One last post before Florida...RECENTLY OVERHEARD

So I have to admit that I took this idea from my friend Pete's Website. He has a section called Recently Overheard or at least a few posts every now and again of funny or strange things that he has overheard people saying. I'm not usually one to use an idea that has already been around but what I heard just has to be shared with the Chandi Consumer.

I was in my hometown of West Lafayette, IN and the scene was at bW-3's on the Levee. I was there with a good friend of mine from school, Toby, and a few of his friends watching the football games. As the waitress came around to take orders someone at the table, and the person will remain nameless said..."what kind of sauce would you reccomend that won't make my hemroids flare?"

I have to admit that it took everything in me not to laugh out lound, but since I had just met this person I restrained. Thankfully I have this site to share the story; I hope you all have a good laugh too! A word to the wise when talking about something that you don't want published on the internet...wisper!

A few links to tide you over until the next blog...

These are just a few links that I have saved over the last few months with every intention of getting them up here at some point...and now that I have a few extra minutes before shuving off to Florida with a few of the peeps for a little R&R I'm going to share them with you, the Chandi consumer. (You are so lucky!)

Take them at face value...it's all in fun...

Feel free to share with us your results...

http://library.thinkquest.org/2886/INDEX.HTM

http://www.cincinnati.com/golf/golfquiz/html/brand.htm

http://www.mikescomputerinfo.com/inteltest.htm

http://www.flashbynight.com/test/

Enjoy!!! :)

A few future superstars....

Just a little prediction...we have a few future superstars in our midst. So, you may want to keep your eye out for this dynamic duo of chefs and a basketball pro! So many hidden talents in our family. If you know of any others who have talents that we should know about, please leave a comment.....

stars

Cookies, babies, and basketball....oh my!

1. The babies are adorable! How much do we love them? (Darla, we know your answer to this!)

2. Cookie bake weekend is some serious business. While there may not be punchcards and quotas, productivity is important. That's why we all had important jobs:

Sue = recipe reader and mathematician

Andi = master mixer

Chels = sugar lady

E = fudge expert

Tammy = "awesome" peppermint bark maker

Darla = chex mix queen

Bryce and Dustin = breakfast kings

Cass and Tiff = massage therapists

Nathan and Tyler = quality control, taste testers

3. West Central basketball is all about Mr. Taylor Fairchild....SUPERSTAR!

4. West Central fans are hilarious!

Halloween 2006

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Who can guess what we are? The winner will get a special, limited edition "theadventuresofchandi" Halloween t-shirt. So, let's start the guessing.......

This year's Halloween celebration was a success in many, many ways. First, we all made our own costumes, no pre-made Halloween superstore costumes for us...no sir'ee Bob! We took our imaginations to the fabric store and let our creative juices flow. Andi even busted out the old sewing machine and taught us how to sew. (She's a genius...so many hidden talents!) Our moms should be proud! After many hours of sewing, pinning, re-sewing, cutting, etc. our costumes came together, and best of all, we were one-of-a-kinds!

What next? Well, we headed out to Joe's Bar on Weed Street to a Halloween Party with live music from Then Again. After waiting in line for an hour in the chilly, fall Chicago weather we made it inside. The wait was well worth it! The band was fantabulous and will be remembered for the best enterance...let's just say that Ninjas took over the stage!

The three of us rocked out to old 80's jams and enjoyed a full night of dancing with over 500 of our closest friends. Best costume went to a fury Chewbauka...(I hear they are biased towards Star Wars characters!) We finally made it home at about 4:30 a.m. in tact and ready for bed!

Chandi Mid-Term Election Guide. PLEASE VOTE!

As many of you know, we strongly believe in the right and obligation to vote! It is the only real civic responsibility we have, and unfortunately too many people neglect this responsibility and fail to see the value and importance of their vote.

"The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men." Lyndon B. Johnson

So, in the up-coming mid-term election, we encourage all of you to vote! There are several pivotal races coming up. We, at the adventuresofchandi, will provide a basic overview of key races in states where are peeps are eligible to vote.

Key Governor Races

Michigan Incumbent Jennifer Granholm (D) vs. Dick DeVos (R)

Illinois Incumbent Rod Blagojevich (D) vs. Judy Baar Topinka (R)

Indiana No Governor's race.

Key Senate Races

Michigan Incumbent Debbie Stabenow (D) vs. Mike Bouchard (R)

Indiana No Senate race

Illinois No Senate race

Key House Races

Illinois District 6 Tammy Duckworth (D) vs. Peter Roskam (R)

Indiana District 2 Incumbent Chris Chocola (R) vs. Joe Donnelley (D)

Indiana District 7 Incumbent Julia Carson (D) vs. Eric Dickerson (R)

Indiana District 8 Incumbent John Hostettler (R) vs. Brad Ellsworth (D)

Links for Additional Information

New York Times Election Guide http://www.nytimes.com/ref/washington/2006ELECTIONGUIDE.html?currentDataSet=senANALYSIS

Washington Post Election Guide http://projects.washingtonpost.com/elections/keyraces/map/

Rolling Stone Magazine "The Worst Congress Ever" http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12054520/the_10_worst_congressmen

Something to ponder as you go to the polls: It was not that long ago (1920) that women were granted the legal right to vote. Women fought to be given this right, so please do not take it lightly.

