Updates

Spring is here! Hannah and I were pleasantly surprised that the orchids are blooming for two years in a row! We bought these orchids last summer, and thought they wouldn't bloom for a while. However, I guess I have the making of a "plant whisperer" :), and they are rewarding us with a display of vibrant colors. The apartment has come together nicely, still working on a lot of places, but things are shaping up. My favorite place in the apartment (so far) is the sun-room. It is filled with succulents, orchids, birds-of-paradise, palm and also not forgetting our favorite fiddle-leaf fig tree (named Lucky). I like to sit in this room on weekend mornings with my coffee and look at all the greens around the room. It gives me time to relax, reflect on the week and plan out the days ahead.

And with the spring being almost in full mode now, the day has gotten longer :) The sun doesn't fully set until 8pm :) I have been working on my self-defense techniques and physical fitness in a Krav Maga training center (I will write more about that some other time).It feels great to be out of Krav Maga training and the sun is still out. The longer daylight definitely makes me feel much better than the winter, when everything was gray and gloomy.

Hannah, Grace, Dominic and I took the opportunity to go camping at Kettle Moraine State Park the past weekend. The state park was about 1.5hrs drive from Chicago. We packed four people, two dogs, camping gears and stuffs in our jeep, and headed out on Sat morning. The weather was gorgeous, and we celebrated Cinco de Mayo with style, with some Bloody Mary, tequila and quesadilla around the campfire. And of course, we had to do some running in this beautiful location :) Hannah and I enjoyed the run very much - There was rolling hills, wide tracks and single trails...everything you can almost ask for as a trail-runner. And of course we enjoyed it so much that we decided that we should come back again for our training.

Mommy bird

Found a birds nest (don't know what species it is) by the house, literally just outside the bathroom window. Mommy bird has been sitting on the eggs for nearly two weeks now. I think soon there will be baby chicks :)

I have to quietly take a photo of mommy bird sitting in the nest through the window glass. Thus, the glare :)

Hannah thinks this may be daddy bird....

Is it spring already?

[Updated] Photos of the newly-bloomed orchid!

Hannah and I have been really sick since last Friday. The cold that had been going around the university finally caught up with both of us. Although these two weeks is the mid-semester break, we still have marking responsibilities. Therefore, it really sucks to be sick, and face that huge pile of unmarked scripts.

It seems that Spring is here! Again! Time just slips by. There is supposed to be a nasty cold storm coming through today, which will make it feel like mid-winter again, but we have warmer days to look forward to. The other day, I noticed there is a small bud on the grapevine - which is definitely a sign of spring coming. The orchids are blooming really nice this year as well. It has been dormant for two years. I fragged them two years ago, and I think it takes time for them to recuperate. I think it's time to get some nice terracotta pots and bring these nice flowers indoors :)