I went with a group of people to Scharf's restaurant. It's a German restaurant on the east side in the Schiller Park area.




I don't know if others on estrip have been, but if you haven't been and would like to try some German food, it was fabulous. We went on a Saturday night for their Oktoberfest menu which largely offered variations on weiner schnitzel.

I had zeuegner schnitzel which was weiner schnitzel in a creamy sauce with strips of red and green peppers. And I shared a potato pancake with someone. Best potato pancake, ever!

They had a small selection of German beers in bottle and on tap. Not a large selection, but the ones they had were good.

I highly recommend and would be happy to go with anyone who wants to give it a taste!

After several hours of classes; background checks; fingerprints; and a few hair pulling moments....(e:drew) and I are about to become foster parents.

And we need babysitters!

Yes, I realize, we don't even have children yet, but we are already looking to find a way to pawn them off on other people....

But we would like to find a babysitter soon, because any babysitter for our foster children needs to fill out a background check form and do fingerprints. And all of the aforementioned needs processed before we can leave children alone with said babysitter.

We have one potential babysitter lined up, but I would like to find a second. So I am hoping to work my (e:strip) connections to find someone who is 21 or over; able to pass a background check and fingerprints; and willing to be a regular baby sitter for a little pocket money (i.e. twice a month or so)....

Any takers??

We've had a sticky door in the back hallway. You have to turn the handle with your right hand while pounding the upper left hand corner with your left hand. Hardly convenient for a fire emergency and deathly for anyone under 4' trying to get out in the event of a fire.

Found a quick fix on line. Where the door is sticking to the frame, hammer a 16d nail into the frame. The force of the hammering the nail in drives the frame away from the door. I used three nails in the frame and it got the job done. I can now open and close the door without pounding it!

I gave in to the dork side and I am now playing Dungeons and Dragons (4th edition for those of you who are dorkier than me and care to know).

Every other Wednesday night I am meeting with a group of grown men to transform myself into Elias, a female Elf, who is a devout cleric.

Yup, I'm having fun. I anticipate the fun to continue.

Oh, little red truck
You reignited my love for you.
Half a tank of gas from Buffalo to Pittsburgh?!
I couldn't ask for more from our little truck!!
You must have heard our resentful mutterings
of low gas mileage and frequent repairs
You must have sensed our unfaithfulness
As we coveted the Kia Soul and the Suzuki sx4
Cash for Clunkers, how could we turn it down?

How easily I forgot, little red truck
that you faithfully journeyed with me
from Illinois to Philadelphia.
You ventured the twists and turns
of the Pennsylvania turnkpike
twice a month for a year
so that I could see my fiancee.

I promise, I'll never speak of trading you in again.