Summer Updates: Britt and Mom go to DC

The school year is over!  Nevermind that it's been over for a while; I've been busy researching, relaxing, and driving back and forth between Pittsburgh and Columbus.

However, I wanted to update on some of the things that I have been up to this summer.  The first thing that I did after school got out was head to Washington, DC for Memorial Day Weekend with my mom.  I was especially excited to go with her because even though I've been to DC several times, this was her first!  Here were my top 5 favorite things from our trip:

5. Shopping in Georgetown - We kept our shopping mostly to the "window"-variety, but I did buy a pair of sparkly sandals from Steve Madden :-)

4. Delicious, delicious food - Asparagus and leek pizza at Pizza Paradiso, tapas at Jaleo, and fresh seafood at Founding Farmers.  We ate really well!

3. Memorial Day Concert - We decided to do something to celebrate the holiday while we were in town, and the National Memorial Day Concert on the lawn of the Capitol was perfect.  We got to see some B/C-list celebrities (guy with the beard from Criminal Minds, anyone?), but more importantly, we got to honor our troops.

2. Nighttime tour of the monuments - I loved the monuments; in my mind, they are what make DC feel like the national's capital.  Every time I go to Washington, DC, time spent on the mall and among the monuments is a requirement.  That being said, I had never done a nighttime tour.  It was ideal for a few reasons: 1) fewer crowds, 2) cooler temperatures, 3) stunning pictures of everything backlit.

1. The Newseum - Imagine spending a day wandering through Pulitzer Prize-winning photos, the top headlines dating back to the origin of the newspaper, and photos and newspapers tracking the days after 9/11.  If that sounds appealing, you should probably check out the Newseum.  It was incredible.  Seriously incredible.

One of my favorite headlines at the Newseum :-) 

Walking toward the Capitol for the concert!

My mom has some pictures of us together on her camera, so I'll be sure to post some when I'm home next.

More summer updates are on the way!

Brittany

My Pittsburgh Marathon Relay Experience, (Alternatively: How I almost died in a bus fire)

OK, that title may be a bit dramatic.  Let me start from the beginning:

On Sunday, I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay.  The name is relatively descriptive, but here's exactly what that means: 5 people comprise a team that together completes the 26.1 miles of the marathon course.  The first year medical school class had two teams competing.  I ran the second leg (4.8 miles) for my team and LOVED doing it.  Along the course there were so many supporters in addition to some amazing local bands (Around mile 3, one group was singing "Don't Stop Believing" - very motivational).  I know I haven't really written anything about running, but I have been following a structured training plan for about 2 and half months now.  Unfortunately, I've been battling an unstoppable upper respiratory infection the past few days, but even still I was very happy with my pace.  When I got to the end of my leg and handed off to my teammate, I was feeling great - proud of myself for actually finishing with no stopping/walking/significant slowing down.  I got my medal and headed toward the shuttle bus pick-up that would take me back to the start of the race where I had left my car.

The line for the shuttle bus seemed to go on forever; I think a lot of spectators use it to see their runners at multiple points in the course.  Two different buses pulled up, filled up, and left before I finally got on one.  After standing and waiting for the first runner to hand off to me then running 4.8 miles, sitting down felt pretty damn good.  I settled into a seat near the back of the bus and thought, and we were off.  A few minutes into the ride while we were at a red light, I noticed in a store front window that the reflection of the bus was surrounded with a thick smoky fog.  It did not, for even a second, cross my mind that the "fog" was coming from the bus.  One of the guys who was sitting in the last seat of the bus called out, "Hey bus driver!  I think you might be smoking back here."  The bus driver may not have heard him, or simply may have ignored him, but regardless, the bus lurched forward.  As we drove down Carson Street, I noticed a pedestrian was point at the back of the bus.  There was no mistaking it, he was yelling "Fire!"  The bus driver pushed down on the accelerator, and smoke came up through vents in the floor of bus.  There was only one thing to think at this point: Oh, shit.

