dinner and a movie

chad took me on a date last night. i didn't know where we were going or what we were going to do, so it was a pretty fun surprise. we rode our bikes because it was so nice out. first we went to jewel to get some candy. and since i had no idea where we were off to, i though, "hmm, maybe an outdoor concert or something?". then when we had arrived at our destination, which turned out to be a movie theatre, he told me he was taking me to see "sex and the city" which i've been talking about for weeks now. oh how i'd wanted to see that movie! let me tell you, it was so worth it! i loved the show. sarah jessica parker was absolutely fabulous; but not as fabulous as the fashion! if you haven't seen it, you must. trailer below:

us in front of the theatre

afterward he took me to raw bar in wrigglyville. i expected it to be crowded because of the cubs game yesterday; but it was really quiet and romantic. chad had the prime rib and i had beef pare ribs. we had alligator for an appetizer, which neither of us had ever had before so it was an experience. i'd give it a 3 out of 5. mostly because i can eat chicken and get the same effect. the food was nice, and i enjoyed it. but, what really made the night was the live music. we sat right in front of the stage where brian harrell entertained. he played his guitar and sang classic songs like: the way you look tonight, fools rush in, etc. it was really nice.

delicious food, great atmosphere, beautiful entertainment. all with my favorite person!

this is him performing. i couldn't get the video to work, so a photo will have to do:(

chad's picnic

for weeks i had been trying to think of something special that i could do for chad; but was having the hardest time! we are barely ever home and when i'm home he usually is too. so, it leaves little opportunity for keeping secrets or preparing surprises. but, both of us recently had pretty drastic schedule changes and it just so happens that we have opposite days of. i have thursday and he has wednesday. it kinda sucks; but in the long run i think it gives us both time to chill out on our own and to have time to scheme little extras for one another. i hadn't done anything special for him in quite a while so i decided to surprise him with a dinner picnic. he gets off work at 7 and i wanted to be there in the grassy field waiting for him with blanket and meal displayed. i prepared an asian type meal of beef and broccoli with vegetable fried noodles. when i got to the field it ended up being pretty chilly and there was a family of 4 kids who were completely in love with claire. i left a note on his bike directing him to me and when he showed up the kids were all over trying to cuddle claire. turns out he was chilled to the bone from sitting inside an overly air conditioned building all day and it didn't help that it was super nippy outside. he obviously wasn't in the mood to picnic:( still, he obliged and we ate dinner, bless his heart. in the end the whole shebang was kind of a bust; but my main point was received-that i really appreciate him.

some pretty flowers i saw on the way

thanks for appeasing me chadley!

we were so distracted with kids and the cold that i forgot to take pics of our spread. that sucks.

colorful stuff

mmm, ribs!

a couple months ago chad and i realized the fact that we are so busy was causing us extreme tiredness which was causing us to never spend time together which was causing depression. ugh! so what is a young couple with too much work, and a nagging case of deprivation depression to do? why, date night of course! in remedy of this problem, twice a month we indulge ourselves and splurge on a night of decadence and care-freedom! which, in reality isn't a date, since we're poor and we always split the cost, and it isn't always that decadent because, as stated, we're poor. none-the-less, it's a great way to spend time and enjoy each other's company. this week we decided to check out chicago's bbq scene and hit up "fat willie's rib shack". this joint is apparently one of the best in chicago. naturally, we ventured out to compare this alleged "award winning" bbq to the best we've ever tasted, a.k.a. "knucklehead's bbq" of missoula, mt. i truly expected for the big city critically acclaimed bbq place to give the small town joint a run for it's money. but, after scarfing down half a brisket sandwich, and some pretty good fries the consensus was in and i have to say that "knucklehead's" is the prevailing champion of the world. thanks "knucklehead's" for gracing my taste buds with delicious brisket.

considering the disappointing outcome on the side of the chicago challenger, i don't have any pics to post of "fat willie's" shack. only of me standing outside the car, getting ready to set off on our taste quest, with me driving (since chad lost his wallet).

sushi!

so last night chad and i went to "wabi" for sushi. it was soooo delicious! apparently the place was rated the best sushi in chicago by "time out chicago"-a magazine i stole while i was waiting at the doc's office last week. and man, they weren't lyin'! it was a little pricey; but i've payed more. we ordered a few different small (cheaper) rolls i.e. the spicy tuna, california, and shitake. and then we had two expensive rolls. i'm talking like $18 each. but they were worth every penny. the "godzilla" which was massive was filled with all kinds of goodness like tempura shrimp, orange tobikko, avocado, cream cheese, green onion, chili sauce, spicy mayo, and sesame seeds. orgasm for the mouth. honestly. the other spendy roll was the "ecuador" which was more light and refreshing with ingredients like maguro, hamachi, cilantro, cuc, avocado, green onion, jalapeno, orange tobikko, tempura crumbs, chili sauce, wasabi mayo, and sesame seeds. i was a little iffy on this one 'cause of the cilantro (which used to make me gag; but i think i'm getting better with); but it was pretty good, and chad really enjoyed it. i really wanted to flash some pics; but you know these kinds of places. crowded, trendy, and kinda expensive. now the place to be snapping shots like a tourist. but, i do have pics of us after. see below....

theres never anyone to take our pic for us. we're getting really good at doing it ourselves!