as always we ate too much. It was a long ride home on the El (I have no idea how I'm supposed to spell that but whatever... it's short for elevated I think) feeling so stuffed but after a win for the Cats (again!) I can't complain. After we got back we took a long scenic (we stopped in Millennium Park!) walk over to the Sears (Ok Willis but no one calls it that) Tower to see the view. We got to stand in the new glass boxes that hang over the edge and take artsy pictures of each other and the Chicago skyline. Good times. Afterward we went to go stuff ourselves at Hackney's and we ended dinner by deciding to walk back home after all (we needed the exercise bad) and we got to see the crazy sculpture that looks like a baboon. I'll put up a picture later...

Tomorrow we depart at 10 to head back home. The highlight will likely be the World's Largest Truck Stop in Iowa. I missed it on the way up in favor of not getting out because I was sleeping. Judge me if you want but those 3 hours brought me to almost 8 and I survived the rest of the day because of it! It's gonna be a long day.

Pictures of the trip will get put up...when they get put up. This week SIM is due so it may be ill advised to hold your breath. It'll happen though.

It's been...one week (since you looked at me)

Ok so it's been another week (and another W for the Cats! Holla!) and I have (again) not much to report. Especially since I've called to talk to Mom and she's about the only person reading this on the regular (no offence to anyone else using this for some attempt at entertainment but I have doubts you exist).

I had a traumatic experience the other day while dropping off my rent. I was marching over to my landlady's house next door in the light rain (rain being relevant because I was just in a hurry to get this job done and get back inside) when I stepped on something that made a fantastic crunchy sound. I didn't pause to look at whatever it was and just wondered what it could have been. On my way back down the driveway I found to my dismay it had been a snail. This is distressing for a couple of reasons. 1) I killed something. Poor innocent little snail never saw it coming. 2) I like snails (at least in theory, I haven't really had many real life experiences with them). They're cute. I know they're pests but that little swirly shell is just kinda nifty. And I smushed it. I am sure Karma is on the prowl and has my number. I'm just waiting for the hit.

Tonight I had dinner with a rep from Conoco Phillips (free dinner at Harry's Uptown. FREE! Ritzy and FREE!) and a few other ladies from the college of engineering. It was pretty dang good and I wish I could afford to eat there more often. Also I think I may be in love with Conoco Phillips so bonus points there. I'm gonna try to work some game on them at career fair next week. Better dust off the ol' resume...

In the larger events category, Susan leaves this week. I'll be on a trip (I'll get to that) so I won't actually be there when the band-aid is ripped off but we keep having send off's and farewells and it's painfully real that she's leaving. Damn you Virginia Tech and your better title and pay increase. Damn you. Tomorrow we're going to the famous Brookville for all you can eat fried chicken tomorrow for a final goodbye. I swear it's like we're trying to force ourselves to have a proper anxiety attack over this with all these goodbyes. That or we're trying to get me to put on a second spare tire. Either way I don't like it.

On a happier note, it's time again for our SME trip to IMTS (International Manufacturing Trade Show) which is in Chicago! My bestie Andrew won't be there (doing work crap in TX which is super lame and just terrible timing) in spite of the fact that he moved away from me to be in Chicago. Whatever. It's still going to be a fun trip. We get to walk around a HUGE convention center full of kick-ass stuff (water-jet cutters, CNC machines, laser inspection equipment, and the list goes on!) and spend time exploring Chicago. We're also planning on a baseball game (beer and hot dogs!) and we'll tour ArmaLite on the way there (they make rifles!). Gonna be a sweet trip. I'll report back later (probably much later because when I get back I'll have a lot of catching up to do). We leave tomorrow night and don't come back until Sunday night (soooo much driving). Unfortunately that means I'm doing laundry right now to prepare. Ugh.

So anyway I'm going to fold some of said laundry now. Oh the exciting life I lead...