monkey has landed - Naperville, IL

Look what I just came home to:
My package from j.crew, and a sizable box from MN...which I knew could mean only one thing,

Monkey Is Here!

Immediately I ripped open his box, dug him out of his confines, and gave him a proper hug, welcoming him to Naperville, IL. At that precise moment our friendly neighborhood mailman, Juan, arrived. Time for the first photo op of this tour...out Monkey went into the sunshine for a quick hug with our tireless mail carrier!

When he came back inside, Monkey asked me about box #2, so I showed him my shorts. I neglected to mention to you yesterday that there were actually 2 pairs ordered...the blue & orange, and also the light pink with green shamrocks. I asked Monkey what he thought of them (we hardly know each other yet I'm anxious already for his approval):

He seems especially smitten with the crazy print. No surprise there!

We don't have much time before I head out again on my next leg of errands. So even though Monkey asked me for "a stiff drink", the best I could manage on such short notice was a crisp Diet Coke. With his sandwich, banana, and cupcake, I think he'll be Ok for now. The stronger stuff will just have to wait.

We are off to pick up the kids at school and get their haircut! Monkey seemed a little disappointed at first to find out that he's landed in a suburb of Chicago and that we are far from the hustle & bustle of city life. But I think I can show him a good time.

More to come!

rain, rain, go away, you make it hard for Monkey to play

Monkey was starting to learn his way around the Legal Services Clinic, so he thought he'd fill in for one of our awesome assistants and handle things up front for a bit.


All our Immigration clients made Monkey aware of new countries he could visit, so he decided to check out the globe and see where to go...he decided on Chicago for now!


Monkey then decided to pretend he was a supervising attorney, and peer in through the windows to make sure the students were working hard. He also thought he'd take that time to do a little stretching.


Then he decided that he wanted to peer out on the students from a higher vantage point.

But that wasn't high enough...oh, here we go! I can swing freely and see what's going on!


He stopped into a clinic fellow's office to visit this lovely lady...


...and our office manager's office, to say goodbye to his furry friends!

Then he went to get lunch at Food for Thought, where Chris (who I like to think is my personal chef) was happy to pose with our traveling friend!

While Monkey ate lunch, Amanda decided to model her graduation hat.

Monkey was so jealous of this awesome hat (and loved all the work he did all week!) that he decided he just had to go to law school, so he went to see Pete the security guard and find out how he could take a tour!

Ted the custodian was happy to give Monkey a ride on the cart and point out the business school setting up for an event.


Monkey says "The business school having an event in the law school during the finals study period is wrong! Just wrong!"


Nine out of ten law students agreed, so Monkey took his case to court. Moot court!

After arguing his case, Monkey noticed a jungle theme going on, and swung by to say hi! (Thanks for the help, Bridget!)


Sir Thomas More stands outside the moot courtroom. It's tradition for students to rub his foot for good luck on their exams.


Monkey apparently managed to get an extra blessing as well!

He was feeling faithful, so he decided to go to the chapel and pray for safe travels...

but only after blessing himself, like a respectful Catholic Monkey!


While in the chapel he stopped to check out the artwork...


and then it was off to Wisconsin for an awards banquet in the rainy, rainy weather.
Monkey got restless sitting in St. Paul traffic and started hopping about the car. I should have brought his backpack for a snack.

If you look very closely in the left of this picture, you'll see a "now entering Wisconsin" sign. It was too rainy to safely stop and take a picture. :(

In Wisconsin we have two seasons: Winter and Construction.


Monkey couldn't come into the awards banquet because there were too many cops there who might be suspicious of a Canadian, so he was eager to get back on the road and leave Eau Claire!


If you have supersonic x-ray vision, you might be able to see the sign for the last Wisconsin exit. I sure can't, but that's what this is!


Monkey had enough of all our driving (and the rain! it never stopped!) so he decided to sleep the rest of the way home.


