Here Comes Baby

Induction tomorrow. Festivities begin at 7am.

Before child: Well rested, glowing, groomed properly.

After: Bloodshot eyes from tears (of joy), bags under eyes from anticipated lack of sleep, beard unkempt, still otherwise glowing and happy.

Al's Italian Beef

A Chicago institution, we had never been there until yesterday. Naturally, we had to go with the Italian Beef Sandwich (with giardiniera), dipped in au jus, with a side of cheese fries. So bad for you, but so worth it. As Katy said, "Since I'm rocking this belly, I can get away with this." Unfortunately, I can't use that excuse, though I hear that girth is totally 'in' for 2010.

This was a 'regular' size Italian Beef. Sadly, they had 2 sizes bigger than this. So size does matter.

Nothing says "I'm going out with a bang" like fried food slathered in fluorescent orange cheese sauce.

Handfelt Hotcake Showdown: Round Two

Passing time awaiting the arrival of the stork leaves a couple to desperate measures in order to keep themselves occupied and to stop them from pacing the floor. On Sunday Ben and I continued our completely unscientific pancake taste test...we have vowed to find the best box pancake mix worthy of special weekend memories in our yet-to-arrive child's life.  This week's results:

The Sample

As generic as it seems, conventional wisdom indicated that we should give good old Bisquick (a pantry stalwart) a shot:







With a seal of approval from the Cedar Rapids Handfelts (including two cute kids who are pancake/waffle experts), our next contender was the funny named Krusteaz Light and Fluffy Original:








And finally, our Round One winner, back for a head-to-head face-off to defend her original title, was Aunt Jemima's Original Pancake Mix:









The Method
As in Round One, Ben prepared the three pancake mixes according to directions on the box and carefully calibrated their "doneness" (perfectly golden brown, not too thick, not too thin, juuuuust right) using his new Celaphon non-stick skillet which he deemed, "One of the best purchases ever!" (Watch out Emeril, Wolfgang, and Bayless...Ben's hot on your tail...) I love it that my husband can get excited about a pan.

One-by-one, Ben and I sampled each pancake (one bite with butter only, one bite with syrup, and this time one bite with applesauce*). We then wrote down our comments for each and ranked them on a scale of 1-5 stars. Ben knew which pancake was which mix, but I didn't. The suspense continues!

The Results

Bisquick:
Ben's comments: 4 stars, "A solid contender!  Lacks the discipline and flavor of a champ, but is young and hungry...for pancakes."
Katy's comments: 2 stars, "Beautiful pancake!  Ugh, but it tastes like a mix.  If I ordered this at Village Inn, I wouldn't come back...Waffle Stop Cafe, here I come..."

Krusteaz Light and Fluffy Original:
Ben's comments: 3.5 stars, "Sweet, almost waffle-y.  If Aunt Jemima is Bruce Willis, this is Jason Statham."
Katy's comments: 5 stars, "Not a cute cake, appearance-wise...but it smells great.  Sweet and fluffy...sorta like Carmella.  My fave!"

Aunt Jemima's Original:
Ben's comments: 4.5 stars, "This is why I got into the pancake trade!"
Katy's comments: 4.5 stars, "Perfectly pillow-y.  This is exactly what I imagine a good pancake should look and taste like."

The Clear Winner

It's a barn burner with a split vote, but Ms. J does it again!  Stay tuned for our third and final round in the coming weeks.  It's cute that we're conducting these household experiments during our maternity leave to keep us occupado and not loco.  Hopefully our little one will arrive within a few days and in between feedings and naps, we plan on having the ultimate Hotcake Smackdown: our favored boxed mix, Aunt Jemima; an upscale mix, like Williams-Sonoma brand; and HOMEMADE pancakes.  We know you're sitting on the edge of your seats, if you haven't already fallen off your chair.

Pancake Standings

Aunt Jemima (Original)
Krusteaz (Instant)
Bisquick
Hungry Jack
Trader Joe's Multigrain



*In case you don't know, warm applesauce on pancakes/waffles/french toast is about the best thing of all time.  It took me years to convince Ben that I wasn't crazy for saying this, and now I dare say, he is converted.  If you're not big a fan of syrup like me, I totally recommend this healthy option.  It all started back in the day (1984) with my Grandpa Walt...except he used some fantastic homemade applesauce instead of the sorry canned excuse that I'm using.  But, it's still good.  Try it; I double dog dare you.