Question: Do you vote? Why do you think it is important?

Getting to Know our Peeps.....

So enough about us...we want to know about you! Please respond by posting your answers to the following questions:

1. Who are you to us?
2. What decade were you born?
3. What was the first fashion trend you remember participating in?
4. What is the first concert you went to? With who?
5. How old were you when you had your first boyfriend / girlfriend?
6. Have you ever been in love?
7. What is your favorite movie? T.V. show?
8. What is your favorite band? Album?
9. If you could be any profession in the world, what would you be?
10. If you had three wishes, what would they be?
11. Do you have any regrets in life? (You don't have to say what they are!)
12. Do you have a personal motto? If so, what is it?
13. What is your favorite holiday?
14. What is something you like about yourself?
15. If you could meet one person (alive or dead), who would it be?
16. What is your favorite meal? Drink?
17. What is one thing you want to do before you die?
18. What is one thing you're so glad you've done?
19. Do you have a best bud...someone you can talk to about anything?
20. What piece of advice would you pass on to someone else?

Thanks for participating. I hope this helps us all get to know one another even better....

Halloween Help

We are in need of suggestions, and we hope you, the Chandi consumer, will get your creative juices flowing and give us some input! Halloween is just around the corner and we don't have costumes....we don't even have ideas about what we should be. There will be three of us celebrating the day of ghosts and goblins, so anything that involves a trio would be cool. However, we are open.....so please share your thoughts with us and we promise we will, in turn, share stories and pictures with you!

Bring it on......

Chicago v. NYC

This is just one of the many reasons Chicago is so much better than New York City or any other city for that matter! As I travel to other cities, I realize more and more just how much I Heart Chicago! It is a fantabulous city. Here are just some of the reasons why:

• No garbage piles on the street!
• No stench of rotting garbage on hot summer days / nights!
• No rats competing with you for sidewalk space as you stroll down the street, as they try to get to the mounds of garbage!

Again, the garbage factor is just one reason, but in the heat of the summer is a major issue. Feel free to add why you think Chicago IS the best city, beside us living here, of course!

.....This Just In......

Thank everyone who made Erin's visit so wonderful. Between hanging in Chicago w/ the aunts, chillaxing in Marshall, and celebrating the marriage of Nicany, Erin had a grand 'ole time! So much fun, that she is coming home for good! That's right.......

UPDATE: After a year and a half in Romania and a ton of amazing experiences and friendships, Erin is returning to Chicago to begin the next chapter of her life. She will arrive in Michigan on October 17th to spend some time visiting with the family and then head on over to Chicago to join Chandi. We will introduce the new trio at a later time, but for now let's all join in to welcome Erin home :)

Erin's Home, Erin's home.....Yipeee!

My sas is home, my sas is home.....yipeee! I am so excited, our little Romanian Peace Corps girl is home for a visit!

So, Erin is home for a 10 day visit from 9/8 - 9/19. She will spend her time between Chicago and Michigan. Below is her itinerary:

9/8 Erin arrives at O'hare at 1:40 and will enjoy a night of Uno's pizza and Oberon in Chicago

9/9 Sue and Peg visit Chicago for a day of eating at Lula's and El Cid....maybe a movie?

9/10 Mom arrives in Chicago w/ Aunt Cathy for lunch with Erin and a day of chillaxing

9/11 Erin, Chels, Mom, and Cleo head to Michigan for a BBQ at mom/Tom's with the family

9/12 A day of beauty in Marshall w/ mani's/pedi's, haircut, lunch, drinks at Griffins, and dinner at Schulers....slumber party w/ Suzanne

9/13 Erin and Chels babysit Brodi, meet w/ middle school pen pals, and celebrate Drew and Dad's birthdays on the lake

9/14 Chillaxing day on the lake w/ dad

9/15 Andi arrives, Rehearsal dinner at Bravos

9/16 Nic & Tiff's wedding PARTY!

9/17 A day in East Lansing, PF Changs, Cosi, hang w/ Suzanne

9/18 Return to Chicago, dinner w/ John and Susan

9/19 Erin departs from O'hare at 3:20 (so sad!)

* Some funny things Erin has requested during her visit: Uno's, Oberon, Chedder/ Herb bagel w/ chive cream cheese, mexican food, a latte, a pair of jeans w/o a hole in the crotch, a pair of tennis shoes that fit her growing feet, a haircut, and help making decisions (since we have so many choices here).

Clap, clap, clap, clap...deep in the heart of Texas! (this needs to be sung)

This my dear friends and family are two of the most recent pictures from my annual Texas trip for my one and only nephew's birthday! Marcos Adam Guerrero was born to the proud parents of Nick (my brother) and Michelle on August 5th three years ago! His birthday party this year was at a skating rink/arcade; and while we had a lot of fun, he ended up spending more time on the ground or on my toes than actually skating. We all had a great time and Marcos successfully rang in his third birthday!

