Choo-choo

Last week during my sojourn in Indiana for the holiday known as Thanksgiving, Mom and I decided to gallivant about the countryside to satisfy my need for stark pictures that would look good in black & white (I lean towards those as I commence my burgeoning photography career). Lo and behold Mom used her detailed knowledge of what seems like most of southwest Indiana and we ended up at some cool railroad tracks. I immediately exited and took pictures of the empty train station, the tracks, signs, etc.

In pursuit of a great picture, I did exactly what one is not supposed to do - I walked the tracks (this is art, after all). Figuring it would be fine (i.e. trains wouldn't come that often), I walked towards the bridge. All of the sudden, I hear my mom shouting, "Katy...there's a train!" I turned around and saw this engine barreling around the bend in the tracks. I jumped off the tracks, waded through some waist high weeds and got about 20 feet away. And then proceeded to take tons of pictures - definitely some hot photo action time.

But the real moral of this story (which is in fact, not a moral at all), is that one of the greatest rushes in life is standing by railroad tracks as a train goes flying by. The train that day was probably going around 55, and it was so great.

I'm not the train buff that my dear Dad is...probably never will be. However, I do love riding trains, reading about the evolution of the rail system in Great Britain (Anglophilia, what?!), and learning more about really old trains (think Stourbridge Lion). So my Thanksgiving encounter was more thrill than scare...

But what I really want to do is ride in an engine of fa reight train poring on the speed in open country. I think I will make that an unofficial goal of mine. But, if anyone figures out how I could do such a thing before I do, just a reminder that I turn 28 on April 12th, and that would be the best birthday present...ha.

A new buddy

A couple of weeks ago, I was leaving for work. I typically exit through my back door and cut through the alley. On my back porch I have a little covered area where some brooms, shovels, pots are stored (I haven't cleaned it out yet since taking over the lease). Well, a couple of weeks ago, I was completely freaked out by a noisy squirrel that made a hasty exit as I came through the door. Fine - squirrel wants to hang out, fine by me. The scene has been repeated several times since. Although, now that I know where all of the noise is coming from, I'm no longer scared witless before I've had my first hit of caffeine.

Yesterday, same thing - I exit and so does the squirrel. However, as I looked over, I noticed something new. My squirrel buddy has made a nest of newspaper and plastic over the past few weeks. Looks like he's decided to stay. Fine by me - he's not making too much of a mess and is pretty cute.

Looks like I have a roommate after all.

2009 Europe Trip - The condensed version

Due to the following factors: 1) lack of time 2) my immense enjoyment in posting pictures on Facebook and 3) the fact that I have several other things I want to blog about, I have decided to forgo the traditional approach to assigning a blog to each of the cities I visited. Instead in this blog for each of the remaining cities I will post one picture and give you my 5 favorite things from that experience.

If you want to know more about my trip, let's go old school and actually talk to each other live and in person...

Auschwitz
1) Finally getting to see a place that I have read so much about.
2) Witnessing history that should never be forgotten
3) The 1.5 hour drive from Krakow to Auschwitz
4) My amazing tour guide who balanced extremely well the facts and the emotion of the experience
5) Never forgetting


Malbork
1) Standing in a place where the Teutonic Knights once were
2) Dominika's father's "informal" tour
3) Seeing firsthand a medieval castle
4) Walking around in the rain
5) Goofing around with friends


Gdansk
1) Seeing the gorgeous waterfront
2) Communist apartment blocks
3) Walking through the open market
4) Taking pictures in St. Mary's Church
5) Kebobs - the Polish Taco Bell



Kartuzy
1) Spending time with the Fard and Szreder families
2) Witnessing the wedding of two wonderful people
3) Cute, friendly Polish kitties
4) Hunter's stew
4) Vodka, good food, and throwing glass against a rock


London
1) Troilus and Cressida at The Globe
2) Ordering the same sandwich at the same place (from when I was a student in 2003) and having it tasted the very same
3) The Florence Nightingale Museum
4) Cute 21 year olds who ask me to go salsa dancing
5) The 39 Steps


Also fulfilled another goal: 45) See Auschwitz

2009 Europe Trip - Krakow

These past couple weeks I have been on a...wait for it...vacation! I know, me, right? Two full weeks off that didn't involve moving, changing jobs, or a family event. I'm a little closer to being a saint, because surely that is a miracle. The trip consisted of a few different cities, with the main shindig taking place in and around Kartuzy, Poland - the marriage of a close college friend!

