Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. Many of you know I've been in Chicago since last friday on a quasi-vacation/business trip.

Saturday we had a party for little Em. She was quite good and aside from throwing up all over me after the party was over it was great to see the family.

Sunday we help cousin Arnie move to his new house - which is this nice two bedroom ranch-type house in Lake Zurich. All I will say about that is - congratulations on the new house Arnie and it will be too soon before I'll want to bag my own groceries again ;-)

Monday mom and I had a great day out at Gurnee Mills Mall. Just wandering the mall and looking for new fall clothes (not that I bought all that much as I have a really small suitcase with me) and Monday night I met up with my friend Kim for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory for good conversation and yummy cheesecake....that place rocks.

Today, I got to harken back to the good ole days of traveling to Filene's Basement via the train as our business meetings are downtown at the Hyatt. So I got up early, had mom drop me off at the train station and made my way with the zillions of others into the bowels of downtown chicago. I have to say - I love riding the train. :) It's fun to people watch. It's fun to feel like you are off to some sort of "power lunch". It's fun to just read a book and not worry about the INSANE traffic that is everywhere down here. The meetings so far have been good but are slightly spinning me into panic mode of all the work that lies ahead since we are for sure implementing this program. Ah well - we'll see what tomorrow brings.

Dad's scheduled for a doctor's appointment tomorrow. He has to go for a colonoscopy and probably a few other tests so that his oncologist has something to look at during his appointment at the end of the month. It's been good to be home and see for myself how everyone is doing but it is also going to be hard to leave again knowing that things are so up in the air. But that's life.