http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Illinois , Evanston en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:58:45 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:58:45 UTC Tuesday 72908So I wrote a bunch of stuff throughout the day on Mondaywhile running around like a madwoman I still wanted to record some key highlights for the record. It's now Tuesday. The day before we leave. It came just like we knew it would and we are going to leave in the morning. I'm mostly publishing this one for me but if you enjoy reading it all the better. Fasten your seatbelts. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-305639.html I will open by saying we did get all 4 visas and we are set to leave for Shanghai on Wed July 30th...that's next Wed. 1 week from tomorrow. Real soon. Anyway until we went to the Chinese Consulate and applied we really didn't know if this would go smoothly or not. We've never applied for visas for workingliving in another country...plus there's the matter of the Olympics and all they restric http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-303314.html Still busy...had a week with the kids and no camp which was nice but less productive for me in terms of projects and packing. We spent a fun few hours at the beach one day. I feel a little guilty when I'm not doing stuff for the move but sometimes you just gotta take a break. Mark is home He came back Friday night in time to see my dad who just left this afternoon. Mark was understandably exh http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-302004.html For those of you who have not yet heard I recently accepted a job with Bottlenotes an Internet wine company based in Palo Alto. I will be moving back to San Francisco at the beginning of August. As soon as I received the offer I immediately looked into places that American miles would take me. Luckily tickets to Lima were available. My best friend from Kellogg Raquel is also coming along for http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-301694.html Wow. I can see the stories from China are much preferred due to the spike in readership between last night and today Mark's debut was quite a hit. I knew it would be which is why I urged begged him to put some of his stories on virtual paper. I am hoping for more from Mark soon. He's been so busy it's really unbelievable. He's very modest but I know he's working very hard and is missing his ki http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-300271.html It's Mark's birthday He's still in China...but we talked a couple times and the kids and I sent him a movie I made with Windows Movie Maker...came with my Dell. He was very impressed since he's the one that does things like make movies. I took videos on my camera of the kids and just put them together with that software and added an opening title and credits. It was fun. Hardly a professional jo http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-298772.html First the important news...Mark signed our lease. Yay. That was a major checklist item. I found out a couple days ago but for some reason wanted to wait and make sure nothing changed before posting the news. So far so good. I am posting a few pics so you get a visual. It's not that big but it's very clean modern nice and has great views. It's that same building we decided on after our sear http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-298081.html When you decide to move to China you have to figure out to do with your pets. We are not pet people well Mark and I aren't. Nathan is a pet person. He has a lot of Aunt Laura in him. We have 3 water frogs and 1 beta fish. Lily and Bella are going to take Buddy the beta fish. The frogs are a little more complicated. We talked about giving them away but Nathan seemed uncomfortable with that p http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-297545.html We have been oh so busy the last several days Emily turned 6 on the 3rd. She and I spent the day together she got a manipedi we had lunch out and then saw the American Girl movie. We had a great fourth of July with Julie and Quinn and Q's family which included a fun boat ride on Lake Michigan. Nathan drove the boat for a few minutes and loved it That evening we went to fireworks with Angie http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-296261.html When I am stressed I am also very distracted. I think this is typical stressedperson behavior but I think my forgetfulness stories are extra funny. This week alone I've nearly missed my doctor's appointment almost forgotten to pick the kids up early from camp and had several mishaps in the kitchen.The other day I put the peanut butter in the freezer. Could not find it Very confusing as it http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-294605.html Just a quick update on Mark. He's doing fine....working tons in a rural part of China. Very long hours no Internet. I finally reached him on his cell tonight and he answered it in Chinese Threw me for a loop. He is going to send me some bloggish details of his latest travels. I will share one highlight from him he said last night's dinner was pigeon soup and 2 rabbit dishes one of which was r http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-294254.html We have so much stuff it's unreal. It's especially daunting when I'm trying to decide what to take only taking bags on the plan so that mean 9 bags for the family. I also need to purge the clutter the junk and the no longer need it stuff. There is just so much of itWe had a neighborhood garage sale this weekend. When the first person came up I realized why people donate their stuff rather http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-293359.html Finally something blog worthy besides my whining about how stressed I am I recently reconnected with a good friend from high school Sarah. Sarah spent time traveling the world and used this very site to log her travels. She and I exchanged a few emails before the move was planned. I wrote to let her know I won't be at the 20th reunion afterall because...I'm moving to China will the shock valu http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-292746.html Mark is leaving for China tomorrow. He'll be there for 3 12 weeks hopefully less might be more. Tonight we are having a prebirthday party for Emily and Mark since he'll be gone for both events. I ran around today getting that pulled together. Emily keeps getting annoyed that I'm not wishing her happy birthday every 15 seconds this morning Me it's not your real birthday we are having a par http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-291179.html Everyone keeps asking for our official move date and I avoid the question since I'm feeling unprepared for the actual move. Well it's August 1. I kept thinking August and Mark was thinking August 1st. School starts the 25th it takes a week just to adjust to the time change...so we gotta get out there and get ourselves settled. I finished the school applications and Mark scanned and converte http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-285627.html June 5th. After returning home we heard back from the realtor about the 2 apartments she was negotiating. She did get us a reasonable price on the one near Mark's office but we decided to pass. We really wanted the other one near the park. There are many units in that building so we are still hopeful. The 1 apartment we wanted is now off the market. So we have to keep working on the apartmen http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-284061.html I'm sitting at home getting ready for this epic journey to India Cambodia Laos Thailand Vietnam and possibly Europe. I am a Junior at Pitzer College in Claremont CA. This whole thing started in the Spring of 2007 during my Building Sustainability class when Miles and I decided to break away from school for a semester. We agreed that the best thing to do was to go someplace out of the norm. A http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-199439.html Rise and shine the movers are coming...or are theyCarlos and company wait I should change that and partner arrived at 9 am which was much earlier than I was expecting. They were only 1 man down since 3 were suppose to come. They were the packers and the movers were suppose to be coming later. He was nervous about being able to get everythin packed which of course made us feel REAL good. T http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-187336.html Today is July 4th my first Independence Day here in the US. My friends and I have barbeque and loads of other grilled stuff by the lake here in Evanston my newfound hometown. What is it with barbeque here in America I also remember having picnic here on another holiday called the Memorial Day. Anyway.... There are so many people by the lake... immigrants and nonimmigrants. As I walk b http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Illinois/Evanston/blog-176805.html