SYRUP ASIDE

Ben: We also tested two different syrups on this.  Your standard, Mrs. Butterworth (Lite) and Spring Tree Pure Maple Syrup.  Basically, fake vs. real. 

Like a savvy politician, Katy declined to pick a real winner between the two, so as not to offend Mrs. Butterworth (and risk being called a racist) or lose her street cred by bashing the 'real stuff'.  I thought that Spring Tree was rich and smoky, and even a bit bacon-y.  It made me feel like I should be lifting weights or chopping wood, both of which I gave up back in '04.  Mrs. Butterworth was sugary and light, like my loafers.  Bonus points to Spring Tree for coming in a bottle shaped like a flask, but it loses a couple points for it's exorbitant cost.  If you have kids who are used to the sugary sweetness of the normal store-bought syrup, they may be put off by the decidedly different taste of real syrup, but I think it's a good alternative for the adults in the family and after a few bites, you'll vow to grow a beard (even if you're a woman) and invest heavily in flannel.

Due Date - The Waiting Game

Today is the day, technically speaking. Not sure if it will happen or not (the smart money says 'no'), but we're both ready. We think. And hope. She's kicking like one of the Rockettes, but seems content to wait out the cold and snow inside the warm embrace of Katy's uterus. (And really, who can blame her?) Suffice it to say, she's already inherited one of her father's personality traits: procrastination.

She's off the hook as far as having to share her birthday with Jesus Christ, who seems to overshadow everybody, so that's good. On deck is New Year's Day...and while it would be cool to be one of the first babies of the new decade, I'm told that the tax benefits of having an 09' baby would be just as cool for her parents.

I've mentally steeled myself for the dirty diapers, the late night wailing and the debilitating lack of sleep. Now I just want to hold my baby in my arms and have her look into my eyes. Everything else can wait.

*Cartoon courtesy of Toothpaste for Dinner

Things We Like: The Grafton Pub

Located in Lincoln Square at 4530 N. Lincoln, this homey Irish pub skews more restaurant than bar and thankfully eschews the normal faux-Irish feel that most Irish pubs leave you with. Have I ever been to a pub in Ireland to qualify that statement? Oh God no. But the lack of backwards cap meatheads and paper shamrocks on the wall do.

The beef stew was tremendous, the restaurant was nice and dark (I'm a sucker for a dark, borderline pitch black bar/restaurant) and the Smithwick's was tasty. Bonus points for the fireplace in the back and booths in the front. Two TVs by the bar allow it to keep it's pub status without edging into sports bar territory.

HHH Cribs III

We're still waiting on that elusive chair (custom upholstered, it's gonna be another 3 or 4 weeks), but more progress has been made on the nursery. See it here before it we sell the rights to US Weekly.

We snagged this cool shelf at Land of Nod. The photo isn't really centered, so you can't see the Ugly Doll (Uppy) or the two stuffed mice sitting atop the shelf. The reason for this seemingly egregious error is that directly above the shelf is the baby name in red wooden letters. That mystery shall be revealed any day now, quite literally. Never has a mystery captivated a nation like this since Angela Lansbury left the airwaves. We miss you Angela.

These two red and pink wall canvases are from the good Swedes at Ikea. We needed something for the long wall on the left hand side of the room, and these ridiculously affordable pieces fit the bill. They go with the room's red/pink/brown aesthetic, which is also the color scheme that I go for with nearly every outfit in my wardrobe.

Our other Ikea purchase was this white nightstand, which was easy to assemble, even though it was from Ikea. Maybe I'm just getting more handy with stuff like that. On second thought, it's like a 4 piece nightstand...I'm probably getting ahead of myself and need to be taken down a peg or two. Anyway, we just need a lamp for this badboy and we're in business.

Merry Christmas From The Handfelt Happy Hour

*Photos by Cottonball Haynes

Baby Bump - Week 39

Week 39
Maternity Leave at the Handfelt Hacienda

We're five days out from the big due date and our little Baby H could come any time now...and I'm getting antsy since I've started my maternity leave on Monday. So far my day-to-day schedule has been pretty low key, consisting of making some necessary phone calls (daycares, ugh!), having a coffee date, and peeking in on the baby's room from time-to-time to remind myself just how adorable it is.