This is a big year for Marcos. He started school last Monday. From what I hear he is doing really well. He is getting along with his new classmates and listening to his teachers. While I think his parents are sad that he wasn't a little more broken up about leaving their sides they know he is doing really well and that this is the foundation of a bright future full of fun and exciting adventures!

The Proud Papa and Mr. Man

I just can't get enough of this little fella......and look at how proud daddy Drew is? Enough said!

Erin says "Snootchie Boochies Brodi Noochies"

I Can't Wait Anymore....Introducing Mr. Brodi Robert Haring

So, this is him...this is my new nephew, Brodi Robert Haring! I can't wait any longer to introduce him to the world. For some reason people these days do not believe in taking pictures with actual cameras now that cellphones are capable of doing it. As a result, I have a very select few pictures I can actually post. It really is unacceptable (hmm, Drew!) Whatever happened to actual photos that can be put in frames and enjoyed without turning on some piece of technology?

Ok I digress....Brodi is absolutely gorgeous. He was born on my birthday, June 1st. He is quite the little man already...and he is sooo good! I just love this little guy! So, thanks Drew and Meg for such a wonderful addition!!!! You guys are going to be great parents, and I look forward to being the crazy aunt who spoils the crap out of him :)

Brodi

Interactive Weekly Specials III

Week six ....(keep up the good participation peeps!)

Question #6
If you could be anything in the world (professionally) what would you be?

"Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy
It's funny that pirates were always going around searching for treasure, and they never realized that the real treasure was the fond memories they were creating.

Joke of the Week
What did the dude say when a bunch of houses fell on him?
"Get off me homes"

(People, seriously, this is what we've come to in the joke department. While we are naturally hilarious girls, we just don't know scripted jokes! Don't make us beg.....)

Week five and counting...(Putting this at the top to hopefully inspire some interaction)

Question # 5

If you could be any superhero 'real' or imaginary who would it be? And why?

"Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy

Basically, this is the way the economy works: I do a service for you, and you pay me, even if you claim you didn't want the service and that I "ruined" something of yours.

On a side note I feel like this is the customer service moto of most major corporations these days! Agree or disagree?

Joke of the Week

What did the ranch say to the refridgerator?
Shut the door I'm dressing!

Thanks for the joke Cali! Since we used it you'll receive your free The Adventures of Chandi t-shirt! Watch for it in the mail.

This Week in Pictures III......

For any of you who have ever seen the Never Ending Story you should know what I'm talking about when I refer to The Nothing! A storm rolled through our hood on Thursday and that is exactly what it looked like. It was undescribable and amazing to watch!

Interactive Weekly Specials II...Key Word: Interactive

Week Four....(again, a few weeks late!)

Question #4
What is your favorite movie or t.v. line that you quote regularly?

Andi's: Nice outfit, where did you park your DeLorean?

What?

What?

Chelsea's: You shut your mouth when you're talking to me!

"Deep Thought" by Jack Handy
If you think that a weakness can be turned into a strength, I hate to tell you this but that is another weakness.

Joke of the Week (we need jokes people...help us out!)

We heart the Zoo!

It's true.....we heart the Lincoln Park Zoo! How can you not...it's free, it's in the middle of a beautiful city park surrounded by picnicking families, paddle boaters, frolicking dogs, sandy beaches along Lake Michigan, and much more! I mean seriously, where else can you relax with your favorite playful gorilla buddies, roaming giraffes, posing seals, wandering grizzly bears, smelly yet adorable penguins, and lazy lions and lionesses? You can visit all of these friends while at the same time eating a delicious popsicle (or popcorn, cotton candy, peanuts, whatever) and working on your summer tan (or burn, in my case).

As the pictures above show, the gift shop can prove to be as much fun as the zoo itself. Who would have known that one would have the opportunity to kiss a penguin, get licked by a lizard and a seal, play "hear no, see no, speak no evil" with monkeys, or be transformed into an elephant and a tucan? Anything can happen at the zoo.....it's true!

So, if you ever find yourself bored on a regular old Sunday afternoon get out of your pj's and take a trip to the zoo. That's what we do!

Adventure on the high sea...or was that the river?

As many of you know this site is/was dedicated to our Adventures, but many of you may not realize that they were intended to be our CHICAGO adventures. To our suprise and delight we have ended up having many more adventures outside the city limints than in...so with that in mind this past weekend was an AWESOME Chicago weekend and we enjoyed ourselves immensley!

The weekend began early for one Chandi member with a much needed mental health day...so the two day weekend was extended to include Friday. Since we were trying to remain faithful to our "Operation Free Mind II" (more on that in a later blog) we needed to be more creative with our time. Thanks to some good friends who unfortunately were on their 'Farewell to Chicago' tour we went on an exciting and new adventure on Saturday.

