Shannon Chambers :)

Ireland

2009-07-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Cliffs of Moher
Connor Pass
Guy's Pub
the Shannon River

Under the Tuscan sun

2009-06-28T09:04:00.001-07:00

and shopping tomorrow in Florence. We left Venice this morning and headed to Pisa to take the cheezy leaning pics. This evening we arrived in Florence. It is straight out of the movie! Tonight we are heading to dinner and to a walk around the city. Im pretty sure I was Italian in a past life because I am catching onto the language and I LOVE it here. We have internet now in our room so I will be sure to upload more pics tonight. I

IN LOVE WITH VENICE

2009-06-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

That is what I am .... Gondola ride, pizza, gelato, merengue, shopping, canals, pasta, getting lost, italian, and more eating. Unbelievable -- I cannot WAIT to bore all of you with my MANY pictures. :)

Italy

2009-06-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

We have arrived today to ITALIA!! On the way, we drove through Austria which was absolutely gorgeous..as soon as I can figure out these computers I promise to upload some of our amazing pics of mountains and the brilliant city of Issenbrook. We spent the afternoon in Verona eating gelato, cruising the shops, and practicing our Italian. (We both took Italian about a million years ago in high school) Tomorrow a Gondola ride in VENICE.

Paris, Switzerland, Leichtenstein, and Munich

2009-06-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

All in 72 hours! Needless to say we have been running from place to place in the last three days, so I havent had a chance to catch my breath and jump on the internet..however, we have been having a great time. Paris was nice but a little rushed - we had no idea how big that city is! We did manage to get some great shots of the eiffel tower, Notre Dame, and the Louvre. Switzerland was BEAUTIFUL and we rode a gondola up to the top of a 6300 ft mountain! AMAZING scenery, Tonight we just arrived in Munich and get to spend a few hours touring around. I will hopefully upload some pics as soon as we get to Italy either tomorrow or the following day. Kindve interesting -International keyboards are slightly different from USA keyboards so if I have alot of typos in the next few posts.. bare with me :)

European Vacation

2009-06-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Days 1 and 2 - LONDON! So far Kar and I are absolutely loving Europe. London is straight out of a movie - English pubs, English accents, and posh-ness. We decided to take one of those super touristy bus tours and quickly learned that London can get cold... especially when trying to wear cute, summery outfits on the top of an open double-decker bus. So, after touring half of the city by bus, we returned to our hotel and continued touring by foot- this time armed with fleece and maps :) We managed to get ourselves completely lost but somehow found our way to many of London's best sites and culture-rich spots. We shopped, ate fish and chips and finished the night with a pint at a pub. Today we went on a walking tour of Buckingham palace where we marched (ran) with guards as they were changing then finished the bus tour we started the previous evening. We saw Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Kensington Gardens, and, of course, visited some more shops. I think we've taken about a million pictures each. Karen's favorite spot is Trafalgar Sq... I'm not sure what mine is but one thing i do know for sure - I wish I had a few more days in London. Our tour leaves first thing tomorrow morning when we are off to Paris.

Bon Voyage

2009-06-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Europe!! London, Pairs, Munich, Italy, Greece, Amsterdam, and Italy - 28 days, returning July 16th. I'll be updating this blog as much as I can

Birthday Birthday

2009-04-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

2 for 1 birthdays on April 25th! :) My friend Lindsay and my friend Jackie. Lucky for me, they both were celebrating very close to each other in Lincoln Park so (thanks to my friend Mill driving me) I got to spend time with each of them on their birthdays! We went to dinner at this great little italian restaurant in lincoln park - they even put Lindsay's name on our menus! We then hit this cute little irish pub called the Hidden Shamrock and drank a little too much vodka. I dished with Lindsay and her cousin Ruthie about Europe - only 8 weeks til my trip! YAY!!

First Fridays at Museum of Cont Art

2009-04-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

This past friday I attended "First Friday" at the museum of contemporary art. It's held the first friday of every month where where they open the exhibits to the public for a social gathering including a bar, DJ, appetizers, and all the cool young chicago city singles :). I went with all the cousins, except Chris and Lauren, and we had a really great time. I got to meet Jon's new San Francisco girlfriend (LOVED her!!) and I even met up late night with an friend from WAY back. (Thankyou facebook!)

I'm back - - sorta...

