Lenz Montana Trip 2015

Here's the map from our epic August road trip with John's parents. John's dad, uncles, and John run a wheat farm in Montana so every July/August they drive out to help with the harvest and do some of the business operations. This year John and I were able to go along after missing last year (and the year before too, for me). John's family used to go to Edmonton fairly regularly on this trip but hadn't been for years so we decided to go that way this year. It was an awesome trip!

Here's the synopsis:
Sunday, August 2, 2015: John and I took the Greyhound bus to Oshkosh (with a layover in Milwaukee). We caught a lot of slack from John's family for taking Greyhound...but I didn't think anything of it! It was by far the cheapest one-way option...and a pleasant experience.

Monday, August 3, 2015: We spent the day in Oshkosh getting ready for the trip.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015: Picnic lunch in Hudson, Wisconsin. Dinner at McDonald's in Grand Forks, North Dakota. International Peace Garden on the border of North Dakota and Manitoba. Spent the night at a "luxury for less" motel in Brandon, Manitoba.

International Peace Garden

Wednesday, August 5, 2015: Breakfast at Tim Horton's, my mother-in-law's favorite. Picnic lunch in Saskatoon, Saskatchewon. Dinner at the Cactus Club, another of my mother-in-law's favorites, in Edmonton, Alberta. The Cactus Club is delicious! Stayed at the Matrix Hotel.

Saskatoon

Kathy with her lettuce wraps at the Cactus Club in Edmonton

 

Thursday, August 6, 2015: Day in Edmonton. John and I went for a run. The four of us walked around a lot. My father-in-law found a farmer's market-type event that turned out to be a bust...but we found a good pizza and beer restaurant on the way back to the hotel so it ended up OK. Plus, we got a good tour of the city!

Edmonton

Alberta Legislature

My favorite road sign of the whole trip!

Friday, August 7, 2015: Day at West Edmonton Mall. We shopped a little, rode an awesome roller coaster in the theme park area, and spent a few hours in the waterpark. They had waterslides where you started locked in a little chamber and the floor dropped out. We did not ride any of those...but rode almost all the rest of the waterslides! Early dinner at the Cactus Club before heading to the mountains. Spent the night in Hinton, Alberta.

The roller coaster we rode had 3 loops!

Saturday, August 8, 2015: Drove to Lake Louise through Jasper and the Columbia Ice Field. John, his dad, and I hiked in Jasper and went out on the Glacier Skywalk. We all hiked out to see the glacier. Stayed at the Lake Louise Inn.

On our hike in Jasper

Kathy and John

On the Glacier Skywalk

Sunday, August 9, 2015: Our 7th anniversary! We hiked to the Lake Agnes Tea House, had lunch at Chateau Lake Louise (a counter-service place not one of the super fancy restaurants), canoed around Lake Louise, and then had ice cream before heading back to get ready for dinner. Dinner at The Station Restaurant.

On the way up to the Lake Agnes Tea House

 

Monday, August 10, 2015: Drove through Banff with a stop at Tim Horton's for breakfast (our last chance...or so we thought). Stopped at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump on our way to Chester, Montana, the location of the wheat farm. Had lunch at Tim Horton's (ha!) in the next town after HSIBJ. Cookout at the farm for dinner then to the hotel in Fort Benton.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Tuesday, August 11, 2015: I spent the day in Fort Benton with John's mom, aunt, and cousin Journey while he went back to Chester with his dad and uncle. We had breakfast at the adorable Wake Cup Coffee House, perused the shops in town and spent the afternoon at the pool. 8-year-old Journey and I had a blast going off the diving boards! Late dinner at the Union Grill Restaurant.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015: A second breakfast at Wake Cup and then we were off to Jackson, Wyoming. We didn't have a plan until that morning but looked up available hotel rooms while at breakfast and decided on Jackson Hole. Picnic lunch somewhere in southwestern Montana. Ice cream break in West Yellowstone. The drive to Jackson was beautiful! Dinner at Merry Piglets then John and his dad had beer at Snake River Brewing...I was too full for beer! Stayed at the Lexington.