Feeling a bit more proactive about the whole thing, the back of the bus got the driver's attention and he pulled over.  We evacuated, luckily no crazy evacuation strategies were needed, because I can tell you right now that was not going through one of those ceiling emergency exits.

This was just not going to happen for me.

We all stood on the side of the road while the bus continued to smoke.  Slowly, as it cooled down, the smoking stopped.  At this point I was (1) cold, due to the combination of rain and my own sweat, (2) tired, and (3) hungry, and cursing myself that I didn't grab a complimentary banana when I finished.  We stood.  And stood. And stood some more.  Some of the other marathoners got so anxious about standing that they formed a mutiny, yelled at the bus driver about not proactively seeking assistance (he radioed that we needed help, but did a really bad job of stressing any type of urgency), and then decided they were better off walking.  My car was parked 4.2 miles away (google maps confirms this).  Walking was just not going to happen.  Instead I made friends with my fellow stranded runners, and talked about those weird five-toed shoes and Pittsburgh-area hotels.  Finally, 1 hour and 15 minutes later (yes, I stood in the rainy cold for 75 minutes!), another bus came to rescue us.

I suppose that "near death experience" is a little exaggerated, but still it was definitely a less than pleasant experience.

In other news, I'm done with actual classes - one exam to go before summer!

Brittany

   

All Dogs Go to Heaven

Initially, I planned to post an entry today chronicling my marathon relay experience and escape from fiery death by shuttle bus.  However, something significant happened in my life today that I feel strongly about documenting. My family lost a member today: my dog Duke.  I don't want to dwell on how sad it is to lose pet; Duke wouldn't want that anyway.  He would want us to celebrate him.  (To say that Duke would want us to celebrate his legacy is actually a terribly clichéd stretch - as the thing Duke would really want is someone to scratch his ears and give him treats - but just go with it).  Duke, if you're in heaven looking down on me and magically acquired the ability to read, I miss you lots!

Yummy and Relevant

Andrew came to visit this past weekend.  Leading up the weekend, I was perpetually in test-time mode, so I wasn't the happiest camper.  To help me celebrate ending neurology, he brought me a surprise: Snickerdoodle cookies that were decorated in doctor-theme.  Here are some pictures!

Key: Stethoscope, Band-aid, Brain (it's upside-down), Syringe 

BRAIN!  Andrew already ate this one.  Any semblance of neuro is now out of my life.

Andrew also warned that if I posted these pics online, he became so sought after by the ladies that I could end up with some competition.  So ladies, if you're reading this, let me make it clear that he is off the market :-)

Less than two weeks until summer!
Brittany

Pittsburgh, you are SO backwards sometimes

Today, I decided that someone broke into my car.  There were a couple of things that led me to this conclusion:

1. The glove compartment was open.
2. Items that are usually in the glove compartment were strewn about the floor.
3. I can't remember the last time that I opened the glove compartment or the last time anyone who has been in my car has opened it.

I think that whoever did this got away with the screeny-portion of my Garmin.  It's really hard to say though, because I have a habit of taking it out of my car (for this exact reason) and carrying it around in one of the bazillions of purses/totes that I use.  No luck locating it so far though.  Additionally, both the cord and clip were left behind.  Meaning, that whoever committed this heinous (yes, heinous) crime probably got a few blocks with the damn thing propped up against the front window before it died, fell off the dash, and was rendered completely useless.

Initially, I wasn't going to do anything about it.  Even if my Garmin is gone, calling the police and filing a report is surely not going to bring it back.  How do know this?  Because in the span of my relationship with Andrew, he has had a car broken into and a Blackberry and laptop taken and another ENTIRE car stolen, and yet even with a very thorough report taken in each case, none of those items have been seen since.

I had a change of heart though, when my friend Carly told me that she overheard a girl at Crazy Mocha talking about a car break-in.  Things you should know:

1. Crazy Mocha is amazing and is easily the best place to study within walking distance of my apartment.
2. Crazy Mocha is on my street so...
3. ....if that her had her car broken into, MAYBE IT WAS THE SAME PERSON.