2009-03-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

I read a blog on Adam Johnson's site that had the theme of "sometimes you just don't feel like blogging". Well, anyone who has been trying to check what's up with me through my blog knows that I took that theme to a bit of an extreme. Truthfully, I have started a blog probably 15 different times but I just couldnt find it in myself to finish and publish them. Things have been a little weird lately and I just didnt feel like putting myself out there much. Life did not stop, however, in the last 4 months (interesting that my last post was 4 months exactly to this day) many exciting things both positive and not-so-positive have happened - I broke up with one guy :( and started dating another :) but we broke up too :(. The WHS varsity bball girls took 3rd place in state :), Graham Noble was born :), and my dad and my brother both got laid off :(. Jen and John Mayer got back together :) but they broke up again :( and everyone has heard about the the octo-mom and her eight babies :/ (not sure if that one deserves a smiley up or down). Long story short I thought it was time to re-emerge. Is it ironic that as I write this the song "Come on" by Ben Jelen is playing? ......Maybe not :)

Nov. 22, 2008

2008-11-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

Rocky and Chrissy's wedding day! :) It was a gorgeous place and a REALLY fun time! They had the reception at the Rosewood in Rosemont and both Todd and Ryan were in the wedding. We stayed at the Westin which is right down the street and it was very nice. Oh yeah and I turned 32 today .. Im anticipating this year to be my best yet :)

Halloween

2008-11-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

We had our second annual halloween party at lamplighters this year. It was a bit tamer than last year - but there were some pretty good costumes. I was Amy Winehouse. We had Britney Spears throughout the years, teenage mutant ninja turtles, and even a bun in the oven. I wasnt with my friend Erin or my cousin Jon for halloween this year - but they had some pretty cute costumes. Erin was Ugly Betty and Jon and his friend were Cool Runnings.

Birthday and a game of Rummy - and I win!!

2008-10-23T04:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Oct. 18 was my moms birthday. So, Todd, Elisabeth, and I went over to the parents house for a little birthday celebration. I bought my mom a digital camera and she really liked it. More importantly, we ate chinese food (moms choice) and played a game of rummy (also moms choice). AND I WON!!! I almost never win!! Actually, it was not a TRUE game of rummy because we were playing with 5 people and it was taking forever and so we only played to 100 rather than 500 - but I still won!!! A win is a win is a win.

Columbus Day in Rochester

2008-10-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Went to visit Dennis in his hometown of Rochester this past weekend. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I had an awesome time. Friday I got the tour of his house and met his roommates (one guy and two dogs). Saturday we went to pilates in the morning, completed a corn maze in the afternoon, and wrapped it up with a haunted hayride. It was the perfect Halloween day :). Sunday I met some of Dennis' family and we babysat his nephew for a couple hours. (Mostly Dennis babysat him - I just kindve stared at him and hoped he wouldnt cry) And finally, on Monday, we relaxed in the morning and went for a hike with Dennis' dog before I got back on the plane to Chicago. These pics were from our corn maze day.

Weekend in New Jersey

2008-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to New Jersey for Ange's 50th birthday celebration, and of course, to see Dennis. It was a GREAT weekend for me but not such a great one for Dennis as he got ridiculously sick all day Sunday. Then on Monday he sucked it up enough to go on Ange's canoeing fieldtrip. It would have been a great day EXCEPT I (trying to be cute) ended up tipping our canoe which caused me to completely waterlog and destroy my phone and camera AND lose Dennis' keys in the process. The poor guy had to have his car towed to a Honda dealer to have a new key made before driving back 6 hours to Rochester so he could go to school on Tuesday. Lucky for me - he is pretty easy going and was a great sport about the whole thing ... and it seems like he still likes me - so far. Lesson of the day - when you are around water ... put your camera and phone in a ziplog bag - or better yet .. dont bring it along. Oh yeah, and for THE LoVE OF GOD - PUT YOUR KEYS IN A POCKET YOU CAN ZIP CLOSED!!!!! I guess you live and learn

D.C. for the Weekend

2008-09-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Lyza and I went to VA to visit Erin. See all the pics here. She lives in Fredericksburg, VA which is about 45 minutes from DC. So, Saturday the three of us girls took an old lady bus tour to see all the historic monuments in the DC area. Actually, it wasnt for old ladies at all - there was quite a bit of walking! We did get to see all kinds of cool stuff in DC - the Lincoln memorial, jefferson memorial, all the war memorials, the capitol, and a whole bunch of other stuff. DC is very clean and interesting and all the memorials (especially the war ones) are quite amazing. Next time we are planning to take a night tour on a segway. :) SEE all the pics here.

