The Coreys

Peoria is apparently home to many Lebanese immigrants. One group is the Khoury family, and you see this name EVERYWHERE in Peoria. Pubs, stores, restaurants, markets, repair shops, gymnastic classes, and more. You name the service and you will find the Khoury name. What you won't see is the same spelling twice, but we are told they are all the same family. Couri, Kouri, and Khoury, but all the same family.

Craigslist Rocks

Craigslist Peoria rocks, that is. CL Peoria also includes Pekin, Washington, Bloomington, Lincoln and several other random small Illinois towns.

So far from Craigslist I have
1) gotten a job
2) found a house to rent
3) secured daycare for the toddler
4) gotten rid of our excess moving supplies
and
5) found a farmer's market here.


I anticipate locating a child's picnic table and maybe a small slide or playhouse shortly, when funds are more stable.

I must say that I've heard pickups for sold or giveaway items via Craigslist are often a problem and my moving supplies donation proves that to be true. I was contacted by four people over 48 hours who were "certain" to be picking my boxes and filler up from the front porch. The fourth person finally came through, which is pretty lame. Free stuff should move NOW or five minutes ago, not 48 hours later!!

Agua, por favor

Peoria tap water is NOT delicious.

It smells funny and has a weird taste.

We were spoiled as St. Louis has the best tap water in the US. Thank you, Anheuser Busch.


We should have bottled that good stuff up and brought it along, but who knew??

Squirrels

The squirrels in Peoria are all red.

I don't recall any red squirrels just 2.5 hours to the south in St. Louis.

Peoria means...

He comes carrying a pack on his back.

The Peoria were a Native people, a small group who intermarried with other nations and were a diverse people who welcomed ex-slaves and orphaned children of any heritage to their group.

The Peoria were from this region and I can find no explanation on how there came to be a Peoria, Arizona. I hate that it exists because google searching would be much faster if I didn't always have to add that "IL". Also Craigslist in Peoria, AZ had some good stuff that I could not pick up because I live in Illinois now.

Damned Low Railings

There is a very attractive river walk in downtown Peoria. The Illinois River looks majestic passing under impressive bridges and along a pedestrian walking/biking path complete with restaurants, green space, a recreation complex and outdoor amphitheater. St. Louis could learn a thing or two here about riverfront attractions.

The only problem I see is that the railing is just low enough for a toddler to launch a stainless steel water bottle into the river. I hate littering, and it was purple, my favorite color.

I have a picture of it floating away, but it makes me sad just now so someday when the sting has worn off I'll post it. In the meantime, enjoy a google stock image of the railing. I have no idea why a can of beans is included. Maybe that will be a future fun Peoria fun fact.

Mother in Laws Save the Day

My mother in law saved us this week. We moved into a nearly 100 year old monster of a house near Bradley University, having rented the place after a short tour that included promises of a deep cleaning. The cleaning was not done and we discovered after a 15+hour moving day that it was not at all toddler ready, or really grownup ready at all. Students had occupied the place previously and apparently used one of the bedrooms as a toilet- or at least the the carpet in that bedroom.
The second floor railing was short, the toddler nearly pitched himself over it in a fit of energy after a long boring drive, and I nearly lost my shit thinking that we'd just rented the money pit death trap and signed a one year lease.
Mother in law showed up with her magic toolbox like the Mary Poppins of old house renovation. By then end of the week, we had toddler-proofed baby gates expertly installed to allow for adult (and pet) access to danger zones. We had loose shelves secured, clothing unpacked and hung up, new towel bars in the bathroom, doorknobs repaired, a solid clothesline constructed, a very happy toddler yelling "Bamaw!!!" day and night with glee, and sanity restored.


The money pit has become home. Thanks, Mom/Susan/Bamaw. We could not have done it without you.