Clearly, Shadyside has fallen victim to a repeat offender.

I am the daughter of  (1) a police officer and (2) a woman who has what some may call "an unhealthy interest in cop shows."  I was raised to know when justice needs to be served, so I decided to inform the authorities.  After consulting with my dad, I learn that I should probably be able to file a report on line and avoid having to deal with an actual cop showing up at my apartment.  This worked for me, as at this point, I had already put on pajamas and definitely was not going outside in pink polka dot boxer shorts.

After perusing the Pittsburgh Police Department website for any info on filing a report and encountering no success, I decide to call my local zone.  A seemingly noncooperative officer answered.  Here's what followed:

Officer: How can I help you?
Me: I would like to file a report.  I think my car was broken into.
Officer: What does that mean, you think?
Me: I'm sorry. I know my car was broken into.  The glove box was open, and items were strewn about.   
Officer: Well, you're going to have to call 911.
Me: I'm sorry, I'm probably not being clear.  This did not just happen, and no one is in any danger, I just want to file a report so that the police are aware that the incident occurred in case similar case arise in my area.
Officer: I do understand, and you have to call 911.  That's the only way to file a report.
Me: *dumb-founded shock*

So, I give in and call 911.  Here's what followed:

Operator: 911 what's the location of your emergency.
Me: Um, it's really not an emergency, but 5*** Ellsworth Ave.
Operator: What do you mean its not an emergency?
Me: My car was broken into hours ago, I just want to report it and was told that this is how I was to go about it.
Operator: We can send someone out right away to take care of that report.
Me (uncomfortably shifting in my pink polka dot boxers): I was told that I can do this over the phone, so I would much prefer that.
Operator: Oh, well the person who takes phone reports is gone for the day.  You can call back tomorrow.
Me: Call back tomorrow?
Operator: Yes, dial 911 during business hours tomorrow.

OK, Pittsburgh, I put up with a lot of your nonsense.  The Pittsburgh Left.  The extreme lack of length that your on-ramps allow for getting up to speed.  The absence of an Express on Walnut.  But really?  911 IS FOR EMERGENCIES.  NOT SILLY CAR BREAK-INS THAT DO NOT MATTER.  I just really hope that no one was in trouble and struggling to get through to the police while I was wasting everyone's time by speaking to a 911 operator about my mysteriously open glove box.  And really, if a small suburb of Columbus, OH can have online report-taking, why in the world can't you?

Pittsburgh, just know we're not on the best of terms right now.  If you keep up the nice weather and somehow I get my hands on a few pierogies in the next few days, we can probably kiss and make-up.

In other news, Andrew visited and brought me amazinggg cookies.  I wanted to post pictures but they're on his cell phone and he's not awake anymore so I guess it's not going to happen tonight.

I do, however, have this lovely gem to share (note its sideways, and I'm way too tired to figure out how to change that at this point):



Someone who lives in apartment building threw away a Christmas tree today.  Possible explanations?  I've got none.

Until tomorrow!
Brittany

It's a good thing I'm in medical school now...

....because a 6-hour long MCAT surely would have done me in.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/a-better-medical-school-admissions-test/

My opinion?  Medical schools should DEFINITELY consider an applicant's perspective on ethics and society when making their admissions decisions.  However, those qualities seem difficult to elucidate in a standardized exam format.  I vouch, instead, for the inclusion of ethics-based questions on written applications and interviews (a large majority of the schools that I apply to already did this, so including it on the MCAT also seems a bit redundant).  And really, medical school admissions universe, don't you put pre-med kids through enough already?

Hot Off the Press

So the world news has been quite a buzz recently.  Between the Royal Wedding, death of the world's most notorious American-hater, and the release of Obama's long form birth certificate (sense the sarcasm here), my life has seemed relatively chill lately.