Sunday Sunday Sunday

2008-09-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

SUPER SPORTS SUNDAY!! Today was the first Bears game of this season. My parents had us over for our fall weekly Bears game ritual. Todd and Ry lay on the couch watching sports (mostly Bears and Sox), my mom and I sit at the kitchen table looking at magazines and discussing fashion and my dad prepares a variety of treats for us to eat. Today it was his chili - it was goooood! The bears had the late late game (7om) today so Todd and I played with the photo booth application on my mac - we laughed for 1/2 an hour straight... some of the pics were kindve disturbing. See them all by clicking here. Oh yeah and BTW - the Bears won, so my boys were happy :).

One weekend - 3 bbq's

2008-09-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

See all the bbq pics here. This weekend I was kindve hoping to relax after my long first week of school (yes I know I was just off for 3 whole months - but it's tough going back - ask any teacher :)- but no luck - too many fun things to do. Saturday was a work bbq at my friend Mike Theos- Sunday my cousin Lauren had a family bbq - and today my brother Todd and his gf had us over for a parent meet-and-greet bbq. Lots of burgers, bags, and good conversation. The weather was absolutely gorgeous all weekend so I even logged a few hours at the pool. I didnt get near as much school work as I wanted to get done, but I am ready for this week and the summer is fading fast - so this was a perfect weekend to enjoy what is left of it.

Erin's cool pic

2008-08-30T06:27:00.001-07:00

My good friend Erin took this pic - and I LOVE it - so I thought I would share - it's so artsy yet in the moment :)

First Day of School

2008-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day back to school ..... A pretty good first day at that. I am teaching all Bio this semester which essentially means only one prep. I am co-teaching a low level biology class with a new special ed teacher so we have a different textbook than I am used to, but besides that everything else is old hat. Maybe this year I will finally be able to get to school at 7:15 right before Block A begins like I see so many other veteran teachers do? I am not counting on it - today I was here at 6:05 - and I was still racing around before the kids came in. Oh well, Im a morning person anyway. We had to wear these yellow shirts the first day... I know mine is a little snug - last year I ordered a medium and was swimming in it... so this year I ordered a small - no comments please - in my head I am totally pulling off the too small yellow polo look. :)

Chicago Triathlon

2008-08-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

This morning Shar, Dar, and I got up at the CRACK of dawn (4am) to drive down to the lake to watch Den and Jon compete in their first ever triathlon. It was AWESOME! I was so proud of both of them. They both completed a .75K swim in monroe harbor, a 22K bike along the lake, and finally a 5k run around McCormick place. Denny's heat was first- he jumped into the water at 6:08. Jons age group when into the water around 7. It worked out perfectly for us spectators because we got to watch Den's whole swim and then Jon's whole swim and just as Jon was getting out of the water - Denny was running by and finishing up the race. They both finished in about an hour and a half! I hve never been to something like that and I have to say it was a very positive experience all around. Jon says he's done with triathlons - Den says he's doing another one next year - maybe I will join him? We'll see :) Check out all the pics by clicking here.

Den's BBQ

2008-08-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

My cousin Dennis had his annual rooftop bbq yesterday and this year we got to see the tail end of the airshow as part of the festivities. The other big even was watching Michael Phelps win his EIGHTH gold medal!!! It was amazing to watch with such a big group of people like that. Talk about American pride!

Reunion with my Maine friends

2008-08-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog, you know that I was pretty affected by my trip to Maine which took place the last two weeks of July, Well, I am literally holding onto that trip with every last inch of my being. So, an amazing friend I met in Maine, Dennis, came to visit me this past week and we had a little mini-reunion with some of our Bar Harbor friends. We went downtown a few times, visited Lindsay at her house, went to a cubs game, and just hung around in the burbs a bunch. Lucky for me (and Dennis), Debra came with us a few times downtown and was our Chicago tour guide because I may be the worst Chicago native ever when it comes to knowing about the city. We had an amazing time together and now I am feeling a little sad to be away from my Bar Harbor family. I am literally forever changed by those people and that experience.

Maine - Last Day - Diver Ed

2008-07-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

After dinner we decided to check out Diver Ed after some strong recommendations from people who have seen his program before. It was really pretty cute. Diver Ed goes down and takes a camera with him while he collects some different sea animals. He then brings them up and lets all th kids (and us) touch and handle them. It was a perfect last night activity.