Earthquake Lake

Above Jackson Hole

Thursday, August 13, 2015: John and I took a quick run/hike about halfway up Snow King Mountain to get a view of the Grand Tetons. We slept in longer than we planned so didn't have enough time to go all the way to the top. Stayed in Kearney, Nebraska.

Snow King Mountain

Friday, August 14, 2015: Breakfast at our hotel in Kearney, lunch at Panera in Des Moines, Iowa, a stop at the World's Largest Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa, and then we were home in Chicago! John's parents stayed with us that night so they could rest up before getting back to Oshkosh on Saturday. We got caught in a pretty heavy rainstorm on our way back from dinner at the Berghoff, the first time that happened the whole trip!

Next year it sounds like one of John's cousin's will be getting married in Oregon around the time of the Montana trip so we'll have a new route to take. Then, maybe the next year, we'll head over to Sun Valley, Idaho to see it in the summertime. Fun stuff!

Distance: 3737 miles, according to travellerspoint.com
States/provinces: 12 - Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Manitoba, Saskatchewon, Alberta, Montana, Idaho (just a bit), Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa
Read: 10 Sports Illustrated magazines, The Alloy of Law, The Giver, and listened to Dave Isay's TED Talk about Story Corps

Book Report: The Giver

I had a hard time finding books for my Nook. I didn't want to take along too many heavy books so I loaded up my Nook with ebooks I had that I thought would be interesting. For some reason, The Giver caught my eye and I just had to read it again.

I remembered it being somewhat disturbing when I read it in elementary school or junior high and I was right. It's a good reminder that what seems perfect probably isn't and that in order to live life you have to experience the bad along with the good. The writing is so great though. I absolutely adore Jonas, his relationship with the Giver, and his relationship with Gabriel.

I just found out from Wikipedia that there are three more books making up The Giver Quartet. I'm especially excited to read that the unresolved ending of The Giver is resolved in Messenger. Now I know what's next on my reading list (after the 741 pages of Miles Errant).

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Genre: Young adult fiction
Pages: 105 pages (according to my Nook version)
Stars (Out of 5): *****

Book Report: The Alloy of Law

One of the best things about the annual Lenz Montana Trip is that there's a lot of time to read in the car...and the roads are generally flat enough that I don't get carsick and the scenery is boring enough that I'm not missing out on anything else. I finished Miles, Mystery & Mayhem just before our trip so I wanted to read something else before I started the next Omnibus in the Vorkosigan Saga. I decided I would finally read another Brandon Sanderson book as I hadn't read any of his books since finishing The Wheel of Time.

It has been quite a few years since I read the Mistborn trilogy but the world came back to me easily. I really, really enjoyed this book. It was shorter than the books I've been reading lately and seemed to go by so quickly. In fact, I read some magazines instead when I was getting towards the end because I didn't want it to end so soon!

The mystery of the story was great and Wax was an easy character to like. Brandon Sanderson doesn't disappoint!

Title: The Alloy of Law
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science fiction, fantasy
Pages: 325 pages
Stars (Out of 5): *****

Update: Unexplained infertility

We're onto our second round of fertility treatments...and it's going better than the first round so far so that's reassuring!

I wasn't really sure what to expect of the treatments. I didn't do any research about the medicines, I just listened to what the nurses told me and read the information from the pharmacy. I was super emotional during the first round of Clomid. Every little thing made me cry. I questioned every little thing John did. It was pretty terrible, especially since I'm not usually like that! Luckily it only lasted a few days...but still!

I made John go along to the second ultrasound appointment at 7am on a Friday morning. He wasn't super impressed but came (probably so I wouldn't cry...ha). The follicles were not as big as they needed to be for the Ovidrel injection that day so the nurse asked if I would be able to give myself the injection the next day. Of course I could give it to myself...but I was really nervous about it! I'm really awesome at giving shots though (it hurt way less than when the nurse gave it to me today)!