I will admit that I woke up a little earlier than normal to catch the tail of the wedding.  I was a little leery of making a big deal out of it because I was hosting a prospective med student for Pitt's Second Look Weekend (Some of you may remember me going last year.  It's the medical school's last effort to recruit anyone who may be undecided.  It's also a great way for students to see the city and school again and try to find roommates).  I was worried that the girl staying with me would totally judge my alarm clock going off and extra hour and half early, but luckily she was into the whole thing too.  Kate looked amazing (as if there was any doubt!) - I loved both of her dresses.  If you've only seen pictures of the first one, google image search the second immediately.

Actual Second Look Events consumed most of my Friday.  I'm the Student Admissions Team Coordinator here, which essentially means I provided a supporting role for the Second Look planning process.  As a result, I got to attend breakfast, lunch, AND dinner (whoo hoo free food!), and got to interact with tons of the potential newbies.

In between all of that madness, the first year medical students did have another very important event: the Remembrance Ceremony for all those who donate their bodies to better our education.  Members of our class spoke, read poetry, played instruments, and sang (PalPITTations sang a beautiful version of "Old Irish Blessing" that I was super proud of!).  Family members of donors were invited to attend, and it seems like many people were very moved by our class's efforts.  I got a little teary during a performance of "For Good" from Wicked, but I attribute largely to the fact that it was sung at my high school graduation and has made me weepy ever since.  

Following the end of the Second Look festivities, I engaged in some retail therapy with Carly and celebrated her birthday with a large group of her friends.  Nights out like that remind me that I'm a real person and not just a med student.  Here's a fantastic picture from the celebration:

We have another exam this week (already!), so I'm grinding away.  Andrew's coming to town this weekend though, so I definitely have something to look forward to!

Until next time,

Brittany

The Best Easter Hunter EVER

I definitely have the best dad ever.  And here's why:

As a little girl, every Easter, my mom set up a trail of clues that led to our baskets and presents.  The first clue would say something like "Clue #2 is making a call," and the second clue would be hidden behind the phone.  Over the years, the clues did get harder, and the hunt was eventually was taken over by my dad.  With that change, the clues became a serious of puzzles, requiring code-cracking, application of trivial knowledge, and somewhat confusing puns.  I like to think of it as my own personal version of National Treasure.  Here were some highlights from this year's hunt:

  

The first clue was hidden inside and egg that was covered in tape.  LOTS of tape.  Not necessarily a mental challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.  It included the formula for the volume of a cone and eventually led to a basket of pine cones that sits in our family room.

For a later clue, Andrew and I had to look up the periodic table on his cell phone to change a series of numbers into words.  (Example: 1 = H for Hydrogen).  This code eventually spelled out a hint that lead to a statuette from my days in dance class.

I found the statuette...

...And the clue!  I believe that one led to a mounted fish in our study - it was a play on WALL-E sounding similar to Walleye.  Not even kidding.

Eventually, I (with some definite help from Andrew) made it all the way through.  My prize?  An adorable new Vera tote.  Oh, and like a gajillion peanut butter eggs.  YUM :-)

Next year, I'll have to save all of the clues so I can see how many you all could have cracked!  

Happy (week after) Easter!

Brittany

Dance All of Your Academically-Related Stress Away

Awhile ago (like back in February), Pitt Med let lose for the Black Bag Ball, essentially prom for 20 and 30-somethings.  The best part?  The dance was held at the Pittsburgh Aquarium, and I got to touch a stingray!  (Note - it felt like jello)  I also got some great pictures that evening, so I thought I'd share them (even if I am 2 months late).

My friends Beth, Carly, Laura, and I

Lots of med school girls!

Emily, Carly, and I

Andrew and I :-)

My good friend Carly and her boyfriend Matt with Andrew and I

Hope everyone's enjoying Easter weekend :-)

Britt

So as it turns out...

....it's really hard to balance attempting to buy a house, planning a wedding, and studying microbiology or neuroscience.  When a person is forced to do all of those things, writing in a blog really takes a back seat.  That being said, I have realllllly missed writing and keeping track of my daily med school life, so I'm back in a big way!  Hopefully my plans to update regularly for the rest of the school year are more easily followed.