Maine - Last day - One last Hike

2008-07-25T19:48:00.001-07:00

For our very last hike - Matt took Dennis, Deborah, and I for a short hike over the rocks towards Sand Beach in Acadia. It was a pretty perfect last hike. It was rainy and muddy and foggy and beautiful - I almost slipped and fell like 4 times and I loved EVERY minute of it.

Maine - last day - Seal Dissection

2008-07-25T19:42:00.001-07:00

Well, we completed a seal dissection today for our final class activity. I was thoroughly disgusted so I am not going to say much. It was a harbor seal pup and it was interesting but it smelled really bad. I'll be happy to show anyone the pics if they feel like being totally disgusted.

Deb and Lindsays pics

2008-07-25T04:02:00.001-07:00

Deb and Linds downloaded all their pics to my computer last night - and they have some really cool ones. Here are a few - see more by clicking here.

ID'ing our whales

2008-07-25T03:53:00.000-07:00

This afternoons lecture consisted of a trip to ALLIED whale to see if we can identify the two humpbacks we saw on our whale watching trips. I have to say the city girls did pretty darn good and got both whales on the very first try. ALLIED has a computer program where you flick (as Christoph would say)through pictures of about 1000 whales they have catalogued and compare the markings of the pictures you have with the pictures in the program. For humpbacks you use the markings on the fluke and try to identify the splotchy black and white patterns. Our whales were Sonogram and Sigma - we felt like real whale researchers. Tomorrow morning we have our very last activity - a SEAL DISSECTION!!!! Im a little excited and a little nervous......

CONQUERING CADILLAC!!!!

2008-07-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

After Jordan Pond popovers, Lindsay Deborah and I decided to hike cadillac again - this time with Matt and Dennis as our guides/motivators. This hike was anything but "city-girl hiking" and was (I thought) pretty mentally and physically challenging. BUT we did it!!!! And pretty damn well - if I do say so myself. We actually hiked up Door mountain and then down a/2 a mile to catch the trail to Cadillac and then up to the top of Cadillac. Took us about 2 hours to get all the way to the top and about an hour twenty to get back down. We timed it perfectly too - we got down literally just as the last bit of daylight was leaving. (I think we all were honestly a little nervous about hiking down in the dark so we pretty much booked it the whole way down.) Afterwords we celebrated with some food and blueberry beer at a local establishment and finished the evening with a nerve-wracking game of jenga.

Pop-Overs at Jordan Pond

2008-07-25T03:34:00.000-07:00

Wed afternoon a big group of us decided to go into Acadia and have the famous popovers at Jordan pond. A popover is basically a huge dinner roll with air in the middle that you eat with butter and jelly. Jordan pond is famous for having some of the best. We got there a little early for our reservations so we hiked around the pond a little before getting seated. Maine is big on blueberries and all along the path wild blueberries grow and you can pick and eat them right there. Jordan pond is pretty flat and total "city girl hiking" so ir is very easy unlike the the hike we devided to do after the popovers....

Campus Museum

2008-07-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

After our morning lecture, us three chicago girls spent some time at the museum on campus. One of the very cool displays they have is a touch tank. We got to handle starfish, whelks, crab, and even touch a sea cucumber. The slug was super slimy.

A 9 hour tour

2008-07-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

More whale watching today - although we spent most of the day driving the boat and loading and unloading people and supplies. We only watched whale for about 25 minutes and we saw only one - a big humpback. It was moving pretty fast though so I didnt get any good pictures of it. We did however visit Mt Desert Rock which is this very cool large rock with a light house and a little research house where Allied Whale monitors marine life. We saw a bunch of seals and MANY seagulls and got to climb up in the light house. A long day though - 9 hours on the boat - I feel like I was in a fist fight - I have a feeling we will be taking it easy tonight.

Steel Drum Band

2008-07-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight after dinner we went to watch a steel drum band in Southwest Harbor. Deborah, Lindsay, Ange, Carol, and I danced the night away under the tent to steel drums playing tunes like Dancing Queen and Fernando. It was a little muggy and rainy today - but we still had a really good time. Afterwords, Dennis and the three Chicago girls stopped at the Thirsty Whale for an adult beverage and some chatting about our lives ... more whale watching is on the agenda for tomorrow - so we turned in pretty early. Hoping to see some Fin whales tomorrow.

