Kevin's Midwest Book Tour 2014

Kevin left for his big Midwest book tour very early on Wednesday morning!*

On Wednesday, September 24th he read at Prairie Lights in Iowa City. Since Kevin attended the Iowa Writer's Workshop, they promoted the event widely. He read with Mike Meginnis who was also published through Black Balloon, and who is an Iowa City resident, so between the two of them, the reading was packed. They even broadcast the reading on local radio because Iowa is awesome. He read part of his title story, "We Were Flying to Chicago," and part of "Puritan Hotel, Barnstable." If you missed it the first time, they archived it here (Kevin's part begins at 18:30): http://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/vwu/id/3586/rec/2

Kevin and Mike acting "authorly" at Prairie Lights

Kevin's book is shelved just under Chekov here!

Thursday, September 25th, Kevin and Mike read at The Book Cellar in Chicago. Kevin read parts of "T-Bone Capone" and "On the Highway Near Fairfield, Connecticut." Kevin also had the chance to visit and stay with his friend Nate. He went to a White Sox game by himself and caught a foul ball, because it was just that sort of amazing trip.

Chicago Skyline

White Sox game

On Friday, Kevin started posting things like this on Facebook. "Am I actually alone in a Belgian bar in Chicago reading Flaubert with not one thing I have to do tonight or tomorrow?" I started getting jealous!

On Saturday, he went on a little hike, then he went to Madison, Wisconsin because why not? Then he went to Milwaukee for a Brewers game and noted, "The casual boredom with which the gigantically mustachioed Brewers mascot hurls himself down a slide after a home run is wonderful." While he was in Wisconsin, I sent him on a cheese curd mission. They did not disappoint.

Hiking outside of Madison

Madison, Wisconsin

Cubs v. Brewers

 

Milwaukee art museum

Wisconsin cheese mart!

Sunday Kevin and Mike drove together from Chicago to Minneapolis and it took forever! On Monday he read parts of "Open House" and "Third Prophet" at Magers & Quinn, in Minneapolis. But first he went on a bit of a Fitzgerald tour. "You're goddamned right I'm having an early-afternoon Manhattan at the bar of the hotel where Fitzgerald lived in St. Paul."

Hello, Fitzgerald

Books on display at Magers & Quinn 

Tuesday he came home! Yay!

He was missed by all!

Showing James his foul ball

 

Showing Miranda her new Iowa cheerleader outfit

*Kevin was gone Wednesday morning until Tuesday afternoon. Kevin and I haven't spent a whole week apart since January of 2007, well before we were married, and never more than two nights since we've had kids! Thank goodness Grandma came to help me and the kids!

SE Roadtrip Days 15-17: Vondys and Cincinnati, OH 2012

Cincinnati isn't in the Southeast at all, but we had strategically planned our trip to end there on Memorial Day weekend to visit our friends the Vondys. We had a rough trip to Cincinnati, which Kevin writes about in his post Thursday, but we made it there right on schedule, if a bit pukey-smelling.  Jason, Jason's brother, and Kevin quickly washed their hands of the whole thing and went off to a Cincinnati Reds baseball game.  A very pregnant Chrissy (in weeks, not size) and I fed and bathed our toddlers and then put them to bed.  Afterward, we had a little time to sit and chat by ourselves without husbands or babies for the first time in probably 7 years.  I thought we would catch up on ancient history, but it turned out that we had hours of exciting stuff to talk about just since our last visit in December.  Then the husbands came home and instead of getting our dearly-needed parent-sleep, we stayed up and chatted some more.

All 6.5 of us at the Tyler Davidson Fountain, a symbol of Cincinnati

The Vonderhaars really rolled out the red carpet for us! They took us downtown where we were pleased to discover the Taste of Cincinnati was in progress.  The Taste of Cincinnati is kind of a big deal in the street festival world because it's the longest running culinary arts festival in the United States, and it's one of the nation's largest street festivals. I refrained from having Cincinnati chili because we planned on having it for dinner.  I indulged in a street daiquiri, and then I quickly learned that it's probably not a good idea to drink and push a stroller.  For one thing, James kept demanding my straw.  For another, with the daiquiri in the stroller cup-holder, Kevin and I had some trouble juggling our bottles of water and various James's distraction devices.  And then, when James suddenly became very hot and slumpy in his seat-- a clear sign that we had to leave the festival immediately-- I had to throw out my unfinished daiquiri. This would have been sacrilege to the Ericka that I used to be before parenthood.

Strolling along the Taste of Cincinnati

View from one side of the P&G gardens

For dinner we went to Skyline Chili where I had one chili hotdog with cheese called a "Cheese Coney", and one "Cheese Coney" hold the hotdog.  It was a great place to bring the kids because they could be loud and messy, and the service was super-fast. I liked the Cheese Coney so much that Jason bought me a can of the chili from the grocery as my parting gift.  I also had the famous Graeter's black rasberry chip ice cream. Lots of it. Remember, I am not the pregnant one.  Chrissy just sat and watched me, most likely in quiet horror.