Let me begin my return to the blogosphere by detailing the outcome of my epic search for a place to live next year.  It all starts back in January and February, when Andrew and I decided that the rent is too damn high (I couldn't resist!) in Shadyside and buying a place would make a lot of long term financial sense.  I looked at property listings on line, contacted a realtor, and started seeing things in person.  When I say that I started seeing things, I really mean that I saw SEVENTEEN places - condos, row houses, actual houses.  After scouring the city, I finally came across something that I thought would be perfect.  It was an actual stand-alone house with four bedrooms, a gorgeous remodeled kitchen, and a new back deck.  Andrew wasn't able to get to Pittsburgh in a timely manner, so we proceeded without him actually having seen it.  Along with our realtor, we drew up an offer, and it was accepted!

Shortly after we had a home inspection, things started turning south.  The selling homeowner was actually also an agent, so she was her own realtor.  That, I was totally fine with.  What I was not totally fine with were continued unprofessional, devious actions that followed.  She called our realtor to complain about the signing date that had been based on Andrew's schedule and included in a signed contract.  She misrepresented where her house was actually located (claiming that it's in the desirable Squirrel Hill area, when it's really in Greenfield) to have the house appraised more than it was actually worth.  When the appraisal came in below asking price, she refused to accept it or pay the difference.  And so, as I'm sure you can gather based on that laundry list of integrity, we walked.

Walking away from one place did hurt.  I felt like so much time had been invested in finding it and proceeding with all of the contractual details.  Determined not to let it get us too down, we decided to adjust our plan and refocus on condos in the Shadyside area.  Andrew was able to fly out for a long weekend, and we saw eight more places.  One of them was perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  Both of us were significantly more excited about it than we had been about the first place.  It really seemed like it was fateful that the first place hadn't worked out, and this place had come up in its place.  Again, we drew up and offer and had it accepted.

Sadly, things took a turn for the worst even earlier than they had the last time.  The condo building itself had recently installed central heating and air conditioning.  To pay for the addition, each tenant was assessed an additional fee of $130ish per month for 8 years.  Apparently, lenders really really didn't like that.  So much so that the condo association was deemed fiscally irresponsible, and we couldn't get a loan to pay for anything in that building.  At this point, I was beginning to think that maybe in a previously life I was a slumlord and karma wasn't going to allow me any good fortune where housing was concerned.

That was the nail in coffin of the housing search.  Rather than start the process AGAIN, I started looking for a new apartment.  Fingers crossed that I don't jinx myself, but I did actually find something great and signed a lease this Monday!  It's a row house in Shadyside with three bedrooms and two baths.  My favorite parts?  Tenants are free to HAVE DOGS!!! And free to PAINT!!!  So, even though rent the is still pretty high (though comparatively better than my current apartment!), I think it will work out really, really well.

Time to get ready for class :-)  Oh, and I'm shadowing a dermatologist this afternoon!
Britt

Going to the Conservatory and we're gonna get maaaaarried...

It took two weekends, three separate days of appointments, and seven reception venues, but we found it!  On June 23rd, 2012, Andrew and I will get married at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Grandview/Marble Cliff and then party with our friends and family at Franklin Park Conservatory.

I thought it was a really fun process.  Andrew and my mother probably don't fully share the sentiment.  To be fair, they were both major troopers.  Mom was sick, and well, Andrew is a guy, so the appeal of actually looking a venues only got them so far.  By place number 7, I think we were all dragging our feet a bit.  Here in chronological order are the places we checked out:

1. Smith Brothers - cool vibe, but seemed a bit small
2. Columbus Athenaeum - AMAZING room, but they wouldn't let us pick our potatoes (not kidding, I really don't like anything but mashed potatoes, and they couldn't guarantee what our side dishes would be in advance.  They would just be "chef's choice."  Andrew told me about four hours later that I needed to stop talking about the potatoes.  He was definitely right.)
3. Statehouse - almost too big
4. Franklin Park - THE ONE!
5. The Vault - interesting...the guy showing us the place opened with "I know it doesn't look great now, but that's because it's fraternity/sorority formal time.  At least there's no puke in the bathroom...I think."  It didn't exactly inspire romance.
6. The Columbus Museum of Art - definitely too small.  We would have had to ditch some tables after dinner to create a dance floor.
7. Greek Orthodox Church downtown - very pretty, but just didn't seem quite right

To be honest, I think we knew we wanted Franklin Park as soon as we saw it.  Here are a few pics!  We'll have both and indoor and outdoor space.