Exploring Anemone Cove

2008-07-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally saw some real living tide pools! They were pretty fricken cool. We got to anemone cove just before the tide came back in and saw some starfish, anemones, and urchins. I finally have a better handle on all the things I teach about in my zoo and ocean class. The cove was this cave that gets entirely exposed at low tide and leaves about 40 little tide pools. At high tide, they are completely covered again. The ride back consisted of a country music sing-along. Mine and Lindsay's favorite new song is Beer Goggles - I have a feeling it will totally put me in a good mood whenever I may need it - I think it might do the same for just about anyone - listen to it here.

The night out

2008-07-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

This evenings festivities included eating at Poor Boys and hanging out at Geddy's pub. I had the stuffed haddock - it was amazing. At Geddy's the 5 of us (Me, Lindsay, Ange, Carol, and Dennis) enjoyed some fancy spirits - including a bushwacker and a flaming volcano (which WAS on fire - BTW) and ended up making it on the wall of "famous" patrons at Geddy's - so a little part of the five of us will always be remembered in this town. We finished the evening off with a midnight jump off the dock into the ocean :)

Hiking Witchhole Pond with Lindsay

2008-07-20T17:58:00.001-07:00

This afternoon Lindsay and I borrowed Dennis' car and drove to Acadia and hiked witchhole pond. We were hoping to see some beavers and dams - we did see the dams but no beavers. We did have a great time on the hike, burned off some good calories, and most importantly had some great conversation.

Maine - Day 6 - A relaxing One

2008-07-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

Since every day in Maine has been more action packed than the next, we decided to take a little rest today. In class we had lecture all morning and then an article discussion in the afternoon. This evening we went to Reel Time to check out the new Batman movie. Reel Time is a movie theater/pizza place where you can order pizza and drinks and then sit and watch the movie. Dark Night was very good - a little long - kindve almost like two movies in one - but suspenseful, and interesting, and even a little twisted at times. Heath Ledger is every bit as good as all the reviews say. Tomorrow Lindsay and I are borrowing Dennis' car to cruise around Bar Harbor. I cant say enough about how amazing every single person is that I have met here. It's almost like a family.

Hiking Beehive

2008-07-18T04:19:00.000-07:00

This evening we hiked the Beehive trail in Acadia National Park. It was very cool. Took a group of about 20 of us about an hour and a half to hike up and then took only about 30 minutes to hike down (which was a very good thing because it was getting dark out). Ange says everyone should do the beehive trail - I think i agree with him. Late night, Lindsay, Stephanie, Dennis and I went for a drink and ended up at a bar that happened to be having a drag queen show. Never been to one before - I actually found it very interesting -- I think Dennis found it even more interesting :).

Whale Watching

2008-07-17T14:03:00.001-07:00

(To view more pics and videos click here) We saw some whales today!!!! Well, technically we only saw one - BUT we saw him/her MANY times and very close.... We are going to try to identify it next week - but it was AMAAAAAAAAZING. The whale was right there in front of our boat. We know it was a small-ish humpback -- but we dont know which one it was. Allied Whale has identified and catalogued every whale they have ever seen in this area - so next week when we visit their island, we can identify it. We drove the indigo out for an hour and a half to the whale watching spot and that is where we saw it. The weather was beautiful and the ocean was very calm. The whale continually repeated the same pattern -- it would surface about a dozen times, then do a deep dive surface (showing its flukes) and would dive for about 11 minutes. I got some decent pics and videos, but my friend Deborah got way better ones that she promised to share with us :)

Acadia National Park

2008-07-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Christoph gave us the afternoon off today to work on our projects. So, Lindsay, Deborah, and I decided to go hike in the National Park. We climbed about half way up Cadillac Mountain and then realized we might miss the shuttle back to the college so we climbed back down. Acadia National park is very cool.

Trip to the Whale Museum

2008-07-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

Our class activity for today was to visit the Whale museum in downtown Bar Harbor. So, we all packed up and took a fieldtrip. The Whale Museum is a cute little place operated by Allied Whale who operates out of the College of the Atlantic. They were the first organization to name and start keeping track of whales based on various identification means. Humpbacks are identified by their flukes, Fin whales by their dorsal fin. Yesterday a boat went out and spotted 8 Fin whales and 4 humpbacks ... tomorrow is our first all day trip to whale-watch .... Im keeping my fingers crossed that we see more :) PICS

Looking for Seals

2008-07-15T16:25:00.000-07:00

Today we got out on the boat for the first time - but the swell was still to big to go out and whale watch. So, we looked for seals in the bay instead. We saw a bunch of grey and harbor seals... but they were kindve far away. The boat ride was very cool though . relaxing - I actually fell sound asleep for about 20 minutes of it (might have been the dramamine). This evening we went to a little local bar and got to know each other a little better :) Click for more pics