On today's agenda - Krakow. What can I say? I friggin' love this city! I had no expectations when it came to traveling to Poland - I am very interested in the history of the country thanks to my Polish and Lithuanian Commonwealth class in college and the stories of Leon Uris. But modern Poland? I knew very little. Thankfully, the city and I got on like a house on fire.

I stayed in a hotel near the old town which is more of a tourist part of the city, but also provides easy access to all the main sights - perfect! First on the agenda was a trek to Wawel Castle - where the country's rulers used to be located for five centuries. Wawel Hill contains the castle, the cathedral and the surrounding land. The cathedral is amazing and beautiful, especially the tomb of Queen Jadwiga. After flying from Chicago to Paris to Krakow, however, Wawel Castle was the only thing I could handle the first night!

The next couple of days consisted of a trip to Auschwitz (more details on that later), a golf cart tour of Krakow, visits to the cloth hall and the main square, yummy Polish food, walking around the city, and taking lots of pictures.

However, my hands-down favorite part of the city was Kazimierz, the Jewish Quarter. I find the history of the area fascinating and took plenty of time to explore the area including several synagogues, both active and not. My favorite experience, however, was at the Stara Synagoga (Old Synagogue). Heavily damaged by the Nazis during World War II, the synagogue was rebuilt and is now a museum and conservation center. I attended an exhibit there called "And I Still See Their Faces," which consisted of images and photographs of Jews pre- and post-war. What was amazing was the where the photos came from - family members that had emigrated, photos found in clothing taken at concentration camps, photos and glass prints found hidden in Jewish homes, etc. The experience was somewhat emotional - especially after witnessing images of entire families that had been wiped out in a concentration camp.

But this history buff still managed to enjoy the present as well - watching the fire dancers in the square, shopping for fun souvenirs, eating gelato, trips to several beautiful churches, and basking in the sun while people watching.

Unfortunately, I only got three days there - I could have stayed much longer!! However, I definitely have totes good memories from this incredibly beautiful city.

God. Country. Notre Dame...Me

This past weekend I attended my five year reunion at my alma mater, University of Notre Dame...and good times were had by all. Thursday night, my ex-roommie LW drove down from Madison and stayed the night, then Friday morning we skipped the light fantastic over to South Bend to get the party started! And a party it was...

The weekend was full of reminiscing, taking pictures, catching up with old friends, and long walks around campus. It included lunching at the dining hall, picnicking in front of the stadium, and free wine from 3pm to 1am. I thought of all the good times, and a few less than good. I exchanged stories with friends about marching band, dances, dorm craziness, and squirrel chases. I slept in a dorm room and realized I didn't miss that aspect of college at all!

I took several trips to the grotto and ached for all the times I wish I could have been there when I needed it the most. I remembered how many times I kneeled in prayer in front of the candles, and of all the friends that had come with me to pray at times, and I can still understand why I love it so much.

I listened to Father Hesburgh give the homily at the all-class mass and stood with everyone else to applaud him when he was finished. I spent too much money at the bookstore but with no regrets. I laughed, I talked for hours, and didn't tear up once. But I came close at the end of the mass as everyone stood, including the oldest alum present (Class of 1930), and sang the alma mater.

Notre Dame, our Mother

Tender, strong and true

Proudly in the heavens,

Gleams thy gold and blue.

Glory's mantle cloaks thee

Golden is thy fame,

And our hearts forever,

Praise thee, Notre Dame.

And our hearts forever,

Love thee, Notre Dame.

Je me chausse

Or literally, I shoe myself en francais. But it really means more of "I wear these shoes." And, oh yes, I do... I love the shoes, although I've gotten rid of several in the past months, and I think I'm down to only about 50 pairs. Sad, I know. And while I wish I could say Je me chausse avec chez Louboutin, it's more like Je me chausse avec chez Payless. Oh well, c'est la vie. However, Payless has had some kickin' shoes lately and I am enamoured of their Alice + Olivia for Payless line. And, since I don't have the paycheck that allows me to buy the real A + O stuff, for now I'll stick with the low-end.

And that's exactly what I've been doing lately - sprucing up my spring/summer wardrobe with some fabulous new shoes. I'm proud to say that all of them have been on sale/clearance/BoGo from a few different stores. And I'm also proud to say that the lowest heal is 4 inches, because however tall I am, I can always be taller. I take true joy in new shoes and the act of buying them is just as fun as wearing them. Although the most fun, admittedly, is seeing the reactions of my friends and family.

So, to share with you my terrific new shoes, I attempted to take a picture. Of course, keep in mind that I have a chubby cat with a lifelong shoe obsession himself.

First try:

Second try:

Third try:

Close enough:

Aren't the shoes fabulous, though?

