Update (version 10.28.10)

-Pets: Mario died. Atto started coughing and wheezing, so we went to the (very, very nice) vet. Turns out he has a suspicious lump in his abdomen and a heart murmur. Ugh. Swelling near the heart presses on his trachea, likely causing the trouble breathing. A diuretic (reduce fluid volume overall so heart works less) seems to be helping this. Dose is 30 uL (0.03 mL) for his “massive 440 grams.” He is extra cuddly lately. Pico is rambunctious as usual and has overcome his fear of the rat ball in order to roll around the house freely. Typical. Photos soon.

-Purified a tricky protein out of eukaryotic cells. It is slightly functional. Not bad for a first shot! Must repeat next week.

-Qualifying exam scheduled. Much reading and writing to do!

-Erratic Chicago weather makes dressing difficult. This morning was 43F, feels like 36. Had on tshirt, fleece and scarf. Slightly chilly? Yes.

-Halloween costume whaaaaat? Need to come up with something by tomorrow.

-Spent last weekend in Milwaukee with my guy. LCD Soundsystem/Hot Chip concert was high-energy and cool (though I was a little mopey from Mario). Lakefront Brewery tour was awesome. Cheap tickets got each of us: 4 beers at the brewery, free pint glass, and a free pint at a local bar. Nice.

Sometimes this scares me

(from postsecret)

Mario Died Friday

From rats

He'd been sick for a while. Poor little guy.

Atto has been a little quieter than normal.

Italian in the Park

Peter and I found this sweet Italian deli in the South Loop. We buy the food there and walk to Grant Park to eat. We also got extra lucky: a couple weeks after we went the first time, there was a Groupon for $10 for $20 of food, so we can easily justify being pigs. Without exaggeration, we left with 10 lbs of food.



Aranchino with meat and cheese and marinara.



Cannoli. (Fresh!) I asked for the cannoli in the counter, and the guy says "Well, let me make you some fresh ones. Those are a few hours old." They were perfect.



I just realized how many of my blog posts involve food, and I am a little bit appalled.

Preconceived Notions

I've been such a jerk.

(For Charlie: I may have been hatin' on red states a little too much.)

We're Goin' Home!

Guess where I took this picture?



If you guessed "a highway underpass on 90/94 near the Indiana border," you're right. This is not actually Indiana, though. I would never subject you to that.



Almost had to tell T to just break into the apartment. Hah. My current roommate and my former roommate are becoming SuperBestFriends, a la South Park.

Buffalo, a lot of family and a lot of food

My grandma makes the best Irish soup. Don't ask what's in it, because nobody knows anyway. (It's "whatever was in the fridge or freezer.")

When the soup's on, it's a magic homing beacon for the family: people appear in the kitchen instantly.



Buffalo is also a food Mecca.



I have done nothing but eat lately.