Maine Trip - Day 2

2008-07-15T03:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of class. My instructor is Christoph Richter and is from Canada and has more knowledge about sea mammals than I could ever imagine was even out there. Plus he has this really cool german/canadian accent so I could listen to him for hours. You can hear him talk about whale blows in the video below. Today we mostly just had lecture and talked about what we will do for our final project - which basically is just going to be some kind of an activity for our curriculum. We were supposed to go out on the boat tomorrow to do some whale watching but because of the stormy weekend, the swells are too big. So, we are trying for end of the week (plus it's kindve small!) This evening my two new friends Lindsay and Deborah (who are actually both from Chicago!!!!) went into the Bat Harbor town and walked around. What a fricken cute quaint little town. Then we all came back and sat down by the ocean with my roommate Darcie and this adorable couple we met, Angelo and Carol, and talked until about midnight. I love Maine. Click for more pics.

MAINE - Day 1

2008-07-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

I arrived today in Maine - Bar Harbor ... for my whales and dolphins class. It's absolutely gorgeous here! Everything is going pretty fricken good so far. My connecting flight to LaGuardia was only about 1/2 full so I had an entire row to myself - perfect for sleeping on a 6am flight. I arrived in terrific time for my connecting flight - it was boarding as I was walking up to the gate. AND, my flight into Bangor (pronounced Bang - ORE...not banger as everyone keeps correcting me..must be my Chi-town accent) was early so as I was stepping off the plane, my shuttle van was calling me to pick me up on the earlier shuttle. THEN, since I got to the college a little early (before registration)- I met the nicest man named Fred who gave me my own personal tour of the campus and took me to my room where I got first pick on beds - before anyone else got here. I think I am going to like it here :)

Cousins outing 7/12/2008

2008-07-12T18:42:00.001-07:00

Today the cousins went to Arlington for our 'every-so-often' cousins outing. We tried to make it bi-monthly (does that mean every other month?), but it is turning into more of a once-every-3 month thing. That's cool though.... I think we're more likely to get all of us coming when it's a little less often - absence makes the heart grow fonder right? Everyone showed this time except Todd who unfortunately had a wedding. It was a very good time -- almost everyone won (except me and Ry - I think) and while noone left a BIG winner.. a good time was had by all. The weather was absolutely perfect and Arlington is so beautiful. I feel very fortunate to live so close to such a cool place. Click to see the pics

Mrs. Ann Wyatt

2008-07-07T05:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Ann got married this weekend :) It was one of the most beautiful, most heartfelt, sweetest weddings I have ever been to. Ann and Justin have been together since they were FOURTEEN!!! Of course it helps that Ann and all her bridesmaids are ABSOLUTELY adorable. She looked gorgeous! It was at St. James church in Arlington Heights and the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg. She went with a whole 4th of July theme- and it turned out so cute. The bridesmaids wore navy blue dresses with bright red shoes (which sounds dorky but they totally pulled it off), and we all held lit sparklers as they came out of the church. I was a little nervous because I dont know Ann's English department friends all that well and I was date-less. Of course I should have figured they would all be really fun because English people ALWAYS are and lucky for me- Tim Piatek also came by himself - so he was my date for the night. He was a great date because he is really funny and loves to dance - so i had a fabulous time. Sunday morning was a little rough - but it was totally worth it :) Click here to see all the pics

Fireworks!

2008-07-07T05:47:00.000-07:00

July 3rd fireworks. Karen, Todd, Elisabeth, Elisabeth's bros, and me all went to Wilmette Beach to see fireworks Thursday night. It was actually a pretty neat setup. We left our cars at Elisabeths mom's house and walked a short distance to this shopping area where about 25 buses were lined up to take people to see the fireworks. You would have thought it would be a mob scene, but it was really very organized and efficient. We got a sopt right on the beach and watched the explosions in all their glory. I am not a huge fan of fireworks (honestly have been kindve scared of them ever since I was little) but it was still a pretty cool night. Plus it is always so neat to be down in Wilmette among all those mansions. Someday.........

Cold sores be gone!!!!!!!

