amy's back in town

Hey, peeps! Nick and I are back home after our weekend in Springfield. As usual when I'm in Springfield, I did a goodly bit of shopping - I got a few things for myself and some Christmas presents for Nick and Brian. Nick is really into the planets lately, so I found him a cool book about the planets and a planet mobile that we can put together and hang in his room. Tim is going to try to find him some of those glow-in-the-dark stars and planets for his bedroom ceiling - he'll love those! And I also found him some space PJs, in keeping with the theme. I also went to a music store and got Nick a selection of little instruments, since he's really into music and rhythm. I got him egg shakers, a drum, a harmonica, an ocarina, rhythm sticks, and a tone block. I think he'll love them, and I got them all for around $30! I also got him a scarf and slippers, both of scrumptious fleece. For myself, I found a jean jacket and some fleece PJs.

The main reason for this trip to Springfield was the singing gig that Tim and I had at Drury University on Friday evening. We were hired to sing some musical theater numbers at a fancy Board of Trustees dinner, and it went really well! First of all, we looked smashing. Tim wore a nice suit with a tie that perfectly coordinated with my dress. The dress was lent to me by Angela (Thank you, girl! It looked amazing!), and consists of a celadon green, satiny under-layer with a black lace overlay. It has a black ribbon that ties around the waist and looks very elegant and sort of 50s-ish. I wore it with hot black peep-toe heels (also courtesy of Angela) and pearl jewelry, and the overall effect was quite nice. Our numbers (all sweet love songs) went really well, and we got lots of kudos afterward, which is always much-appreciated. It was nice to see some people we know and to just enjoy the fancy evening.

On Saturday evening, Nick, Dad and I went out to dinner at Cafe Roswitha, a nice little restaurant that has German dishes on its menu, in addition to other fare. The chef is a nice German lady with whom we visited at length. I had chicken salad and Nick had a PB&J, but Dad indulged in Rouladen, as he really enjoys German fare. It was all delicious, and we capped it off by sharing a piece of blackberry pie. Yum!

So, that mostly sums up the weekend. The downside to going to Springfield is the lack of exercise, but I'm going to be back at the gym tomorrow to start making up for lost time. I no longer believe that I'm going to be able to get down to 140 by Thanksgiving, but if I just hold steady where I am, that will be OK, too. I can always try to drop a few more pounds after the holidays! Hope everyone had a good weekend, and have a good week!...