I do have to admit that it's nice sitting here:

• Watching the snow fall outside
• Having Carmella curled up next to me, dozing off into her blissful cat dreamland
• Seeing the landlord shovel the walk and dig out our car (yay!)
• Looking up warm winter recipes on allrecipes.com to add to my collection
• Wearing slippers all day

But, it's kinda been boring and I look forward to baby's arrival to mix things up. It's not like I'm just taking a few days off to hang out and that I'm making a bunch of fun plans...I told Ben, I'm a little afraid to go too far from home! Man, I am getting wimpy! For example, I thought about going out to the suburbs to run some errands, but then thought better of it! I don't want to be out there by myself and go into labor! So, I'm staying pretty close to home for the next few days.

For the time being, my goal is to avoid:

• Not changing out of my PJs until the afternoon
  
• Not leaving the house all day long
• Watching a lot of daytime TV

Being off of work through March seems like such a long time; it almost scares me! I'm happy to have just accepted a promotion to Senior Program Coordinator at UIC...and am excited about what that change means when I return back to work. It's going to be hard being gone for so long, but I'm lucky to have something so spectacular to keep me busy at home (well, hopefully in a few days from now)!

Handfelt Hotcake Showdown

This morning Ben and I embarked on a completely unscientific pancake taste test. Ben is the breakfast master of the house and vows to master his pancake making skills so that he can serve them up to our kiddos every weekend. Thus, today's voyage to find the best boxed pancake mix deemed worthy of special Sunday morning memories in our rugrat's lives...

The Sample
For the macho breakfast eater that wears red and black plaid shirts, drinks coffee straight-up black, and then meets Sarah Palin to go huntin', we had Hungry Jack Extra Light and Fluffy Pancake Mix:













Based on a recommendation from Real Simple magazine, and for the traditionalist in all of us, next up we went old school with Aunt Jemima's Original Pancake Mix:













And last but not least, we had the wild card - Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking & Pancake Mix. For all the khaki-loving, dog owning, SUV driving, granola-ish, organic, stroller-pushing families out there:










The Method
As Sunday tradition goes and I talked on the phone with my parents in another room, Ben prepared the three pancake mixes according to directions on the box and carefully calibrated their "doneness" (perfectly golden brown, not too thick, not too thin, juuuuust right). He used his new red, fancy-schmancy Celaphon non-stick skillet. Which, I might add, was purchased specifically for the purpose of making pancakes...and the occasional grilled cheese. One-by-one, Ben and I sampled each pancake (one bite with butter only, one bite with maple syrup, and one bite with five-fruit jam). We then wrote down our comments for each and ranked them on a scale of 1-5 stars. Ben knew which pancake was which mix, but I didn't. Oh, the suspense!

The Results
Hungry Jack Extra Light and Fluffy:
Ben's comments: 3 stars, "Okay, but not D.I.D.*"
Katy's comments: 2.5 stars, "Dense, bland, and pretty generic tasting. This doesn't excite me much."

Aunt Jemima's Original:
Ben's comments: 5 stars, "Great taste and texture! Gimme some of yours."
Katy's comments: 4.5 stars, "Less blah! A tad sweet and fluffy. Yummers!"

Trader Joe's Multigrain:
Ben's comments: 2 stars, "Tastes like uncooked pancake batter...ugh."
Katy's comments: 1 star, "It's initial cardboard texture fades to a more complex flavor profile - but not in a positive way!"

The Clear Winner
Sign us up for the club, Ms. J!

*If you don't know what D.I.D. stands for, then you probably haven't talked to Ben after he's had a few beers.

Baby Bump - Week 37

Week 37

Katy's Birthday at the Handfelt Hacienda

Well, well, well...I've been M.I.A. for some time now (um, since Week 32!) and Ben's been holding down the hacienda fort for me. As he said, the countdown is officially on 'til D-day. Our last milestone of Thanksgiving is long gone! Next week is my last week of work and I'll be starting maternity leave the week of Christmas (3 months, yay!...I haven't gone this long without working since I was 14!). I've contacted my clients. My fall semester class is done. The holiday decorations are up (note: I'm standing in front of the baby's monogrammed stocking above...the name is still under wraps). Carm has thoroughly investigated the baby's room (and found a new hiding spot in with the baby blankets). The car seat is in (thanks to Cory and Gretchen). We're all set.

Maybe it's because I'm now another year older, but it is finally hitting me and I'm becoming a weepy-eyed preggy lady. I've been cool as a cucumber the last nine months, but it's GAME ON now - and I'm getting emotional! Seriously, the Kay Jewelry commercial makes me cry, Ben's sweet blog post about me makes me tear up, even just taking a bath and trying to relax is a time for some tears! All in a good way though...much to my chagrin, maybe I'm becoming a sentimental old ma after all.

Then again, I'm only ten years away from when I turned 21 and we had a big party at our house on Olive Street. I'm not so old yet, right? I've still got it in me. Oh yeah, I'll be a hot mama. The other night I felt like dancing and was home alone...so in my PJs, and with my big tummy, Carmella watching me like I was nuts, I cranked up the iPod and danced around to some LL Cool J. Three times. Then I was out of breath and went to bed.

As I told my coworkers, we're ready anytime for this little one to make her appearance (although I wouldn't complain if she sits tight for another week or two). We've stockpiled all the baby necessities, completed every single one of our parenting classes (and we signed up for the entire catalog of courses!), and my winter coat only buttons at the top button! It's just so hard to believe that our lives are going to change forever and that very, very soon we will be responsible for a little person of our own. We'll be a family. I can't comprehend it. I mean, lots of people do this everyday and don't put much thought into it. Like seriously, that "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" show on the Discovery Channel...that Duggar family...the crazy people I see on the bus? We've waited this long and thought things through. We're ready. Bring it on. I told Ben, it feels like we're almost at the very top of a roller coaster...chuggin' up that first hill...we're almost going over the edge and there's no looking back. I'm just trying to decide whether to hold on tight or throw my hands up in the air! I'm going with option #2. I just hope I don't toss my cookies along the way.

Goodbye Old Life

The weather outside is starting to get frightfully cold just as things are heating up inside the Handfelt Hacienda and more specifically, Katy's uterus. Yes, that wily love child of ours is now only a few weeks from making her presence (and name*) known. Expect hearts to melt immediately.

In the meantime, we've been keeping (relatively) busy (not really). We headed back to Iowa over Thanksgiving since we won't be making it home for Christmas this year. We had turkey and all of the trimmings on Thursday (major kudos to Mom's mashed potatoes and Gretchen's Apple Pie), before hitting up some OP Pizza (taco and veggie) with Katy's parents on Friday and homemade spaghetti and meatball with my Dad and Chris on Saturday. Thankfully, I fasted the week before Thanksgiving, so I was able to maintain my svelte, feminine figure despite the cornucopia of carbs.

Thanksgiving was the last 'checkpoint' before the kid comes, so now things are bout to get real up in here yo. That said, the thought of said realness had me reaching for a stiff drink, and luckily some co-workers obliged by taking me out for 'daddy drinks' one last time. Shane, Amanda, Katelyn and I hit up El Jardin Cafe in Wrigleyville for some margaritas (only one...multiple margaritas make a 31 year old's life too difficult), quesadillas and assorted Mexican beers. I spilled salsa on myself upwards of a half dozen times (and this was before the margarita), while the girls played 'guess the baby name' and a decidedly khaki-less Shane made wildly inappropriate comments that he passed off as jokes. Good times were had by all and I arrived home at a decent hour, my sobriety and dignity still intact. Yet another promising sign that I'm ready to be a father.

Last Saturday, Katy and I went to Mixteco restaurant, a foodie favorite in Lakeview that we had been eyeing for quite some time. Helmed by former Topolobampo chef Raul Arreola, this BYOB hot spot is famous for it's mole sauces, which certainly lived up to the hype. Mole is pretty roof raising when done right, but finding good mole is no easy task. I would go as far as to say it's easier to find a good mole (animal) than it is good mole (sauce). But I digress. I had the lamb chops with mole negro sauce and garlic mashed potatoes and Katy had the pork marinated in orange juice and achiote. Everything was as good as it sounds, but the real star of the show was the desert, the tres leches. You know those shampoo commercials where the lady sounds like she is having an orgasm in the shower? Well that was what our table was like, with me in the role of 'that lady'. Muy bueno!

Enjoy the pics of these lambchops, because in less than a month, we'll have moved on to pictures of frozen breast milk, leftover Chinese and butter sandwiches. I can't wait. But no, really, I can't.

*Really, what name doesn't go good with 'Handfelt'? I mean, really?

Lambchops in negro mole with garlic mashed potatoes. Oh no you didn't!

Katelyn, Amanda and some bearded, creepy random at The Dark Horse. At this point, Shane was driving his Pontiac aimlessly around Chicago, yelling tearfully, "I'm a man! I drive a Pontiac! You will listen to me when I talk to you!"

HHH Cribs II

Some updates to the little sprite's room, chronicled below. This is gonna be one chic little baby pad. Way cooler than her nerdy parents room.

Katy found this cool print at the Renegade Craft Fair in Wicker Park back in September. The frame is courtesy of Ikea. The frame was still a bit big, so Katy went to a fancy stationary store and bought some cool looking paper to put behind the print. Boom goes the dynamite.

We needed a bigger rug to fill up the room and found this one on Overstock. It goes good with the sort of brown/red/pink theme we have going on and is actually a lot more plush than we imagined it would be (this is a good thing). It really ties the room together.

Katy found this cool Yeah Yeah Yeahs poster online a couple months ago (live at The Filmore) and I found a cool frame for it on Amazon. Katy's favorite band rendered in Muppet Babies form made this one a no-brainer.

We found this clock at Cabbages & Kings, in Saugatuck, MI. I made quite a few impulse buys that day, picking up a cool looking magnetic sock monkey and boy/girl stuffed mice (not Mickey and Minnie) as well.

Here is the Fisher Price 'My Little Lamb' Cradle and Swing, courtesy of Ron and Susan. Multiple speeds and sounds, and it goes side to side and back and forth. GPS is optional but recommended.

Not pictured: The chair we ordered for the room (8-10 weeks, dang!), red wooden letters with the baby name (under lock and key), along with a few other things we still need to buy: shelves, a lamp, a nightstand and a few other choice items. The next update might very well include pictures of the whole room....including the final piece of the puzzle...a live, human baby.

Happy Birthday Katy

Wife, soon-to-be mother, underrated humorist, Eggs Benedict cook, and all around fantastic person.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gobble Gobble!

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis from Between Two Ferns

Humble Happenings

A few quick hits, via bulletpoints (aka, I'm too lazy to segue various topics via paragraph form).

• Tried out Pequod's Pizza in Lincoln Park on Friday night. While I normally fall into the "overrated, leave it to the tourists" camp when it comes to deep dish pizza, this place really made my beard fill in. We got the pan crust, sausage and cheese...$18 for a large that fed us for 2 days and had us rubbing our respective bellies contentedly. A few more trips to Pequods and we'll have to start photographing my weekly 'Pizza Bump'.
  

• Saturday night was spent with Jenny and Bill, ye of the New Year's Eve debauchery, at Carnivale, enjoying guacamole, skirt steak and margaritas for those of us not with child. No pitchers of ginseng-laced sake or crazy pink blazers this time around, but it was good to catch up with our neighbors from the north (Milwaaakee).
  

• It's been a crash course of baby classes for Katy and I. Saturday was 'Labor in a Day' from 9-5 at the hospital. Last night was 'Babies 101' and tonight was 'Breastfeeding Basics'. Let me tell you, nothing desensitizes you to the female breast like a breast feeding class. I may now have to change my answer to the question, 'Are you more of a boobs or a butt guy?' But in all honesty, the classes have proved to be extremely helpful in at least giving us a broad base of knowledge to build upon and helping to soothe the nerves a little bit. I'm also fairly confident that when the time comes, I'll be able to pick my babies stool sample out of a lineup. Not really a skill I ever thought I'd need, but one that I now have ingrained into my brain, like it or not. Poopin' ain't easy indeed!
  

