Sunday 6

• March Madness is awesome. I love any excuse for Big Ten loyalty (except for Indian -- gross). Last night we were cheering for Michigan State. I love to cheer for Wisconsin as a rule. And, after meeting some awesome friends in nursing school, I can sort of cheer for Michigan. Come football season or Big Ten interplay I'm an Illini fan (Wisconsin is my #2 Big Ten team). But it's fun to have some midwest pride every spring.
• When I work 12-hour day shifts during the week B likes to leave with me. He often meets me after work in the lobby at my hospital. (I do the same for him when I get done with work before him.) It's super sweet and such a nice treat. Our workplaces are about a 20 minute walk apart. After we meet up take the train home together (sometimes stopping for beers, wine or dinner on the way). I don't know how long the waiting-in-the-lobby will last, but it's pretty lovely. 
• We have windows open right now! Out stuffiness! Out smell of soup! Out stinky-end-of-winter apartment smell! Out!
• We took a 7 mile walk Saturday. We wandered through our neighborhood then southeast to Southport Avenue. We walked down Southport to Belmont then up Clark Street back to our neck of the woods, to the grocery and then home. We stopped for a pitcher of beer and eggs (weirdly delicious) at the Salt 'n' Pepper diner in Wrigleyville. The walk was perfect. I wore a jean jacket and a t-shirt without being cold. It was terrific to be outside!
• We were all set to celebrate Easter with two of our nieces and more family. We made homemade granola for little parfaits. We chopped strawberries, washed blackberries, packed up yogurt & honey, and little cups to serve it all in. Then our car wouldn't start. Nothing. So, an important to-do on my list is now to get the car to the mechanic and get it fixed up. Argh! Missing Easter, nieces, sunny days in backyards with feasts of brunch food and fun with people we see don't see often enough -- it sucks. 
• During our run today, B and I talked about Easter egg hunting. As a kid my brother and I always hunted for eggs outside (maybe inside if it was cold). We hunted for plastic eggs with candy in them. B hunted for hardboiled dyed eggs! What!?! I think I knew this happened, but it seems SO weird to me. 

Happy Easter!