We had the BTN Big10K and 5K the next day and I really wanted to run it so I was so glad the timing worked out the way it did. Though that meant we were up early three days in a row...Friday for the ultrasound, Saturday for the race, and Sunday for the IUI. I wasn't sure what to expect of the IUI either. It hurt more than I thought it would but only for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, the first round did not do the trick. Again, the nurse reminded me that it usually takes 3 to 4 rounds so this was not unusual. We were out of town when I was supposed to start the next round of treatment but luckily there's a little leeway in the schedule. This time around I started my Clomid on Day 5 and had my first ultrasound on Day 6. I'm not sure if it was the change in timing or because I knew what to expect, but the Clomid was not nearly as unpleasant this time around. I didn't cry once! Today I went back for the second ultrasound and I have three mature follicles so the nurse gave me the Ovidrel in the office. We go back tomorrow for the IUI and then we wait. Keep your fingers and toes crossed and send lots of good thoughts, vibes, and prayers!

 * * *

Speaking of prayers, Laura sent me the Novena of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to pray for nine days in a row. I had never even heard of that type of prayer before. I pray before bed every night...Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and a request to bless my family, friends, and anyone I know who is having a hard time. I've done that for as long as I can remember. Even though I haven't gone to church regularly in years, it's my time to reconnect with something much bigger than myself.

I finished the novena a few days before we left for vacation. I found another one that I'm planning to start tomorrow. In the meantime, I found the following prayer and have been praying it every night. 

 

This prayer is so simple and so sweet...and so absolutely true. Here's to good news sometime very soon!

Book Report: Miles, Mystery & Mayhem

A couple nights ago I finished reading Miles, Mystery & Mayhem, the next omnibus in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. This was my favorite omnibus of the series so far!

Unlike the other two books, this one hooked me in right away. The three chronicles in this omnibus were Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, and the short story "Labyrinth." Also unlike the other two books, the different parts of this book were unrelated (at least so far). The second story in particular introduced completely new main characters. All three contained mysteries to be solved and kept my attention all the way through.

We're leaving for Montana via Canada with John's parents on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to lots of time to read on the drive. I have a bunch of e-books loaded on my Nook plus a couple of actual books...and lots and lots of magazines that I'm behind on.

Title: Miles, Mystery & Mayhem
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 556
Stars (Out of 5): ****

Race Report: BTN Big10K (and 5K)

Saturday John and I ran the BTN Big10K (and 5K), a race bringing fans of the Big Ten Conference together. I did the 10K and John did the 5K. I ran this race two years ago and really wanted to make it a yearly thing but we were on vacation in French Polynesia this weekend last year.

The race started and finished near Soldier Field which provided a great start, finish, and Fan Fest area. Plus, it was just a 25ish minute walk from home which is a nice way to warm up before a race.

The weather was predicted to be warm and humid so I tried to hydrate a little extra on Friday. I carried my little hand held water bottle with me during the race. I also decided not to run with my Garmin and run by feel instead. I was hot just walking to the start line so I knew it was going to be brutal.

We started out by going under McCormick Place, then continued south along Lake Shore Drive until about Mile 3 when we crossed over to the Lakefront Trail. Racing on the trail is always a little hazardous as the trail remains open for everyone to use. But, the crowd had thinned out enough by then that there weren't any major issues.

A unique part of this race is that they have a slip 'n' slide on the course. I thought it was at Mile 4 but it was much closer to Mile 5 so that was a little disappointing...I was waiting and waiting for it! Also, there wasn't enough water on it when I slid so I didn't go very far. Oh well. It was still fun!

I didn't mind running without my Garmin. I felt like I started out a little too fast but now that I'm reviewing my data from Strava, it doesn't look like that's actually the case. My mile splits were 9:23, 9:20, 9:22, 9:25, 9:50 (slip 'n' slide), and 8:50. (These could be a little off due to losing GPS signal while under McCormick Place at both the beginning and end of the race.)

However, not having my Garmin meant that I only had the mile markers to tell me how much progress I had made. Mile 4 especially felt really long! Also, it felt like there was too much space between the first and second aid stations. I didn't refill my water bottle at the first one but was empty for awhile before the second one. Then, I filled up again at the third one!

I don't think I've ever been so hot after a race! The cold towels at the finish line felt great...as did the ice cold Gatorade. I drank one bottle of Gatorade while waiting for John to finish (I missed him actually finishing even though I was watching the finish line...fail!) and another one while we wandered around the post-race party.