Up next: for his last day in Minnesota, Monkey goes to court!

Monkeying around

Monkey started off the morning with some tea and the news...
...then read Lisagh's blog with quite a bit of concern! Was she okay from the bug incident?

After that it was back to the Legal Services Clinic where he supervised Monica making nametags for an important meeting...
She was definitely happy to have his help!
Vanessa brought her dog Charlie to the clinic and he and Monkey had a little chat...

Then Monkey and I were off to run some errands!


He helped pick out some tunes...
Then hopped in the backseat and said "What are these bags, Kathleen? It is unseemly to be carrying garbage around in your car!"

"Oh, I see, we're donating clothes to the poor!" Monkey was a little nervous because he knows stuffed animals get donated, but he was safe in the front seat at this point.
After that little junket, we decided to head out to Wayzata for a little shopping and sight-seeing...


Monkey had to take a little detour before we could check out the lake...
but then we saw the railroad depot, now the home of the Wayzata Chamber of Commerce.


We read about the history of the railroad in Wayzata, which Monkey was interested in because we had seen a very long train go by just a minute ago!


Monkey was checking out Lake Minnetonka. He wanted to go purify himself, but I told him it was a little cold and awfully deep by the boat docks!


Instead we came home and decided to order in for dinner instead of cooking! Yum yum!
I needed to do some studying, but Monkey was graduation focused and tried on my beautiful cap. I'd modeled it earlier in the day, but let me tell you, it looks better on him!
Later today -- Monkey goes back to clinic, takes a tour of the law school, and takes a road trip to Wisconsin in a rainstorm!

Monkey and I are having a few technical difficulties right now. My computer insists I need to restart to upload pictures but I have my bar application open and can't restart or all my data will go bye-bye! Monkey and I will resolve this matter by tomorrow evening.

Rest assured we've been having a lot of fun and I will be sad to send him off to Chicago tomorrow!

Monkey in Minnetonka, Day 2

Monkey was excited to begin his first full day with me. Here he is on the way to the park and ride - he looks pretty excited to go ride the bus, doesn't he?

Once we got to school, we headed straight to the Legal Services Clinic. The Clinic is full of second and third-year law students doing legal work for real clients. Lisa was hard at working helping a client file for asylum. She was doing some translating and research and thought Monkey would be the perfect helper!
I was hard at work myself, trying to help two different clients. I had to step away from my computer to confer with my supervising attorneys, and when I came back, I found out Monkey had been positioned more comfortably to help out:

Sorry for the poor lighting - the clinic is in a basement (yuck!) and so flouresecent lights are all we have. I didn't want to turn on the flash because then the computer screen gets wonky.

Monkey spent most of the day perched up there, and he also got to go to my last law school class EVER with me! I was too busy celebrating with my fellow 3Ls to remember to take a picture, but rest assured that if Monkey ever has to stop being a man of leisure and start working, he's up on US Employment Law!

After a long day at school, we hurried home on the bus. It was very crowded so there was no room for me to take a picture of Monkey enjoying the services of MetroTransit. We'll have to try again later! I quick changed into more comfortable shoes and Monkey and I scurried off to the salon to get our hair done. Monkey had fun while we were waiting! First, he suggested some colors for me...

...then he saw something that reminded him of a banana leaf! He liked that we were at an Aveda salon because they are a Minnesota-based company and are very environmentally friendly. In fact, he saw something that reminded him of his native environment...
Monkey was a little dismayed to find out that there were no bananas attached to this leaf, so he decided to just have a soak...

...and then a paraffin dip...

and then Rachael was ready to do our hair! Monkey decided to get highlights and a haircut, just like me!

After that we got a little snack. I thought it was appropriate to show the wrapper since poor Monkey was at a R-rated movie this weekend.


After that Monkey and Penguin hung out at the breakfast bar while I got my homework done.


Coming up next: Monkey goes back to the clinic, picks up a cap and gown, and purifies himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka!