We made it!
And we now have internet access again. Woo!

More tales and tribulations to tell... we must go buy food. Suffice to say that getting a 26-foot U-Haul and having to leave our couch in Chicago were only the start of a very long moving day.

New paper, yay!
After too many months of effort, my paper is finally published! Check it out:
PLoS Biology paper

Moving Countdown continues...
Days until move: 13
Total boxes packed: 14 (Yay, progress!)

We hit A2 this Saturday to inspect our new apartment. Apart from some minor fixes, it's looking pretty good. The trip was productive, but fast - there and back in 15 hours or so (we took the train).

Evite going out soon with moving details. Pizza bribe will be offered :)

Real entry still TK
Days until we move: 15
Total boxes packed: 5

Trip to San Diego: Good
MLB games seen by me in the past 7 days: 3

Current status: Tired, slight head colds (both of us)

Apartment in A2 readiness: Gas & Electric will be turned on (woo! A/C!) in time for move-in. Need to pick a cable/internet package and schedule that installation.

Query for those with HDTV: Should we have the TV already in place before we install? If we don't, the stinking cable people will charge us two separate install fees (one for cable/internet and one for HD when we need that installed), won't they?

We swear we'll write a real entry soon.

Weekend Update
We've decided that the time has come to see the touristy things in Chicago that we usually ignore. So, for example, we went on the Architectural River Cruise on Sunday. Our cruise started at 10 a.m. and it was already roasting outside. We did discover, however, that if motivated, you can walk all the way from the Millennium Park parking garage to the boat dock without ever going on "upper" level streets. The cruise was really interesting (and really hot) but we learned a lot. I didn't realize how few architectural firms were responsible for the buildings along the river.

Then, in an attempt to stay cool, we walked over to the Nordy's mall on Michigan for lunch, again avoiding the upper level. After lunch, we hit the River East movie theater, and saw "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" and "Wedding Crashers." Both movies are excellent, although at opposite ends of the movie spectrum. Johnny Depp is truly weird as Willy Wonka, and Vince Vaughn is really funny in Wedding Crashers. Plus, the trailer for Harry Potter 4 was before "Charlie," so we got to see that - I can't wait! I'm now re-reading the books (again).

Flip-flop flap
So, I was surfing the Michigan sports web site (to check out next year's football schedule for a co-worker) and look what I found. How come the Michigan softball team can wear shorts & tennis shoes to the White House and no one minds, but the NU lacrosse team wears skirts & flip-flops and it's all over the news?

OK, since the last quiz sucked...
I tested this one and it is possible to get different answers... I swear.

You Are a German Shepherd Puppy

Intelligent, quick witted, and a bit aggressive. You've got the jaw power to take a bite out of anyone you choose.

Pop Quiz!
OK, I am a little adventurous... right? Bueller?

Slow and Steady

Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment. They expect you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then usually decide against it.

When it is time to move on...
So, Sunday evening I came home from lab around dinner time. Kathleen and I decided to order Thai food from our local favorite Thai place and walk over to pick it up. Now, I've been in enough times that they know me by sight and greet me when I walk through the door. Just for kicks, I asked Kathleen to call and order the food and order one dish I am particularly fond of, garlic beef without any broccoli or onions, without mentioning my name. Here's a excerpt from the phone call:

Kathleen: "I'd like panang curry chicken with extra vegetables"

Thai food lady: "OK, anything else?"

Kathleen: " An order of garlic beef, no onions no broccoli"

Thai food lady: "This order is for Jimmy, right?"

...at which point Kathleen almost fell over from a combination of laughter and shock. Knowing me on sight is one thing, but the Thai restaurant now knows me by my order! I don't know whether to feel comfortable or weirded out by this.

DSL vs cable modem
Kathleen and I wanted to poll the community regarding whether DSL or cable hi-speed internet would be better to get once we move. We currently use old-fashioned modem dial-in at home (free through U of C), so we don't have any real experience with either DSL or cable modems. What do you all think? We appreciate any and all information and suggestions. Thanks!