Follow this link to the first stop on our weekend adventure. Thanks in part to the awesome weather and dramamine we had a fantastic time! We ended up getting somewhat of a history lesson on our great city. The picutre above is a combination of a few of the better pictures from the trip. If you look closely you will see the base of the new Trump Headquarters located on the old Chicago Sun Times spot...and if you look even closer you can see Bill Rancic, the first Apprentice winner. (If you can find him you win a free, all expensed paid Adventures of Chandi t-shirt)

After the boat ride we walked down Michigan Avenue to a restaurant called Bandera. This was the first time that Chandi had ever been there and I think I can speak for both of us; it will not be our last. It is a chain restaurant but you wouldn't know it, not only was the service exceptional the food was out of this world. In this months Chicago Monthly Bandera was voted as having the city's best Veggie Burger! While we haven't caucussed on this I believe this to be the new restaurant to take out of town guests to. Yeah for you guests!

In conclusion, we would like to higly reccomend both the boat and the restarant as a nice and I must say somewhat grown up Chicago night out!

Operation Free Mind

We need your help! Chandi has set out on yet another adventure...but this time it is an adventure to free our minds. In order for us to stick to our contract we are yet again reaching out to you, the Chandi consumer, for help. Do you have any ideas on what we can do to pass the time? For more information on OFM please see the contract below that we both signed Sunday night.

The Adventures of Chandi challenges you to also free your mind and turn off the TV...after all for those of us that don't live with year round nice weather the days of enjoying the outdoors are numbered. Stay tuned on how our week turns out!

OPERATION FREE MIND II
7/17 - 7/23

OBJECTIVE

To cleanse ourselves of mindless television and overexposure to commercial advertisements for one week.

To encourage participation in alternative forms of entertainment and social engagement.

RULES

OFM II begins at midnight on 7/17/06 and ends at 9:00 p.m. on 7/23/06
OFM II states that we can not partake in any of the following activities during the above dates:
Television
DVDs or VHSs
Theater Movies
There is no negotiating under OFM II*.
Operatives agree to adhere to these rules at all times. The honor code is in place and shall be taken seriously!


By signing below, I agree to participate in Operation Free Mind II and to honor the conditions stated above:

Both Chelsea and Andrea signed the contract.

*The only exception is in the case of World War or catastrophic natural disasters. In these cases, the only exception is CNN, MSNBC, BBC or some form of legitimate news media.

A Happy 4th of July to All!

So, what would the perfect 4th of July weekend look like for you?

Not sure?

Well, let me tell you since we just had it! It begins with a road trip to the great village of Francesville for some fun with cousins. What kind of fun, you ask.....canoe fun! Yep, we spent a wonderful afternoon on the Tippecanoe River (no, we didn't tip a canoe). I would say we canoed, but I don't think 7 hours of floating three canoes tied together down a river really counts as actual canoeing. To us though, it was canoe-tastic! As always there were a few lessons learned:

• Make sure you put sunscreen everywhere, including your knees
• When squatting in the woods, check for swarms of mosquitoes and poison ivy plants
• Take twice a much food and drink as you think you'll need because a 3 hour trip can easily turn into 7 hours
• Local river dwellers are strange folk
• Never make plans to party hard after a canoe trip

After making it down the river, we headed back to Chicago to meet up with Tameric who were in town to enjoy the Cubs / White Sox showdown. While not a great series, the Cubs did end it with a win! GO CUBBIES! We enjoyed a chillaxing evening with our peeps and got some good rest to gear up for some Chicago-style 4th of July fun.

Following a fabulous breakfast at our favorite spot, Ann Sathers, we got ready for round two of visitors. Rejuvinated from the previous day's river adventure, Tammy, Jason, Travis, and Shauna came to Chi-town to partake in the annual Taste of Chicago and Grant Park fireworks on the 3rd. As always, the Taste proved to be HOT and JAM PACKED! For some who don't appreciate crowds, it was a bit overwhelming......and i quote, "I would rather eat the roots and bark of that tree than go back in there to try to get some food."

Watching the fireworks caused us to be 99% parched, so we headed to Rush and Division to enjoy a frosty beverage (or two). The frosty beverages hit the spot and inspired us to return to our pad to watch some Dark Crystal! Scary or not? You decide.

With yet another day upon us, we headed to yet another excellent breakfast spot, Wishbone, to enjoy breakfast during a power outage. Equipped with fully bellys we were off to Lincoln Park Zoo for a beautiful day outside. I HEART THE ZOO! Winding down after the departure of the cousins, Chandi regrouped and spent the rest of a wonderful 4th of July weekend on our roof watching the most spectacular 360 degree view of fireworks all over the city! AMAZING!

So, that is our story of the perfect 4th of July weekend. In the hopes of having yet another perfect 4th weekend next year, we invite you all to a fiesta on our rooftop!

canoeing cousins

This Week in Pictures II......