• We bought some more stuff for the nursery. Katy says I'm spoiling the little lady before she even gets out of the womb, but I can't help myself. I ended up ponying up for a pretty sweet rug,* along with some more stuff for the walls, both of which I imagine Katy will unveil a bit later, once she gets it set up how she wants it. We also ordered the cool red chair that I've been obsessing about** for years to put in her room, rationalizing the purchase by saying that once she gets older we can move the chair out to the living room (we bought it at a regular furniture store, not a kids place). The chair swivels as opposed to gliding, but we'll overlook that fact for now, until the child won't stop crying despite my best swivel maneuvers, at which point I'm sure I'll be shaking my fist in the air and cursing my own ignorance. I gotta say though, it's shaping up to be one bad ass nursery. If they had an MTV Baby Cribs, this could definitely be on it. As long as she doesn't end up on My Super Sweet 16.

*You know you're getting old when you refer to a rug as "sweet". But to quote The Dude, "That rug really tied the room together."

**Also, obsessing about a comfortable chair? I'm definitely ready to be a Dad.

The sausage and cheese goodness at Pequod's, courtesy of my 1890's cell phone camera. The crust has a nice burnt cheese component to it which is wholly satisfying and strangely erotic.

KISS It

Last weekend saw the return of some unseasonably warm (see: unseasonably awesome) weather, along with the arrival of the powerful and attractive Adam Glenn Akerson and his girlfriend Julie. Hailing from the great state of Texas and clocking in at a svelte 125 soaking wet, Mr. Akerson was in town to see the Hottest Band in the World at the United Center, and then watch our beloved Kurt Warner lead his Arizona Cardinals against the hometown Bears.

Let me tell you folks. Like a cold glass of chocolate milk, neither show disappointed.

On Friday, after doing a little nickel and dime tourist action downtown we met up with a gaggle of folks led by Nikolai Swanson and Kenny 'Cotton Ball' Haynes at Stanley's in Lincoln Park, where we drank cold beers and dreamed of a better tomorrow. My beard was briefly touched on (and touched) before we parted ways, with Mr. Swanson heading off the Black Crowes concert and Ken heading off towards some uncouth alleyway.

We met up with Katy at HHH stalwart Smoke Daddy's, where the BBQ tickled our ribs and passed the tough standards of the in-tow Texans. From there it was off to the United Center to see KISS for the first time since the Taft Era. Buckcherry opened up with an energetic and tattooed set that was rife with crunchy riffs and primal screams. The beers were $8.50, but when you're seeing the Hottest Band in the World, you need something to quench your thirst.

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. A McCartney/Lennon for the mullet crowd.

To the tune of Led Zeppelin's 'Rock and Roll', the lights when out and the black KISS curtain dropped and the boys in black leather came storming out of the gates with 'Deuce'. From there, it was 'on'. The set was choc full of KISS Klassics: 'Strutter', 'Hotter Than Hell' (click the link and stay til the end), 'Detroit Rock City', 'Rock and Roll All Nite', 'Lick It Up' and 'Love Gun', just to name a few. Katy cited Paul flying over the crowd during 'Love Gun' as her favorite part; mine was probably playing air guitar to '100,000 Years' on Katy's pregnancy bump.

To say that this was the best of the nine KISS shows I've seen might be overstating things (you'll never forget your first KISS show, that's for sure), but Eric Singer's drumming certainly added an element that was sorely missing from the others, and our seats certainly classified as 'rock star'. After the show, I estimated that I spent a solid 38 minutes of the show air drumming and another 19 playing air guitar. Air bass brought up the rear with around 8 minutes.

The girls, KISS virgins, had a heckuva time as well, and Katy thinks that even at 57, Paul Stanley is hot. After the show, we came home exhausted. Like a rock n' roll turkey dinner, KISS had made us both tired and happy.

On Saturday we headed to Wrigleyville to watch the Hawkeyes play, and after a bit of an adventure trying to find somewhere to sit, we ended up at Rockit Wrigleyville. No volume on the TV, but we stayed for the above average breakfast and Bloody Mary bar before heading back to our place for the second half, which was disappointing to say the least. The James Vanderbeek led Hawks couldn't pull off the comeback to keep the perfect season intact. To the Alamo Bowl! I kid, I kid. I hope.