2008-04-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

The first step to overcoming a problem is to admit you have one, right? Hello, my name is Shannon and I get cold sores. There - I said it. It may seem like no big deal to admit that but I have spent most of my life hiding out whenever I got one hoping that noone will notice. I think it's because I know they are caused by a herpes virus and are very contagious and (I think) extremely unattractive (even though my fam assures me they arent that noticeable). Well, this time hiding out is impossible because I am currently experiencing one of the worst outbreaks I have ever had. I have read almost EVERY article on the internet about what causes them and how to heal them quickly, and I can honestly say that I have tried everything but nothing seems to work really effectively, and I really dont know what "triggers" my outbreaks. It seems to be completely inconsistent. Sometimes I get one when I am stressed, sometimes not. Once in a while the sun will cause them and sometimes they seem to pop up for no apparent reason.
It's really frustrating, and I am tired of it! So, I am trying a new approach - acupuncture. Since I have no idea what the "triggers" are for my outbreaks, I'm thinking maybe it has to do with some sort of energy disruption in my body. I had my first session last Thursday. The acupuncturist seems to think that with a combination of the meridian therapy and diet modification I should be able to overcome future outbreaks.
Everyone has been asking me if it hurt. I did feel the pins going in, but other than a slight odd sensation at some of the sites, it was actually very relaxing. I have 11 sessions to go. I'll have to wait and see what happens. Im feeling pretty optimistic about the whole process (imagine that) :)

Spring cleaning

2008-04-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

I feel so accomplished - I cleaned out my closet - FINALLY! I've been thinking about doing it for about 5 months now. It's amazing how something like that could make you feel so much better. I almost feel like I cleaned out some emotional baggage in the process. I read somewhere that sometimes the "procrastination" that people sometimes experience before beginning a big project has more to do with mental clearing than it has to do with actually not wanting to start the project. Like when you have 3 hours to write a 5 page paper and you spend the first hour completely reorganizing your desk. It's almost like you need to have that clearing out process in order to really focus. Maybe Im getting ready for some new project in my life. I definitely feel more focused now that my closet looks so good. What I'm wondering is - What made me wait so long? and what made me able to finally do it this weekend? Some questions I should explore with my hypnotherapist perhaps :)

I am a wedding crasher!!

2008-04-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Amanda Parris got married on 4/5/08 and I wasnt invited - but I was there! I guess I didnt technically crash it ..... I did, after all, receive a text messsage from my good friend Erin (maid of honor) explaining when and whee it was and assuring me that the bride said it was OK if I came. :) Actually, it turned out to be quite a good time. Amanda looked great, I hung out with Erins husband all day and we had some great conversation AND the DJ played some of the best 80's hair-band songs that I havent heard in forever. My top choice for the night - Love is on the Way by Saigon Kick. I will be adding that song to my itunes tonizzite!!!!

Snuba

2008-04-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last day on the cruise - we chose SNUBA as our excursion in Key West. I am not going to lie - if I had to do it all over again I probably wouldve chosen the shopping tour. Not my favorite thing I have ever done. Basically it is a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving (hence the name) where you breathe through a regulator but it is attached to a raft at the surface with air. Well, I was freezing (even with the fancy wet suit) and I was constantly worried about tangling my snuba hose AND there wasnt that much to see. I spent most of the hour at the surface. I did get to see an amazing sponge though. I thought it was a rock.

Dot the Dolphin

2008-04-08T14:45:00.001-07:00

My new BFF - Dot the Dolphin She is a 31 year old female dolphin living in Blue Lagoon Island at a fabulous establishment called Dolphin Encounters. Well it just so happens that I had the pleasure of interacting with her on my spring break cruise. IF you ever get the chance - I would highly recommend it - it's very cool! Did you know dolphins only live an average of 24 years in the wild?? I had no idea - and I teach oceanography. (oops) The oldest dolphin at this place is 41 - and she was pregnant!

Spring Break 08

2008-04-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Spring Break Baby!! Since I never went to spring break in college, I have decided to go on every spring break from this year until the end of time. First stop: Caribbean Cruise! The ship - Royal Caribbeans Majesty of the Sea --- The Destinations: Nassau, Cocoa Key and Key West ---- The Company: My god friend Nicole Mac

The biologist in me

2008-01-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

I am officially semi-obsessed with the magazine Psychology Today. I can literally read the same magazine from cover to cover 3 or 4 times. This months issue had the MOST interesting article about scents and attraction. The jist was this: A study was done where women rated their attractiveness towards men based on scent alone (no viewing allowed) and what they found was that women preferred the smell of tshirts worn by men who were immunologically dissimilar to themselves. From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes total sense because having a partner with an immune system different from your own would allow you to produce offspring with more immune genes expressed. This would allow your kids to be protected agains a wider variety of pathogens and toxins, thus having the best chance for survival. However, the most interesting part of the article was about women who were on the pill. The study found that women on the pill tended to choose men who were the most immunologically similar to themselves - which (as the article explains) is due to the mechanism of the pill tricking your body into thinking it is already pregnant and therefore not available to other men. Even more interesting was the fact that they found that exotic dancers who were NOT on the pill made 50% more tips than ones who were on it. Interesting.......