California Dreamin'

All the leaves are brown

All the leaves are brown

And the sky is grey

And the sky is grey

I've been for a walk

I've been for a walk

On a winters day

On a winters day

I'd be safe and warm
I'd be safe and warm

If I was in l.a.

If I was in l.a.

California dreamin

California dreamin

On such a winters day

Alright, part deux of my trip - Friday was gorgeous as well, so HB and I road tripped over to Cabazon to see the dinosaurs that were featured in one of the best movies of all time - Pee-wee's Big Adventure. And yes, they were just as cheesy as I hoped they would be. See below for

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

We had a great time walking around inside the dinosaurs, checking out the gift store, and looking at all the other ridiculous dinosaur displays that, for some reason, also included a medieval soldier and a lion and a lamb together. Not quite sure that they were for, but okay.

After lunch and fun with a couple slot machines at the casino on the reservation next to the dinosaurs, we made our way to Pasadena Art Night. A brilliant concept that allowed free access to a wide variety of Pasadena organizations featuring visual and performing art from around the world. We made it to the Pasadena Alliance Francaise (bien sur!), the Public library where there were some great dancers, as well as the Norton Simon Museum which, luckily, featured a great exhibit of ancient Indian art.

Superfun night and a great way to support the arts.

Saturday was a chill day exploring Venice Beach. Definitely a crazy cast of characters with all kinds of art, street performers, color, and random stuff for sale. Wherever I travel, I love to buy pieces of original art - even if the artist is completely unknown. I'll post more on this later, but I have to say - thrilled with the art I bought there.

Later that night, we met up with HB's college roommate for a community production of The Secret Garden. Enjoyed it, but I must say that the musical deals much more with the afterlife and ghosts of the dead characters than the book ever did.

I arrived home on Sunday after a great breakfast at a farmer's market in LA and an easy flight back to Chicago. I was exhausted and burned, but really grateful to have had a mini-vacation with a good friend and great memories. More pics from the trip can be found here.

Oh, and one more goal down: 99) Watch the sunset from inside the "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" dinosaur. (Please note - didn't get to experience sunset because of time demands and I'm pretty sure they weren't even open at that time. But what I say - close enough)

So, that's 11 goals down, 89 to go and it hasn't even been a year!

LA Woman

Yep, I'm totally using my recent trip to LA as an excuse to reference a Doors song...because that's the way I roll. But since the song is actually sort of a downer, I'll refrain from quoting lyrics:) I'll also take this moment to let my dedicated readers (as well as my non-dedicated readers) that there were lots of adventures on this trip, so we're looking at multiple blog posts here. But stick with me kids, cuz the ride will be great. So, onwards and upwards.

Given that I took a total of seven days off last year, I thought that I would try and remedy the situation in 2009 by actually taking a few vacations, however short they may be. This past weekend I headed out for four days to visit my friend HB in LA. This vacation was also driven by fulfilling two of my 100/10 goals. More about that later.

Thursday, I rolled out of Chicago leaving behind snow. I rolled into into LA where it was sunny and warm. Thank goodness! Even better - HB owns a convertible which was totes awesome and highly preferable over my usual transportation - the #6 bus. We drove down to Manhattan beach and hit up a cute little museum on a pier with great view of the ocean. After some great Mexican food, we traveled to the Queen Mary Hotel....which is haunted. Mwah ha ha...

So we come to goal number 26) Spend a night in a haunted hotel. Done!

The Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967. It served a variety of purposes including transporting POWs during WWII and acting as a hospital ship. It has a great traditional interior and many ghosts.

Now, while I super like the TV show Ghosthunters, I am not one to really believe in the paranormal. However, that said, I totall had an experience while on our ghost tour of the ship. The group had ventured down to the cargo hold and sat in chairs in a circle. We then turned out all the flashlights and attempted to conjure the spirits of the dead. While staring into the dark, I felt a sharp tug on the back of my chair. I figured someone was behind me, or HB had hit my chair. When we turned the lights on, I saw no one standing behind me and my friend hadn't moved the entire time...freaky!!!!

I definitely had a great time at the Queen Mary and had "met" a ghost to boot.

Next post - dinosaurs, casinos, and art night.

Meet Me at the Auto Show

I could talk about how my parents drove up in crappy weather to meet me in Chicago so we could go to the Auto Show.

I could talk about how we got to McCormick Center in a cab sporting copious amounts of Valentine's Day decorations.

I could talk about how there were a ton of people at the Show and McCormick if frickin' huge.

I could talk about how my Dad continues to only fit in about 14% of the cars he tries to get into.

Or, I could let the Auto Show speak for itself.