Welcome to our second installment of "This Week in Pictures", where we invite you to share your impressions and creative insight with us. This week's picture offers a collage of eyes, obviously! Each eye represents a different expression and activity. We challenge you, the Chandi consumer, to examine each eye and try to figure out what that person is feeling and / or doing based on the expression in their eye. Begining at the top from left to right please share your answers with us:

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

We will provide the answers before the next installment of "This Week in Pictures...".

Eyes

So without telling you what 'show' we went to this weekend we thought it best to take a picture and have you guess...the first right answer wins a t-shirt!!! On Saturday Aunts Sue and Peg make the hike to Chicago to join Chelsea and I on our weekend adventure. The show was a hoot! A very interactive experience for the entire crowd and I was pointed out and congradulated on winning the Pulitzer Prize and in the end we ended up being TP'ed! We here at Chandi Adventures give this show the highest marks possible. (Scale to be determined at a later date).

As some of you may know, Chandi, is very into eyes. One holiday we took pictures of everyones eyes, very, very close up much like the picture above. If you have a great eye picture please send it to us...we'll add it to our collection! We heart eyes!

This Week in Pictures.....

This is the first picture of our new weekly posting, "This Week in Pictures". In this section we will feature interesting visual images that we have encountered, created, or captured. You, the Chandi consumer, are encouraged to give your reaction to each image. When thinking about your impression consider the following:

• What does the picture look like?
• Does it remind you of anything?
• What feeling does it evoke?

Please let us know your artistic impressions of our weekly installments. We do appreciate the Chandi consumers participation and feedback. What you think and feel is very important to us!

Keeping in line with our other weekly interactive specials, we encourage you to send us any unique, thought provoking, or crazy pictures you have. Enjoy!

A weekend in Chicago without Mo!

Without Mo

Survival Kit: 1 can of black beans, 6 pack of Corona, 1 pound of Starbucks Fair Trade coffee beans, and a 6 pack of Skinny Cow mint ice cream bars.

These served as my pals during my long 3-day weekend alone in the apartment minus the "andi" to my "Ch". Not to sound completely co-dependent, incapable, or unimaginative, but it was quite a lonely weekend. I have lived alone at several points in my life and over the span of a number of years, so it's not being alone that was the issue. What was the issue was being without someone who is as lively and fun as Andi. There was a noticeable absence while she was gone. While my buddies above are alright, they do not hold a candle to Mo! So, Lafayette or Indy or Francesville you can't have her anymore!

Ok...just kidding....but I wanna come too! Ok...kidding again 'cause that's really pathetic! I guess I am just going to have to buck it up and become a better person!

FYI: I heart black beans!

A Few New 'Interactive' Weekly Specials...

Here at Chandi Adventures we have decided that we would like you, the Chandi consumer, to play a bigger part in this blog. We are going to post a question, a "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey, Joke of the Week, and a quote. Please feel free to post a comment, which can include a joke or quote of your own. If we use your comment we'll send you a free Adventures of Chandi t-shirt (one size fits all).

Week Three (a few weeks late...we're really sorry)

Question # 3

Would you rather live in a world where the hand shake was replaced by the act of grabbing another's genitalia, giggling, and bouncing up and down OR where all international disputes are settled by mean of breakdancing contests?

"Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey

With every new sunrise, there is a new chance. But with every sunset, you blew it.

Joke of the Week

Three strings walk into a bar. The first string goes up to the bartender and asks for three whiskeys. The bartender looks down at the string and says, "Sorry, buddy - we're not allowed to serve drinks to strings in here."
The second string steps up to see what's the matter. "We're paying customers, and we demand three whiskeys!" he grumbles.
The bartender says, "Listen, fella - I'm just following the rules. No strings allowed in here."
The two strings sulk back to the table and tell the third string, who really gets angry. "I know how to handle this!" he growls as he begins to double over and tie himself into a messy tangle. Swaggering up to the bar with strands flailing in every direction, he shouts, "Bartender! I want three whiskeys, and I want them NOW!"
The bartender casts a suspicious look and asks, "Hey... Aren't you one of those strings that came in here earlier?"
The tangled-up little guy shrugs and states confidently, "Nope, I'm a frayed knot!"



Week Two

Question # 2

Why do people point to their wrist when they need to know what time it is but they don't point to their crotch when they need to know where the restroom is?
*A big shout out to Pete for supplying this weeks question...your t-shirt is in the mail.

"Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey

If you see an animal and you can't tell if it's a skunk or a cat here's a good saying to help: "black and white stinks all right, tabby-colored likes a fella."

Joke of the Week

Saying that "America must take a preemptive approach to the War on Bird Flu," President Bush launched a nuclear attack on Turkey today. He said the Canary Islands are next...
* A great big thanks to Brad for a joke he submitted, while we liked it, one of us didn't get it at first so we can't use it...but not to worry your partying gift is on its way!!!

Week One

Question #1

If your wildest dreams came true would I/we be in them?

"Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey

The tiger can't change his spots. No, wait, he did! Good for him!

Joke of the Week

Did you hear that the Pope has the bird flu? No? He got it from his cardinals!

