Random List of Updates

Because, as you all know, I love making lists!

• (In case you didn't notice) I changed my blog name and header again! The creative Brian Dranka Anne Dranka came up with the name (Thanks Anne!), and I played around with Google's Picasa until I got something I liked.
• Last weekend we drove up to Milwaukee to ring in the new year with our good friends, Anne and Brian, who moved to Milwaukee last January. We had a wonderful evening starting off at the Milwaukee Ale House where we enjoyed some flights and appetizers. Oh, and a Keg Christmas Tree. We went back to Anne and Brian's house for a cheesy goodness dinner and spent the rest of the evening hanging out. The puppies enjoyed reuniting and Bailey had a blast devouring her rawhide while Bentley was just not as "in" to her rawhide. We tried some of the new "Champagne Beer" made by Sam Adams, and it was quite good.
• Tom and I are officially residents of Illinois! We've been putting it off since we moved, but finally decided we just need to bite the bullet, wake up early Saturday morning, and get new drivers licenses and tags for our car. It was actually not bad, except for the small amount of anxiety we both experienced when they told us we had to take a written test! Fortunately, we both passed, and an hour later we emerged with Illinois drivers licenses, new car tags, and are now registered to vote in Illinois.
• My brother is coming to visit next weekend! Matt recently got a job with United and will be passing through Chicago Friday night on his way back from training in Dallas. We're planning to go exploring in the city and of course hit up another deep dish pizza place! I'm thinking Gino's East but we'll have to wait and see.
• I'm taking a little "break" from my frugal blog. I really do enjoy keeping up with it, but lately there have just been too many things on my plate. We're going to change up our "plan of attack" for grocery shopping, which I am so excited about because it has been stressing me out more than you can imagine (Publix...I miss you!)
• I love edamame! Okay, for some reason Tom thinks that probably everyone doesn't want to know this, but this is a big step for me! I don't like beans (unless they're all mushed up from the food processor or immersion blender), and I've never been crazy about soy, but for some reason, I have been obsessed lately with soybeans!