Sorry this didn't go up as early as promised.  Blogger hated me again for some reason :-\

Look for house updates soon!
Britt

Yummy Yummy

As promised, here is the first of a three part series that covers my eating habits, wedding planning, and house hunting.

Let me begin by saying that Yum-Yum sauce from Genji's Japanese Steakhouse is the tastiest thing any girl could ever want.  If you've not heard of Genji's, then you're probably not from Columbus.  If you've not heard of Genji's and you're from Columbus, then shame on you.  Their food is incredible, and they have this sauce that might as well turn your food to gold.  As it turns out, you can actually buy Yum-Yum sauce by the bottle.  Thus, I have purchased some and have been recreating hibachi experiences in my own apartment.  Here's the photo evidence:

Step one:  Heat oil, add zucchini and onions, sprinkle on some salt/pepper/soy sauce

Step two: cook Shrimp in a small amount of butter, add lemon juice and soy sauce

Step 3: Serve with rice and large side of the Yum-Yum :-)  Eat until you just can't eat anymore.

Note: I did in fact eat my meal on a Little Mermaid plate.  It only added to the experience.

So friends, it looks like I'm a hibachi grill short of quitting medical school for an alternate career.  There's no shame in keeping my options open.

Until tomorrow,

Brittany

Dear Med School...

....you are significantly cramping my blogging abilities.  Go away.  And don't come back.

I took another exam yesterday, which means yet another class is over.  I feel like it was just last week that I was complaining to you all about cell path taking over my life, yet some how I've been through 4 weeks of immunology and lived to tell the tale.

I'm going to take the next few days to update you on various things in my life.  Subjects will include:

1.  The amazing shrimp dinner I made myself (including pictures).
2.  Wedding venue hunting (including a detailed analysis of each venue).
3.  House hunting (which I can pretty summarize now: we haven't found it).

Get excited people - three straight days of Britt Goes to Pitt updates.  Guaranteed.

Look for the first one tonight!
Britt

Pre-approved!

Things that have happened since my last post:

1. Andrew, my mom, and I looked at three wedding venues for the reception.  None of them were quite right, so we're trying again this weekend.  Downside: 2 weekends in a row of long drives for Brittany.

2. Andrew and I have been pre-approved for a mortage!  Updates on home-buying will definitely be coming in the next few weeks as we look at houses.

3. Pittsburgh got cold.  Really, really cold.  It actually has been so cold that I have been sleeping on my couch because it closest to my radiator.  Can summer come back?

I will write a longer post tomorrow, but I thought these points were worth sharing tonight!

Britt

When I disappear from my blog, it can only mean one thing...

...I had an exam.  And it was rough.  Luckily, though, it was rough for everyone in my class, and as a result there was a low average, so I passed.  YAY!

In my absence, a few additional things happened.

1.  Andrew stalked a a priest.
2.  I looked at lots of houses/condos to buy in the Pittsburgh area.
3.  I went skiing, and did not sustain injuries. (Snaps for Britt!)
4.  I + a group of my med school friends + Andrew went to Grand Concourse and had the best brunch that I have ever eaten.  Pictures will come soon - they are on Andrew's camera, and not mine.

I think that based on the above list, the most intriguing is probably number 1, so let me take the time to explain.  Last week was not a good week.  I already mentioned that I had an exam.  As you can imagine, leading up to the exam, I settled into panic mode.  Andrew even has a name for it - "Test-time-Britt."

On top of the test panic, I also was dealing with physical pain - I pulled a muscle in my face, likely one of my pterygoids.  You can see them labeled in this picture:



As a result, my face and neck swelled up severely.  We're talking to the point where people look at you and go "What's wrong with your face?"