Saturday Night Live featuring......

Chels, Andi, Suz, Amy (all pictured above), Goro, Julie, Margaret
......including cameos by John and Suzanne

So, we finally ventured outside of our cozy little hood and over to Rush and Division for a night out. After some good eats at PJ Clarks we headed to The Lodge, known best for its jukebox and chilled atmosphere. The frosty beverages, peanuts and shells everywhere, and open air seating created the ideal atmosphere for a fantabulous Saturday night out!

It seems like we can't go wrong in Chicago. We have yet to be disappointed by any of our adventures. Everywhere we've been thus far has proved to deliver a good time......good company, good food, good drinks, and lots of laughs. We're not the only ones who feel this way either. It seems like everyone we meet and talk to feels the exact same way. There is much love for Chicago. It is one of the, if not the, greatest city!

While a fun filled night was had by all, there are always lessons learned. Here are a few from this weekend:

• things always take a little longer than expected, especially when traveling
• waitresses don't really enjoy splitting a bill seven ways on seven different credit cards
• it is never a smart idea to throw peanuts at police officers or to tell them you have seven unpaid parking tickets
• it isn't a good idea to take your shoes off in a dirty, dirty parking garage and walk around
• it is not very attractive to yell "goodbye" to a police officer as you fall over
• never end a night without water and a few aspirin

Those are a few things we learned this weekend. I am sure there will be more to come, but we can't learn everything in one weekend!

Girls' Night Out

I'm 30!!!!

I'm 30....can't you tell? It was quite the celebration....the plan was to have 30 days of festivities, but my tired, old, aching body couldn't handle it! We did, however, manage to have a few weekend adventures to slowly ease me into the next decade. The next few blog entries will chronicle the transition........enjoy!
I'm 30

It all began in Marshall......

So, the kick off celebration began in good old Marshall Michigan in mid-May where a margarita themed party in the pub brought together all of my favorite peeps. All four parts of my family united for the first time ever along with two generations of friends.....huh? Yeah, my friends have kids now so the next generation partied along with us! I think they actually put us to shame as they danced the night away....(which is sad considering they are 2 and 3 years old!)

Rock on Ally, Isabel, and Cayden!

In trying to keep this blog somewhat clean and family friendly I will only offer a few highlights of the evening. They include:

• Rockin out to "Living on a Prayer" in honor of Erin!
• Ally-roo telling her parents as she sleeps, "I wanna go back to the club!"
• Tami Jo performing a perfect nose dive onto the pub floor and yelling "I'm alright! I'm alright!"
• A nameless cousin trying, unsuccessfully, to kick a lantern on the ceiling and landing square on her as*........as none of us were surprised by this nobody moved to help her, except Aquaman (a.k.a. Cousin John!)
• Tami Jo serving John in what can only be described as a drunken dance off......John you got served man!
• Andrea doing her best impression of Axel Rose....a think a second career could be on the horizon Dre Dre!
• Ending the night without getting sick.....and holding hands with a favorite, again unnamed cousin...."I need to feel your fingers!" (Don't take it out of context.....it was totally pure!)

30th

......continuing on to Chicago and Indy!

After enjoying a wonderful weekend in Marshall, the celebration moved to Chicago and on to Indiana. My actual b-day was on Thursday, June 1st. I awoke to a phone call from Drew that my first and only nephew was born! What a wonderful present. Brodi Robert Haring joined the world around 10:30 a.m. on my birthday. (Pictures will be posted soon!) What a fantabulous way to wake up........

After a beautiful day of chillaxing with Andi, we got all fancied up and went downtown to see Spamalot. For those of you who don't know what it is, it is the broadway remake of Monty Python and the Holy Grail........hilarious! I highly recommend it.....and I challenge you to all find your grail! I am still on the quest to find mine. (I have a feeling it will be a long, yet interesting quest!) After some great downtown picture fun we ended up at Dunlay's pub downstairs where we proceeded to decorate our faces with various fruit garnishes from our martini's. (See above photos)

A rather tame night ended as we geared up for a weekend road trip.....off to Indy we went! Again, in trying to maintain a family friendly, PG blog all I can say is that Friday night made me realize that we can still party like rock stars in our 30's. Thanks to Andi, Marti, Jacquie, Josh, Katie, and Toby I got to see the sunrise.....haven't done that in a long, long time. Well done if I do say so myself......

Saturday the road trip continued as we went from Lafeyette to Indianapolis to kick off my 3o's with my Dave! A perfect night set the stage for an amazing show.....I recommend that everyone see at least one Dave Matthews Concert in their lifetime. It is well worth it....thanks Dave, thanks Andi for the perfect gift, and thanks Michelle for the great company. Saturday proved that you are never to old to rock out!

I couldn't have asked for a better way to enter my 30's....so thanks everyone! I am excited for this next decade and not at all worried about "growing up" or "adulthood"....it's all simply a state of mind and my state of mind hasn't changed! Like Peter Pan, I will never grow old. So bring on the 30's.....