Body Language

2008-01-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

I am in LUV (which for those of you who dont know me is a combination of lust and infatuation) with the activites director at the moon palace resort in CANCUN, Mexico. He is without a doubt THE most infectious person I have ever met. His name is Federico Haag. He is from Uruguay, speaks 5 languages, and has the most crystal blue beautiful eyes ever created. Even though i will probably never see him again - I might not ever forget him. They say people come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime - his was obviously for a reason - I wonder what that reason is? I have some theories :)

CANCUN for NYE

2008-01-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

I celebrated NYE this year in CANCUN, Mexico with my parents and my brother Ryan at the Moon Palace Resort. It was quite a party - almost like a really awesome wedding with at least 1500 guests minus a bride and groom. We ate a fantastic 5 course meal, watched performers of acrobats, dancers, and even a Michael Jackson impersonator. A band played all the greatest hits from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today and the dance floor was packed for at least 3 straight hours. Unfortunately, my dance card was cut short due to the fact that the strap broke on my $24.95 New Years Eve dress. I spent the last 2 hours trying to make sure there was no nipple exposure. So, now it's NY Resolution time. This year I decided to try to make some different resolutions (I usually vow to eat healthier and workout more). I have decided on two resolutions and three goals for this year. I have also decided to put them out there on my blog for everyone to read in the hopes that it might add to my accountability. Also, as a result of reading T. Harv Eker's book "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind", I am going to write them as if I have already accomplished them and I am promising to keep the blog updates with my progress at least once a month because "by virtue of the law of focus, what you track will increase". So here goes - GOALS: In 2008 I: #1-trained for and ran a 5K race #2 Went on a meditation retreat for 10 straight days #3 Paid off all my credit card debt RESOLUTIONS: In 2008 I: #1 Got to know my parents better #2 Made a new close friend

Christmas 2007

2008-01-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

So another holiday season has come and gone and we celebrated very much unlike every other Xmas - the eve at my parents and the day at my aunt kathy's. Of course I am kidding..we literally do that every year or some version thereof (we sometimes mix it up and do an aunts house on Xmas eve and my parents on the day). There were, however two things that made this year different. #1 My mom decided to NOT attend Christmas Day and #2 my Aunt Sharon got diagnosed with cancer. Luckily, it was detected through mammogram, caught very early, and is only stage 1. So, she will most likely only have to have a lump-ectomy and be closley monitored. I feel very numb about it and I'm not sure if it is b/c of my new-found beliefs about thoughts creating your life or if I am just in denial. My head keeps insisting it is the latter but a little voice (in my heart perhaps) keeps insisting that Shar's thoughts have caused this..... In Louise Hay's book 'You Can Heal Your Life', she says that cancer is caused by "deep hurt, long standing resentment, a deep secret of grief eating away at the self and carrying hatred". It definitely makes you think. I know it is a little radical way if thinking and I really am going to validate it within myself before I start trying to impart my beliefs on others.

Happy 31st to me!

2007-12-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

So today is not my birthday, but two weeks ago was. November 22nd 2007 – I turned 31, on Thanksgiving Day. It’s funny when you tell people your birthday is on thanksgiving because they give you a reaction like “Really—that’s cool......Wait - is it?” Personally, I kind've like it. It’s not like it’s on Christmas when I would get jipped out of presents (you know the whole it’s a combo birthday/Christmas gift- RIPOFF) People ARE getting together to celebrate something that has nothing to do with me, but my birthday gets thrown into the mix. You KNOW everyone will MOST likely be there and even though the whole gathering isn’t really about you – at least part of the night is.... sort of makes me feel special. Plus, I’ve never really been one who craved ALL the attention but I do feel the need to get a little attention nugget here and there ☺ And when people ask you what you are doing for your birthday – you get to say – "Hey, it’s thanksgiving – my WHOLE family will be celebrating it with me" My good friend Erin sent me this card last night – it made me laugh.