If that was not enough, I was also struggling to get information on having a wedding at a church in Grandview that I absolutely love.  I had called early in the week and was told that I would need to speak to the priest before they would give me any information about having a wedding there, but the priest was out of town until the weekend.  I waited patiently and called back on Saturday to speak to him.  Here's how that conversation went.

Me - Hello, Father, I am calling to get some information about holding a wedding at your church.
Father - Are you a member?
Me - No, I am not.  I currently live in Pittsburgh where I am a medical student.
Father - Do you ever come back to Columbus?
Me - Yes, my family and fiancee live there.
Father - OK, then come to mass some time, and we can talk then.  Good-bye.

Test-time-Britt + Swollen Face + No information on the church of my dreams without a 6 hour trip home that I couldn't make for at least 3 weeks = CATASTROPHIC IMPLOSION

Just when I was convinced that the universe desperately wanted to see me fail a test, adopt a physical deformity, and never make any progress on the wedding planning, Andrew told me that he would go to mass on his own to speak to the priest.  What a relief!

Keep in mind that the information I have on the subject is all second hand, but here is how it went down:

Andrew went to mass.  The priest who said mass was a retired visiting priest and not the one that we needed to speak to, so Andrew went on a mission after mass to find the right priest.  In the mean time, he came across another couple looking to speak to the priest about their wedding.  Andrew and the other couple headed over to the rectory (or in Andrew's words, "the little house by the church where the priest lives").  After they had attempted to bang on the door and get in touch with the priest for some time, the other couple gave up and left.  Andrew did not.  Instead, he waited in his car "playing Angry Birds and looking for signs of movement."  Eventually, he could tell that priest was awake (I really do not know how, nor am I sure that I want to know), and he managed to have lovely conversation with him in which the priest granted us permission to get married there.

Now really, how many girls can say that their fiancee would stalk a priest for them?  I must have landed a serious catch.

Also, my face is back to normal.  The universe and I are peace once more.

Until next time!
Britt

Britt goes to Chicago and gets engaged! - Part 2

Sorry about the last teaser post!  I had intended to write more, but cellular pathology just wouldn't allow it.

To recap: Andrew and I went to Chicago.  I lost my map.  I got a new map.

On Friday evening after all of the shopping and map-seeking, we got ready for a fantastic dinner on the town.  We had reservations at the Signature Room, a GORGEOUS restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building.  The Signature Room could not have been a more perfect place for New Year's Eve.  We had a spectacular view of the city - downtown, Navy Pier, the lake.  The restaurant was decked out for the evening; there was a ice sculputure made to look like people celebrating the new year.

Dinner was sooo yummy - we had a winter squash bruschetta, filet mignon, and split two delicious desserts.  The cocktails were also delicious - white raspberry Russian?  Yes please :-)  We had a waiter take a few pictures over by our table.  One is kind of blurry, but gives a good feel for the view.  The other is a lot brighter.

After dinner, we walked around the restaurant a little bit.  Each side offered a totally different view of the city.  The side that faced downtown was completely open; during some of the later seatings there was going to be a band and dancing over there.  While were looking out the window at the lights, Andrew and I talked a bit, and then all of a sudden I was being proposed to!

I don't know if anybody else feels this way, but for me it was TOTALLY an out of body experience.  Here's went through my mind.  "Oh look, that boy is proposing to that girl.  That's sweet.  Wait a minute.  HOLY CRAP THAT'S ME."

A very nice man came up and offered to take our picture.

I will admit, that I had always thought that I would cry.  I did not, and here is why: the ring was wayyy to sparkly for me to focus on anything else.  That and, I just felt excited.  Strike that.  I felt SUPER EXCITED.

We left the restaurant, and I immediately wanted to call people.  That involved a lot of screaming - a girl really never gets sick of yelling "I'm engaged!!" into the phone.  The funny thing about calling people was that we could literally get a hold of no one in Andrew's family.  After trying the house phone, his mom's cell, his dad's cell, his sisters' cells - he gave up for a while.