Hanging out at the Vondy's house Saturday night

Their house was a wonderland of toys for toddler boys and James was happy to play all day in their playroom or outside.  He constantly watched Owen and tried to do what he was doing, usually unsuccessfully because Owen has 16 months on him.

Playing with the pirate ship together

Both Jason and Chrissy gave James a lot of special attention.  They are both awesome parents and are totally ready to have two kids because I watched them juggle Owen and James better than I juggle James by himself.

Jason trying to teach James to hit the ball

James snuggling up to Chrissy

Sunday was a low-key day for us, but less so for James who started really acting up around 5 p.m. so we made the decision to leave early.  The plan was to drive straight through to Long Island so that we could be home Monday morning.  James vetoed the plan. In retrospect, he was probably already getting sick. We feel really bad about it.  More on that in Kevin's post.

Thank you for an awesome time, Vonderhaars! We are super-excited to meet your daughter!

Everyone playing with cars together.  Chrissy and I are on the other side of this hall.

Owen: Yay! James: Time to go home!

Visiting Sarah and Donald in Michigan 2010

After our wonderful airline experience, already documented by Kevin, the fun began in Ann Arbor. First and most importantly, Sarah, Donald, Kevin and I went to worship the Sandwich at Zingerman's. The Zingerman Reuben, on French bread (a Sarah-substitution) was divine. It was so good that it reminded me of Schwartz's smoked meat sandwich in Montreal.

Sarah and I outside of Zingerman's

We walked up and down Main Street and State Street, checking out the Farmer's Market. We walked around the campus and the law school.

Ann Arbor Farmer's Market

Michigan Law School courtyard

   As you know, Sarah and Donald are engaged and they are getting married through the Catholic Church, so we also swung by the Ann Arbor church where they are taking their pre-marriage classes.

Their Michigan church

   Back at their house, I got to see Donald's Supreme Court Clerkship offer letter from Justice Scalia. I thought about taking a picture of it, but somehow that seemed weird.

For dinner, we had Indian at Shalimar's Restaurant. I ate chicken korma for the first time ever. Then we went home to relax and watch the History Channel. Watching the History Channel, is, afterall, how Sarah and Donald got engaged in the first place. Since eating is one of our favorite things to do together, we started the next day with breakfast at Afternoon Delight. Again, I had something I had never eaten before, cheese blintz. Who knew Ann Arbor would be such a culinary adventure?

Sarah and Donald have long been soccer fans, and Kevin and I enjoy the World Cup so we were all excited to watch the final together. We were all rooting for Spain (and even attempted to buy matching Spain shirts- but failed) and Donald invited a few clerk-friends to join us, one of whom was rooting for the nasty cheating Netherlands. I am particularly supportive of Xabi Alonso because we share a last name, and De Jong from the Netherlands kung-fu kicked him square in the chest. It was hard to imagine how it could have been a mistake. Thus, Spain victory was doubly sweet.

Thank you for a wonderful weekend, Donald and Sarah!

At The Arena sports bar, watching the World Cup

Hooray! Spain wins!

St. Louis, Missouri 2010

Kevin and I traveled to St. Louis for the wedding of our friends Jane and Rob. One of the best things about St. Louis is the Gateway Arch, which is not to undersell St. Louis- the arch is totally awesome.

We also got the chance to go to The Good Pie, a nice little Neapolitan pizzeria. Good pizza and good company with Kevin's friends from grad school, Ian and Brooke.

Kevin and me near the Arch

With buddies at the Arch: me, Kevin, Brian, Sarah, Katy (taking picture), Donald (at hotel)

Kevin and I even went to the top of the Arch in this crazy claustrophobia-inducing egg-like tram-vehicle pictured below.

I do not advise this at all!

Inside the Arch there is a free Westward Expansion Museum

We took in a Cardinals Game at Busch Stadium

Cardinals Game

Chicago 2007

We drove up to Chicago for the wedding of our friends Pete and Adrienne. We stayed for the long weekend and saw a great deal of the city. It was my second time in the city; the first was a high school field trip to the Art Institute. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States after New York and Los Angeles.


Cloud Gate


Cloud Gate


Fountain from Married with Children


Crown Fountain in Millennium Park


Art Institute of Chicago


Billy Goat Tavern


The Navy Pier is a fun place to walk around with a drink


Other side of the Navy Pier


Front seats at the Chicago Jazz Festival!


Wieners Circle in Chicago


Cubs Game at Wrigley Field


Wrigley is awesome because people put bleachers on their rooftops


Pete and Adrienne got married at the Architectural Artifact Building