Celebrate we will

'cause life is short but sweet for certain

3oth

A day in the garden...

The long holiday weekend served us well. A little rest and relaxation and a whole lotta fun! We went out to see a band, made it to another Cubs game and to the Chicago Botanical Gardens.

The Gardens were more than we could have hoped for. The pictures above do not do it justice. There are more pictures of the gardens as we ourselves didn't look quite like the rockstars we were from the nights before. Breathtaking flowers, wonderful water fountains, and of course fun sculptures for us to pose with. What fun would the day be without crazy picture fun?!?! For a brief while we thought, and hoped for it to thunderstorm so we had some relief from the summer heat, but the thunder and lightning only teased us. We walked the gardens for hours and at one point looked for a place to do "steamroller" into a pond. Thankfully we thought better of it as we figured we would get kicked out or worse yet not get kicked out and drown from craps due to laughter.

While on the walk we suffered from mild dehydration, which came on quickly due to the previous days activities. The dehydration combined with lack of sleep due to our stubbornness to turn on our air led to what I can only describe as deliriousness. At one point Chels told a flower that it was pretty. Which if any of you know me led me to keep talking to that flower...The conversation went somewhat as follows...

"oh flower you are soooo pretty, you are a pretty flower, you are...you know you are a pretty flower, flower...just sit there and be pretty flower...oh you already are." (this needs to be read like the little boy in Dumb & Dumber playing with his dead bird)

Our only suggestions for visiting the gardens on your own would be to make sure you take cash. While the admission is free you do have to pay to park. They do accept pretty much any form of payment except credit/debit cards. We would also suggest not going when it is 99 degrees out with 99% humidity, as you won't look good in photos, no matter what you are wearing! Give serenity a break it can only do so much!!!

Vocabulary Chandi Style

Ok, so we all misspeak. However, we at Chandi's adventures like to turn our vocabulary mistakes into reusable new words. We then take those words and add them into our daily rotation. We would like to share some of these new creations with you all and will continue to do so as they arise. We also encourage you to share your own personal vocab innovations with us.

Here are a few to start with:

Epecially......a version of especially. Example: Do you ever feel like you have cat hair everywhere? Yes, epecially on my face!

(Said by Chelsea before morning coffee)

Pluking......a spin off of puking. Example: I am not pluking unless I pluke in the toilet.

(Said by guest after my 30th b-day bash and some friendly conversation with Jose.)

Uber douch......a very, very dorky person who thinks they are cool. Example: Wow, that dork with the leather bomber jacket and pegged acid washed jeans is an uber douch!

(Coined at the bar on St. Patty's Day)

Senale and Sernale.....combination of season and series finale. Example: That was a great senale of ER. Will & Grace's sernale kinda sucked.

(Originated on Must see TV Thursday)

Strampedeled........a joining of stampede and trampled. Example: Watch out now...these crazy animals are going to strampedele us!

(Created by Andi)

Dramastic........a coming together of dramatic and drastic.
(Created by Curtis via Erin)

Insinuendo......a uniting of insinuate and innuendo.

(Created by Curtis via Erin)

Ignorenous......take ignorant and pair it with heneous. Example: That freaking country song about the Taliban is ignorenous!

(Created by Erin)

*Curtis...we need some examples for your wonderful word creations!

More to come......feel free to contribute!

Oh the cousins......

What can I say about "the cousins".......we are a wild and crazy bunch who have grown up together and are now in the process of passing the torch to the next generation!

Who are we? Well, there are a ton of us. These pictures only capture a small group of us, but what's amazing is that these photos include representatives of both sides of my cousins! They have united once again, for the first time in twenty years! We've gone from superhero under-roos to ........hmm, actually if we could find some adult size ones we would probably still be in our under roos. So, in that aspect not much has changed. We've all grown up in size, but that's about it! When we are together we revert back to the days of old when we didn't have a care in the world and silliness defined us! I love us and I only hope that the next generation can live up to our greatness :) With that said, let's introduce the next generation of little peeps (and not so little peeps).........let the insanity guide you and never, ever be afraid to unleash the laughter......laugh loud and proud.......and don't be afraid to take it to the next level! We have paved the road.....now you must accept the journey!

"Chelsea" + "Andi" = Chandi...Now you try it!

So, everyone can have a "ch" and "andi" to their "chandi". It's easy, fun, and efficient, especially for those pairs of people who are always together! See, instead of saying two names you can save precious time and energy by using one simple and catchy name. Here's how it works....

Chelsea + Andrea= Chandi or Chandrea
Tammy + Jason= Jammy
Travis + Shauna= Travauna
Ed + Terry= Ted or Teddy

Now you do it......
Nicki + Scott= ?

Beth + Scott=?
Kristen + Mark= ?

Suzanne + Mark=?

Marsha + Tom= ?

Drew + Meagan= ?

Sue + Peg= ?

Leave us a comment with your answers and feel free to offer up your own creation!

Andi's Terrible, Horrible, No good, Very bad Day!