Hence, the Chevy Stingray...hotness on wheels and a reason to live.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Gnome

So, on our NYC Christmas adventure, the Hall fam decided that it would be more fun if we took along a "Hall Gnome" in which to include in our pictures and generally take all over the city. And I have to say, it was quite fun. Although, my sis might disagree - she had to carry him all of the time. I'm pretty sure after she returned home the words, "the Gnome is dead to me," may have come out of her mouth. Anyway, you can relive the moments below:

New York, New York

One: Like all Notre Dame graduates, I have the ability to make a tradition built out of nothing. We love tradition and tradition loves us.

Two: Yet, it seems I was also born with a wandering, vagabond self that dislike repetition, commitment, and sameness.

This year for the holidays, it appears that my second self won. Instead of heading home to Indy to celebrate Christmas as I had the first 25 years of my life, I packed my bag to the City that Never Sleeps. My parents and I took the train east to meet my sis who took the bus north where we all met up in a cute boutique-y just opened Hampton Inn in Soho to celebrate the holidays. And I have to say, it was quite a rockin' time for all. Despite the fact that the train ride took 9 hours longer than it should have and our first day there was wicked cold, I have to say this has been my favorite Christmas so far.

Day one of three was spent on multiple bus tours - we were total champs. We covered downtown to uptown and saw all of the Christmas lights to boot. We took a jaunt out to the Statue of Liberty, shopped at the UN Building, took in the lights of Time Square, judged the various windows of the major department stores, and saw all the major museums in 30 minutes or less. We froze our butts off, bonded with our tour guides, bought hand warmers from a street vendor, and stayed out late.

Day two of three we spent the morning shopping in Soho (where I got the cutest Betsey Johnson jewelry and my sister nabbed a fabulous Marc Jacobs bag), and then headed out take in all the Met Museum of Art has to offer, from beautiful Greek statues to historical musical instruments. We almost made it through a really fun Christmas Eve service until I unfortunately began to suffer from some sort of 24 stomach flu:(

Day three of three was Christmas and we woke up to gifts in the hotel room (sometimes parents are so clever) and my fam enjoyed breakfast while I drank hot tea and continued to try and recover. New York being New York, the city was saturated with activity and people both shopping and just out for the day. We began at Grand Central Station - a mecca for all train buffs such as my Dad - where we enjoyed a light show that was projected across the inside of the station. We then browsed the temporary shops set up in Bryant Park, and then enjoyed a gorgeous carriage ride through Central Park. We dared enter FAO Schwarz which was overrun, and then enjoyed the beauty of the Plaza Hotel. The evening was spent taking in vintage Jim Carrey through his new move Yes Man, followed by Christmas dinner at a true Irish Pub in the East Village.

Could it get any better? Yes it could - thanks to this fun-filled trip, I've also fulfilled two more of my 100/10 goals:

50) Go on a family vacation

89) Visit the UN building

Done and done.

Next post: the introduction of the Hall gnome

This ain't your mama's Thanksgiving

Ringing in the season of Thanksgiving means one thing to me...turkey pizza.

Ah yes, the Hall family tradition remains alive and well. In my mother's neverending quest to avoid the kitchen entirely, she remains a spectator with the rest of us as my father creates the glory that is the turkey pizza. And there's no turkey on this pizza kids, it's all in the shape...oh, yeah...totes. See below for the gloriousness:



But, nay, a girl cannot survive Thanksgiving on turkey pizza alone. There must be the shooting of the BB gun and the riding of the tractor.

Like every 17 year old girl, for my birthday, I wanted a Daisy BB gun, and my parents humored me. It still serves me well 9 years later as I wipe the floor with my competition using nothing but a steady hand, six tin cans, one wood sawhorse, and an uncanny sense of the direction that the wind blows. See below for the gloriousness:

Yet, while my mother may not be a deft hand at whipping up the traditional Thanksgiving spread, she is a expert behind the wheel of a tractor, even one that only is sort of still alive and running...nothing like jumping a tractor with a battery, eh? Brought back the good ol' days of jumping my truck...tear. She, being the benevolent maternal figure that she is, chose to pass those mad skills onto me. See below for the gloriousness:

To all of you whose Thanksgiving does not include any sort of pizza-making/gun-shooting/tractor-driving goodness...I pity you, and give thanks for my own good memories.

P.S. - One more down...51) Drive a tractor

I heart Halloween

I mean, who doesn't? Granted, I'm not a dress up in a skanky costume and go partying sort of Halloween girl. I'm more of a "Hey, the History Channel is running a bunch of history of witchcraft specials and I can wear my skull gloves around," sort of Halloween person. I love scary movies even though they scare me to death and the brisk fall weather only adds to the ambience of the holiday. And Halloween deserves to be celebrated - numerous church leaders over hundreds of years have tried to suppress it and still it goes on!!