After that it was dinner at another regular haunt, La Scarola, before heading back home for some beers and Guitar Hero 5. In our own minds, Adam and I were legendary. Ace Frehley vs. Tommy Thayer. Jimmy Page vs. Joe Perry. Buckethead vs. the guitar player for Manowar.

Speaking of legendary matchups, Sunday brought the seemingly epic battle of the Cardinals vs. Bears. A Bears fan by day, I bleed Arizona Crimson when Captain Kurt takes the field. To this fair city I live in, I apologize. Katy cooked a mean batch of loaded chili (Fritos, sour cream, jalapenos, cheese, onion...boom shakalaka!) and the Cardinals prevailed in dominant fashion, with current NFC Player of the Week Kurt Warner throwing 5 TD passes and looking as half his age, much like those crazy kids from KISS had two nights earlier.

After the game, we lounged around, tossed around the old pigskin and enjoyed some celebratory beers out on the porch until dinner came along, which was another Katy Klassic: taco pizza. This was a first for Julie, as taco pizza is decidedly Iowa and also decidedly delicious. Check out Katy's recipe here if you missed it the first time around.

After a few more rounds of Geeetah Hero, it was off to bed, as the Texans had to be on a jetplane at the crack of dawn.

Another fun weekend, and probably one of the last weekends where we'll have visitors until the baby comes. After that, there will be no more rock and rolling all nite and partying every day. Nope, from there it segues to rocking back and forth all nite and changing diapers all day. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

*For more KISS pics/videos and shots of the weekend, check out our Picasa account here.

Nick, Ken and Billy Mays.

BenHAmeen, Julie and Adam at Stanley's

Kate and Ben at La Scarola

Julie, Adam and The Handfelts, their bellies filled with olive oil and other assorted Italian goodies.

From here you can almost see Paul's Love Gun.

Torta Tremendous

The Gunthrop Chicken torta at the new Rick Bayless joint XOCO, 449 N. Clark Street. For only a few dollars more than you would pay at Subway or Jimmy John's, you can upgrade to some world class street food prepared by (or at least inspired by) the master. You had me at wood burning oven. The caramelized onion, black beans, avocado and tomatillo salsa edge this sandwich into 'unfair' territory.

Threats of long lines had kept me from coming here earlier. Once FOHHH (friend of HHH) Ken Haynes texted me 'no line', I ran like a pansy all the way there, with the dulcet sounds of Coldplay's 'Fix You' serving as the soundtrack to my imaginary run.

Oh torta! Oh TORTA!

Say Hello to Saugatuck

Katy: Last weekend Ben and I escaped the hub-bub of the city to visit the Bayside Inn B&B in Saugatuck, Michigan. It's a super adorable and relaxing lake town, and the proprietor of the B&B was very sweet, telling us all the best places to go in town. I was a little worried that we'd have to do a lot of "socializing" with the other guests at a B&B, but it ended up being perfect; we could do our own thing and talk with others as much (or as little) as we wanted. We could go downstairs and grab snacks or DVDs at anytime, hang out in the hot tub overlooking the bay (but the weather was too cold!), just chill out in our room, or wander a couple of blocks over to the downtown shops, parks, and restaurants.

Ben: Michigan was great. Driving through the upper reaches of Indiana to get there was like navigating through the 5th ring of Hell. Judging from the billboards, all that Northwest Indiana has to offer is strip clubs, casinos, adult bookstores, firecracker shops and sadness. Granted, given the right mindset and enough Everclear, that could be a heckuva time, but not when you're searching for quaint inner peace. Thankfully, my beard was able to ward off those demons and lead us into Michigan rather quickly, via it's instinctive 'Beard GPS'. As far as the Bayside Inn (Saved By the Bell, what what?) goes, I approve. Breakfast casserole? Shoot man. You had me at 'casserole'.

Our room was the one at the very top with the little balcony

View outside the Bayside. Slater? Nowhere to be seen.

Katy: The first night in Saugatuck checked out the quaint downtown area and grabbed a bite to eat. We heard that at 10pm there was a crazy "Adult" Halloween parade in the nearby town of Douglas that was not to be missed, so we headed over to check it out. It was classic! Everyone in the two towns must have been there, because the streets were blocked off and packed with people of ages all dressed up in wild costumes. We were cracking up the whole time at some of the funny outfits and shenanigans. Then we came back to our room and celebrated the holiday by watching a horror movie (Last House on the Left) until 2am, which may be a record for me. Ben kids me because I fall asleep during a half-hour sitcom, but I never fall asleep during a scary movie!

Ben: We ate at Phil's and it earned my pretentious stamp of approval. It effectively straddled the line between classy and laid back, which is a lot harder to do than you think. I got the breaded fish tacos and they were solid, bordering on fist pumping. The Gorgonzola appetizer was a sheer delight, and had my beard hairs standing on end. Let me tell you this. Saugatuck? Loves Gorgonzola. Take that to the house (or the bank).

The adult Halloween party was indeed, as Katy deemed it, "classic". I imagine it was very racy for Saugatuck, what with drunk people, flamboyant gay men and middle-aged Baby Boomers all reveling in their costumes and general tomfoolery. It was enough to make Glenn Beck's head spin.

Gorgonzola appetizer at Phil's. Just unbutton your top pants button and begin weeping now.

Our first night in Michigan, having dinner at Phil's

Katy: The next day, we took a scenic drive to Oval Beach, which is rated one of the top beaches in the U.S. by Conde Nast, according to our B&B hostess. After walking around the beach for a while, we drove along the Lake Michigan coast, into the hills with the pretty leaves, and gawked at some beautiful houses...and also tried to devise a plan where we could move into one of the houses, work from home, and relax all the time...but came up with nada!

Ben: We also headed to Crane's Apple Orchard, where after sampling the many varieties of apples (who knew there were so many...well, besides Jake), it was decided that Fuji reigns supreme. We also bought some Apple Butter bread, which would bring a clean shaven man to his knees. I wanted a cherry pie like Jani Lane wants a glass of off-brand Southern Comfort, but they were all frozen, so that died like a health care bill at Congress.

We ate at a small sports bar called Wick's and watched part of the Arizona Cardinals game, before we left in disgust, me not wanting the perfect weekend to be ruined by the Cardinals incompetence. We headed over to a kids store called Cabbages and Kings, and I had my first real 'Dad spoiling his daughter moment'. Let's just say that I got a bit out of control with the purchases. Dammit, she's got have me wrapped around her little fingers already.

More sleeping, more eating, and more relaxing ensued. Nothing really of note, although we are determined to make Saugatuck one of our 'go to' places when we begin to start our own family traditions. If you like sleeping, eating, and meandering in a picturesque setting, Saugatuck is your place. If you don't, well...Northern Indiana has plenty to offer as well.

Cue the 'Lonely Man' theme from The Incredible Hulk

Baby Bump - Week 32

Week 32
Oval Beach in Saugatuck, Michigan

Ahh...it's already week 32! Aside from slacking on the bump picture posts, I don't know where the time goes! Ben and I spent a much needed weekend relaxing on the Michigan shore...stay tuned for all the juicy details, including one night when I stayed up until 2am! And trust me, that has not happened in a LONG time! (The 2am does take into account that we were in the Eastern time zone and it was daylight savings...so maybe I didn't technically stay up that late...) What can I say, I'm getting old! In the meantime, check out pics from our getaway here.

Registry update: We finally got off the schnide and officially registered at Target, Babies R Us and Land of Nod. Who knew how many different types of baby stuff there is out there? (All of the parents raise their hands knowingly.)

The Dad Beard Project - Day 26

Comments: I gave it another trim yesterday, more on the chin pie than anything. It's filling in more on the sides, but still looks better from than front than at a profile. Sweet mercy, my hair is getting pretty long (relatively) in the back too.

It's only a matter of time before I start my own cult (of personality). I've already exhibited all of the hallmarks of a madman throughout October. I haven't shaved, I haven't drank (drunk?) beer or liquor and I haven't consumed any fast food. Look for me to chain myself to a large elm tree in the coming weeks, protesting some sort of injustice. Email me your trendy cause and I will support it dammit!

I'm rambling. I need to go rub my beard thoughtfully.

Status: David Koresh

"Oh my! That beard of yours is an embarrassment!"