So, not all things about city living are fantabulous. A car...having a car, parking, driving, traffic, etc. is definitely one of the hardships. Andi and I began learning this lesson day one and continue to learn as we go.

Let me start from the beginning and bring you to the final straw....Andi's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

The day we moved here as we were packing up Andi's first place she got her car towed....OUT OF HER OWN PARKING LOT! Ridiculous....we know!

(Reenactment: "Yeah, did you tow a honda with indiana plates. Ok, well I'm going to need you to bring it back!)

Yeah, they don't do that, so we had to ride in the moving truck with some less than "gentlemen" movers. Long story short...we got the car back.

Next experience......another towing, but his time by the lovely city of Chicago. This time it happened right on our street. Apparently it is important to read the fine print on street signs...just because it says in big letters "Snow Advisory: No parking when there is two or more inches of snow" and it is a nice sunny day that doesn't mean your car won't be towed because somewhere on the sign it also says "or on Thursdays". Whatever! Again...long story short, after two less than fun, long trips to the city lot (which can only be described as a bureaucratic toilet bowl) Andi got her car back again!

After all of the wonderful towing adventures we began parking Andi's car in our "secure" garage in our building. One would think this would solve all of our worries, but nope! After a few weeks in the garage Andi realized that a leak in the ceiling of the garage was staining the hood of her car. The landlords said they would fix it and in the meantime she should park in another spot that wasn't being used. Great! No worries....right? WRONG!

As we pack up to go to Frannyville to celebrate the next generation of crazy cousins, Andi realizes that someone who lives in our building has keyed her car with the words "My Space".

(Reenactment: Oh snap Chelsea....somebody freakin keyed my car. I'll be back. I'm going up there.....I am furious!)

No joke! Not only was she parked in a spot she was told to by the landlords, but somebody who lives among us actually had the nerve to do such an immature thing. Who does that? So, after some angry calls, notes, and some serious shaking....we got on the road to begin our weekend.

The bad car karma should stop there...isn't that enough? You would think. As we are making on way on the skyway we slow to approach the toll. What happens as we do? You guessed it, someone rear ends Andi's car. Yep...it's true! I didn't know at this point who to feel bad for, Andi? or the poor, young boy who hit her and who was going to have to feel her wrath! However, she managed to keep her cool (after screaming in her car and banging her fists a bit!)

So, that about sums up Andi's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and the long tradition of having a car in Chicago that has lead up to this!!!!!!

It's official...we are in Chicago...and we're bloggers!!!

Here at Chandi Adventures we think it is very important to keep you, the Chandi consumer, happy. Awhile back Chelsea and Andi decided to incorporate their greatness into one entity, thus Chandi was born. With that in mind they, along with some of their fabulous friends thought it best to develope a hobby, if for no other reason than to keep them out of trouble. The creation of http://theadventuresofchandi.blogspot.com is a combined effort to chronicle the 'extra-ordinary' awe-some journey of two young, hip, single urbanites and their adventures in the windy city. Hold on and enjoy the ride!

Disclaimer: *(Remember to keep your hands and feet inside at all times while the ride is in motion) **(We are professionals do not attemp this at home or without proper adult supervision) 

Cubs "Unite" the otherwise divided...

The last blog posed the question...'can the Cubs unite us'? Well this weekend Chels and I found out that not only can they unite us, but that they can bring together entire conferences and rivalrys to cheer for a common good.

We set out on Saturday to see if we could catch our first game of the season and it didn't look good at first. When we first stepped outside it was already raining, but lucky we both wore hats and brought along an umbrella. The rain would not dampen our spirits. We boarded the blue line to Addison and from there took a bus to Wrigley Field. Once we got there we approached the ticket window and to our suprise they did have tickets available, however they were obstructed view seats. We decided we needed to caucus so we stepped away for a moment. We were at that point approached by few ticket scalpers and almost purchased tickets from them. However since the weather was bad we didn't want to spend alot of money. We decided to get the obstructed view tickets and thought that we would walk around if the seats were really bad. We only paid $20 for the tickets. Well to our suprise we had great seats!!! If you look at the picture of the field above that was taken from our seats. We were on the first base line in section 235 which is covered...so while it was raining we didn't get wet and had a perfect view, no obstrucitons! The Cubs however didn't have such a great day, they suffered their worst lost in over ten years, we hope that that wasn't our fault.

After the game we decided to go get some grub so we headed to the Vine for a bite. After we got some much needed nurishment we headed for the Cubbie Bear. We met a lot of people from all over and while we were all from different places and supported different college sports teams we all have a common love of the Cubs, so we set our differences aside and had a great time! Chels and I had yet another great time and again met a few people from Iowa?!?!? We know there is a connection now we just need to find out what it is!

The pics are just for fun...we took turns with the camera...I got a good one with Chels and the famous Wrigley sign and then Chels got one of me getting back in touch with my gymnastic roots. And if you read this far do me a favor and leave me a message with what number you see at the bottom of the sign...I know that Chels is getting 'older' but come on!!!