But the month of October in and of itself is also a wonderful time. I can finally break out the hot spiced cider, hooded sweatshirts, knitted hats, and enjoy the fall leaves. In my youth, the annual trip to the orchard was always hotly anticipated, but sadly most workplaces don't sponsor those kind of trips.

Yet there is another, equally entertaining, October tradition - the Covered Bridge Festival in Parke County, Indiana - home to the world famous grandparents/aunt/great aunt/cousins of yours truly. And it is good. No one can resist the siren song of hot, sugary crullers. This past weekend I hopped the Megabus to Indy and joined the parental units as we journeyed west for crafts, fall foliage, farm country, and great food. What could be better?

But seriously, nothing is better than fried dough covered in sugar...nothing...

Tuesday Morning Cuteness

Real post coming soon, promise....

My European Adventure

as told through pictures

Oh yeah...

So, I promise, mes amis, that in the coming days I will post further about my outstanding time on tour with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. However given my current time constraints, jetlag, and the eight million things I need to do this week before leaving to be in my friend's wedding this weekend, I leave you with an image. One that brings tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart. Me, a co-worker, and Tony Blair. Yes, that's right, Tony Blair. I got to have a little chat with him at a post-concert party. Being the British politics junkie that I am, it was definitely a little slice of heaven. And yes, he's very dynamic, funny, and self-efacing in real life - love it!!

State Fair = Fried Something

A few weeks ago (I know, I'm a little behind on blogging), I hopped the train again to voyage to Indy to go, with the fam, to the State Fair. Because, in Indiana, the State Fair is the thing to do during those two weeks. And it's always a good time.

Now, granted, the State Fair doesn't exactly scream "healthy." I usually stop eating a couple days ahead of time in preparation for the gluttony that is bound to ensue. This year was a little different as one of my "100 goals," was to eat two funnel cakes. After accomplishing this, I learned two things: 1) Fried dough is really in fact only good in moderation (who knew?) 2) The "fun" in "funnel" cake only lasts about 1.5 funnel cakes (the last .5 is a doozy). Admittedly, mom and dad had a few bites - one cannot sit next to a funnel cake and not have some!

Even long distance, one cannot resist! My sis wasn't able to to come west and join the fun, but she did tell me "To eat one for me!" Well, my friends, being the outstanding sister that I am, I did in fact dedicate my second funnel cake to my sister. I am just that good.

Now, less you think that all I did was eat during this day, I would like to prove otherwise! We saw all kinds of stuff - tractor ride, donkey racing, cheese sculptures, Indiana's largest pig, lots of tractors, baby animals, um...oh, and we ran into my parents' neighbors there actually - small world.

I did meet one nice sheep. He was very photogenic and agreed to pose for me. I ran into him after I went and saw the little asses, er, I mean miniature donkeys...aww....miniature donkeys.

Picture this...

Alright people, check another one off the list!! Totes exciting.

72) Have my picture in a brochure

I am now on the inside cover of the new Indiana University Arts Administration Program brochure as a distinguished alumni...totes awesome! I received copies of it last week, and the brochure is beautiful and really conveys the reach and excellence of this grad program.

I had a great time in grad school, learned a lot, and met some amazing people, so it's really great that I can represent (among others) the program.

And yes, for all of those who heard me whining, I did that, also. But some memories I have taken with me are just the best: Irish Lion, Tutto Bene, learning to drive a stick, freak snow storms, cattle call auditions, roommates that moved out while I was in class, brilliant music, and sweet transvestites. Plus, that's when I adopted my sweet Sugar:)

G is for...er, um...

Okay, so no street picture today...total failure, I know. Maybe I'll just give you all the rest of the alphabet the last day of April - just for fun...something to consider.

Anyhoo, so the two pictures from the other day - one was from the Beer Can House, and the other is from the National Museum of Funeral History. While I was in Houston, my friend Little Ms. Bossy and I decided to do a "weird Houston" day and go to some random places that neither of us had been!! It was super fun, especially when we went to this place called the Orange Show that I had seen on a show on the History Channel a couple of years ago. Dream come true...hahaha. Anyway, I leave you with another picture from the Beer Can House - which is about as attractive as beer will ever look to me.

For more info on the Orange Show or the Beer Can House OR lots of other random things, click here.

Peace out!

Picture #31 and a bonus

I live in an old building...hence, my horror movie basement - it took me over a month to do laundry at night - ha!