It was fun to see the NCAA West Regional Champions basketball trophy as well as hold Paul Bunyan's ax again. But, the lines for the beer and sausages were too long so we didn't wait. It was just too hot and we were ready to go home.

 

Overall it was a very fun race. However, I think they have some work to do to make sure everyone gets the post-race goodies!

Distance: 10K
Time: 59:27
Cost: $51.99 for the 10K, $41.99 for the 5K
Pros: Close to home, great team-specific tech shirts, nice medals
Cons: Weather, lines too long for post-race food/beer
Would I run it again?: Definitely!

Unexplained infertility

John and I have been trying to conceive since January 2013. Infertility is the inability to conceive after trying for at least a year. In February 2014, I had lab tests done and everything came back normal. In May 2014, John had his checkup and things were fine. Our doctors assured us that we should be able to conceive. We decided to keep trying.

In December 2014, we decided we had had enough with just trying and began to pursue the more invasive tests and procedures. In January, I had an HSG which was completely normal. After trying for a few more months without success, we decided to see a Fertility and Reproductive Medicine specialist.

Dr. Robins reassured us that both of our workups looked perfectly fine. We have what is called unexplained infertility. (Reassuring but also frustrating.) The first approach, one he described as at a third-grade level, is to increase the number of available eggs and sperm. To do this, I'll take Clomid, an oral medicine, for 5 days each cycle to increase the number of eggs produced, and then get another medicine as an injection to induce ovulation at the right time. Then, we'll do what's called intrauterine insemination (along with traditional methods) to increase the likelihood of fertilization.

But, before we could start, our insurance needed to approve it. So, while I was really hoping to start this process in June, we had to wait until early July to get the go-ahead from the insurance company.

In any case, it was good timing. My first visit was Monday morning. Since these things can happen any day of the week, the clinic is open for "monitoring" from 7-8 AM on Monday through Friday and 8-9 AM on Saturdays and Sundays. So, I got up at 5:30 AM to make it there by 7 AM. I was greeted by a line of at least a dozen women when I got off the elevator on the 24th floor. I was so surprised by this! Even though I have some friends who also had difficulty conceiving, I've felt so alone through this process. At times it feels like everyone is getting pregnant but me. (I'm so happy for those who are pregnant...but a little jealous too.) Just being in that line and in the waiting room with so many other women that morning made me feel so much better.

The nurse told me twice that it usually takes 3 or 4 cycles of this regimen so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet...but the process has begun!

Family reunion

The last two weeks or so were absolutely wonderful...busy and a little crazy but absolutely wonderful! My dad turned 65 on July 5th. My mom and I wanted to make it special for him. In addition, Laura, our former exchange student from Costa Rica, wanted to visit in early July. So, we decided to invite all our former exchange students home for a reunion. Ale and her family and Laura and her husband were able to come but Maria was not. The five of us (Mom, Dad, Ale, Laura and I) had not been together since Laura's and my high school graduation in May 2002.

The last time we were all together, May 2002

Ale, Carlos, and their three kids, Carlos Alberto (3), Santiago (2), and Camila (9 months) arrived in Chicago late on Saturday, June 27th. John and I spent Sunday and Monday showing them around Chicago. We went to the Chicago Children's Museum and explored the rest of Navy Pier, saw the bean and the rest of Millennium, Maggie Daley, and Grant Parks including the Buckingham Fountain, went to the Shedd Aquarium, showed them our apartment, and had Lou Malnati's pizza and Goose Island 312 beer. We did a lot considering it takes a bit longer to get out the door and on your way with three little ones!

 

 

 

I had never met Carlos or the kids before. I wasn't able to attend Ale and Carlos's wedding with my parents. The last time I saw Ale was in February 2011 when she was a newlywed and just barely pregnant with Carlos Alberto. It was amazing how easily we picked up right where we had left off though. Meeting the kids was so special to me. The first time Carlos Alberto called me "Tia" I about melted. I had no idea the impact it would have on me. From that moment on, I was dreading saying good-bye to them!

