5gts: Friday.

1. I went to 6:00 am yoga on Wednesday morning and my teacher’s name was Skip. I have never taken his class before, and he said at one point, while I was in Warrior 3:

“Welcome to my class. If you thought this was going to be more about meditation, that’s on Monday mornings. We like to sweat in my class.”

He also, I swear to you, was the guy from Can’t Hardly Wait that keeps saying, “Remember that time…”

Turns out he wasn’t that guy, but he reminded me of him SO MUCH.

2. My friend Elliott is moving two miles away from me, which means we’ll be carpooling all fall. Can you believe it? I can’t, either. But, it’s true, and this has greatly improved my mood.

3. Katie has finally come back to the world of blogging. Glad you’re back, K.

4. Girl’s night tonight. Making salads, chattering away, and potentially laughing until we cry.

5. Slow weekend, then my girls are coming to visit. I cannot wait for them.

A night off with Onions and Chocolate

This week Jeff and I had the pleasure of going to Liz and Woody’s for dinner. This is there house. It is all Mexican Hacienda on the outside. Don’t you want to live here?

First, and undocumented, Liz and I had to wrangle all the black widow spiders that had been creeping on her grill. Don’t worry — we got them all. Then, Liz had to start the coals up.

Cleo had to stay in dog jail, because she kept on running into the front yard. Confined to the porch she was…

And now the hot coals are moved to the grill.

This little guy got away from us in the beginning, during the first spider massacre.

Pre-marinaded meat from TJ’s? Yes, please. Liz’s TJ’s has some, ours doesn’t.

Cleo sits nicely with Jeff.

My beer cozy for the night.

Anaheim peppers, to be stuffed. We used Poblanos as well.

Back outside, to check the fire.

Woody arrives home to see our progress.

The coals are to be moved to the grate below, and Woody and Liz accomplish this, in white shirts, nonetheless!

Jeff and Cleo, fixing the Internet.

For stuffing the peppers: rice, queso fresco, taco seasoning, salt, fresh oregano.

Checking the meat…

Stuffing the peppers!

Delicious.

Onto the grill they go.

Mmmm, meaty.

With roasted tortillas? Perfection. I got a little fancy with mine.

Jeff’s more traditional carne asada. With cilantro. Which I stayed away from.

Chicago, and a giant eyeball.

When I was in Chicago we went on the architectural tour and saw the city from the Chicago River. Beautiful. Here are some choice shots:

Inbound…

Random water tower.

Building with no corner offices, so nobody thinks they’re better than anyone else…

I want to live in that little green house…

One of Chicago’s many bridges

The adornments for this building? The buildings around it, of course.

Sears Tower. Always.

This building is an equilateral triangle.

Lilith 2010…

3 o’clock. hot. hot hot. sunglasses. so hot you can’t stand in the sun. tampon tent, lily pad. friends, family. picking up where you left off. hugs all around. moist towel, rewetting. water, popcorn, pistachios, snacks. laughing so hard i might pee, corey breen where have you been all my life? collectively not drinking. hot. so many woman, and my father. family. 4 o’clock. rushing past everyone to get the shade, because my dad is a stand up guy. someone buying me a hot dog, because again i’m eleven. water, water, water, and water. 5 o’clock. kate nash, you are peculiar. but i love foundations. 6 o’clock, hey sistas, your project is my new favorite thing. i will always remember Coast is about Texas. going to the men’s bathroom, because it’s Lilith. 7 o’clock, and Heart, oh baby, you’ve stole mine. Nikki, we’re definitely behind on this sister-traveling-act thing, but so are Corey and Ky, so I don’t feel left out. Belting it out. sun going down, behind the pillars, because my dad rocks. Jen being part of the family. Not being the adult. The family being together. Having two moms around to watch out for me. (And later, Maribeth asking me, “Does he have health insurance?”) Sun behind the clouds. Sing it to me, Barracuda. 8 o’clock. “It’s a valid life choice.” 9 o’clock, Mary J Blige, Stairway to Heaven, you’re an angel. 10 o’clock. Sarah, I have missed you so. But, I will remember you. And, alternatively, Loving You is Easy. 2011, here we come.