From the Signature Room, we made our way to Old Town Chicago for a comedy show at The Second City.  Luckily, right before the show started, Andrew's parents called back.  I think that made him feel better :-)  The show itself was so, so funny.  They did scripted skits, a countdown to midnight, and then improv.  I would not be surprised if one of the actors we saw is on network TV in the next few years!

To sign off this post, here is a picture of us ringing in 2011 - now officially the year of our engagement :-)

Happy belated New Year!

Britt

NYE: Britt goes to Chicago....and gets engaged! Part 1

First of all, Andrew and I are engaged!!  This should come as a shock to almost no one who reads my blog, as we are probably facebook friends, and the news has been on facebook for a few days now.

In response to the facebook post, a lot of people (OK, a few people) have asked for some details.  I also wanted to share a few photos from the evening - so here it goes!

Before I get into the engagement, I have to tell you another story.  This story is called "How my life rapidly deteriorated following the loss of my map of Chicago."

I should begin by telling you that I have a collection of Streetwise maps - a specific brand of map that shows a city, its transportation system, and its main attractions in a compact, water-proof form.  I went to Chicago in May with Darci, one of my best friends from OSU, and got a Streetwise map for the trip.  While Darci and I were waiting for a train from Wrigleyville back to our hotel, I was looking at my map.  I already knew exactly how to get back, I was just studying the map for fun - checking out some of the things we'd seen on the trip and figuring out their locations with respect to everything else.  This nice, friendly guy who must have been a Chicago native noticed how intently I was looking at my map.  He, as any normal person would, assumed that I was so engrossed the map because I was trying to figure out how to get somewhere.  We then had a conversation that went something like this:

Friendly guy: Are you looking to get somewhere?

Me: Oh no, we're good thanks.

Friendly guy gestures at map: I just thought maybe you were lost.

Me: Uhhh, I like maps.

SERIOUSLY.  I said "I like maps."

Fast forward to Friday.  Andrew and I arrive in Chicago.  I am very excited to put my Streetwise map to good use.  In fact, I was able to use the map in the car to rescue us when the GPS failed due to all of the tall buildings.  However, when we got to the hotel, my map was no where to be found.  I distinctly remembered holding it as we checked in, but when we got to the guestroom, it was gone.  Gone!

I was distressed.  I really liked that map, and I had already figured out a route to get to dinner and a show that night using it.  What was a girl to do?!  Andrew sensed my panic and sprung into action.  He looked everywhere while I waited in the room for the luggage to show up: the front desk, the downstairs lobby, outside by the valet.  It was no where to be found. 

Then, he came up with another plan; we could buy a new map!  This plan was especially appealing to me for two distinct reasons:

1. It involved maps.

2. It involved shopping.

We headed to Michigan Avenue (The "Magnificent Mile" of Chicago shopping locales).  Unfortunately, the weather was disgusting - super rainy and dreary.  Using our smartphones, we were able to pinpoint a Borders a few blocks from the hotel.  We walked that direction, and stopped in a few stores on the way (60% off at Express is just too hard for me to pass up!).  Honestly, it was nice to stop in stores just to get out of the rain.  When we finally got to Borders, a tragic sight met our eyes: it was out of business.  As in, no maps for sale.

Dejected, we headed back toward the hotel.  I was in a better mood (the shopping helped!), and I wasn't going to let a lost map ruin the trip.  Right before we arrived back at the hotel, Andrew spotted a Walgreens.  He suggested we check it for a map and buy some drinks - the walking had made us thirsty.  The Walgreens was packed, and we shuffled up and down all of the isles looking for a map.  Nothing - not by the magazines, books, cards, or Chicago souvenirs isle.  Right as we were about to check out, we spotted a small display.  There, nestled in the display was the EXACT same map that I had just lost!  SUCCESS!

We bought the map, some pop, and we walked back to hotel: mission accomplished.  

And that concludes part 1 of the Andrew-Brittany Chicago adventures - more to come soon (including the pictures as promised!)

All my love,

Brittany