After our adventures in Chicago, we made the 6 hour drive up to Cochrane for the remainder of their vacation. It was a bit more relaxing at home but we still did a lot! We visited Buena Vista Park and Grandma Rohrer in Alma, had pizza at Suncrest Gardens Farm, and celebrated the Fourth of July in Buffalo City. Dad also took Ale, Carlos, and the boys out on the river. We spent quite a few hours playing baseball, soccer, tennis, etc. outside in the backyard too. There's nothing quite like playing barefoot out in the yard!

 

 

Laura and her husband Paolo arrived on Friday with Laura's brother Geiner and his wife Marcela. Geiner and Marcela live near Chicago now so Laura and Paolo got to make a double visit out of this one trip. After the Fourth of July festivities in Buffalo City on Saturday, we explored the Alma and Nelson area on Sunday by going to Buena Vista Park (again for Mom, John, and me), Danzinger Vineyards, Nelson Cheese Factory, and Fire & Ice. We finished off their visit with breakfast with Grandma on Monday morning.

 

 

Monday afternoon we drove back to Chicago with a supper break in Madison with Jamine, Brandon, and the boys. Laura and Paolo spent Tuesday and Wednesday with us in Chicago before heading back to Geiner and Marcela's for the rest of the week. On Tuesday, we visited the bean, took the bus over to the United Center to visit the Michael Jordan statue, walked around the loop, walked south to Soldier Field through Millennium and Grant Parks, saw the Open Air exhibit outside the Field Museum, walked back to our apartment via Maggie Daley Park, and then headed up to the Cubs vs Cardinals game. It was a busy day!

 

On Wednesday, we had brunch at Wildberry, took the Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise, explored Navy Pier, walked up the Lakefront Path to the John Hancock Center to have drinks at the Signature Lounge, then walked back home to enjoy Lou Malnati's pizza while watching the Costa Rica vs Jamaica Gold Cup soccer match.

 

Laura and I in the bathroom at the Signature Lounge...the best view!

Our time together went by so fast! It was so great to be back together. I always hoped we'd keep in touch but couldn't have dreamed that the connection we'd have would be so strong, even after years of not seeing each other. Ale and Laura, I love you both so much. Thank you for coming home again. Until next time...

The selfie stick version of our new family photo. We also have one from a fancy camera on a tripod...coming soon!

Goals for 2015: 2nd quarter update

Work

• Work less. I've been working 3 days a week since April 13th. It's been amazing! I enjoy work so much more now and I actually have time to get most things done that I want to do at home. Plus, I've had a bunch of appointments that I just hadn't gotten around to while I was working...haircut, doctors, dentist, etc.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. I'm trying...though things have been going pretty well lately!

Exercise

• Run three times a week. I have not been doing a great job of running three times a week even though the weather has been pretty decent. We've been out of town a lot of weekends lately and I just haven't made running a priority since I'm not running a marathon this fall. I ran 43.51 miles in April, 24.35 miles in May, and 31.03 miles in June (those last two are even less than I ran in the freezing cold of February...yikes!). I only met my goal of running three times a week in 5 of the 13 weeks. I ran three races, the Crazylegs Classic 8K, Cinco de Miler, and CARA Run the Ribbon Mile Race. I really need to get back into running regularly!
• Do a pull up! I still have not succeeded in this yet but I'm getting really close! I've worked out 15 times and done yoga 9 times this quarter. Working out when I'm off on Tuesdays is a huge bonus of working part time!

Personal

• Read books. I read two more books this quarter, Young Miles and Bring the Rain. I'm currently reading Miles, Mystery & Mayhem, the next book in the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. I'm anxiously awaiting our road trip to Montana via Canada so I can read even more!
• Stay involved with Chicago Scholars. My new cohort of scholars are awesome, as usual. We have our second workshop this week. I had breakfast with my last cohort as a farewell before they head off to college at the end of the summer. I volunteered at the College Transition Day as well. It was a great event! The 2015-2016 Associate Board kicked off last month. We have lots of new members bringing great energy to the board. It's going to be a fun year!

Book Reports: Young Miles and Bring the Rain

I finished two books while we were on vacation in Florida in May, Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold and Bring the Rain by Lizzy Charles.

***

Young Miles is the next Omnibus Edition in The Vorkosigan Saga. It contains The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning, and The Vor Game. Again, it took me awhile to get in to the book. I had to deal with the main character shifting from my beloved Cordelia to Miles. It took 100 pages or so for me to really get into it but, once I was in, I was in!

The writing is terrific and Miles' adventures are great. I really like this series! (I'm about halfway through the next Omnibus Edition, Miles, Mystery & Mayhem, and it has been exciting since the beginning!)

Title: Young Miles
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 838
Stars (Out of 5): ****

***

I bought Bring the Rain because the author was donating profits to a high school friend's adoption fundraiser. Since I like to read, I thought it was a good way to support Sarah and David's growing family. Bring the Rain is a young adult novel and I didn't have very high expectations for it. But, it was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. It was a very quick and easy read but I was totally engaged.

I noticed a few spelling/grammar errors such as "pail" instead of "pale" and "then" instead of "than" but otherwise it was really well-written. I hope there will be a sequel to Bring the Rain because I really want to know what happens next with Autumn and Colt!

Title: Bring the Rain
Author: Lizzy Charles
Genre: YA romance
Pages: 266
Stars (Out of 5): ***

Another job update

I guess I never officially "announced" that John decided to stay in his current position at UIC for one more year. We believe this will actually be his last year there. We signed a new 18 month lease for our apartment (but we can get out of it at any time by paying 2 months' rent).

I'm starting to really want to live in a smaller city. We were in Madison the other weekend and I felt really strongly that I wanted to live there. So, we shall see. More on this as things develop...

Race Report: CARA Run the Ribbon Mile Race

Saturday I ran the inaugural CARA Run the Ribbon Mile Race in Maggie Daley Park. When I first heard about it, I thought running the new skating ribbon sounded like a pretty cool idea so I went ahead and signed up. I didn't know anyone else who was doing it (or so I thought).

The course was open from 6:45 to 7:10am for runners to take a lap or two and warm up. I arrived just before 7, found the check in area, grabbed my t-shirt, and took a lap all before 7:10 when the first wave started. As those runners were starting, I saw a woman I know from Chicago Scholars. She was there to cheer on her friend and co-mentor who I also know. So, I did know others there! I hung out with them until it was time to get to the start area for my wave, the 7:30-8:00 group.

Wave 6 lining up

As I was lining up with the others in my wave, I noticed another woman wearing Oiselle. She recognized me from the Oiselle Flock Strava site. We ran our race (she finished a bit ahead of me) and then chatted while we watched the other waves.

Photos of my race courtesy of Martrice!

The mile race was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be! I didn't really train for it because I wasn't sure what to do. I just tried to start at a comfortable pace and then push it a little bit each lap (we ran just over 5 laps). I felt good during the race...but as soon as I finished I knew I had given it pretty close to all I had. I had a bit of a cough the remainder of the day...and even some wheezes. That hadn't ever happened to me before.

Overall, I really enjoyed the small-time atmosphere...and the Chicago area elite women were really fun to watch!

Distance: 1 mile
Time: 7:28.93
Cost: $30 + $3.15 service fee for non-CARA member
Pros: Super close to home, nice cotton t-shirt, small waves, opportunity to watch elites run, good post-race drinks and snacks
Cons: Expensive for a 1 mile race
Would I run it again?: Yes! 

(Non) Race Report: Universal Sole Four Mile Classic

John and I signed up for the Universal Sole Four Mile Classic on Thursday, May 14th. For the first time ever, I did not go to a race I signed up for. I felt so guilty...but we were so busy that week that I just didn't feel like it. Plus, the weather wasn't great that night. Last year, the same race took place in our neighborhood. But this year it was up at Montrose Harbor, 7 miles north of us which takes about an hour via public transportation. John decided he didn't want to travel the hour each way to run 4 miles which he could do right outside our door...and that night I agreed.

Distance: 4 miles
Time: DNS
Cost: $20 + service fee 
Pros: NA
Cons: NA
Would I run it again?: Not at Montrose Harbor on a weekday.